What's on (Digital) TV? Assessing the Digital Television Broadcasting System, Its Potential and Its Performance in Increasing Media Content Diversity

摘要

Digital broadcast television technology allows broadcasters to multicast, or air several programming streams in the space formerly occupied by only one channel. Guided by Philip Napoli's concept of media content diversity, this study asks how well the DTV system in the United States exploits digital technology's potential for adding new voices and ideas to the television landscape. The FCC's market-oriented approach to content regulation and DTV implementation are explored, and an analysis of multicasting use and programming shows that the digital broadcasting space is going greatly underutilized and broadcasters are adding little content diversity to the airwaves.