by Shelly Schwab

About the author: Shelly Schwab is the president of MCATV, a television programming and distribution division of MCA Universal in Universal City, California.

With dozens of cable channels now available to the average home, and hundreds more on the way, how many do we actually watch"

What is signal compression? Multiplexing? Video on demand? Interactivity? What are the underlying questions and challenges posed by the coming electronic or information “superhighway”? Beyond entertainment, what bearing will it have on our lifestyles? Television in the nineties: revolution or confusion"

It’s still really a medium in its infancy. Yet, even in just four short decades, it’s remarkable how many moments have touched, molded, and reshaped our lives.

However, even with its rich and colorful history, in terms of real practical potential television hasn&rsquo...