I caught part of an interview on TV some while back with three archeologists. I can’t recall the name of the show and I’m not even sure of the channel. I think it might have been TVOntario. Anyways, one thing that does stick in my mind was the last question asked which went something like, “What is the one thing you wouldn’t want to find on a dig site.” Each of the archeologists answered differently.

1) An Archeological Anomaly. Although the archeologist said “pyramid,” (in Canada). This would be a problem since it would mean having to rethink many theories about the site and possibly the entire history of a region or a country. And it also threatens the credentials of many doctorials and masters. The last thing a professor at a university wants is to have their doctoral thesis destroyed since it could mean not only loosing their credentials but their credibility as well as their job.

2) Gold. Finding gold on a dig site would seem to be desirable, although it only draws in looters and onlookers. One of the worst things for archeologists is to have the place looted because the artifacts loose their connection to the site. Where and how an artifact is found is often just as valuable as the artifact.

3) A skeleton. With the possible exception of a tomb, when a skeleton or mummy is found on a dig the police often have to be called in and the dig shut down, possibly for some time, until they can determine if there has been any foul play or whether it’s just an ancient burial. But even in the case of a proper burial the body may need to be handled with special procedures, as is the case of a First Nations burial. I recall one story of a farmer accidently discovering one and many other burials have likely been found that way.

While nobody would say that TV is dead by any means, the recent US shutdown of analogue TV can be seen as the passing of an era. TV as people knew it in the 1950s is practically gone. People don’t watch television anymore, they watch video. And that’s even more true of the newer generations.

In the 50s, 60s, and 70s, people would sit in front of the TV, often as a family, and watch it when their favorite shows came on. Then in the 1980s the VCR became a feature in most people’s homes. (While the home VCR came out in the 60s, it wasn’t mainstay until at least the late 70s.) Suddenly people started to watch not just live TV but recorded TV.

But nowadays a person can watch a TV show not just from a live broadcast but from a DVR (including TiVo), a VCR (there are many still in use), a DVD, streaming across the Internet or as an Internet download (in many different formats). And even so-called live TV can be watched delayed on a PVR so that the ads can be passed over or the show can be paused. In the “old days” the idea of pausing TV was not even considered. People had to rely upon long ad breaks to find the time during the show to do what they need or wanted to do.

While older generations are still use to TV, newer generations are going to get use to the various ways in which they can get their shows. As it is the quality of a downloaded show may be just as good as cable or satellite. They are not going to have the patience to sit through ads nor wish to wait and watch a show at the specific time a network decides to air it. Broadcast TV will be considered one of many options. And it’s this shift in attitude that could eventually lead to it’s demise. The shows will remain but they just won’t be delivered by broadcasters.

For the time being (at least the next few decades) TV isn’t going anywhere. It’s still the best way to deliver TV content and the Internet just can’t handle live TV like a Superbowl or Oscars the way TV can. Radio is still around despite music (or at least specific songs) being more easily accessed through the Internet. And TV is a passive medium, which makes it more relaxing than trying to load up a video on a computer. But broadcasting is expensive and eventually the revenues needed to support the system could fall away, leaving the Internet as the new broadcasting medium.

TV as we knew it , the analogue broadcast one always watched live, in the 50s, 60s and 70s has now passed away.