2. The Struggle of the Broadcast
Networks
โItโs no secret that the major broadcast
television networks (ABC, CBS, NBC,
Fox) are in trouble. Increased
competition from cable and Internet
options has led to smaller audiences
and decreasing ad revenue.โ
3. Early Innovations in TV
Technology
โข Paul Nipkow developed the scanning disk in
1880s.
โข Zworykin and Farnsworth developed technology to
transmit electronic signals.
4. Early Innovations in TV
Technology
โข In 1940s, FCC adopted an analog standard to
push TV as a mass medium.
โข FCC controlled TV licenses to make sure there
was no interference.
5. Controlling Contentโ
TV Grows Up
โข Early television programs often had single sponsors
(E.g. Colgate Comedy Hour).
โข Networks unhappy with lack of creative control
โข Sylvester โPatโ Weaver forced advertisers out by
raising costs.
6. Controlling Contentโ
TV Grows Up (cont.)
โข Quiz shows like $64,000 Question and Twenty-One
surrounded by scandal
โข Corporate sponsors encouraged rigging.
โข Scandal ended sponsorโs creative control.
โข Undermined democratic possibilities of television
โข Quiz shows kept off network prime time for 40 years
7. The Development of Cable
โข CATV: First small cable system
โข HBO and WTBS: First cable networks
โข Cable era introduced narrowcasting.
โข Cable services:
โข Basic cable
โข Premium cable
โข Pay-per-view, video-on-demand
โข Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) challenges cable.
9. TV Entertainment: Our Comic
Culture
โข Sketch comedy
โข Your Show of Shows, Saturday Night Live
โข Situation comedy
โข The Beverly Hillbillies, 30 Rock
โข Domestic comedy
โข Happy Days, The Office
โข Some shows, like the dramedy, blur the line
between comedy and drama.
10. TV Entertainment: Our
Dramatic Culture
โข Anthology drama
โข Format dominated TV in 1940s and 50s.
โข Ended due to cost of programs, economic changes in audience
โข Episodic series
โข Chapter shows (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), serial
programs (General Hospital), and the hybrid (Mad Men) most
popular dramas today
11. TV Information: Our Daily News
Culture
โข NBC
โข Meet the Press (1947-): longest-running show
โข CBS
โข The CBS-TV News was the first news show to be
videotaped for rebroadcast on affiliate stations.
โข ABC
โข ABC World News Tonight
โข Cable news becomes popular in mid-1980s.
โข CNN was first cable news channel.
โข Created a 24/7 news cycle
12. Reality TV and Other
Enduring Trends
โข Reality TV:
โข Shows are popular because they introduce audiences to
characters who are more like them.
โข Less expensive to produce than sitcoms
โข Another growing trend is Spanish-language TV.
13. Public Television Struggles to
Find Its Place
โข Congress passes the Public Broadcasting Act of
1967, which leads to the establishment of PBS in 1969.
โข PBS provides programs for audiences over 50 and
under 12.
โข By 2010, some politicians argue that public television
programming could be replaced by cable programming.
14. Government Regulations Temporarily
Restrict Network Control
โข Prime Time Access Rule โ 1970
โข Reduced network control of prime-time programming
โข Stations ran 30 minutes of news, then quiz shows or
infotainment.
โข Fin-syn - 1970
โข Banned networks from reaping profits from
program syndication
โข Phased out in 1990s with the growth of cable
15. Balancing Cableโs Growth
against Broadcastersโ Interests
โข Must-carry rules โ 1965 / 1972
โข Required cable operators to carry all local TV broadcasts
โข Local stations benefited from cableโs clearer reception
โข Limited number of distant commercial stations carried
โข Mandated access channels and leased channels
โข Electronic publishers vs. common carriers
16. The Telecommunications Act of
1996
โข Brought cable under federal regulation
โข Removed market barriers between phone
companies, long-distance carriers, and
cable operators
โข Reaffirmed must-carry rules
17. Technology and Third Screens
Change Viewing Habits
โข VHS, DVDs, and DVR allow for time shifting.
โข Third screens:
โข Download or stream shows on computer-type screens
โข Newer television sets now Internet-ready
โข Smartphones, iPads, mobile devices may become
โfourth screen.โ
18. The Economics and Ownership
of Television and Cable
โข Deficit financing
โข Syndication and reruns
โข Evergreens
โข Fringe time
โข Just before prime time
โข Off-network syndication
โข Old programs
โข First-run syndication
โข Programs produced for syndication
20. Measuring Television Viewing
โข Ratings
โข Percentage of households tuned to a sampled program
โข Shares
โข Percentage of homes tuned to a program, compared with
those actually using their sets at the time of sample
21. Major Programming Corporations
โข Broadcast Networks
โข Traditional networks remain attractive investments.
โข Major networks acquiring cable channels
โข Multichannel video programming distributors (MVPD):
โข By 2010, Top 10 MVPDs served almost 70% of all U.S. cable
subscribers.
โข Comcast is the largest.
22. What News Corp. Owns
Television โขBritish Sky Broadcasting โข News International Limited
โข Fox Broadcasting (38 percent stake, UK) (UK)
Company โข The Times (UK)
โข SKY Italia
โข Twenty-seven television โข News Limited (110
stations, including Australian newspapers)
Radio
โ KTTV (FOX, Los Angeles)
โข Fox Sports Radio
โ KMSP (FOX, Minneapolis) Magazines
Network
โ WWOR (MyNetworkTV, โข The Weekly Standard
โข Classic FM
New York City) โข donna hay (Australia)
โข Sky Radio Germany
โข Hulu.com (with NBC
Universal and Disney) Books
Film
โข 20th Century Fox โข HarperCollins (U.S., UK,
DBS & Cable Australia, New Zealand,
โข Fox Searchlight Pictures
โข Fox Movie Channel Canada, India)
โข Fox Television Studios
โข Fox News Channel โข Zondervan
โข Blue Sky Studios
โข Fox Reality
โข Fox Sports Online
Newspapers
โข FUEL TV โข Fox Interactive Media
โข New York Post
โข FX โ MySpace.com
โข Wall Street Journal
โข SPEED โ Scout.com
โข Ottaway Newspapers
โข National Geographic โ RottenTomatoes.com
(twenty-seven local papers)
Channel (67 percent stake) โ MarketWatch (online
business news)
23. Alternative Voices
โข Some small cities are challenging cable giants by building
publicly owned cable systems.
โข More than 2,000 such utilities in the United States
24. The Future of Television
โข Television is the main storytelling medium of our time.
โข Big Three networks have lost more than 50% of audience
since 1980s.
โข How can TV maintain its cultural relevance?