FOR THOSE who hold on tightly to the traditions of the present, the future indeed looks scary. But every generation experiences disruption; this is ours, and we can embrace it in order to manage it. For all the pessimism about the social effects of the mobile phone, we must admit that living is more convenient and communication more fun because of it. The fundamental shifts in social relations will be felt over a long period of time. For most of us, the short-term effects will be exhilarating and liberating. Everyone becomes a producer of his or her own life show. Celebrity will be democratized. We'll have more than our 15 minutes of fame. Maybe we'll even have 15 months-so long as there are subscribers.

	Photo by Ruel Pablo

The big studios and broadcasters will still dominate, but they will lose their monopoly over who and what makes it to our screens. Naturally, though, when programming is opened up to everyone, it becomes difficult to stop perverts, terrorists, and criminals from getting on the air. That's why freedom will not be absolute. Regulating agencies and network police will try to control the entry and movement of content within the network. Privacy will be an international debate as viewers, or more appropriately, netizens, clash with network administrators over disclosure of personal information that can be abused for surveillance, profiling, and direct-marketing purposes.

Piracy will also be a hot-button issue. If content can be passed from disk to disk, why pay for it? Like privacy, piracy and consumer rights will dominate the global discussion in the upcoming years. Copyright protection technology will be more sophisticated by then, but a consumer rebellion will erupt over the high cost of content and a nostalgia for the good old days of free broadcast will linger.

This brings us to the central debate surrounding the future of TV: access. How much will it cost to watch? If networks charge subscription fees like the utility companies do, then the cost of information and entertainment will depend on hours consumed or types of programs viewed. A flop may cost cheaper than a hit, and rates for a full season will be less than buying a la carte. The business model of television's future will depend on market factors and global and local regulatory regimes. But with so much of our cultural, political, and economic activity migrating to the network, can we really afford not to subscribe? Will all life be a paid-for experience? Analog TV offers far less value, but at least we tuned in for free.