Newsrooms may well become communications resource centers that spin out a constant stream of news and information, some in the form of personality-driven programming designed to maintain a relationship with the audience, and some as utility programming that serves the viewers' immediate and specific information needs. The trick will be to remain a relevant and compelling resource in the multichannel, digital world. The service is based on a set-top box that allows viewers to watch television and surf the Web simultaneously using a screen within the screen. WebTV also offers its members email accounts, a video program guide and even satellite-delivered content. WebTV has since grown to 700,000 subscribers.
Television is a communal experience that demands little decision making from viewers.
But to use WebTV email or surf the Internet comfortably, viewers still need a keyboard attached to their television sets. With the new digital technology, each station can simultaneously transmit as many as four channels of standard definition television. Multiple digital channels would allow a station to time-shift programs and create narrowcast news segments to accommodate viewers' busy lifestyles and serve their individual interests. In addition, the economics of operating a television newsroom suggest that each station will want to spread the fixed cost over as many hours as possible of programming and associated advertising revenue. All a news director has to do is squeeze out a few more hours of local news each day.