Overnights Chapter7:Television
KeyTerms television ratings data gathered from homes connected by phone lines to Nielson computers Peoplemeterremotecontrolkeypaddeviceforrecordingtelevisionviewingfortakingratings SweepsperiodsspecialtelevisionratingstimesinFebruary,May,July,andNovemberinwhich diariesaredistributedtothousandsofsamplehouseholdsinselectedmarkets VastwastelandexpressioncoinedbytheFCCChairNewtonMinowin1961todescribe televisioncontent Networkcentralizedproduction,distribution,decisionmakingorganizationthatlinksaffiliates forthepurposeofdeliveringtheirviewerstoadvertisers Offnetworkbroadcastindustrytermforsyndicatedcontentthatoriginallyairedonanetwork Pilotasampleepisodeofaproposedtelevisionprogram Putagreementb/watelevisionproviderandnetworkthatguaranteesthatthenetworkwill orderatleastapilotorpayapenalty FinancialInterestandSyndicationRules(Fin )FCCrulesdelineatingtheamountof Syn ownershipthetelevisionnetworksareallowedintheprogrammingtheyair Firstrunsyndicationoriginalprogrammingproducedspecificallyforthesyndicatedtelevision market Strippingbroadcastingasyndicatedtelevisionshowatthesametimefivenightsaweek TimeshiftingtapingashowonaVCRforlaterviewing ZippingfastforwardingthroughtapedcommercialsonaVCR Zappingusingtheremotecontrolswitchtoothercontentwhenacommercialappears Grazingwatchingseveraltelevisionprogramssimultaneously Digitalmustcarryrulesincabletelevision,rulesrequiringthatcablesystemscarrythesignalof everytelevisionstation,bothanaloganddigital,withinaspecifiedradius
QuestionsforReview 1. HowdoVCR,DVD,andDVRdiffer?Howaretheysimilarintheservicestheyofferviewers? a. VCRplaystapes,DVDplaysprerecordedtracksonaDVDplayer,andaDVRisaDVD discthatisrewritable. Whatwastheimpactontelevisionofthequizshowscandal,ILoveLucy,McCarthyism,andthe Nielsenratings? a. TheQuizshowscandalPopularquizshowslikeThe$64,000QuestionandTwentyOne hadbeenriggedbyadvertisersandproducerstoensurethatfavoredcontestantswould defeatunpopularonesandtoartificiallybuildtensionwhereamismatchwas anticipated.Audienceswereshockedtolearnthatwinnerswereprovidedthequiz questionsandanswersbeforethebroadcasters.Congressheldhearings.Thereputation ofthenewmediumwasbeingtarnished.Thenetworksusedthisembarrassmentas theirexcusetoeliminatetheadvertisersandadagenciesfromtheproductionand
2.
3.
distributionprocesses.Becauseaudiencesheldthenetworksresponsibleforwhat appearedundertheirnames,thenetworksarguedthattheyhadbeenobligatedtocontrol theirschedules.Thenetworksthemselvesbegancommissioningorbuyingthe entertainmentfarethatfilledtheirschedules.Thishadbeenthecaseeversince,butsome historiansclaimthatthenetworksrealizedquiteearlythewealththatcouldbemade fromspotcommercialsales(sellingindividual60secondspotsonagivenprogramtoa widevarietyofadvertisers)andweresimplylookingforanexcusetoremovethe advertisersfromcontentdecisionmaking. b. ILoveLucy1)Filmedrerunswerenowpossible,somethingthathadbeenimpossible withlivetelevision,andthis,inturn,createdtheoffnetworksyndicationindustry.2)The televisionindustrymovedfromNeyYorktoHollywood,withitsentertainmentfilm mindset.Moreaction,moreflashcametothescreen.3)Weeklyseriescouldnowbe producedrelativelyquicklyandinexpensively.A39weekseriescouldbecompletedin20 or24weeks,savingmoneyonactors,crew,equipment,andfacilities.Inadditionthe samestockshotsforexample,certainexteriorviewscouldbeusedindifferent episodes. c. McCarthyismTheRedScarethatcowedthemoviebusinessalsotouchedtelevision, aidedbyRedChannels:TheReportofCommunistInfluenceinRadioandTelevision,thework ofthreeformerFBIagentsoperatingacompanycalledtheAmericanBusiness Consultants.Its200pagesdetailedtheproCommunistsympathiesof151broadcast personalities,includingOrsonWellesandnewsmanHowardK.Smith.Advertiserswere encouragedtoavoidbuyingtimefrombroadcasterswhoemployedtheseRed sympathizers.Likethemoviestudios,thetelevisionindustrycavedin.Thenetworks employedsecuritycheckerstolookintopeoplesbackgrounds,refusedtohiresuspect talent,anddemandedloyaltyoathsfromperformers.Initsinfancytelevisionhadtaken thesafepath.Manygiftedartistsweredeniednotonlyapaycheckbutalsothe opportunitytoshapethemediumscontent.Ironically,itwasthissameRedScarethat