Television's swansong? Television and the Internet: Swansong TV

Abstract

The expanding possibilities of digitalisation and the Internet have favoured a process of transformation in the media sector, in which corporations have been forced to reposition themselves in an age of uncertainty, while speculations continue to be made on the future of "media convergence". Concurrently, independent initiatives proliferate, attracted by the emerging possibilities of the so-called new media. Defying traditional approaches in media studies, Internet TV expands horizons in terms of participation, personalization and de-institutionalisation. In this study I have analysed the characteristics of an independent Internet TV project, Swansong TV, which originated in the context of the British visual arts. My objective is to establish how television characteristics are being redefined or reproduced in a new context. I aim to show how such a product - simultaneously integrated and fragmented via live transmission, pre-recorded video, web and online communication - is articulated. I will also try to analyse the inherent tensions between local and global issues, producers and audience as well as the trans-generic nature of some programmes.