Over the last few years we have seen much talk about the media delivery companies merging with the media content companies, although as yet we have seen very little sign of this. But why?

One reason why we may not yet have seen the expected merger of the two areas of the media sector is because of the balance of power. For many years it has been the content delivery systems which have held that power, but over the last few years this balance of power has started to move. Content is very much king now and with more and more delivery systems appearing on the internet the cost of these systems could fall dramatically in the future. If you have the content why would you be in a rush?

Can you imagine the power of the Hollywood studios that have literally thousands of hours of movies at their disposal. Let’s not forget that as the online TV market continues to grow, we will see new and exciting markets opening all around the world. Movies and TV shows which may have passed their sell by date in some countries will be fresh and exciting to viewers in other countries, bringing in more and more income to fund future ventures.

The more back content that you can provide in the future the more viewers you will attract and the more advertising income will be knocking at your door. While places such as the UK still operate a TV licence system, this will all but disappear at some point in the future as slowly but surely the national TV companies around the world move to a more commercial basis.

The delivery systems are getting better all of the time, the content is there, all we need now is to ensure that the general public around the world know exactly what is on offer!

While many people do not really want to believe it, it is only a matter of time before more people are watching live TV online than on the traditional TV. Technology is advancing at great speed, more and more homes have the internet and quicker and more reliable broadband services are becoming available. So how long will it actually take?

The main difficulty in transferring the majority of traditional TV users to the internet is down to their perception of how the service will work and the cost. We already have the ability to transmit signals from your computer to a TV via an output cable, we already have some limited available services on the internet and we already know that delivery costs are a fraction of those for traditional TV. But educating the vast majority of the general public about these facts will take a little longer.

While the depth of program material on the internet is nowhere near that of traditional TV, we are seeing more and more new services coming online which allow shows to be played online after they have been shown on traditional TV. More and more people believe that it is only a short jump to live TV online.

If the likes of the BBC were to go down this route in the UK then the rest of the TV channels will have to move in that direction as well. We may then see a major change in the way that revenue is collected with adverts, rather that a TV licence, the likely favourite. One thing is for sure, the TV services that we have today will look pedestrian compared to the services which we should have in the next decade, and it will be a very nice experience getting there!

So who does it for you, is it “Rocky” Stallone on the one side or is it Arnie “The Terminator” on the other?

The Terminator and Rocky movies are two of the most lucrative movies series the world has ever seen. Let alone the millions of dollars they have earned at the box office they have also created a massive market for merchandise, computer games, clothing and much much more. More than 20 years after the first Rocky came to the TV we are hearing about plans for a new Rocky movie and amazingly Stallone is in shape to take the lead role again!

The Terminator on the other hand was one of the first major movie hits to use a vast array of computer trickery and special affects. This is the movie which made Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name in the movie industry and shot him to fame, fortune and eventually public office in California. While Schwarzenegger had been a bit part actor for many years, it was The Terminator which catapulted him into the limelight bringing with it a string of successful movies and much more.

In an age when many of the older TV movies have been forgotten and lost forever, the likes of Rocky and The Terminator are still much loved by the public. As Rocky makes his way back for what must be his last bout, will we see Arnie make a return to the screen when his role in office comes to a close?

It would be interesting to see another fight between the two acting heavyweights and see which one comes out on top. Do they need the money? No. Do they like the fame and fortune which goes with a successful movie? Very much so, but can you really blame them?

So what is it for you, the brawn and fighting style of Rocky or the hi-tec thrills and spills of The Terminator movie?

Take a look at the TV schedules for any day of the year and you are guaranteed to see a number of crime shows shouting back at you. While the UK has its fair share of detective shows with the likes of :-

The Bill
The Fixer
Taggart
A Touch Of Frost

to name but a few, the US has even more with :-

CSI : Crime Scene Investigation
CSI : Miami
CSI : NY
Law and Order
Intelligence

some of the more prominent ones.

The above are just a fraction of the shows which are currently on TV at the moment, although let us not forget the likes of Juliet Bravo, The Hill Street Blues, CHIPS and last but not least Starsky and Hutch.

