ABSTRACT

Chapter 2 asks how to define television in an internet era in which television and the internet are increasingly interconnected. It sets out a definition of online TV that considers the continuities as well as the changes to television as a medium as it enters the internet era, while at the same time distinguishing online TV services from other audiovisual and television-related services available online. In doing so, it defines online TV as services that facilitate the viewing of editorially selected audiovisual content through internet-connected devices and infrastructure. Although online TV services can be distinguished from other forms of online video, they sit within an internet ecosystem characterised by fluid interconnections between different sites and services. The chapter goes on, therefore, to examine the boundaries between online TV and other online platforms and products, many of which are provided by the same companies. In setting out its definition of online TV, the chapter lays out the key stakes for online TV services, which lie in the acquisition and production of content and in the creation and facilitation of viewing experiences.