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
Early history, 1880s
Developmental stage, 1920s
Paul Nipkow develops the “scanning disk”
Zworykin invents iconoscope, TV camera tube
Farnsworth transmits electronic TV picture
Entrepreneurial stage, 1930s and 1940s
NTSC outlines practices and standards
FCC adopts analog standards for U.S. TV sets
Television Becomes a
Mass Medium (cont.)
Mass medium stage, 1950s
FCC distributes all available channels evenly
throughout U.S.
More than 400 stations
RCA’s color system becomes the color
standard
Controlling TV Content
Single sponsor supports and controls each
program, 1950s
Examples: Goodyear, Colgate, Buick
Networks gain control
Increased cost to sponsors
Increased average program length
Introduced magazine format shows
Introduced “spectacular”
Sold ad spots to multiple advertisers
The Quiz-Show Scandals
Quiz shows huge business in 1950s
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
Networks further decrease use of sponsors
to create programs
Quiz shows off network prime time for 40
years
Cable Is Born
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
Served only 10% of the country
Offered advantages
Eliminated over-the-air interference, offered more
channels
Network News
Many Americans switch from
newspapers to TV
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
Competition from cable, Internet
Audience still larger than many other shows
TV Comedy
Sketch comedy
Hour-long variety shows
Saturday Night Live
Require fresh content, new sets each week
Situation comedy or sitcom
Half-hour format
Emphasizes zany plot over character
development
I Love Lucy, Seinfeld, 30 Rock, Modern Family
Drama
Anthology
Influenced by stage plays
Expensive, unappealing to mainstream
Masterpiece Mystery!
Episodic series
Chapter shows: self-contained stories
House, The closer
Serial programs: continuing story lines
Roots, The X-Files, daytime soap operas
Other Network Programming
Talk shows
TV newsmagazines
The Tonight Show
60 Minutes
Reality TV
Extreme Makeover, American Idol
Public Television
Public TV created in 1960s
For viewers underserved by commercial TV
Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 creates PBS
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Sesame Street,
Barney
Cable and satellite options
Making PBS less necessary
Future uncertain
Evolution of Cable
Programming
Basic cable
Channels appeal to specific interests
Specialized information
24/7 news, financial news, international news
Specialized entertainment
ESPN, Nickelodeon, BET
MTV provides music, comedy, reality shows
Premium cable
HBO, AMC, Bravo offer innovative content
Pay-per-view, Video-on-demand (VOD) offer innovative
viewing options
Regulatory Challenges
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.)
FCC Rules of 1972 allow cable to expand
Midwest Video case 1979
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
Eliminates ownership restrictions and regulatory
barriers
Opens way for corporate mergers
The Digital Age
Home video: VCRs, DVDs, DVRs
The Internet
Further transforms viewing habits
Created alternative forms of content
Direct broadcast satellite (DBS)
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
Syndication
Leasing to exclusive rights to air older TV series
Advertising
Includes cash or barter deals
Fills “fringe time”
Nielsen ratings determine success of shows
Subscriptions
Cable market only
Viewers pay monthly fee for basic option, more for
premium channels like HBO or Showtime
Economics: Money Out
Production
“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
Networks pay affiliates to show programs in return
for ad time.
Networks own affiliates only in large markets
(NYC, Los Angeles)
Ownership and Consolidation
Many corporations have consolidated or
been acquired to save costs.
Examples: Disney owns ABC, GE owns NBC
Multiple-system operators (MSOs)
AT&T, TCI, and Comcast
Time Warner, AOL, and Turner
DirecTV and DISH Network
Television in a Democratic
Society
Cable, Internet and DVRs fray social bonds
Mergers and consolidation worry critics
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
Super Bowl draws most segments