Cops and robbers, good versus evil have been ever present on the TV from day one, with each of us more than keen to see what happens in what we believe are real life thrillers. So who does it the best?

The US crime programs tend to be more headline hitting, more controversial while the UK cops and robbers programs tend to have a more structured approach – report a crime, visit the suspects and catch them…..well not quite that easy!

While a lot of us take the crime programs on TV very much for granted, it takes a lot of time, money and effort to make these programs as life like as they are. Many of the actors involved will actually spend time on the beat and time watching a real life investigation - it is not as easy as it looks!

Crime has paid for many actors from the early days of Starsky and Hutch to the likes of The Bill with many becoming household names in the UK. So which program is your favourite?

In the strange world of TV we have seen the US television shows invading the UK market for some time, but recently we have seen a number of UK stars and shows make it big over there. So which style of TV is the best, UK or US?

As with any individual opinion it is ultimately down to the viewer to decide which they like, but there is no doubt that UK comedy seems to travel very well around the world. We have the likes of Only Fools and Horses still showing daily on satellite channels in the UK and replicated in dozens of countries around the world, yet we have the Simpsons hitting even more markets around the globe. There is no doubt that both TV sectors have something to offer.

In the US we have a mass of childrens comedy shows which are travelling well to places such as the UK with Jake and Josh one which springs to mind, while who can forget the impact which Friends had before its demise (has there ever been a new US show to replace Friends?). In the UK ranks we have seen the likes of Ricky Gervais hitting the big time in the US, rumours that Ant and Dec are to bring their own inimitable style to America, as well as BBC America which is showing an array of new and exciting UK TV shows.

The bottom line is that what is funny in the UK may not be seen as funny in the US and visa versa, but slowly we are seeing a cross-over of cultures. Eastenders has been remarkably popular in the States, even though initially they needed a hand book to understand the language, but then again, Hugh Laurie now lives in the States and they sell us his monster hit show “House”.

TV really is a funny old world!

As the battle for survival in the English Football Premier League moves into the final stage of the season it really is all back in the melting pot, although Fulham and Bolton look more likely than any to join Derby County in the Championship next season. But is it really that clear cut?

The beauty about the Premier League is the fact that at this time of the season a couple of wins can pull you out of trouble and give you a chance of survival, although you have to say that Bolton and Fulham are leaving it a little late!

Birmingham City and Reading might well see themselves pulled back into the frame unless they can pull away from 4th and 5th bottom of the league respectfully, just one place above the drop zone. Birmingham are currently in disarray as two directors of the club were called in by the Police to explain alleged irregular payments with regards to a player transfer to the club a few years ago. This could not have come at a worse time as they battle for survival.

While the return of “King Kev” to St. James Park had promised to deliver a much needed short term boost to Newcastle United survival hopes, this took a little longer than expected. However, 3 wins on the bounce have seen the Geordies pull clear of the relegation battle and as good as cement their Premiership place for next season – but it was a close thing.

Those who follow football will be aware that the English Premier League is the most popular league in the world and pulls in literally millions of overseas viewers each week. In a league where the difference between success and failure is so small, a drop into the lower leagues can literally cost millions of pounds!

While day one of the US Masters could not have turned out better for Justin Rose, can the Englishman pull off his second greatest triumph yet (behind the UK Open of course!) and take the title from the Yanks?

Justin Rose seems to like the US Masters as he has been up with the leaders at various stages over the last few years, but never quite managed to keep his pace going until the end. Is this year the year? Can he crack the Masters?

When you consider that Rose was Europe’s number one player last year, the mild mannered man from England has been something of a hidden gem to those away from the circuit. He rarely speaks out in the press, he rarely courts controversy yet he keeps chipping away at those leaders on the US circuit. This man has a real chance!

Today was also an interesting day for Ex-Open Champion Sandy Lyle who was up with the leaders until a bogey took him back down the field, but he is still in there. While 50 year old Lyle may have dropped out of the limelight for a number of years, he has still been prominent on the seniors circuit, although after today’s performance perhaps we will see more of the hard working Scot on the main circuit?

