Acknowledgements

The Internet is a wonderful, if somewhat overwhelming, source of information. A dip one day into my Netscape Navigator™ Newspage_Direct, a ‘daily web-paper’ for all things televisual (and digital), threw up more than 400 specific stories. These were typically about 600–700 words long, covering subjects such as set top boxes (8), electronic commerce (25), cutting edge multimedia technology (40) as well as the more mundane broadcast satellites (8), network TV business news (6), high definition TV (14) and interactive TV (34). But ask for information on so-called ‘super-highway’-related stories and the system goes ballistic, routeing 120 stories into the PC. Ask for anything newsworthy concerning the world wide web and the network responds with 152 stories. It's just another tough day in the digital village.

The position is much the same on news-stands and in the better-stocked book shops. Any month a reader is almost certain to see the face of Bill Gates peering from the front cover of at least one magazine. Business-related weekly and monthly magazines seem now to be wholly dependent on a digital some-thing-or-other on every second page. While books devoted purely to broadcasting are fewer, those with some reference to ‘digital’ in the title are almost as widespread. It's a nightmare for any journalist hoping to stay a few steps ahead of the pack!

In The Business of Digital Television I have attempted to cut through the hype and condense the available information to hard fact and sustainable prediction, free from unsubstantiated assumptions. I want this report to be of value as events unfold, if only as a reference tool or to compare predictions with actual results.

In writing this work I am first and foremost indebted to my fellow journalists in this sector of the business. Their assistance in pointing me in the right direction, as well as their own thoughts and concepts of where the future is taking us, have proved invaluable. First among equals are Barry Fox, Geoff Bains, George Cole, Mimi Turner and my colleagues Stuart Thomson, Julian Clover and Barry Flynn.

I have also been fortunate to talk to a great number of industry leaders who have generously given me their time over the past few years. In particular I'd like to mention Adam Singer, chairman of Flextech, Steve Billinger, then head of BSkyB's interactive division, Graham Mills, director of British Telecom's visual and broadcast services, Dr Abe Peled, CEO of NDS Inc., Jim Beveridge at Microsoft's WebTV, Claire Leproust from Canal+'s interactive division, Steve Oldfield and Phil Braden at Mindport, Barclay Knapp and Jeremy Thorpe at NTL Inc.

Satellite broadcasting has grown to be a crucial player in all aspects of broadcasting and the Internet. I owe a special debt to Giuliano Berretta, director general of EUTELSAT, to Romain Bausch, director general of SES/Astra, and to their respective staff, in particular Vanessa O'Connor and Yves Feltes.

It should be noted that unless stated otherwise, quoted material is taken from extensive interviews I personally conducted throughout the summer of 1999.

Chris Forrester
Richmond, London
August 2000