Economic policy essay: Broadcasting industry response to new technologies

This essay explores how the broadcasting industry and its audiences have responded to the introduction of new broadcast technologies, including color TV, UHF TV, VCRs, AM stereo, and stereo TV, and asserts that broadcasters and audiences have complementary roles in determining what will be introduced and accepted. The authors argue that broadcasters and government—as the representative of community and audience interests—need to play roles in setting standards for new technology based on the principle of promoting efficiency.