Long live live!

TV started before the invention of video tape (archive of early TV was shot off screen onto film) which made it an entirely live medium. Radio, to this day, remains largely live, which explains why live interviews, games and requests are its bread and butter. TV, on the other hand, has become more and more afraid of liveness. Where have all the live Friday night entertainment shows gone? It only took few stray 'fucks' from Shaun Ryder (I mean, what do you expect?!) for TFI Friday to go pre-recorded. Researching interactivity for TV forces the question of liveness back onto the agenda. Through my crystal ball I see the resurgence of live TV for a number of reasons.

1. You can only be genuinely interactive if you're live. Audience participation will become important more for TV as the webs grows as a rival (faster broadband/living room devices)
2. In a digital age, when every moment is recorded and archived, liveness becomes ever more valued. Facebook is full of digital documentation of Friday night excess. The digital realm is used to create the time and place for live human interaction, and also the place for its projection back at the world - "Look! I live a life!"
3. TV is now as conservative as it was in the 1970's. It's all repeats and tired formats. It's like punk never happened. TV will become more niche and more daring.
4. Liveness is exciting.

The next person in TV who responds to the idea of interactivity with the question, "but does it have to be live?" is twistin' my melons, man.