Chapter 3 Television This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The...

Chapter 3 Television

This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:

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Since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was signed into law, the electronic media landscape has changed noticeably.

- Kaye & Medoff, p. 57

www.ablongman.com/medoffkaye1e Copyright © 2005 by Allyn & Bacon

Copyright © 2005 by Allyn & Bacon

See It Then – Early Experiments

Electrical SystemsVladimir Zworykin & RCA – 1923Philo Farnsworth designed system – 1922 (while still in High School)

NTSC set standards for TV – 1941Growth of TV halted by WWIIEssentially same technology as today (except HD)


Television’s Halting Launch

After WWII growth was slow Expensive to build stations Audience was very small Applications for licenses were high

Licensing new stations frozen 1948 Added UHF channels 14-83 to existing VHF channels (2-13)

New fights over color system CBS system required new TV RCA system viewable in black & white


Networks Continue

Radio profits and programming gave CBS & NBC a head start ABC (formerly NBC Blue) and DuMont fought to be third network

Network affiliation almost mandatory for survival at first Networks had leverage to dictate terms


TelevisionProduction History

Compared to radio Early TV cameras large, not mobile

Cameras more costly than audio technology

Shows live in studio, films of TV sets (kinescope)

No Video Tape until 1956


TV’s Golden Age & Problems

Television versions of radio programs were also far more costly to make becauseactors had to memorize their lines for TV. Radio required only that actors read.

TV rehearsals required the presence of all the actors, crew, set, & props required for the show.


TV’s Golden Age & Problems

Quiz Show Scandal of mid-1950sRigged contests became illegal

Lost public confidence Blacklisting

Communist “sympathizers” excluded

Used as political tool for power through rhetoric of fear


TV Programs in the 1950s and 60s

Radio shows added pictures

Anthologies –serious theater

Variety shows The Ed Sullivan Show

The Carol Burnett Show

Game and Quiz Shows Fixing scandal ended genre for 40 years

Comedy I Love Lucy

News


TV Programs - 1960s & 1970s

Children’s shows Kukla, Fran, & Ollie The Howdy-Doody Show

Captain Kangaroo Sports

Movies & Miniseries Movies re-released to TV

Made-for-TV movies

Multi-part programs


TV Programming1950s thru 1960s

Least Common Denominator (LCD) programming

Truly MASS audience (3 national networks, 1-2 independent stations)

Most writing to grade school level Entertainment - wholesome, centrist, non-confrontational, non-controversial

Conservative Codes of content


TV ProgrammingLate 1960s and beyond

Still a mass audience & 3 nets Social change crescendo - Vietnam war, acid-rock, sexual revolution

Changes mirrored on TV (somewhat) Laugh-in (1968) - post-modern sketch comedy: hippy culture, jumpy, fast, 1-liners, news parody, slapstick

Smothers Brothers 1967-69 - sex, drugs, rock & roll, politics (Nixon black list led to cancellation; heavy censorship)


TV ProgrammingLate 1960s and beyond

Subversion of conservative shows - Ed Sullivan Show - Elvis, Beatles The Who, Stones

Increased diversity in programming - though white dominated.

More African American sitcoms, dramas, though many still stereotypical

Question status quo, confrontational - All in the Family (Archie Bunker), Maude, SNL


Educational / Public Television

Initially National Educational Television Network – ineffective

Corporation for Public Broadcasting & PBS Standardized Program Schedules Not Just Education Non-Commercial


Competition Challenges Networks

Technology increased competition Cable delivery of new networks VCRs provided viewing options

1990s - New broadcast networks emerge Fox (1986) WB(1995), UPN(1995), Pax (1998) UPN+WB=CW 2006

Cable networks grow their audience


TV Programs - 1990s-present

Influence of cable TV on broadcasters - Harsher language Pushing limits of taste, sex, violence

Copy-cat programming - copy successful formats/genres

Number of channels yields many narrow genres Narrowcasting - specialized programs intended for narrow audiences