allowedtelevisiontodemonstrateitsenormouspowerasavehicleofdemocracyand freedom. d. NeilsonRatingsTheA.C.NeilsonCompanyisbestknownforitsratings.Thereare3 typesofratings.Overnightsareinstantratingsgatheredfromhomesinseveralmajor urbancenters.Pocketpiecesareratingsbasedonanationalsamplethatarecomputed andreportedevery2weeks.MNAreports(multinetworkareareports)arecomputations basedonthe70largestmarkets. Howaretheratingstaken?Whataresomecomplaintsabouttheratingssystem? a. Toproducetheseratings,Neilsonselects15,000householdsthoughttoberepresentative oftheentireU.S.viewingaudience.TorecorddataonwhatpeopleinthoseTV householdsarewatching,Neilsonemploysthepeoplemeter,adevicerequiringeach memberofatelevisionaudiencehometopressbuttonstorecordhisorherindividual viewing.TheinformationrecordedissenttoNeilsonbytelephonelines,andthe companycanthendeterminetheprogramwatched,whowaswatchingit,andthe amountoftimeeachviewerspentwithit.Neilsonisrollingoutthepersonal peoplemeter,aspecialremotecontrolwithbusinessbuttonsforeachviewerinthe household.Neilsonconductsdiarysurveysofviewingpatternsfourtimesayear.These
sweepperiodsareinFebruary,May,July,andNovember.Duringsweeps,diariesare distributedtothousandsofsamplehouseholdsinselectedmarkets.Viewersareaskedto writedownwhattheyrewatchingandwhoiswatchingit.Thediarydataarethen combinedwiththepeoplemeterdatatohelpstationssettheiradvertisingratesforthe next3months.Sweeps,however,maysoonbeathingofthepast.Thesequarterly extravaganzasofheavilypromotednetworkprogrammingandtitillatinglocalnews.First, therhythmofbroadcasttelevisionschedulingischangingb/cofcompetitionwithcable. Second,thepersonalpeoplemeterdeliversdetailedviewinganddemographicdataevery dayoftheyear,makingthefourtimesayear,dataintensiveratingsperiodsunnecessary. 4. Whatisthenetworkaffiliaterelationship?Networkslinkaffiliatesforthepurposeofdelivering andsellingviewerstoadvertisers. a. Networksmakedirectpaymentstoaffiliatesforairingtheirprograms.Ex:NBCpays compensationtoitsaffiliatesforairingWill&Grace b. Networksallowaffiliatestoinsertlocallysoldcommercialsinacertainnumberof specifiedspotsintheirprograms.Theaffiliatesareallowedtokeepallthemoneythey makefromthesespots. c. Financialriskresideswiththenetwork,notwiththeaffiliate. d. Affiliatesenjoytheprestigeoftheirnetworksandusetheirfinancialadvantage.Notonly doaffiliateschargerhigherforlocalprogrammingthatbordersanetworkoffering(for example,EyewitnessNewsat6thatimmediatelyfollowsCBSEveningNews),butthey typicallychargemoreforlocalspotsatothertimesofthedaythancanindependent stationsinthesamemarket. e. Affiliatesgetnetworkqualityprogramming.Fewlocalstationscanmatchthe promotionaleffortsofthenetworks;fewlocallyproducedprogramscanequalthe budget,theglamour,andtheaudienceappealofnetworkprogramming. 5. Howdoesaprogramtypicallymakeittotheair?Howdoessyndicationfigureintothisprocess? a. First,aproducerhasanidea;oranetworkhasanideaandasksaprovenproducerto proposeashowbasedonit(possiblyofferingaput,adealthatguaranteestheproducer thatthenetworkwillorderatleastapilotorithastopayaheftypenalty).Theproducer mustthenshoptheideatooneofthenetworks;naturally,aninvitedproducersubmitsthe proposalonlytothenetworkthataskedforit.Ineithercase,ifthenetworkispersuaded, itbuystheoptionandasksforawrittenoutlineinwhichtheoriginalideaisredefined.If stillinterested,thenetworkwillorderafullscript.Ifthenetworkapprovesthescript,it willordertheproductionofapilot.Becauseofincreasedproductioncostsand dwindlingprofits,thenetworkshavebegunpennypinchingonpilots,demandingthat pilotsfor60minutedramasbeshotasshorter,lessexpensivepresentations.Pilotsare thensubjectedtorigoroustestingbythenetworksownandindependentaudience researchorganizations.Basedonthisresearch,networkswilloftendemandchanges, suchaswritingoutcharacterswhotestedpoorlyorbeefingupstorylinesthattest audiencesparticularlyliked.Ifthenetworkisstillinterested,thatis,ifitbelievesthatthe showwillbeahit,itordersasetnumberofepisodesandschedulestheshow.In televisionsearlydays,anordermightbefor26to39episodes.Today,however,b/cor escalatingproductioncosts,theconvectionistofirstorder6episodes.Iftheseare successful,asecondorderof9isplaced.Then,iftheshowisstilldoingwell,afinal9
6.
