As broadcasters rush to introduce new ways for people to access the world’s fast-growing supply of video content, they are depending heavily on satellite-television and cable providers to pave the technological path to consumers, television industry executives said.

Satellite companies play a key role in allowing viewers to use popular new services such as on-demand programming and digital video recorders, underscoring the need for broadcasters to work closely with distribution companies, said David Preschlack, senior vice president of affiliate sales and marketing for ESPN in Bristol, Conn.

"There are unique ways for content providers and operators to partner that have never existed before," he said. Broadcasters are collaborating closely with satellite and cable operators as they develop programming to take advantage of recent advances in distribution technology that allow viewers more control over how and where viewers watch video programming, Preschlack said.

Whereas content used to drive distribution technology, new distribution methods now are inspiring broadcasters to develop new kinds of content, he said. "Programmers and satellite technologists are working together on what it is we create." Preschlack said the biggest hurdle satellite companies face as so-called new media take over the video landscape is not working closely with programmers during the early stage development of services designed to cater to individual consumer tastes.

Broadcasters also cannot afford to roll out new services without consulting with the satellite firms that control the route programming takes to many viewers, he said. "The only thing that could be a challenge is if both sides aren’t pushing the envelope within their spheres of influence," he said. "There’s no way to get content to the operators unless we’re working with them from the ground up."

Ronald Lamprecht, vice president of new media for NBC Universal Cable in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., said NBC has worked hard to develop additional programming to fill the growing number of channels it operates and satisfy viewer hunger for content tailored to their specific interests.

For example, the Winter Olympics, which opened Feb. 10 in Turino, Italy, will be able to reach more people than previous Olympics because of the growing number of distribution platforms, including Web-based services, multiple TV channels and video-on-demand services, Lamprecht said.

"The bottom line is we view all of these platforms as places to put our content," he said. Programming executives are particularly excited about the ability to reach people using wireless services and mobile systems, said Clint Stinchcomb, senior vice president and general manager at Discovery HD Theater in Silver Spring, Md. "The trick for us is creating compelling, exciting shortform content," he said.

Another issue confronting broadcasters is the distinction between linear programming — traditional TV services that distribute material on a preset schedule — and on-demand services, said Robert Kennedy, executive vice president of C-Span in Washington, D.C. C-Span is known for its live, unedited programming but is evolving to meet the needs of people who instead may prefer direct access to highlights of events, Kennedy said.

For example, C-Span is developing a new service that allows people to visit a Web site to peruse headlines, then link to related video material, he said. The network also wants to provide viewers with access to its programming archive, Kennedy said.

Linear networks will remain a staple with viewers who want to turn on their television and watch events as they happen but will have to compete for attention with services that allow people to select material at their own convenience. "The secret is to cement your customers with the brand, so they are attracted to a programming regardless of the platform," he said.

Discovery also is looking to build brand identity at a time when plentiful bandwidth is spawning the development of ever-growing quantities of video material, Stinchcomb said. People need a way to sift through the clutter to find the material they want to download to their computers or request with their digital video recorders — and a strong brand is an obvious way to draw people’s attention, he said.