See it Now – TV Genres

Narrative Programs Dramas Serials (“Soaps”) Sitcoms

Non-Narrative Programs Game shows Talk Shows Public Affairs News

Movies & Miniseries

Non-Commercial TV Children’s shows, like Sesame Street

Documentaries, like Frontline

British Comedies Reality-based

Blended, reality-based, non-scripted


Television Program Production

Program Life Cycle Treatment - Pitch - Pilot - Program

Producers Production companies Networks Some independent producers

Syndication Off-Network First-Run


Economics of TV Programming

Advertiser- Supported Broadcasting Production companies finance program creation

Networks buy rights to air program but at less than production cost

Networks pay their affiliate stations to air programs

Stations pay for syndicated shows


Economics of TV Programming

Non-Commercial Broadcasting PBS stations pay network for programs Collect donations Grants from foundations


New Technology Again

Direct Broadcast Satellite – mid ’90s

HDTV – Government mandate Little audience Heavy expense

SDTV - same old quality More channels for broadcasters More revenue streams? More local content?

Digital transmissions by 2006


Consolidation of Ownership

Fewer Companies Own More Stations Less localism likely More formulaic programming Fewer different “voices” heard

Cross-ownership: One firm’s ownership of a daily newspaper & at least one broadcast station in the same market.


Oligopoly: Control of an industry by a few firms.

The broadcast TV network industry has always been an oligopoly.

From the ‘50s & until 1996, radio station ownership had been spread among many firms.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 triggered consolidation in radio ownership.

Group ownership of U. S. radio stations is consolidating.

Consolidation in Broadcasting


Apparent diversity - many channels, many programs

Generally the same messages geared at different, narrower audiences?

While “diverse programs” exist (fishing, sewing, home repair), does diversity of opinion exist?

Conservative/liberal; minority (Hispanic, African American); corporate/independent?

Consolidation in Broadcasting


Technological Challenges Ahead

Competition with computer time on cross-platform monitors

TV series available on DVD Digital recorders

May cut down on advertising revenue Audience becomes the programmer

TV incorporating new technology into audience activity Respond on Internet, text messaging, Internet chat rooms, etc.


TV Station Organization

• Management/sales• News• Production



• Management/sales• General Manager oversees station on strategic level

• Director of Engineering/Operations Manager - manages facility

• Sales Manager• Traffic Manager - schedules programs & ads



News Director - oversees news operation

Executive producers - day-to-day news manager

Producers - coordinates a newscast

Assignment editors, reporters, photogs, anchors, sports & weathercasters, (writers, editors)



Production Director (Program Development Manager [book])

Directors, technical directors, camera operators, graphics, editors

Create news and non-news programming, staff the studio portion of the news, create commercials


Jobs/Careers

Internships, experience = 1st job

Little concern for GPA Work ethic, willingness to learn and work hard

Persistence Low pay to start “grad school” metaphor


Deregulation will permit firms to own more stations

& cable franchises.

Audiences will be encouraged to participate in broadcasts through email & the Internet.

Expanded bandwidth will permit firms to distribute

several programs at the same time.

Cable companies will try to become one-stop“shops,” supplying all wired communication technologies to homes & offices.

Consolidation in Broadcasting & Other Video Systems


A Wired Newsroom

Source: Based on drawing from www.eznews.com/tour/tech.php


TV ProductionNow & Future

Cameras & other equipment will be smaller, more lightweight & eventually less costly.

Digitization will permit faster & more precise

editing & multiple uses of audio & video recordings.


You Can be a TV Producer

Desktop production Computers enable video editing Teenagers are making their own videos

TV competes with home video for attention

Can home video compete? Cost of equipment declining Digital environment may offer outlet for consumer videos


The Value of TelevisionVast Wasteland? Low Culture Crass Humor Anti-Intellectual Promotes Violence Time waster Purely commercial, consumption oriented

Promotes “shallow” values Not “democratic”, large corps. Newton Minnow, chair of FCC in 1964

Later “recanted” “Half vast wasteland”


The Value of TelevisionLive Coverage & News

National unity in times of tragedy/crisis

Live coverage of events (good & bad) Presidential Debates Covers Historical Milestones Can promote greater understanding of world - documentaries, C-SPAN, educational programming

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