episodes(referredtoasthebacknine)willbecommissioned.Untestedprogramideasor producerswhoarenotfullyestablishedmightgetinitialordersforonly2or3episodes. Thisiscalledashortordering.Atanypoint,thenetworkcandeclineinterest.Moreover, thenetworkinvestsverylittleofitsownmoneyduringthedevelopmentstagesofa program.Evenwhenanetworkordersapackageofepisodes,includingthoseforan establishedhitthathasbeenonforyears,ittypicallypaysproducershalftheproduction costs.Inotherwords,producersengageindeficitfinancingtheyloosemoney throughoutthedevelopmentprocessandcontinuetoloseevenmorethelongertheshow staysonthenetworkschedule.Thereasontelevisionprogramproducersparticipatein thisexpensiveenterpriseisthattheycanmakevastamountsofmoneyinsyndication,the saleoftheirprogramstostationsonamarketbymarketbasis.Eventhoughthenetworks controlthepricesfromideastoschedulinganddecidehowlongashowstaysintheir lineups,producerscontinuetoowntherightstotheirprograms.Onceenoughepisodes aremade(generallyabout50,whichistheproductof4yearsonanetwork),producers cansellthesyndicatedpackagetothehighestbidderineachofthe210U.S.television markets,keepingthealltherevenuesforthemselves.ThisisthelegacyoftheLucille Ballsbusinessgenius.Thepriceofthesyndicatedprogramdependsonthemarketsize, thelevelofcompetitionb/wthestationsinthemarket,andtheageandpopularityofthe programitself.Thestationbuystherighttoaspecificnumberofplays,orairings.After that,therightsreturntotheproducertobesoldagainandagain.Aprogramthathas survivedatleast4yearsononeofthenetworkshasprovenitspopularity,hasattracteda following,andhasaccumulatedtheenoughindividualepisodessothatlocalstationscan offerweeksofdailyschedulingwithouttoomanyreruns.Theprogramisamoneymaker. Howhavecable,VCR,DVD,DVR,andDBSaffectedthenetworks? a. CableIthashelpedequalizethesizeoftheaudienceforindependentandaffiliated stations.NBCaffiliateChannel4mightappearascablechannel11andsitnextto independentchannel44(cablechannel12).Thiserasesthelongstandingaudiencebiasfor theVHFchannels.Thefactisthatthenetworkaffiliateisnowonlyoneofmanyoptions furtherdiminishesthedistinctionb/witanditsindependentneighbors.73independent stationswereontheairin1972.Todaytherearemorethan400.Thesenewlypowerful independentshelpedtocreateaviableforthtelevisionnetwork,Fox,andhavenurtured developmentofthefirstrunsyndicationbusiness. b. VCRIntroducedcommerciallyin1976,VCRnowsitmorethan91%ofU.S.homes. Naturally,viewingrentedandpurchasedvideofurthererodestheaudiencefor traditionalovertheairtelevision.ThegoodnewsfortheTVindustryisthatVCRs allowedfortimeshifting,ortapingashowforlaterviewing.65%oftapingfrom televisionisfromnetworkaffiliatedstations.Therefore,content(andcommercials)that mightotherwisehavebeenmissedcanstillbeviewed.VCRsalsopermitzippingthat is,fastforwardingthroughtapedcommercials,apracticeby95%ofallVCRowners. c. DVDUsingaDVDplayer,userscanstopimageswithnolossoffidelity;cansubtitlea movieinanumberoflanguages;cansearchforspecificscenesfromanonscreenpicture menu;andcanaccessinformationtracksthatgivebackgroundonthemovie,its production,anditspersonnel.Machinessitin1/3ofallU.S.homes.
