Introduction: Ready for use? An old medium in new times

摘要

Depending on the theoretical perspective and empirical evidence they draw upon, scholars and researchers have been announcing for quite a while now either the dead or the re-invigoration of television both as a social institution and economical system (Katz, 2009). Whether traditional television is believed to be on its deathbed or re-inventing itself in the face of the digital age, studies show that television is strongly affected by the developments in the field of the Internet and telecommunications, not only in technological, but also in social, cultural, political and economical terms. In this respect, the analysis of Mackay and O'Sullivan (1999) pp. 4-5, describing digital television as an 'old' medium in 'new times', captures well what television as a social institution, as an industry, as a technology and as a social-cultural practice is going through. What we witness today is the 'refashioning' and 'remediation' of a medium that tries to answer to the challenges of new media (Lister et al., 2003, pp. 39-40).