Here is the PowerPoint outline for Chapter 16.  Remember to complete the application exercise at the end.

Major U.S. TV Broadcast Networks

•      Big four

–  ABC

–  CBS

–  NBC

–  Fox

Other U.S. TV Broadcast Networks

•      Small three (do not schedule as many hours as big four)

–   WB (Warner Bros.)

–   United Paramount

–   Pax

•      Public

–   Public Broadcasting Service

•      Spanish Language

–   Univision

–   Telemundo (NBC)

Revenue Streams

•      Broadcast TV has one revenue stream*

–    Advertising

•      Cable/Satellite TV has two revenue streams

–    Advertising

–    Consumer subscription (and Pay Per View)

•      In cable the consumer revenue is more than twice as much as advertisers

•      *One exception is Public Broadcasting Service, which relies on government appropriations, corporate sponsors and viewer contributions

1996 Telecommunications Act

•      Allows anyone to enter any communications business

•      Allows any communications firm to compete in any market against any other business

–   This particular provision tries to encourage long distance phone, short distance phone and cable to compete in one another’s business

•      However, six years later competition has been slow to take off and consumer rates have not gone down

Cable Production

•      Menu of channels offered by cable system is called
a lineup

•      Each network channel creates a format
(MTV’s “personality”)

•      Lineups are limited by technology, the amount of money a cable network demands from the cable service and corporate ownership

•      Tiering refers to different subscription rates for different levels of cable service

Individual Channel Production

•      Producing individual channels
according to

–  The competition

–  The available pool of viewers

–  The interests of the sponsors

–  The cost of relevant programs

Measuring TV Audience

•      Key terms in measuring TV audience

–  People meter

–  Diaries

–  Sweeps

–  Household ratings

–  Household share

–  National rating points

Schedules

•      Schedules are built around series
(e.g., E.R., Nightline, etc.)

•      Lead in program refers to the first show in a
schedule sequence

•      Lead out program is the next show

–    Hammock is placing a show between a strong lead in
and a popular lead out. This increases the rating for
the middle show

•      Counter programming is targeting an audience segment different from what is playing on the other channels at the same time slot

Commodification of Audience

•      Proliferation of TV has led critics to become more concerned

–  that media is bombarding audience with the values of business and commercialism

–  that even categories such as friendship and knowledge are only important in terms of monetary value

–  that people are being treated as products to be sold to advertisers by TV executives

Criticism of TV Content

•      Violence

•      Sex

•      Stereotyping

•      V-chips are now installed in television sets to give parents some control

APPLICATION EXERCISE: 

Ch. 16--American View of the World in TV