d. DBSthetechnologyforthedirectdeliveryoftelevisionsignalsfromsatellitestohomes haslongexisted.However,thediffusionhasbeenhamperedbytheeasyavailabilityof cable,thecostandsizeofreceivingdishes,andtheinabilitytodeliverlocalstationsby satellite.Withthedevelopmentofasmall,affordablereceivingdish,DirecTVbeganDBS servicein1994,offering150channels.Theninlate1999,Congresspassedlegislation permittingDBSproviderstocarrylocalstations,erasingthatproblem. 7. Whataresomeofthechangesintelevisionwroughtbycable?Top4areABC,CBS,NBC,andFox a. In1948,peoplecouldnotfindcablechannels,sowithin2years(inordertosellTVs)there were14cablecompaniesintheUS,alldesignedtoimprovereceptionthroughthe importationofdistantsignals(deliveringstationsfromdifferentlocales).TheprecableTV audiencehadveryfewchoices3commercialnetworks,publicTV,etc,buttodaywe haveover100channels.Inaddition,withincreasedfiberopticcable,500channelsystems arebecomingfeasible. 8. Whatisfirstrunsyndication? Itiswhenproducersskipthelong,arduousnetworkprogrammingprocessandtheykeep100%ofthe income.Theytaketheideaandgowithit.Buttheincreaseinthenumberofindependentstationshungry forqualityfare,combinedwiththefinancialclout,hasmadefirstrunsyndicationcommon.Ex:Baywatch
Chapter 8: Television
Television and its Audiences 1962Congress passed all-channel legislation which required that all sets imported into or manufactured in the United States be equipped with both VHF and UHF receivers The 1960s also witnessed the immense social and political power of the new medium to force profound alterations in the countrys consciousness and behavior
Who is watching? There are 109.6 million television households in the US 79% have more than one set A television is on for an average of 7 hours 58 minutes a day in each US household The average male watches 4 hours 29 minutes a day The average female watches 5 hours 5 minutes a day 83% of adult Americans get most of their news from television
Advertisings investment 2003 billings were $42 billion in sales
40% for national network and national syndication sales 30% for national non-network sales (cable) 30% for local sales Average 30-second primetime spot costs $100,000 Spots on American Idol are $705,000 Cost for 30-second spot during 2005 super bowl$2.5 million
Scope and Nature of the Television Industry The business of television is dominated by a few centralized production, distribution, and decision making organizations These networks link affiliates for the purpose of delivering and selling viewers to advertisers Local affiliates carry network programs (they are said to clear time) for a number of reasons Networks make direct payments to affiliates for airing their programs called compensation Networks allow affiliates to insert locally sold commercials in a certain number of specified spots in their programs Financial risk resides with the network, not the affiliate Affiliates enjoy the prestige of their networks and use this to their financial advantage Affiliates get network-quality programming The networks and program content Non-network material not only tends to be network-type programming but most often is programming that originally aired on the networks themselves (called off-network programs) How a program gets on the air A producer has an idea or a network has an idea and asks a proven producer to propose a show based on it Put a deal that guarantees the producer that the network will order at least a pilot or it has to pay a hefty penalty If the network is persuaded, it buys the option and asks for a written outline. If still interested, the network will order a full script If the network approves that script, it will order the production of a pilot If the network is still interested, it orders a set number of episodes and schedules the show Untested program ideas or producers who are not fully established might get initial orders only for 2 or 3 episodes, a practice called short ordering
Trends and Convergence in Television At any point in this process, the network can decline interest Cable
VCR
By 1950 there were 14 cable companies in the US, all designed to improve reception though the importation of distant signals (delivering stations from distant locales) Today 69.4% of all US television homes are wired Fox As cable eradicated the distinction between VHF and UHF, media magnate Rupert Murdoch united his own chain of stations with independents to create the Fox Television Network In 1993, the FCC passed the financial interest and syndication rules that allowed the networks to produce and own the syndication rights for up to 50% of their prime-time entertainment fare First-run syndication Introduced commercially in 1976, videocassette recorders (VCRs) now sit in more than 91% of US homes Time-shifting taping a show for later viewing Zipping fast-forwarding through taped commercials
DVD Remote control Remote control is currently in more than 90% of American homes Viewers increasing zap commercials, jumping to another channel with a mere flick of a finger The remote control also facilitates grazing (watching several programs simultaneously) and channel surfing or cruising (traveling through the channels focusing neither on specific programs nor on the commercials they house) Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) The technology for the direct delivery of television signals from satellites to homes has long existed Digital video recorders The union of computers and television produced the digital video recorder (DVR, sometimes called a personal video recorder, or PVR) Digital television The interoperability/ compatibility issue Progressive scanningwhere the entire picture is built line by line in on scan of the televisions electronic beam, the format compatible with todays personal computers Interlaced scanningthe electron beams sweep the picture tube twice, creating half the images lines on the first pass and then filing in the gaps in the second Over the air broadcasters have long lobbied the FCC to pass digital must carry rules requiring cable operators to carry all digital, as well as analog, channels The internet on television The most aggressive advocate for access the net on the home screen is Microsofts webtv Television and video on the internet
