Rodrigo Vasconcellos 12/12/06
Communication Technology Prof. Durso
Convergence
Media people tend to get very keyed up about convergence, because it holds so
much promise. The melding together of different media, incorporating new personalized
services is both impressive and overwhelming. The implementation of high-performance
computers, and creation of high-speed computer networks have brought us new ways of
doing things. Old barriers of time and space are practically eliminated. You can view, hear,
read, and get any type of information virtually anywhere at anytime. The 1990's brought
ownership convergence, creating media corporations like Sony, Viacom, and Disney among
others. This sudden revolution in the media has changed the way systems are delivered.
Newspapers now provide video, TV offers interactive chat, magazines relies on websites, and
radio has web-cams.
The convergence of media also plays a sensational role in the different categories of
television programming. ESPN for example, has attracted their audience not only with cable
programming, but also with magazine subscription, and a website that can overwhelm you
with information. ESPN is by far the number one channel in sports through out the United
States, and the trends that changed communication are definitely the key factor of the
success ESPN and other channels have obtained over the years. The development of the
Internet and the different websites that were created over time brought new ideas that
eventually lead to the digitization of magazines, newspaper, ads, and etc.
The comparison of both formats is essential to observe how they differ and how
effective they are. I am a subscriber of the ESPN magazine as well as a constant visitor of
the ESPN website. I find that the magazine focus more intensively in advertising. Every
other page is reserved for ads, which in a business prospective, is a great...