TV IS DEAD?

PROGRAMME 5: THE NEW RULES

ACTIVITIES

Guidance

These activities support a variety of individual, paired and group work and can be chosen and adapted to suit the needs of the students involved.

This web page contains links to other websites that are neither controlled nor maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.

Before viewing

Organise students into small groups and ask them to discuss the following:

1. Have you used the internet to find out about a new music artist? What kind of information can you access and how does this benefit the artist? What is the impact on record companies?
2. Have you accessed moving images/clips on the internet? Who has made them? What do you think of the quality? Have you ever created something yourself and uploaded it to the net?
3. Do you watch TV on the net? Where do you source it and why do you watch it? Are there advantages over traditional television?
4. How aware are you of advertising on the net? Do you think it is useful/effective?
5. What do you think is the main function of sites such as YouTube, Yahoo or Google? Are there any other sites you think offer novel functionality? Describe them.
6. How different is the internet from television? How aware are you of things changing?

Now choose three sites that are popular with young people. For each site, outline briefly its main focus, functionality, who is likely to visit them, and how they are financed. Do you, the consumers, pay directly for the service? If so, are you happy to pay? Are there other sources of revenue that you are aware of?

Programme-related activities

To view 4Learning video clips you will need Windows Media Player for PC or Mac, which is free to download from Microsoft:
www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/
player/download/download.aspx

The video clips may contain a few seconds of extra material at the beginning and end, so we have included opening and closing descriptions to help identify the intended scene.

Current TV
Clip 1: 07:30 – 08:35

• In (narrator): 'New players like Current TV are using the internet…'
• Out (narrator): '…anyone can become a TV producer.'

How does Current TV work? How is it financed? What are the advantages for viewers and would-be programme-makers? Are there any benefits to Sky and Virgin?

Landrover
Clip 2: 11:05 – 12:21

• In (Dilip Shukla): 'So this is Landrover's TV channel…'
• Out (Dilip Shukla): '…that is going to increase the opportunity.'

How has the Landrover channel been set up and what does it offer? What do you think are the advantages to the advertiser of such channels over traditional advertising on television? Why might someone watch this channel? How are traditional broadcasters affected by this kind of initiative?

Aggregator sites

How does Joost differ from other aggregator sites such as Google, YouTube and Yahoo? How does its business model work? What are the advantages to the viewer of Joost in comparision to traditional TV. Which would you rather use and why?

After viewing

New website development

New websites spring up virtually every day and often depend on people having a good idea. Sometimes the creators may be exploring their own interests or sometimes they may spot a gap in the market and come up with an idea for a new service that the net can facilitate. Quickly recap on some of the new sites you are aware of. Now, in a group, think up an idea for a new site.

Use the following headings to draft your proposal (or use the downloadable worksheet):

• Main aim/focus
• Unique selling point
• Target audience
• Functionalities
• Business model
• Promotion/marketing.

Now present your idea to another group and be prepared to answer questions.

Convergence

The convergence of the internet and traditional TV is a very current concept. Consider the various changes in technology that have taken place over the last few years. Where do you see things going? What do you imagine will become standard equipment in most households, say in the next decade? What ideally would you like to see happening?

Do you think the divide between the generations will lessen or will new technologies come about that will mean that you, as an adult, may find it difficult to keep up with a younger generation?

Is TV dead?

Do traditional broadcasters really have a future? Does it matter?

Create your vision for the future, and present your vision to the other groups.