Technology and Convergence Change Viewing Habits

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Television Networks Evolve Insiders discuss how cable and satellite have changed the television market.

Discussion: How might definitions of a TV network change in the realm of new digital media?

Among the biggest technical innovations in TV are nontelevision delivery systems. We can skip a network broadcast and still watch our favorite shows on DVRs, on laptops, or on mobile devices for free or for a nominal cost. Not only is TV being reinvented, but its audiences—although fragmented—are also growing. A few years ago, televisions glimmered in the average U.S. household just over seven hours a day; but by 2012, when you add in downloading, streaming, DVR playback, and smartphone/tablet viewing, that figure has expanded to more than eight hours a day. All these options mean that we are still watching TV, but at different times, places, and on different kinds of screens (see Figure 6.2).