Media Systems and Communication Technology
1. Discussion post: Content and Class Representation.
2. Nielsen Ratings.
CMST 432 Media Systems and Communication Technology
Recommended Text and Materials
Hanson, R. E. (2018) Mass communication: Living in a media world (7th ed.). SAGE.
Recommended Resources for Additional Exploration
The Mass Communication student companion website:
http://edge.sagepub.com/hanson7e (Links to an external site.)
This site is a particularly good resource for review of course materials.
Chapter 9 Television: Broadcast and Beyond
1. Discussion post: Content and Class Representation.
· Visit the entertainment website for your favorite TV network, or one that you watch a lot, such as
http://abc.go.com/
,
http://www.bravotv.com/
, and
http://www.cwtv.com/
.
· Browse around the different shows that are on that network and take note of the types of people and lifestyles which seem to be represented most often.
· What social class is most often represented in different shows?
· What professions do characters have?
· How do your observations match up with what you read in Chapter 9?
· Why does the entertainment media industry so often portray affluent lifestyles rather than poor or working-class experiences?
· Think in terms of ideology and in terms of the economic pressures of the media business.
2. Nielsen Ratings – Chapter 9
Compete the ratings academy and write a paragraph on what you learned? Discuss what areas fascinated you the most.
http://ratingsacademy.nielsen.com/
Chapter 9 Overview
Summary and Learning Objectives
Television was developed in the 1920s and 1930s by independent inventor Philo T. Farnsworth and RCA engineer Vladimir Zworykin. Commercial broadcasting began in the United States in 1939, but its development was put on hold by the outbreak of World War II. By the early 1950s, television was established as the dominant broadcast medium. Color television broadcasts came into widespread use in the 1960s.
Although primitive forms of cable television existed in 1948, cable did not become a significant medium until the early 1980s when satellite distribution of channels became common. Among the early cable channels were a number of networks created by Ted Turner. Viewers gained access to additional choices in the form of VCRs and direct broadcast satellite service. Television broadcasting has switched from analog signals to multiple digital formats, and VCRs have almost completely been replaced by DVRs, DVDs, video on demand, and streaming technology.
Television networks have been criticized for failing to include women and minorities in their programming, but cable channels have delivered more programming that addresses diverse interests. Networks have also been criticized for carrying too much violent and sexually explicit programming. But television has been praised for breaking down geographic and social barriers. Broadcast television is currently going through a cycle in which “indecent” content is being suppressed by the government.
Television is changing rapidly, with audience members getting many new options to control how and when they receive programming. With VCRs, DVRs, interactive television, and broadband video, viewers can choose what they watch and when they watch it. They are also able to interact with the programming through online and mobile resources.
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Chapter 9
Television:
Broadcast and Beyond
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Sinclair Broadcast Group
Family run group of 173 stations in 81 markets; affiliated with Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC and Univision
Questions about corporate “must run” messages sent to affiliates brought company into the news
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Sinclair Broadcast Group
Required broadcast of conservative commentaries
Biggest controversy was script complaining about “fake news” sent out to all stations to be recorded by local anchors
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Invention of Television
Philo T. Farnsworth
1922: diagrams plans for television at age 16
1930: receives patent cathode ray tube
RCA attempted to promote its own Vladimir Zworykin as inventor of TV
1947: Farnsworth’s television patent expires just before TV starts to take off
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Beginning of Broadcast Television
1939: NBC starts broadcasting, most sets in bars, restaurants
1942: TV manufacturing suspended for duration of WW II; most stations go off air
Licensing of new TV stations suspended 1948–1952, leaving many cities without television
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Lucy & Desi End Live TV
1951: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz create I Love Lucy
One of the first sitcoms to be filmed, rather than live
Lucy and Desi hold onto syndication rights to the show, still being broadcast today
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Color Television
1950s: early experiments in color television
1965: Big Three networks broadcasting in color
NBC peacock logo designed to tell B&W viewers show was in color
Early color TVs cost equivalent of big screen TVs today
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Beginning of Cable Television
Community antenna television (CATV)
Early form of cable television used to distribute broadcast channels in communities with poor television reception
Relatively expensive, was source of a good TV signal, not additional programming
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Rebirth of Cable
By mid-1970s, FCC began loosening rules on cable companies
1975: HBO starts providing programming nationwide, sending signal to local cable companies via satellite
Key point: HBO could send programming to 1,000 cable companies as cheaply as to one
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Ted Turner – Cable Pioneer
1963: inherits failing billboard company from father
1970: buys Channel 17 in Atlanta
Buys Atlanta Braves and Hawks sports franchises to provide programming for channel
Turns Channel 17 into Superstation WTBS in 1976, takes local station national
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Ted Turner – Cable Pioneer
1980: CNN becomes first cable 24-hour news network
Developed idea of repackaging content across multiple channels
1996: Turner Broadcasting faces financial trouble, is acquired by media giant Time Warner
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What’s on Cable?
