9 Television Broadcast and Beyond Television Broadcast and

9 Television Broadcast and Beyond

Television: Broadcast and Cable/Satellite The Invention of Television § Philo T. Farnsworth: • developed the central concepts of television at age fourteen • the lines of a tilled potato field supposedly the inspiration behind the technology § September 7, 1927: “There you are, electronic television. ”

§ Vladimir Zworykin: o working to develop television for RCA o filed for a patent on it in 1923 o U. S. patent office ruled in favor of Farnsworth o Farnsworth’s high school chemistry teacher supported his arguments o RCA lost, and had to pay royalties o television development halted for World War II o Farnsworth’s patents expired in 1947

• The Beginning of Broadcasting § 1939, NBC transmitted television broadcasts from the New York World’s Fair. § From 1948 to 1952, the licensing of new television stations was frozen: • needed to give the FCC time to determine best way to regulate television § early, popular programming included comedy and variety shows, some dramas.

• The Arrival of Color Television § In 1959 - only three shows were regularly shown in color: • NBC peacock logo § By 1965, all three major networks were broadcasting in color. § Cost of early color sets was very high.

• Cable and Satellite Television § Community Antenna Television • pioneered by the Parsons family of Astoria, Oregon • connected a cable to an antenna to strengthen signal • became known as community antenna television (CATV) • up until the 1970 s, cable was a way to get a better signal, not more channels

• Satellite Distribution and the Rebirth of Cable § By the mid-1970 s, FCC relaxed regulation. § Home Box Office (HBO) began in 1975. § Satellite systems had advantage over networks: • hundreds of cable systems could obtain the programming as cheaply as one

• Ted Turner § on December 27, 1976—launched Superstation WTBS § created Cable News Network (CNN) and CNN Headline News § TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies § in 1996 Turner Broadcasting bought by Warner Brothers: • merger allowed Turner access to more media

§ Two-thirds of Americans have cable; 12. 9 percent in the United Kingdom. § Types of Cable Programming: • • affiliates of the major broadcast networks independent stations and minor network affiliates. superstations (WTBS, WGN, etc. ) local-access channels cable networks (MTV, CNN, BET, etc. ). premium channels (HBO, Showtime, etc. ). pay-per-view channels audio services

• Hollywood and the VCR § initially two incompatible formats, costly § by 1991, VCRs found in seven out of ten homes § Universal and Disney sued Sony over its promotion of the VCR for recording movies: • 1984—U. S. Supreme Court ruled that viewers had the right to record copyrighted programs for their own use § VCR ownership peaked in 1999 (89 percent).

• Direct Broadcast Satellites § 1990 s—advent of the low-earth-orbit direct broadcast satellite § fall 2006—in approximately 26 percent of U. S. homes § head-to-head competition with cable § specialized programming (NFL package)

• Digital Television § All television broadcasting in the United States is scheduled to be digital by February 17, 2009: • those without digital sets will need a converter § Two digital formats: • high-definition television (HDTV)—a wide-screen format, high resolution picture • standard digital television—allows multiple channels to be delivered on same frequency § On November 1, 1998 Space Shuttle Discovery launch: • first nationally-broadcast digital program

From Broadcasting to Narrowcasting: The Changing Business of Television • The Big Three: § NBC, CBS, and ABC § television network—companies that provide programs to local stations around the country § network makes money from national advertising: • network affiliate keeps all ad revenue from programming they produce/carry

• Educational Broadcasting Becomes Public Broadcasting § Public Broadcasting Act of 1967: • established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting • funding for noncommercial programs on Public Broadcasting System (PBS) • Sesame Street—November 8, 1969 • popular documentaries

• FOX Network: § on the air in 1986 in six out of ten top U. S. markets § string of popular programs § “stole” NFL away from Big Three networks

• Defining Ratings § Nielsen Media Research: • tracks television usage in 9, 000 U. S. homes • uses People. Meters in large markets, viewer diaries in smaller markets • sweeps—quarterly viewership measurement • rating point—the percentage of the total potential television audience for a show • share—the percentage of sets actually tuned to a particular show