Bandwidththe space on the wires that bring content into peoples homes Interactive television Fiber optic cable is making broadband (channels with broad information-carrying capacity) access more of a reality
Behind the News Video Key terms/concepts DMAdesignated market area Programming deciding which programs to broadcast and when to broadcast them Salestraffic debt schedules commercial spots
Why is TV so controversial? The nature of programming Perpetuating violence Reinforcing stereotypes Lack of educational programming Parental advisory ratings Excessive viewing
Developing media literacy skills Recognizing staged news Television professionals, driven to get pictures, often walk the fine ethical line of news stagingre-creating some event that is believed to or could have happened Chapter7: Television
TV is Americans most time-consuming activity next to sleeping It is the worlds main source of news and information Its the medium through which politics are conducted Its our main form of entertainment Its the worlds most powerful sales tool
Who invented television, and when was it invented? In 1927, Vladimir Zworykin, a Russian immigrant working for Westinghouse Corporation, developed a circuit for transforming a visual image into an electronic signal
Also, in 1927, a 24-year old inventor named Philo T. Farnsworth developed a similar system Both believed they had invented the basis of electronic television
How did TV make its debut? David Sarnoff of RCA spent $1 million promoting the new medium He debuted commercial TV at the 1939 World Fair in New York
What technical standards were set for TV manufacturing? The US government and industry players fought for years over national standards for television technology Lines of resolutionrows of lighted dots or pixels that make up a television picture image Pixels lighted dots that create a television picture image In 1941, the government and industry agreed upon the standard that TV would be black and white with 525 lines of resolution moving at a speed of 30 frames per second
How did WWII affect the growth of TV? WWII froze the development of TV from 1940 to 1945 Electronic technology was needed for the war Most engineers working in TV joined the military and worked on developing radar, sonar, radio-guided missiles, and battlefield communication devices After the war, TV grew slowly at first Broadcasters spent their money on equipment, not leaving much for quality programming By 1948, set sales had increased by 500% over 1947
How were channels allocated? Channel allocation the placement of a stations frequency on the electromagnetic spectrum (the range of frequencies that is used for transmitting electronic signals) They froze licensing from 1948 to 1952 to work out the problem The quiz show scandal The 1950s The quiz show scandal and changes in sponsorship In 1959 the quiz show scandal changed the way the network did business Spot commercial salesselling individual 60-second spots on a given program to a wide variety of advertisers
I Love Lucy The 1950s I Love Lucy and more changes Filmed reruns were now possible, and this, in turn, created the off-network syndication industry The television industry moved from New York with its stage drama orientation to Hollywood with its entertainment film mindset Weekly series could now be produced relatively quickly and inexpensively
McCarthyism McCarthyism the growing power of television Joseph McCarthy, republican the junior senator from Wisconsin, was seen by millions of viewers as his investigation of reds in the US Army was broadcast by all the networks for 36 days in 1954 At the same time, Edward R. Murrow used his See it Now to expose the senators lies and hypocrisy
How did the major networks come about? Originally there were four television networks The national broadcasting company (NBC) The Columbia broadcasting system (CBS) The American broadcasting company (ABC) DuMont Founded by a manufacturer of television equipment who got into production to increase demand for his TV sets Lasted from 1946 to 1955 The industry got too large and it couldnt compete Couldnt line up enough affiliates (stations that would agree to show its programs) to be attractive to advertisers
When was televisions golden age, and why was it golden? Network televisions golden age (1948-1958) was a time of unusually good dramatic programming Quality dramas were needed to attract wealthy, educated viewers who could afford to purchase television sets Networks had to hire playwrights to write original works, since the major motion picture studios refused to allow the plays they owned to be aired by competitors As network programming originated in New York City, producers had access to up and coming Broadway writers, actors, and directors
Most of the television dramas were performed live because videotape recording hadnt been invented and filming was too expensive
How did television change family life? Television, like radio, brought the American family indoors to experience programming together, but they actually interacted less in the time they spent together News programs Make people more aware of political issues Also confused people with too much information on conflicting sides of important issues Blamed for political apathy in later years Childrens shows Prepared kids for school and made parents more aware of their roles in education Also taught kids that education should be fun, fast paced, and entertaining Blamed for kids short attention spans when they got to school
Classic Prime Time Programs 1. I love lucy (1951-1957) 2. Gunsmoke (1955-1975) 3. Bonanza (1959-1973) 4. Laugh-In (1968-1973) 6. Happy Days(1974-1984) 7. Dallas (1978-1991) 8. The Cosby Show (1984-1992) 9. Roseanne (1988-1995)
5. All in the Family (1971-1983) 10. Seinfeld (1990-1998)
