Coming together: Thedatingchannel.com and the future of television

Palmer, G

Abstract

I begin with a very brief discussion of how the meaning of interactive television has developed over the past 20 years. I then consider the ways in which communities have usually been represented in television utilising old models of interactivity through forms such as access television Following this, I focus specifically on the dating channel (DC) as a platform for portraits of the self, and the community. I conclude by considering the wider implications of adopting DC as a model for other users. My over-arching aim is to help develop the relatively unexplored connections between convergence, interactivity and the community, connections which we need to explore to help fashion a media which engages citizens in a democratic and responsible way rather than surrendering interactivity to commercial forces and the hesitant gestures of public service broadcasters.

Citation

Palmer, G. (2006). Coming together: Thedatingchannel.com and the future of television. Journal of Media Practice, 7(2), 109-121. https://doi.org/10.1386/jmpr.7.2.109/1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2006
• Deposit Date: Feb 3, 2009
• Journal: Journal of Media Practice
• Print ISSN: 1468-2753
• Publisher: Intellect
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 109-121
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/jmpr.7.2.109/1
• Publisher URL: http://www.atypon-link.com/INT/doi/pdf/10.1386/jmpr.7.2.109_1