Mario Pergolini: 'Television is dead, and I truly believe it is'

Mario Pergolini, a prominent Argentine media figure for three decades, declared traditional television "dead" in a recent interview, arguing that content must shift to digital platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to reach shrinking audiences. "Audiences no longer come to us," he stated, emphasizing the need for hybrid content that integrates television production with digital immediacy.

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I am the founder of the phrase television is dead. I really believe that it is.

Pergolini, who previously developed the world's first streaming broadcast, is now applying his entrepreneurial drive to combat the "epidemic of loneliness" among the elderly. He is developing a device called ATO, designed for older adults, which uses natural language and AI to provide conversational companionship. This project was inspired by his mother's struggle with blindness and the resulting isolation.

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Audiences no longer come to us.

"I can't do anything to make you see again. We tried everything. I understand you're angry, but tell me what angers you most?" Pergolini recalled asking his mother, highlighting the emotional toll of her condition. He also touched on the impact of artificial intelligence, stressing the urgent need to reform education in response to its influence on the media landscape. Pergolini acknowledged the inherent "vanity" in the media business but stressed the importance of protecting his private life and family despite years of public exposure.

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This is a business of vanity, no matter how much you want to seem different.