TV Ratings The 1950s The Nielsen Ratings Overnightsinstant ratings gathered from homes in several major urban centers Pocketpieces ratings based on a national sample that are computed and reported every 2 weeks Audiometer a device that recorded when the television set was turned on, the channel to which it was tuned, and the time of day Peoplemetera device requiring each member of a television home to press buttons to record his or her individual viewing Nielsen and radios arbitron are experimenting with portable peoplemeters paperlike devices worn by audience members that read embedded audio signals in electronically delivered
media contest on radio, television, and the web, no matter where a person may be Sweeps periods February, May, July, and November
What is the difference between a rating and a share? Rating= (households tuned into a given program) / (all households with television) Share= (households tuned into a given program) / (all households tuned into television at that time)
Television Radio paved way for televison; Initially 4 tv networks: NBC, CBS, ABC, DuMont Affect: brought families indoor to experience programming together; changed the way people spoke- popular phrases Impact on newspapers, magazines, books, recordings, and movies Newspapers Better source for advertising for tv Magazines Focus on smaller audiences because of tv Books Can it be made into a movie or not Recordings Music videos Movies DVD sales will it be distributed on tv Network Affiliates, Independents, and Owned and operated stations Sources of programming (original, network, syndicates, etc.) ABC and DuMont were weak, but DuMont lacked the radio station relationship that ABC had Metromedia Television took over DuMont independently, which became Fox Network Strategies Lets Be Cheap News Magazines Reality Shows Game Shows We have it, they dont Prestigious shows CSI on CBS Oscars on ABC
Olympics and Friends on NBC Exclusive movies and sports programming TNT for basketball games ABC spent $60 million for the Grinch for 10 years Event programming Promote own show as advertisement Push over credits Lets toot our own horns Shameless self promotion Credits on half the scream promoting another show Ticker showing up on bottom of screen advertising a show If you cant beat em, join em Networks purchasing cable ex. ABC 80% of ESPN Cable television Origin of cable 1970s HBO and TBS In 20 years 50% gain and 85% of people with tv have cable Cables unique attraction to viewers Show best programs Look forward to time watching Consider myself loyal to these Type of network tuned to first Ad supported 43% Broadcast Network 45% Now tuning into cable first Network competition FOX success strategy (i.e. audience targeting, hours of programming, etc.) Warner Bros and UPN tried to attract younger viewing and used affiliate connections CW= WB+UPN eliminated weak show and has 13 hours of programming a week In 1994 Fox outbid CBS for NFL games Impact of Quiz Show scandals The quiz show scandals - very popular in the 50's. Cheap to produce. By 1955 there were at least 16 different shows on primetime slots. $64,000 Question by Revlon $64,000 Challenge Scandals: 5 dishes 2 wines served at a French Royal Banquet in 1939 (people getting suspicious)
21 contestant produced information he received prior to his appearance on the show= Charles Van Doran he was a replacement on the TODAY show one summer Game shows demoted to daytime spots because of scandals The network said sponsorship led to this corruption and the only way to ensure advertisers name not linked to scandal is to not sponsor a show The real reasons were because networks gained control over content and gain more ad revenue with spot advertising rather than sponsorship from one advertiser Characterized by: Sponsorship - if you sponsored, you had complete control of show Network prime time offerings Ratings and Shares Nielsen Ratings= Households tuned in to a program/ All houses with a tv (includes homes in which tv are not turned on) Share= Households tuned in to a program/ Number of households with a tv on at that time Set-tuning meters- in the tv how long and what channel tuned into Ratings, always smaller than the share number Controversies Violence Reinforcing sterotypes Lack of education programming V-chip- electronic device that blocks programs within a certain rating. Cultural impact of Television Content (as illustrated by film Class Dismessed) Television News (guest lecture by Fred Francis) Worked for NBC for 30 years Baghdad is most dangerous place for a reporter Good news is not really news, bad news is big news, and no news is bad news Hotzone.com-Kevin Sites- sole journalist 1st journalist hired by yahoo Curveball was a liar that moved to Germany from Iraq, claiming to know about weapons of mass destruction St. Petersburg Times- non-for-profit Atlanta Journal Constitution: made employees reapply for jobs New shield Law allows journalist to be protected legally McCarthyism and television news (film Good Night and Good Luck)
The idea of how persuasive television is. Senator McCartney used television as a channel to get to audiences for his advantage to get more famous. They could use television to strike fear. Good journalists use television as a medium; social injustice, legal issues, and public policy issues. Film illustrated difference between present and past journalism. Past: Journalists weren't afraid to ask tough questions because they were not afraid of the repercussions; they were allowed to do their job to the greatest of extent. Present: Closely tied to political content, NO tough questions, fear of repercussions. Edward Murrough is true to objectives of journalism. Political Communication (guest lecture by Bob Mann) How do you communicate? Public Officials-Politicians and other government officials decide what we hear in the media. Most of these things are stated in press releases. Fear is the most powerful motivator in politics today. One of the best uses was in 1964 when Lyndon Johnson was running for president vs. Goldwater. Johnson ran a commercial one time to say that his opponent would blow up the world. Attacked his opponent without mentioning his name. Another example of fear is Bush vs. Dukakis, showing how Dukakis let prisoners out. Another technique is using anger. Politicians DO NOT want you to think. They count on you not thinking and being able to manipulate your emotions. Bobby Jindal used music to change the tone of his commercials.
