Blog Post #1: Political Economy and Television in the "Post-Network Era" by Raymond McKenna

Raymond McKenna

CCS 313

Blog Post #1

September 23rd, 2014

Political Economy and Television in the "Post-Network Era"

The digestion of media, particularly television, through more contemporary means, specifically the Internet, has resulted in alterations and disputes over the rules that dictate the type of media, the cost of media, and even the amount and speed at which we can digest said media. Most notably in recent news, there is a battle over the usage of the Internet between companies like Verizon and Netflix, who holds and delivers the content through Internet Service Providers (ISP) like Verizon, most commonly referred to as the gatekeepers to the Internet (Gill), and involving government institutions like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In an article by Dror Gill of Tech Crunch entitled “Netflix vs. Verizon vs. Consumer: Who Wins?” Gill outlines and explains the dispute between these two companies and how it affects the consumer. But, the dispute between Netflix and Verizon is not limited to these two entities, but rather every website and Internet Service Provider that exists in the United States, but particularly Netflix, and others like Hulu, because they deliver television shows (which are large files that require high bandwidth to transfer), and Verizon, who is attempting to force certain websites, like Netflix, to pay high premiums to deliver content to their subscribers at a fast enough rate because they cause network congestion within the ISP's lines. If Verizon gets their way, Netflix would be forced to either pay the premiums to deliver content at a high enough bandwidth, which could cause rates to increase, or risk creating a poor customer/consumer experience (Gill). 

This article and the concepts within it are important because they address the new and increasingly numerous problems related to television and political economy, caused by the continuously changing landscape of television and how we consume it presently. We are currently in what Amanda Lotz calls the "post-network era" of television (Lotz, 34) in her piece "Understanding Television at the Beginning of the Post-Network Era." The "post-network era" has redefined the definition of television, and changed how and when we view television content, as well as how we pay for said content. As Lotz explains, content is now delivered through means other then just the television, most notably nowadays is how we, the viewers, digest television through means of the Internet, utilizing websites such as Netflix and Hulu via a myriad of devices such as smartphones, tablets, and our computers (Lotz, 34-35) through the Internet and thus through ISPs, like Verizon. In addition, television has moved from a “flow” model, to a "publishing model," resembling the way we pay for and ingest older forms of media such as magazines (Lotz, 34). But in doing so, it has also raised issues around the production, distribution, and consumption of television, that ultimately involves the consumer of such digital media, as well as economic decisions that result from political interests, or even laws. In fact, there have be many recent online protests, boycotts, and petitions by consumers in an attempt to get the FCC more involved in net neutrality and in keeping the lines of the internet free and open. With disputes like the aforementioned, its easy to see how the different business models, as well as evolving technology have contributed to the evolution of television and how its viewed, but have also led to increasing problems related to political economy.

Works Cited

Gill, Dror. "Netflix Vs. Verizon Vs. Consumer: Who Wins? | TechCrunch." TechCrunch. AOL Inc., 6 Sept. 2014. Web. 22 Sept. 2014. <http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/06/netflix-vs-verizon-vs-consumer-can-everyone-win/>.

Lotz, Amanda D.. The television will be revolutionized. New York: New York University Press, 2007. Print.