The US Masters is one of the premier golf tournaments in the world and who would have guessed we would near the end of this piece without mentioning the legendary Tiger Woods? While Woods is a little off the pace he is far from out of contention because as we have seen before, this is a marathon not a sprint, something Woods has shown is so very well in the past. The next few days will sure make great viewing with Rose and Lyle carrying the flag for the UK.

Hospitals, much life the Police, are never too far away from our TV screens whether you are tuned into Casualty, Holby City or one of the other medical dramas on UK TV today. But is it over kill or are we really interested in seeing the inner workings of a make believe hospital?

The UK fascination with hospitals is something which seems to be replicated around the world, often on a larger scale, but sometimes it all seems a little too much, sitting there with your supper and we pan around to an operation and the visuals which follow. However, while life in the likes of Holby City cannot compare to “real” life, these TV programs put an awful lot of hard work into making these shows as factually correct as possible with regards to the medical procedures. While nobody is saying they are the best way, or indeed any way, to learn First Aid, there is no doubt that they have come in useful in more than one real life medical emergency!

The fact that the shows which we mentioned above are actually on TV is a reflection of the popularity they have in the UK. While both have at some time or another been mentioned as possible candidates for the “chop”, they are still here and still fighting strong. The UK fascination with soaps continues to know no bounds, with Coronation Street, Eastenders, Emmerdale, Holly Oaks, Neighbours and River City for our Scottish friends all pulling in substantial audiences.

So it seems that whether you like your hospital dramas or not, they are here for some time yet but next time you watch one of the shows, see if you can guess who dies. You can guarantee that each hospital drama has at least one death per show, but who it will be is not always easy to guess!

When it comes to UK comedy, has there ever been a funnier show than Only Fools and Horses which saw Delboy and Rodney take on the world with some hilarious consequences. Many millions of us in the UK have grown up with Del, Rodney, Grandad and Uncle and many of us have shed a tear or two in laughter and in sorrow. Only Fools and Horses had it all, fun, reality, jokes, comedy sketches you only dream about and a certain attraction for many people around the world. Did you know that the Only Fools and Horses format has been licensed out to countries such as Holland, Spain and Malta to name but a few?

While you have to say that the scripts for Only Fools and Horses were out of this world, without David Jason as Delboy and Nicholas Lyndhurst as kid brother Rodney the show would never have been the same. There was a chemistry between the two which actually convinced you they were brothers at times, and Lennard Pearce was the perfect foil for the two before his death. Even though the last episode was recorded in 1991 and the final Christmas Special in 2003, the shows are still shown on places such as UK Gold each week of the year.

The word classic is often over used in the TV industry, but those who have had the pleasure of watching Delboy and Rodney grow up on TV will know that this is one show which has earned the right to be called a classic. If ever there was a funnier show I am yet to see it, and the show itself has spawned thousands of websites, fan clubs and countless fans around the world, as well as putting Peckham on the map!

It seems that Noel Edmonds has been written off more times than the Arsenal football team but he still keeps bouncing back with winning shows. His latest success is Deal or No Deal, which he originally offered to the BBC only to be shown the door and told that the format would never work – oh how wrong they were!

Deal or No Deal is simple, it’s addictive and has one of the largest game show jackpots on TV – literally £250,000 is on offer each and every show – but how exactly does it work. The format could not be simpler, 22 boxes each with an amount of money ranging from 1p to £250,00, and each round see the contestant pick 3 boxes which will drop out of the equation. As the rounds progress the contestant, who has a box of their own which they cannot open until the end, will receive offers for their box from the Banker. The Bankers offers will depend upon what amounts are left, and how many rounds remain. Will they be brave enough to hang on until the end and see what is in their box, or sell their box to the banker before the game is over?

It may seem too simple to be true, but that is the beauty of the game – there are ways to play, there are strategies, but ultimately it comes down to luck and how much of a chance you are prepared to take.

Noel Edmonds has been a stalwart of TV for many years and while the producers seem intent on trying to drag him down and away from the spotlight, he has been a viewers favourite for many many years. Quite what he will do next remains to be seen but you can bet your bottom dollar that we will be seeing a whole lot more of the ex-DJ for many years to come!