Convergence

AbstractThis essay tracks broadcast television from its beginnings to the digital age of convergence. After taking over radio’s popularity, television went through many shapes and forms over the decades to come. Interactive television and the inclusion of the audience brought a whole new aspect to broadcast television. The format that includes amateur programming has lead to many new advances in the world of convergence and network programming. This has paved the way for the digital age, where the viewer is in control and the broadcaster must meet the demands of what the public wants to see. Also, the challenges posed to broadcasting by digital technology are looked at from a point-of-view of how to make broadcasting better.

. What does “convergence” mean? Discuss the interactive capabilities of broadcast TV and the choices it gives to broadcasters that they did not have before its invention.
“Convergence”, when referring to media, means “the blending of communication technologies, operations, or businesses.” (Dominick, 2009, p. G-2) Put in more simple terms, convergence is a combination of different forms of media, which are joined for the purpose of covering multiple formats rather than just one. Convergence is not only more profitable for major media networks, but reaches wider audiences via its multiple avenues of conveying news. In fact, convergence has become a standard for almost all major media networks (“Media convergence,” n.d.).While convergence has affected the way media is conveyed and received, there was a time when simpler methods of media were the primary source. Broadcast television is one of the more modern formats of media from the 20 th century. Before broadcast television, radio was the most popular form of broadcast (Dominick, 2009, p. 228). Broadcast television took its original programming ideas from radio and was meant to serve a local audience (Dominick, 2009, p. 229). When broadcast television surpassed radio in popularity, broadcasters were able to now put faces and images to the sounds once heard on radio. Broadcast television would undergo many changes before interactive capabilities would become a part of the format. In the 1980’s, when broadcast television was first introduced on a major scale (with programs such as
America’s Funniest Home Videos
), the possibilities of user-generated content, i.e. interactive television, were fully realized by television broadcasters (Dominick, 2009, p. 236). The possibilities of this new television medium would turn out to be one of the largest developments in the history of television.The future of interactive television would prove to be a great advancement in the format. With media convergence, broadcast television could now be used interactively through web sites. With media convergence, broadcast television could now be used interactively through web sites such as “You Tube” and “My Space” (Dominick, 2009, p. 236). Television programs now make it possible for audiences to call in and vote on particular competitions. Some programs allow for users to use the internet to vote on what they would like to see as the outcome of a program. Interactive television, though used in many professionally performed programs, is generally dominated by amateur video and clips of video made by everyday people (Dominick, 2009, p. 236). Entire programs now exist, which dedicate the duration of the program to amateur videos sent in from random people. With the reality-based content of today’s television programming, along with media convergence linking television with other formats (such as the web), broadcasters can now show audiences what they decide they want to watch, as well as content from average viewers, just like themselves.
2. From the perspective of a network television executive, outline and explain the major concerns now facing the broadcasting industry. Be specific.
Network television, in this day and age, along with its executives, has a challenge to face unlike any since the advent of television. This challenge comes in the form of the World Wide Web and other streaming, broadband devices, such as the “iPad” (Woodward, 2012). Another challenge to “connected television”—as traditional broadcast television has been dubbed—is subscription television and movie services, such as “Netflix” (Woodward, 2012). The popularity of these digital and on-demand services poses a huge threat to the industry of simple broadcast television. Even though convergence has almost monopolized networks, the fact that broadcast television is becoming less popular is quite evident.As a network executive, one would be hard-pressed to give up on a media format that has been entertaining the masses for nearly 80 years. Broadcasting, while still a great source of entertainment and advertisement, is competing with mediums that can operate and advertise for much less of a cost than itself (Woodward, 2012). Many advertisers that once spent their money on broadcasting are now going with the more readily accessible and broader reaching format of digital media (Woodward, 2012). New methods to keep revenue coming into broadcasting need to be created. What might executives do to keep viewers interested in “connected television”? In these times, almost any broadcast can be seen or heard at a chosen time other than that of the original broadcast. Furthermore, even while watching a broadcast, research has shown that 70% of viewers use their smartphone or tablet devices while viewing (Woodward, 2012). This shows that viewers are easily distracted from the broadcast and more interested in their digital device. What can be done to stop this?The executives of major networks may find that they have better luck integrating digital devices and their applications into broadcasting. The major problems to be overcome might be solved by enhancing the broadcasting experience. Viewers need to be reminded why they tune into a broadcast to begin with: to sit back, relax, and enjoy themselves.