• An Earthquake in Slow Motion § 1976—nine of ten people were watching network television • by 1991—Big Three lost a third of audience • more channels on cable § § Big Three networks sold to new owners in 1985 broadcast networks’ revenue plummeted in the 1990 s cable programs cheaper to produce cable channels have both a subscription fee andadvertising revenue

• Television News Goes 24/7 § began with brief coverage of the 1940 Republican national convention on NBC § by 1948, both parties’ conventions were covered § 1947—Meet the Press • TV’s longest-running news/commentary program § August 1948—CBS airing nightly fifteen minute news show • CBS coverage of 1956 sinking of the Andrea Doria • in 1963, CBS and NBC expand to half hour nightly news broadcast (ABC in 1967)

• November 3, 1979—Americans held hostage in Iran § ABC started a nightly news update at 11: 30 p. m. EST. • show eventually became Nightline • 1980—CNN goes on air § 1991 Gulf War—attracted large audience with its twenty-four-hour coverage § by 2003 Iraq War—had significant competition § by 2002, FOX News getting higher ratings than CNN

• Diversity on Television § 1999—Big Four networks introduced twenty-six new shows • none featured a nonwhite lead character § Fall of 2006 • thirty-two of the forty-three new shows featured Hispanic, African-American, and Asian-American actors § Lost • featured diverse cast (interracial couple, non-English speaking actor)

• Univision and Spanish-Language Broadcasting § Univision—Spanish-language broadcast network: • fifth largest broadcast network § Telemundo § Telenovelas—Spanish soap operas • Make up fifteen of the top twenty Spanish-language programs

• Black Entertainment Television (BET) § reaches 60 million households: • 12. 5 million black households § started in 1980 in Washington, D. C. § purchased by Viacom § attracting advertisers who want to reach nonwhite audience

• Audience Members as Programmers: Public Access Cable § Channels air public affairs programming and other locally produced shows. § More than 15, 000 hours of programming are produced annually on 2, 000 stations. § Most programming is conventional, but some is controversial.

Television and Society Television as a Major Social Force § Time spent watching television: • average person watches about four hours per day • fifteen hours per week actively watching, twenty-one passively watching • Americans spend half their leisure time with TV • at any given time in the evening one third of Americans watching TV (over 50 percent in winter) • children spend four hours per day watching television or videos

How Do Viewers Use Television? § Reasons identified in the “Television in the Lives of Our Children” study: • to be entertained • to learn things or gain information • for social reasons § Study found children watched the same program for different reasons.

Bringing the World into Our Homes § TV breaks down the physical barriers that separate people. § TV provides a view into formerly separate worlds. § People everywhere in the world have access to information simultaneously.

Standards for Television § Set by each network’s own standards and practices department: • to ensure the network did not lose viewers or sponsors because of offensive content § Implemented a two-part rating system in 1997: • G, PG, TV-14, TV-MA, S, V, L, and D • use ratings to warn, rather than restrict

The Problem of Decency § 2004 Super Bowl halftime show: • FCC received more than 500, 000 complaints about the “wardrobe malfunction. ” § Rules state no indecent material between 6 a. m. and 10 p. m. : • no single standard for what constitutes broadcast indecency

Future of Television Interactive Television § § multiple versions of single channels DVRs video-on-Demand online voting to decide outcome of shows, polls

The Earthquake In Slow Motion Continues § Video games as mass communication: • In 2006, nearly 94 million persons aged two and older played a video game in the last three months of the year. • Two-thirds of all men 18– 34 have at least one video game console in their homes.

• Convergence of Television and the Internet § On Wednesday, October 12, 2005, video i. Pod debuted: • Apple partnering with Disney to sell ABC's top rated shows through i. Tunes. • Apple is selling programs to consumers, instead of audiences to advertisers. § Now there are multiple ways to watch a network broadcast show. § Networks are figuring out how to compensate affiliates for digital purchases of programming.