SILS - Spring 2020

HI307

MEDIA HISTORY:

Four Modern Revolutions Graham Law

Broadcasting (3): Future of Broadcasting

Structure of today’s presentation

I Factors – Patterns of change: New & Old Media

– Challenges to mass TV broadcasting

– Areas of concern

II Case studies: Commercial vs. Public Broadcasting – USA

– UK

– Japan

I. Factors

New & Old Media: Patterns of Change

Replacement (new drives out old), e.g.

– gramophone disc & phonograph cylinder

– sound movies & silent movies

– TV news and cinema newsreel

Addition (new supplements old), e.g.

– video cassettes & movies

– 3D movies and 2D movies

– TV news & newspaper news

Displacement (old subordinate / new dominant), e.g.

– color film & monochrome film

– serial drama & serial stories

– TV news & radio news

Challenges to Mass

TV Broadcasting

“Narrowcasting”

segmentation by genre or audience News, Sport, Movies, …

“Adult”, Children’s, …

subscription services

via Cable electric (wired) to radio (wireless)

via Satellite one-to-one & one-to-many

“Video-on-Demand” home video-recording

analog to digital

removable media to HD

ad skipping

sale/rental of recorded video

analog to digital

pay-per-view services

web-streaming & archiving

Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc

Economic & Ideological pressures pressure on commercial business model

competition for advertising & sponsorship from new media

pressure on public service model neoliberal (new right) opposition to public regulation & funding

Areas of concern

Ownership & Control – state, commercial, public

– regulation: political, technical, social

Production – entertainment vs. information

– sport, variety, reality TV, …

– drama, documentary, education, …

– “infotainment”

Distribution – local, national, global

– media and civil society

– nation as community

– Anderson, Imagined Communities (1983)

II. Developments

USA TV Broadcasting

Commercial broadcasting – light federal regulation (FCC)

– local affiliates, programs (news)

– extant original radio networks • NBC, CBS, ABC

– two recent major networks • Fox (1986-), The CW (2006-)

– non-English networks • Spanish (Univision & Telemundo)

– widespread subscription TV, 1980s- • e.g. CNN, Animal Planet, ESPN, MTV

– declining ratings • I Love Lucy (67m, 1953)

• American Idol (16m, 2010)

• but Superbowl 2011, record 111m (Fox)

– declining advertising revenue

Public broadcasting – network of local stations

– minority, non-profit

– Public Broadcasting Service • 1970 after NET

– American Public Television • 1961 after EEN

– US productions – educational, documentary, …

– overseas material (BBC, …)

UK TV Broadcasting

Commercial broadcasting – ITV regional network, 1955-

• ITN news franchise

• franchise centralization from 1990s

• linked digital channels from 2000s

– Channel 4, 1982-

– Channel 5, 1997-

– public service regulation • special remit of Channel 4

• declining from 1990s

– creation of BSkyB in 1990 • News International (Murdoch)

– declining ratings • e.g. ITV 30% > 16%, 1992-2010

• Coronation St, 1980s > 20m; 2010s > 10m

– declining advertising revenue

Public broadcasting – BBC TV elements

• 1st general channel, 1936-

• 2nd minority channel, 1964-

• BBC Enterprises, 1970s-

• BBC World, 1991-

• BBC digital channels, 1990s-

– BBC TV characteristics • information & education

• “quality” entertainment

– recent criticism • re: political bias

• left vs. right, Arab vs. Israeli, …

• re: licensing system • level & enforcement

• Hutton Inquiry, 2003

• charter revision, 2007

– still wide public support

Japan TV Broadcasting

Commercial broadcasting – 5 major press-affiliated networks

• NTV, 1950-, Yomiuri

• TBS, 1955-, Mainichi

• Fuji TV, 1959-, Sankei

• TV Asahi, 1959-, Asahi

• TV Tokyo, 1964-, Nihon Keizai

– associated BS channels, 2000s-

– network characteristics • infotainment focus

• news shows

• variety, comedy, sport, …

• declining ratings

• declining advertising revenue

Public broadcasting – NHK TV elements

• 1st general channel, 1950-

• 2nd education channel, 1959-

• BS channels, 1980s-

• NHK World, 1995-

– NHK TV characteristics • emergency functions

• typhoon, earthquake, war

• pioneering HDTV

• “classic” programs • Sumo, Koshien, …

• Taiga drama, Asadora, …

• Okaasan to issyo, NHK Special, ..

• Red & White Song Contest, ..

• widespread resistance to fees • lack of sanctions

Discussion Session

Over to You

Questions & Comments