The Wonder Years 1920s -1970s How TV has affected these medias. Newspapers TV issues news reports throughout the day Magazines Books Recordings Music Videos Movies Home Theatre Viewing Early Television: The Promise Emergence and large-scale diffusion after WWII 1948 TV season was first one of significance Hailed as a "great democratizer" Debate that TV could improve taste and quality of life, and the access to other countries and people we would not normally have access to.
Early Television: The Disappointment Became apparent that television subject to same economical and political restraints and pitfalls as other media TV is merely radio with pictures A seed of the radio industry Similar network system Radio stations became tv stations Operations dominated by same national companies Practice of selling or "pimping" the audience Shows designed to target upper middle class audiences because they were the ones spending the money on advertising products Quiz Shows Shows that were cheap to produce and were profitable 1965 -16 different game shows on prime time television Characterized by: Sponsorship Had control over script and who the contestants were going to be Network, prime time offerings Continuity drive and featured "real people" Focused on trying to get people to watch the show continuously every week to see how far a contestant would go Van-Duren, so popular used as a replacement host for the today show Quiz shows more well-known for the scandal Biggest scandal is that the shows were rigged Players in the Scandal Wanted to choose who would win because these "winners" would depict the ideals the product the network promoted Quiz shows rigged the questions, and when a winner was not preferred they found a replacement Dotto near contestant Edward Hilgemeier and a notebook Found a notebook backstage from the winner of a previous episode, they were paid off but Higlemeier took his case further. Scandal Effects The end of ideal opitimism of television Game shows demoted Ended program sponsorship Network, on the record, said sponsorship led to this corruption and the only way to ensure advertiser's name not linked to scandal is to not sponsor a show
Real reasons: Networks gain control over content and gain more ad revenue with spot advertising Wanted control over economics and process. Realized it was more profitable to sell individual spots to different companies. Network Control
By the 1960s and 70s three organizations had nearly complete control of television Content and delivery 1978 the Big Three networks drew 93% of the viewing audience in the primetime evening hoursp Movies, TV, Recording Industry, Television on Test Contemporary Television
Marked decrease in percentage of viewing audience in primetime Falling in rating -falling income Late might talk shows main viewer draw. Network televisions saving grace during the fall of television Shift in network news intertwined with shifts in entertainment programming trends. Television Creates its Own Monster Cable Network Competition FOX CW WB UPN My Network TV Cable Contributed to the erosion of TV rating Roots of cable Gerald Levin and HBO Turner Broadcasting System Changed when companies got together and began forming satellite broadcasts. Over 85% of television households have cable. Technology helps cable remain strong. DVR, Video on Demand, HD TV Cable's Unique attraction to Viewers Vast majority of viewers say that the best shows are on cable.
More loyal to cable than broadcast networks. Vast majority of people state they are tuning to cable channel before a broadcast network.
Fox Eased into cable 15 hours a week for broadcasting. Therefore were not under the same regulatory constraints other networks faced By 1995 viewer rating were 12%. Marriage with Children Simpsons Beverly Hills 90210 Fox got put on the map by obtaining the rights to broadcast the NFL football games. Had programming no one else had. Had a large draw because of football. Had influence to pull people from other networks to get them as affiliates CW WB UPN Both appealed to the same audience but there weren't enough people to go around. Both networks floundered at the bottom of the rankings. Together formed the CW. My Network TV Fox decided to branch out by trying to create a new niche. Decided that every show they aired would be new. That they would never show re-runs Technological Advances VCR HDTV People want to shift to quality in terms of signal DVRs Sponsored online Viewing IPods and mobile streaming video 3 ways Make programs themselves (expensive) Become an affiliate of a network Buy syndicated programming gives a lot of powers to affiliates Generates a lot of competition between affiliate networks and independent stations
Broadcast commercial stations are either affiliates, network O and O or independent. Networks and affiliates have a mutually beneficial relationship Three main sources of content: networks, local, syndicates Independent stations Family owned, expensive if they choose to make their own shows (which they often do) Syndicates have access to quality programming have access to a larger audience. Can raise local advertising prices and also get 10% of network advertising revenues. Affiliates Networks do not own affiliates. Therefore they work to keep their affiliates happy. Affiliates can change their affiliation at any time. Ratings versus share/sweeps Ratings = Households turned into a given program / all households with television Share = Households turned into a given program / all households turned into television at that time
Tracking Ratings Diaries People Meters Set-tuning meters
Network Strategies "We have it, they don't." Network exclusivity. Oscars. -ABC Olympics -NBC Playing special editions, NBC paid 60 million dollars for the right to show the Grinch, exclusively for 10 years. Limited commercial interruption episodes "Lets toot our own horn" Networks advertise their own programming and their affiliate's programming. "Can't Beat' em, Join 'em" Networks getting involved with Cable and getting shares of networks stations "Cheap" strategy News magazines Reality Shows
