Understanding the Future of Broadcasting

Working Draft

22 February 2001
Examples from History

New Media Borrow from Old

Vaudeville-->Radio-->Television-->Cable Television

Old Media Adapt to New

impact of television on radio: format radio

impact of multichannels on television: format television

New Media and Lessons from

art, comic books, VCRs, death of laserdisc,

Role of Public Broadcasting in introducing new technologies
 

"Radio" Broadcasting Sites

Conair
Listen to BBC story on digital satellite radio.
Serious Radio Broadcasting
Radio broadcasting network partnership between satellite provider and auto manufacturers ($10/month).
Three major automakers are scheduled to provide Sirius satellite receivers as options: Daimler-Chysler, BMW, and Ford. In addition, Jensen, Panasonic, Kenwood, Delphi, Clarion, Audiovox, and Alpine plan to offer aftermarket systems to interested parties. XM has commitments from the following vendors: Sony, Alpine, Pioneer, Delphi, Audiovox, Clarion, Mitsubishsi, Motorola, and Sharp. Receivers are discussed in more detail on subsequent pages in this site. Source: http://www.rusirius.com/vendors.htm
SoundWaves2000.com
Example of how a small organization can broadcast audio on the web. This is a religious radio station without the station.
XM Satellite Radio
Radio broadcasting network $9.95/month, compete with local radio or CD/cassette player?
XM has announced agreements with several regional consumer electronics vendors to distritube their satellite receivers. The businesses having agreements with XM include Best Buy, Circuit City, Crutchfields, Al and Ed's, CarToys, Good Guys, Mobile-One, Sound Advice, Tweeter, Ultimate, Cowboy Maloney's Electronic City in Mississippi, and Magnolia Hi-Fi in the Pacific Northwest. Panasonic has recently announced an agreement to produce XM receivers for installation in new vehicles.Source:http://www.rusirius.com/vendors.htm

Documents about the Future of Broadcasting

Australian Productivity Commission Broadcasting Inquiry Report. (2000, April 11). Convergence chapter. (PDF file.)
Nice introduction to the concept of digital convergence.
Anderson, Karen. (). CBS Says Answers For Future May Be Found In Past By.
For Joseph Flaherty, senior vice president of technology for CBS, the move to digital is not the first step toward a new future for broadcasters, rather it is a major step in a progression to improve the standards of broadcasting, an evolution which has been taking place since television began.
Carpenter, Dave (2000, August 6). Car Radio of Future Arriving. Popular Science.
Demand for Web-connected cars is projected to help triple the company's telematics sales to about $1 billion in the next three years. And iRadio, which is expected to be installed in luxury cars of the major carmakers by the end of 2001, is only the forerunner of bigger projects still on the drawing board.
Charting the Digital Broadcasting Future: Final Report of the Advisory Committee on Public Interest Oblications of Digital Television Broadcasters (1998, December 18).
Discusses the public service obligations of broadcasting in the context of the digital age.
Given, Jock (1999, August). The Death of Broadcasting? Media's Digital Future. Communications Law Centre, Sydney.
Examines the possibilities offered by digital broadcasting technologies, the government decisions made about them and how they will affect the media and communications landscape in metropolitan and regional Australia.


Grotticelli, Michael. (2000, August 25).Shaping Your Broadcast Future To Upgrade Or Not To Upgrade...Is No Longer An Issue. TelevisionBroadcast.

"I would say that everyone other than stations are creating this new business, and we're more than happy about it," said one design engineer, who asked that his name be withheld. "I think broadcasters are still in a state of confusion about where the industry is headed, so they are choosing to sit around and do nothing."
Hanemayer, Wes (2000, May 5). Bandwidth's Future. TelevisionBroadcast.
Argues for hybrid fiber/satellite solutions
Harbert, Tam. (2000, December 1). Digital TV delusions. Electronic Business.
There is no U.S. consumer demand for HD and DTV because there is no product. "Terrestrial broadcasting...is becoming less and less relevant." Some 67% of U.S. households receive cable and about 12% receive satellite television. If digital TV takes off anywhere, it will likely be through these two conduits, rather than terrestrial broadcasting.
How Digital Broadcasting Will Work
Article on the future of satellite direct broadcast radio.
The Future of the BBC
Look at web home of the BBC.
Murray, Charles J. (2000, November 27). Satellite radio prepares to blast off. EETimes.
Predictions for the technology's success vary. An analyst at Merrill Lynch last year forecast 1.3 million subscribers by 2001 and 5.8 million by the end of 2003. Sirius executives, however, have been hesitant to predict, saying that they don't expect big numbers for a couple of years. Vendors, meanwhile, say they are confident that luxury car makers will incorporate the technology in some vehicles during the 2002 model year.
Silbergleid, Michael and Mark J. Pescatore (2000). The Guide To Digital Television, third edition. New York: United Entertainment
Media.
Online textbook about digital television.
Why the Digital Transition Will Fail
Internet and Internet-2 to make transmitters, network-affiliate relationship obsolete

Cutting Edge Broadcasting Web Sites

Broadcast Technology: Driving the Digital Era
Japanese NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories Bulletin


DigitalTelevision.com

Professional business-to-business information about digital television as well as discussions about different aspects of digital television. Relaunch scheduled 15 February 2001. Revised to March 1
Future File: The Future of Broadcasting

PBS Digital Television

Sun Microsystems' Digital Journey