Transcript Chapter 5

Television, Cable, and
Specialization in
Visual Culture
Chapter 8
“Viewership may be half of what it was in the
1970s and 1980s, but programs like Modern
Family, NCIS, or American Idol can still
command a greater audience than many
popular movies, books, or albums.”
Television Becomes a
Mass Medium
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Early history, 1880s
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Developmental stage, 1920s
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Paul Nipkow develops the “scanning disk”
Zworykin invents iconoscope, TV camera tube
Farnsworth transmits electronic TV picture
Entrepreneurial stage, 1930s and 1940s
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NTSC outlines practices and standards
FCC adopts analog standards for U.S. TV sets
Television Becomes a
Mass Medium (cont.)
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Mass medium stage, 1950s
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FCC distributes all available channels evenly
throughout U.S.
More than 400 stations
RCA’s color system becomes the color
standard
Controlling TV Content
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Single sponsor supports and controls each
program, 1950s
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Examples: Goodyear, Colgate, Buick
Networks gain control
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Increased cost to sponsors
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Increased average program length
Introduced magazine format shows
Introduced “spectacular”
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Sold ad spots to multiple advertisers
The Quiz-Show Scandals
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Quiz shows huge business in 1950s
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22 shows on air during 1957–58
Sponsored by corporations
Many shows were rigged
Contestants given answers to heighten suspense or
attract viewers.
 Example: Twenty-One by Geritol
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Networks further decrease use of sponsors
to create programs
 Quiz shows off network prime time for 40
years
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Cable Is Born
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Developed in 1940s out of a need in some
communities that were unable to receive
traditional over-the-air TV signals
Called CATV, or community antenna
television
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Served only 10% of the country
Offered advantages
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Eliminated over-the-air interference, offered more
channels
Network News
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Many Americans switch from
newspapers to TV
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Meet the Press (1947-) oldest show on TV
ABC, CBS and NBC dominate national TV
news, 1960s-1980s
CNN begins 24/7 cable news, 1980s
Network news viewership down
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Competition from cable, Internet
Audience still larger than many other shows
TV Comedy
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Sketch comedy
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Hour-long variety shows
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Saturday Night Live
Require fresh content, new sets each week
Situation comedy or sitcom
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Half-hour format
Emphasizes zany plot over character
development
I Love Lucy, Seinfeld, 30 Rock, Modern Family
Drama
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Anthology
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Influenced by stage plays
Expensive, unappealing to mainstream
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Masterpiece Mystery!
Episodic series
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Chapter shows: self-contained stories
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House, The closer
Serial programs: continuing story lines
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Roots, The X-Files, daytime soap operas
Other Network Programming
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Talk shows
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TV newsmagazines
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The Tonight Show
60 Minutes
Reality TV
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Extreme Makeover, American Idol
Public Television
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Public TV created in 1960s
For viewers underserved by commercial TV
 Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 creates PBS
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Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Sesame Street,
Barney
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Cable and satellite options
Making PBS less necessary
 Future uncertain
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Evolution of Cable
Programming
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Basic cable
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Channels appeal to specific interests
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Specialized information
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24/7 news, financial news, international news
Specialized entertainment
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ESPN, Nickelodeon, BET
MTV provides music, comedy, reality shows
Premium cable
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HBO, AMC, Bravo offer innovative content
Pay-per-view, Video-on-demand (VOD) offer innovative
viewing options
Regulatory Challenges
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Prime Time Access Rule
 Reduced network control of prime time
 Attempted to encourage use of local programs
 Led to rise of “infotainment” programs
Fin-syn Rules
 Banned networks from running own
syndication companies
 Phased out in 1990s
Regulatory Challenges (cont.)
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FCC Rules of 1972 allow cable to expand
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Midwest Video case 1979
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Access channels, leased channels
U.S. Supreme Court declares cable a form of
electronic publishing; retained right to dictate own
content
Telecommunications Act of 1996
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Eliminates ownership restrictions and regulatory
barriers
Opens way for corporate mergers
The Digital Age
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Home video: VCRs, DVDs, DVRs
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The Internet
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Further transforms viewing habits
Created alternative forms of content
Direct broadcast satellite (DBS)
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Changed our notion of prime-time TV
DVRs allow advertisers to track viewers
More TV options, bundling of Internet service
Cell phones, mobile video, WiMax
Economics: Money In
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Syndication
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Leasing to exclusive rights to air older TV series
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Advertising
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Includes cash or barter deals
Fills “fringe time”
Nielsen ratings determine success of shows
Subscriptions
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Cable market only
Viewers pay monthly fee for basic option, more for
premium channels like HBO or Showtime
Economics: Money Out
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Production
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“Below-the-line” costs: 40% of budget on
equipment, special effects, cameras, crews, sets,
and so on
“Above-the-line” costs: 60% of budget on actors,
writers, producers, editors, directors
Distribution
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Networks pay affiliates to show programs in return
for ad time.
Networks own affiliates only in large markets
(NYC, Los Angeles)
Ownership and Consolidation
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Many corporations have consolidated or
been acquired to save costs.
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Examples: Disney owns ABC, GE owns NBC
Multiple-system operators (MSOs)
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AT&T, TCI, and Comcast
Time Warner, AOL, and Turner
DirecTV and DISH Network
Television in a Democratic
Society
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Cable, Internet and DVRs fray social bonds
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Mergers and consolidation worry critics
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No longer shared experience of network TV
Cable specializes in niche programming
Citizens have little input with service providers
Will limit political viewpoints, programming
options, technical innovation
Lead to price fixing
TV can still unite large audience
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Super Bowl draws most segments