IMAGE AND VIDEO PRODUCTION

IMAGE AND VIDEO PRODUCTION. Images and video can be
captured in electronic form and transferred to other locations.
Because of the large file size of high-resolution images, media
transfer has primarily been in the form of high-density disks or
video tape.
Although initial production of images or video is in a studio,
the production of edited images, video segments, or computer
animation may be performed at many different
locations. Broadband connections allow for editors and producers
to interconnect without the delay of shipping storage
media. 160

VIRTUAL TELEVISION STATIONS

VIRTUAL TELEVISION STATIONS. Virtual television stations distribute
digital video and audio through the Internet to groups of
viewers. With broadband digital video access, the Internet will
become a new avenue of distribution for broadcasters that hope
to target previously unreachable mobile audiences.
Since 1999, there has been growing public interest in interactive
TV (iTV). This has been led by satellite and cable systems
deploying subscriber equipment and infrastructure capable of
delivering a variety of interactive services. Some of these early
interactive functions include an electronic program guide (EPG)
and parental control through channel-locking features. A type of
one-way datacasting on virtual television stations allows viewers to
choose from limited, primarily text-based, supplementary content.
Other virtual television features and functions may include
game or quiz show audience participation. These features and
functions all present new opportunities as well as challenges to
programmers, advertisers, and providers of interactive services
as they navigate through a maze of complex platform landscapes
defined by a complicated mix of networks, set-top boxes,
and software. It’s projected that 35 percent of U.S. households
(over 25 million homes) will use some form of interactive TV
services by the end of 2005.

VIRTUAL RADIO STATIONS

VIRTUAL RADIO STATIONS. Virtual radio stations are digital
audio sources connected to a network (typically the Internet).
In 1999, there were over 2,000 radio stations operating on the
Internet. Virtual radio stations have a strong competitive
advantage compared to standard radio broadcasts. Radio stations
Web sites can do more than simply rebroadcast their onair
signals. They can provide photos of disc jockeys, contest
prizes, and winners, and act as current news centers for entertainment
events and weather services.
Broadcast radio stations have been offering content delivery
by both radio and Web access in anticipation of a significant
shift to Internet (virtual) radio. Internet radio offers the
ability to customize (personalize) a broadcast to groups or
individual receivers. By 2005, 41 percent of the population
will listen to personalized, on-demand audio content at least
once a week. Content providers will adopt genre-specific business
models.
Radio stations are taking aggressive steps in developing a
new breed of Web sites designed to offer fresh content and
help the media outlets connect better with their target audience.
This includes offering chat rooms, news updates and
music reviews, and other social-based services that make their
Web sites more appealing. Additionally, virtual radio stations
can use their Web sites as research tools to determine listener
preferences. The system serves up real-time information, providing
details on the music being played. Listeners then are
asked to use the Web site to vote on the song being played, thus
giving station programmers instant feedback on listener tastes.
The radio stations then talk up their Web sites during radio
broadcasting, driving more usage to the Internet service. The
Internet is having both a positive and negative impact on radio
station ratings and revenues. 159