NewsLine Column: Convergence Or Divergence?

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Ongoing technological developments are blurring the boundaries between different types of media with television, radio and the internet continually coming closer together. However, convergence also means more choice for consumers who are being faced with an ever increasing range of media opportunities, Mike Sainsbury, the man behind the forthcoming 2004 European Television and Radio Symposiums, explains…

The fashionable word to describe the technological development of television (and most other media) has been ‘convergence’. The media get more like each other – radio can have pictures and the internet can be used to view programmes and advertisements and so on. However, perhaps a more appropriate word is ‘divergence’ as broadcast choices continue to widen. The opportunity to record material and replay it when and where you want, thereby creating your own schedules, is increasing. There are the now old-fashioned VCRs, recordable DVDs, personal video recorders (PVRs) and, around the corner, memory sticks.

These developments combine with new opportunities to view. Small hand-held screens could enable you to view your favourite programme, stored on a memory stick, on a train. Downloading broadcast material from the telephone line could become popular. There again, in the near future there are likely to be truly portable flat-screen devices the size of a large book. And, of course, there is the possibility of viewing present and recent broadcasts on the internet, which seems no longer at the cutting edge of technology.

So, these technologies in the near future offer viewers the opportunity to watch anything recently broadcast anywhere and at any time. These possibilities would probably not totally replace the comfortable family television set, anymore than the motor car has made the armchair obsolete. But the addition of so many possibilities around the edges does change the nature of the medium. The divergence of possibilities will make TV more like radio, reconnecting to the concept of convergence.

The control which recording possibilities gives to the viewer threatens conventional TV advertising. One response to this threat has been new ideas for using the medium for advertising. Interactive ads draw those interested out of the broadcast stream into a search for more detailed information about products. The concept of targeting ads on digital services using the known interests and characteristics of digital users is another way to attract the right consumer. Perhaps, however, the concept of the consumer, captive for all advertising, is on the way out, although slowly, for a substantial audience still views live broadcasts on the family set whilst sitting in an armchair. There are also some areas of content where live viewing is largely assured – e.g. news, sport, current affairs. On the other hand, drama and films may often be better watched via a recording, at leisure.

This changing nature of TV broadcasting and viewer control pose particular problems for established peoplemeters. Personal meters will challenge the supremacy of peoplemeters in the “view any time any place” future of TV whilst they will also challenge the diary (or recall) technique for radio. As ever, the main concerns with new techniques is whether they work and how they work. They are in test at the moment in a number of markets and it is of pressing importance to discover whether any common conclusions can be drawn from these initiatives. Audience measurement and the establishment of reliable trading currencies is not going to get any easier.

This year’s European Television and Radio Symposiums will take place in Berlin between 10 and 12 November. Further details can be obtained by visiting www.asi.eu.com, or by contacting Mike Sainsbury directly on 01822 618 628, or

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