Tornops & Vork #2

Fade in: A snapshot of space: a tiny ship and a medium sized planet stand in opposite corners. An over the shoulder view from the vessel's perspective shows the blue planet as an object apart, unaware of the observer's watch.

Ship Interior: Tornops Computer, take note of the following, file under 'Ongoing Questions': We have now been conducting our research on Earth's televised broadcast media history for ten days, our team has processed approximately 10% of available satellite data. While analyzing thousands of dramatic worlds, our team has had opportunity to begin theorizing on the role of this medium in daily life. The relationship between the average human and their television has changed over recent decades, but it has always steadily grown. One hypothesis we're working under is that a form of intimacy has developed here that is unlike that in other art forms --

Vork Especially the shows on what they call "Premium Channels". Nothing new about that kind of intimacy!

T Vork! -- For humans, this intimacy likely stems from the visual connection they feel with characters, performers, who appear in their home.

V Some actually pour them their own glass of flaznak.

T No! That has not been observed or inferred. -- This intimacy is especially compelling when juxtaposed against the very nature of their termed "broadcasting", in which, by its nature, the content is being spread to everyone. Television thus becomes a universal house guest, one that everyone shares.

V A guest that never brings a gift, in fact it costs you in the end. But it can really talk your ear off.

T Well actually Vork, that's what we're getting into. The cost of this intimacy. For many humans, struggling with the effects of the limitless storybook is a difficult proposition. In just the past decade, the business of providing this service to consumers has changed radically. Much of the difficulty has to do with the combination and details of the overall package offered.

V This is nothing new to us, Tornops. Our planet used to have broadcasting, and it still does for emergencies. There are good channels and there are bad channels, that's just the way it goes.

T Ah, yes, but their planet still demands that collections of content be purchased for a sustained period through intermediaries. The forces of power that control this "house guest" demand fees based on large packages of shows and movies, with the promise that they'll stick around and refresh the content when they get around to it. Crazy above all, their sport is like this as well, access to view professional sporting events is dependent on an agreement to pay for dozens of other programs as well.

V Well, that doesn't make any sense. It's a great way to restrict the amount of people who can see the event though.

T It gets even worse than that: they're still paying for their News in all of that grobel as well.

V The informational content? Daily transmissions of current events and the conversation surrounding the most pressing issues? Packaged in with the game shows and talent contests?

T All under the authority of private corporations, competing in their marketplace for audience.

V The keys to the public welfare, in amongst a barely regulated market. Well, there's no way that's vulnerable to corruption...

T Shifts have occurred in the landscape recently, but it's mostly old jargon being replaced with more technologically appropriate terminology. Channels become streams, providers become services. Companies stay companies.

V And don't forget the erosion of broadcasting - that's impacting the medium as well.

T I didn't forget, Vork, I simply don't agree! You're always doing that, falling prey to the assumption that since I haven't mentioned something, I'm ignorant of its existence!

V Did you know, you've got a pus sack that swells up, right on your fourth arm there, by the elbow? Whenever you're mad it just blows right up like a fradzop.

T And now I'm wishing I was ignorant of your existence. As I mentioned: technology is changing and so are some of the players. The advent of their broadband information transfer network has made it possible for a new infrastructure to handle the same episodic content. This allows more access to industry disrupters, it also makes it possible for online servicers to break free from scheduled broadcast and offer individualized streaming content.

V Customized for your enjoyment! Because you're so special! What you like is so interesting compared to what everyone else likes!

T It's not about that Vork! It's a matter of control. If you had this house guest in your life, and you could choose him coming over whenever he wanted, just crashing in whenever your door was open, or only coming over when you asked him to, which would you choose?

V Well, where's the fun in that?

T Well, that's a good point too, that argument actually can be made. Now that everyone is watching everything whenever they want, even the humans themselves have observed that they're not living by the broadcast schedule anymore. Since they're not watching programs at the same time anymore, they can't have the experience at the same time anymore, and they no longer have that in common.

V They're also not getting into as many vehicular collisions, speeding home just to see who gets kicked off their favorite reality show.

T True, indeed, now they can just watch the show in the car while they're stuck in traffic, on any one of their portable broadband devices.

V Gah! They would too.

T Well, before we throw too many derxes, we're the ones watching decades of shows we're out here in space, while at the helm of a very powerful spaceship.

V That's not the same thing! One: this is our job, we're professionals. Two: do you see anything around here we can crash into? I'm not really concerned about collisions. And three: well... we're working for universal peace and understanding, it's for the greater good. We're not drooling over so called "reality shows"

T Oh yeah? Is that why I heard sobbing last night while you were reviewing the latest season of a sample called The Great British Baking Show? End Scene