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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Martin Deutsch
On 10/9/07, Brian Butterworth <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I can't see a broadcaster wanting this kind of EPG on
their system, as it removes the channel identities.
As a viewer, do you really need to know which channel a
programme is on before you decide to watch it? I suppose there are a few
cases where this would be useful (eg: Scrubs is on now - is it the
series I've been watching on E4, or the series I've already seen twice
on Paramount?), but generally if I'm channel-hopping, I don't really
care.
As a viewer I don't need to know what channel a programme is on, however
I find it very important myself for navigating through the myriad of
rubbish available to me via my TV set.
A prime example of this is BBC Four. Knowing the title of (say) recent
BBC Four arrival Flight of the Conchords tells me little, but the fact
it's a comedy on BBC Four made me watch it because I know what's on BBC
Four tends to be something I would like to watch - they are on my
wavelength as it where.
Similarly there's likely to be a world of difference between a BBC Four
programme called "Doctors to Be" and something similarly titled on Sky
One.
Where the channel brand as a navigational aid falls down is when you get
hoardes of channels which do little than show "the latest US imports".
They all tend to blur into one for me.
Anyway, all of this is why I continue to this day to plan my viewing via
the good old Radio Times. Until someone essentially puts the RT in its
paper style, on my EPG, then I'll still be getting out my highlighter
pen every week!
On the other hand, if the broadcaster is showing something
unpopular, it may not show in the cloud, in which case the
channel-hopper won't know it's on, and won't watch it. That's something
for a broadcaster to be concerned about - but maybe they should show
better programmes.
Does popular = good? Good is personal. Back to BBC Four again - not a
high ratings channel, but one where often the obscurest of programmes
for me, turns out to be the ones I enjoy the most. I'm still wading
through the stash of Radio Week programmes on my PVR, but so far the
highlight was a 10 minute Arena repeat about the Pips!
