Editors View: What About the PAR?

by Matthew York
Winter 2003/Spring 2004

Broadcasting seems like the wrong way to find TV programs that match your individual interests. Although today's TV "broadcasts" include cable casting, broadcasting and satellite-delivered TV programs, all of them are "cast" in a similar way; that is, they are spread to millions of people at the same time. "Cast TV" aims to satisfy a large number of these people at once. To attract the largest audience, cast TV shows must appeal to the lowest common interest of the audience.

The proliferation of TV channels in the past 10 years has certainly improved the value of TV. Hundreds of channels allow viewers to tune-in to a station that is more suited to their personal interests. The Outdoor Life Channel is of particular interest to some, while TechTV appeals to others. This fragmentation allows viewers to seek, and find, shows that are entertaining and edifying based upon their special interests. Even within the programming lineup of niche TV networks, appealing to the lowest common interest of the entire audience remains a necessary evil. A TechTV viewer, though interested in technology, may be less drawn to a show like Robot Wars, than one on new consumer electronics devices, but Fresh Gear may not be on while he is sitting at the TV.

The personal video recorder (PVR) has solved this dilemma. FCC Commissioner Powell calls it "God's machine." Compared to CD players or VCRs, PVR acceptance is very slow. PVRs are not easily understood while standing in the aisle of a retail store. PVR owners are doing a great job in educating others about the wonderful effects of personal channels or wish lists.

I predict that, within a few years, society will look back upon the pre-PVR era with disgrace. It will be hard to believe that we once accepted silly concepts like channel surfing or keeping an appointment with a TV show. The imprecision of TV time management, before PVRs, will be an embarrassment for us to remember as we reflect upon our youthful innocence.

Channel surfing for a TV show to watch is something like browsing while standing in front of a magazine rack at a retail store. If each magazine on the rack is compared to a TV network, it is like channel surfing through nearly 5,000 channels. If each article in each magazine is compared to an individual program, the browser/surfer has hundreds of thousands of "shows" to select for their viewing/reading, immediately (or preferably after they make the purchase and walk out of the store). The comparison of TV shows to magazine articles works really well. Without a PVR, the analogy would require that the magazine reader make an appointment with the magazine rack. In order to read the article of his choice, he would need to come back at the time that the article was available for reading, because only a few hundred articles are available at any given time.

I, for one, am curious as to why personal audio recorders (PARs), like "Replay Radio", have yet to have stronger impact on the marketplace. In some ways, Napster was the kick-off of the personal audio movement. Peer-to-peer MP3 file sharing allows people to share audio files within a given music genre (special interests). In this case, the recordings were not captured radio broadcasts, but music ripped from a CD. To date, peer-to-peer MP3 file sharing has its focus upon music. "Spoken word" audio is an untapped category that seems well suited to the PVR/PAR model. This category includes foreign language training, religious sermons, comedy, old time radio shows and National Public Radio. PARs are incredibly well suited for talk radio shows.

Like PVRs, PARs need an electronic programming guide, which includes the schedule of shows. Unlike TV, the radio industry currently lacks a complete, comprehensive electronic programming guide (EPG). When a good radio EPG becomes available, personal channels or keyword search with a PAR will catch programs that are entertaining and edifying based upon your personal interests.

I encourage you to watch the TV shows and listen to audio content that precisely suits you, and to do so on your own schedule.