I grew up with access to just 3 Television Channels in the UK until I was 8, and then Channel 4 came along in 1982. Now I have access to over 500 channels on Sky. But is this still enough? I would say yes and no.


It is enough in terms of television I watch or record to watch at the times given to me, with very little interaction or control over the content provided. But I would argue as a form of media, this is no longer satisfying.


The internet has enabled me to discover who I am and build a world of information and people that means something to me. As I embraced in this wider yet more individual experience via the internet, my connection to the values expressed on television, especially the 5 terrestrial channels, has weakened as they no longer represent who I am. 


The collective UK audience of the 1980s is no longer the same as we all crave more media that is reflective of our identity. Therefore with social media, I feel we are on the verge of the individual’s media channel, where not only are individuals watching and interacting with the personalised concept they desire but also producing and broadcasting their own media in their own right. 


The technology for individuals to run their own radio stations and indeed TV stations already exist and will only get easier over time. So here is to the future where we will have billions of channels to watch, including our very own!