with
Moderator: Vince Porter, Executive Producer, Governor’s Office of Film and Television, Portland, Oregon

Patric M. Verrone, writer, producer, and former President, Writers Guild-West
David Cress, Producer, Portlandia
Bill Oakley, writer, The Simpsons, Portlandia
Nathaniel Applefield, National Representative, Pacific Northwest, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

Thank you to everyone who attended and especially to those who tweeted about the conference with the hashtag – #whatis. Great record of presentations and interactions!

We learned on Friday that both rooms for the Friday panels and all three rooms for the Saturday panels were live streamed. The video streams will soon be available on the UO Channel. Stay tuned for updates!

Conference time is here!

The registration table is at the conference site – the University of Oregon White Stag Building, 70 NW Couch St. You will see the table as you enter the building. Look for the What is Television conference signs.

Registration Times:

Thursday, March 1: 4:00 pm to 7:oo pm

Friday, March 2: starts at 8:00 am and continues throughout the day

Saturday, March 3: starts at 8:00 am and continues to about lunch time

A number of the panels will be streamed live at  http://pdx.uoregon.edu/whatis

Any panel in room 142/144 will be available to view as it is happening. For a list of panels, check out this pdf.

We’re about a week away from the What is Television conference! The online program is now fully updated. A printed program with paper abstracts will be available at the registration table.

Registration is open for the conference. Please take a moment to register on this page.
The conference is open to the public. We welcome media professionals, students, and community members.

PLEASE NOTE 

• The Tentative Conference Program is now available. 

Check back for more speakers to be added to the program over the following weeks.

What is Television?

A conference exploring the past, present, and future of television

University of Oregon in Portland, Oregon

March 1-3, 2012

What is television these days? How are digital technologies changing television? How are the Internet and other new media changing the television industry’s model of production, distribution and consumption? What is the future of television?

Television content is now produced using a wide range of digital technologies, distributed via the Internet, mobile devices, and miscellaneous video formats, and viewed at the convenience of consumers. Change is everywhere. But even with these alterations, it can be argued that television remains as significant as ever.

The conference will feature a unique coalescing of video and television professionals, media scholars and students, government and community officials, as well as interested community groups and the public.  The event will feature keynote speakers, roundtables, paper presentations, and screenings, in an attempt to answer questions about the changing nature of television.

Presentations will include the following topics (as well as others):

• How is television defined today?
• What is television in a digital world?
• What are the changing practices of the television and video businesses?
• What is the state of competition in the television industry?
• How is globalization affecting television?
• How can the Internet function as a television distribution outlet?
• What new economic models are emerging for the television industry?
• What is the future of public television?’
• What policies or regulations are appropriate for television today?
• Is television content changing as a result of convergence?
• How are television audiences changing?
• What can television history teach us about the future of television?