COMMENT in response to Natalie's Blog

Comment in response to 'Television. Is it falling behind?'

Nat, your blog presented a great debate and pointed out many key problems that face the television as a medium, jeopardizing its place in society.
It is without question that the expansion of Web 2.0 has given television a ‘run for its money’. As you mentioned, and Bruns suggests, media preferences will edge towards interactivity, intercreativity and produsage (Bruns, 2008). This statement reigns true, especially today in our convergence driven world. To some extent I believe television has taken steps towards providing an interactive environment for its viewers. Emergence of cable and satellite television has in some way presented a platform in its interactivity with its audiences. Take for instance Foxtel IQ. Features allow you to stop, start, rewind and record live television. There also exists to a degree, an element of participation in the television which features specialist and nice channels in comparison to the free to air, stock-standard programs free to air presents. (Flew, 2005)However your blog effectively conveyed that theses changes to television though significant, “have not dramatically changed the experience of television to its viewers, since it remains a medium where someone other than the viewer determines the available menu of content and options at any given time.” (Flew, 2005. p. 2) As indicated in your blog television has no inbuilt opportunities where it can embrace new media technologies. Perhaps society is happy to keep the television as a medium which they passively consume? It is possible for it to survive. However, for television to encompass new media through its interactivity, intercreativity and produsage, the answer still lies with the prevailing option of distributing the television programs and films online. (Bruns, 2008)

References:

Bruns, A. 2008. Reconfiguring Television for a Networked, Produsage Context. http://snurb.info/files/Reconfiguring%20Television%20for%20a%20Networked,%20Produsage%20Context.pdf (Accessed May 2, 2008).

Flew, T. 2005. New Media. 2nd Ed. Oxford: Victoria.