Television: The Wonder Years: 1920s-1970s
TV is A Major Driving Force Newspapers TV became a major contributor to the depletion of the evening dailies Magazines Forced to focus on niche Books People spent less time reading and more time watching Recordings Much of the success of a single or an artist hinges on the success of the music video Movies Forced industry to demassify their products Forced them to keep in mind home theater viewing Early Television The Promise Emergence and large-scale diffusion after WWII 1948 TV season was first one of significance Hailed as a great democratizer TV could improve quality of life, education, cultural views Medium capable of crossing boundaries and bringing together vastly different people The Golden Age of Television Early 1950s A lot of live drama programming The Disappointment Became apparent that television subject to same economic and political restraints and pitfalls as other media Quality of content would eventually be affected by the restraints TV is merely radio with pictures (late 40s) A seed of the radio industry Similar network system Companies now dominated both TV and radio Operations dominated by the same national companies Practice of selling (or pimping) the audience Audience as the commodity People who first bought TVs were people who had above average income, lived in urban areas The Quiz Show Shows were cheap and profitable All they had to pay for was the network salaries Didnt usually have to pay for prizes that people were competing for By 1955, there were 16 quiz shows in the primetime Programming characterized by: Sponsorship Certain companies found it lucrative to sponsor one show and because of this they had control over script and production Very successful advertising strategies Network, prime time offerings Continuity driven and featured real people Van Doren most popular contestant Even asked to be a guess host of the Today Show Quiz shows more well-known for the scandal Producers only wanted certain types of people winning
Personable Photogenic Sponsor had a say in who won Players in the Scandal Dotto near contestant Edward Hilgemeier and a notebook Found a notebook of questions and answers belonging to the lady who just won the show Took it to the producers and they gave him $1500 while they gave the winner $4000 Took the notebook then to the authorities 1958 New York grand jury found not enough evidence Twenty One contestant produced information he received prior to his appearance on the show Charles Van Doren, most famous contestant, confessed his involvement Producers approached him and taught him how to answer certain questions and how to drive up the suspense of the show Realization that tampering was a common practice Scandal Effects The end of ideal optimism of television Honeymoon with TV was over Susceptible to corruption Game shows demoted Moved to daytime TV Ended program sponsorship Network, on the record, said sponsorship led to this corruption and the only way to ensure advertisers name not linked to scandal is to not sponsor a show REAL reasons: Networks gain control over content and gain more ad revenue with spot advertising Networks wanted legal control Also wanted control over economics Network Control By the 1960s and 70s three organizations had nearly complete control of television Content and delivery ABC, CBS, NBC 1978 the Big Three networks drew 93% of the viewing audience in the primetime evening hours Television and Government: McCarthyism The 1950s McCarthyism: The Growing Power of Television Joseph McCarthy, the Republican junior senator from Wisconsin, was seen by million of view as his investigation of Reds in the U.S. Army was broadcast by all the networks for 36 days in 1954 At the same time, Edward R. Murow used his See It Now to expose the senators lies and hypocrisy
Political communications The conversation that the voters have with public officials, voters have with media, public officials have with media, public officials have with voters Who decides what were going to see in the newspaper? Public officials and the politicians Public officials do things that constitute as news, i.e. press conference, press release, Congress vote, report 46% turn out on election day of registered voters for governors race 13% of registered voters voted Jindahl into office It is the publics job to enter the conversation People are setting the agenda as to what we are supposed to be thinking about Newspaper should take initiative instead of just doing what public officials tell them they should do Like the Wizard of Oz People are a lot less powerful and mysterious once the curtain is opened Fear is the most powerful emotion in politics Best example was in 1964 with Lyndon B. Johnson Ran a particular spot once Said that opponent was going to blow up the world Most famous campaign spot in television history George Bush in 1988 Dukakis let Willy Horton out of prison and third party attacked Dukakis and Bush over crime punishment Bush used fear to say that Dukakis was going to let people out of jail and they were going to kidnap and rape your family Anger is another emotion commonly used Clinton vs. Dole in 1996 Clintons spot used anger to get to the elderly by talking about how Dole was going to raise MediCare premiums Dirty secret of politics is that they dont want you to think for yourself They count on being able to manipulate your emotions Nixon running for president in 1968 William Gavin wrote to Nixon staff Reason pushes viewer back Impression can envelope him Dont make intellectual demands of the voters When we argue, we get their attention and arouse his emotions Bobby Jindahl spot run in last week of campaign Negative spot If you dont vote for me, youre voting for corruption Music was the key to the spot Music was positive, but message was negative