This study is an attempt to explore the changes digital technologies are having on the experience of watching television. When new technologies are introduced, revolutionary claims are often made for the new media they help form. A frequent claim is that new media are more ‘progressive’ than older media forms, and encourage more democratic participation in the production and circulation of media content. This study aims to compare this claim with evidence of how viewing experiences are actually changing in practice. A further aspect of my inquiry is to consider the implications of this for broadcasting as currently constituted.