New York is big. Not only is it big, it's also wired. So the city that never sleeps is always on. New jargon, old truths. That's what I told everyone here, in my role as a so-called "digital visionary", invited by the UN to a conference on the future of television.
It's a closely guarded secret of the digerati that old media truths will still have major clout in the new world. If advertisers want to sell their products, why not wrap them around a highly compelling piece of content? We all know the tune, but it's not quite the same old song . . .
What is changing is the context in which we view television. It's no longer merely via that box in the corner of our living rooms. This change will be accentuated by bigger bandwidth networks - in other words broadband technology. In the future, televisual content will be accessed by TVs, PCs, wireless devices and who knows what else.
When media-rich content is combined with high-speed interactivity on any device, anywhere at any time, Future TV Inc will be closer to realisation.
We will then see the development of what we term Lush Programming - multi-layered content that can be watched, played with, talked to, and personalised.
This content will be scaleable to different devices with a variety of screen sizes and resolutions and, like great TV now, will be based on innovative and compelling ideas. This type of proposition is an adman's dream.
Filthy lucre is, of course, what provides us with the majority of our funding. The ability to build a direct relationship with viewers, acquire new customers, and sell products will inevitably attract marketing spend.
Broadband trial results in Europe indicate that consumers' willingness to buy online is around eight times higher than existing narrowband technology. This is because of the quality of content, speed and convenience.
In New York, I talked the usual talk, but I don't know what the future of TV will be either. If I did, I would keep it to myself. The people that matter are those with the balls to come up with formats such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and, dare I say it, Big Brother.
Big ideas will always break down technology barriers and allow viewers to focus on the content. Forget about Enhanced TV, it's all about enhancing the viewer's experience. The best technology is invisible whatever the device.
I have never been one to allow a 10-minute speech at the UN to stand in the way of a four-day trip. I've been spending time in local bars, health food shops and Manhattan coffee houses talking over the finer points of the US internet experience.
Free local calls and a superior technology backbone means fast and cheap access. Broadband penetration now reaches 5m US homes. The ABC network has been running an interactive version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? over the web. Viewers can watch the show and play along via their PCs. Interactive Millionaire has proved to be a staggering success for those with PCs in the same room as their TVs.
T here's the rub. This would not yet fly in the UK, where we have much lower home internet penetration, bandwidth restrictions and predominantly use home PCs for information and services rather than entertainment. As a result, not many of us have plonked our PCs in the comfortable surroundings of our living room. TV still dominates that space.
However, in many areas, Europe has a distinct advantage over the US. We are way ahead in digital TV and wireless penetration. If we can learn from the US broadband experience and add our own creative vision, Europe will become the hothouse for interactive television and "lush programming" concepts.
In the UK, 99% of homes have a TV, and the mobile market is still booming. Crucially, there need not be any seismic shift in culture. If we already have these devices, broadband will merely mean better content on these platforms. Fantastic. Who cares about the technology?
So, the future of TV? Big question. I didn't run into Kofi Annan because he was musing on the Middle East and other worldly matters. If I had spoken to him, I would have certainly asked his opinion. One thing I did hear was that, whatever the device and wherever he is, he likes his internet "over-easy". That'll do nicely for me too.
• Jason George is creative director of Victoria Real
