Television and new technology

The digital revolution has transformed the traditional ways of watching television. With each new innovation come new terminologies and new systems (such as narrowcasting, pod casting, convergence, personal video recorders).

Whereas music centres have given consumers combinations of tape, records, radio and CDs in one sound system, home entertainment systems, featuring digital, television, broadband, radio, DVD and hard disk personal video recorders, are still being refined and developed.

Broadcasters and advertisers are having to reassess their thinking about audiences. The proliferation of channels has meant that all tastes can be catered for. However, it has also meant that mass audiences are becoming increasingly fragmented. The programmes now most likely to draw mass audiences are live broadcasts of sporting, musical or world events. Television may well have come full circle where, like the early pioneers, broadcasters must film live events in order to achieve the medium's potential for mass appeal.

However, there is also a paradox developing. As audiences have more choice of what to watch (in terms of channels) so the level of diversity actually narrows. Some would argue that globalisation of the broadcasting industries has thrown up the interesting concept of 'More means Less'.