Affiliates of Big Four broadcast networks
Independents and smaller network affiliates
Superstations
Local-access channels
Cable networks
Premium channels
Pay-per-view
Audio services
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Home Recording
Late 1970s: videocassette recorder (VCR) becomes household appliance
Movie studios fight spread of VCRs, but 1984 Supreme Court decision says consumers can make recordings for own use
21st century: DVRs, DVDs replaced VCR technology; on-demand, streaming replacing replacements
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Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)
Early satellite TV required large/expensive dish
Smaller pizza-sized DBS cheaper, easier to use than old systems; competing with cable
As of 2015, 33 million American households have DBS
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Conversion to Digital Broadcasting
Farnsworth’s television technology was analog; same technology for decades
B&W televisions could still receive new color signals
In 2009, all broadcast television converted to digital. Analog sets went dark without either conversion box or cable/satellite
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Digital Television
High-definition television (HDTV)
High-resolution, wide-screen format with enhanced sound
Standard digital television
Can broadcast up to six channels in airspace that carried one old-style channel
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Networks and Affiliates
Broadcast networks provide programming to local affiliate stations
Affiliates have license from FCC, equipment, and local staff
If affiliate carries programming from network, get limited ad revenue and (may) get carriage fee
Can also carry local and syndicated programming, keep all ad revenue
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Public Broadcasting
1967: Corporation for Public Broadcasting created
Public Broadcasting System (PBS) provides network-like programming to member stations
PBS initially known for children’s programming like Sesame Street
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Public Broadcasting
1990s: PBS expands audience with programming like Ken Burns documentaries
2015: Sesame Street moves to HBO for first-run episodes; PBS continues to air episodes after they are shown on HBO
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Big Three Becomes Big Four
1986: Rupert Murdoch launches Fox Network
Attracted independent stations by offering them free programming
Shows like The OT, The Simpsons, Empire, and Bob’s Burgers have made Fox a top-rated broadcaster
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Audience Ratings
Challenge of rating major and minor broadcast networks, major cable networks, and minor cable networks
Problem of counting DVR audiences
Nielsen Media Research is major rating company
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Measuring Audiences
People Meters used in larger markets
Rating point
Percentage of potential television audience actually watching the show
Share
Percentage of television sets in use tuned to a show
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Measuring Audiences
Live only
Live + SD – live or same day as aired
Live + 3 – live or within three days of airing
Live + 7 – people who watch within 7 days of airing; most comprehensive measure
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An Earthquake in Slow Motion
1976: average viewer has 7 channels, Big Three networks have 90 percent of viewers
1991: average viewer has 33 channels, Big Three lose one-third of viewers
2011: ESPN most profitable part of Disney
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An Earthquake in Slow Motion
2012–2017: ESPN loses more than 10 million subscribers as viewers find alternatives to cable/satellite
Cable/satellite more profitable because get subscription fees and ad revenue
Streaming services major new source of competition
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Diversity on Television
Networks frequently criticized for ignoring people of color
Growth of non-English speaking characters
Growth of shows with African American women as leads
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Diversity on Television
Growth in availability in LGBTQ programming, especially on streaming. Now have subcategories
“Media gaystreaming”
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Spanish Language Broadcasting
Univision is fifth largest broadcast network; often top rated in urban areas
Suffering from general downturn facing Spanish-language media
Spanish-language telenovelas popular, produced in Mexico, Brazil (Brazilian shows translated from Portuguese to Spanish)
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Spanish Language Broadcasting
Telemundo having success reaching younger audiences
More and more of Hispanic audience are English-only speakers
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Anchor as Advocate
Jorge Ramos speaks to huge audience (triple CNN’s audience) as Univision anchor
Ramos is advocate for Latino and immigrant groups; part of shift on many cable channels to opinion journalism
Noted for controversy during 2016 presidential campaign with Donald Trump
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Black Entertainment Television
1980: Washington, D.C. area local station
First black-owned cable network
Worth $2 billion at time it sold to Viacom
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Television as a Social Force
Television brings world into the home in an easy-to-consume format
Television becomes dominant source of shared experience
Television can dominate people’s leisure activity
Video from non-TV sources is growing in popularity
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Standards for Television
1950s: married couples had to sleep in separate beds; Capri pants immodest
1990s: mild nudity appears on broadcast television
1997: broadcasters implement content ratings
Cable only stations are not subject to FCC rules on decency
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Problem of Decency
2004: Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl “wardrobe malfunction”; decency rules become stricter
2012: U.S. Supreme Court throws out fines for Jackson exposure, but doesn’t clarify decency standards
No fines for Nancy Grace exposure during Dancing With the Stars
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Defining Television in the 21st Century
2005 – Apple started selling downloads of popular current shows
2007 – Netflix starts streaming programming
Can streaming services replace cable/satellite programing for “cord cutters”?
Big media companies starting their own streaming services
Changing definition of “television”
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Media Transformations:
Everyone Can Stream
Individuals can now stream online through services such as Periscope
Democratic members of congress kept streaming from floor of house after congressional cameras were shut down; streams were carried by C-SPAN
Sporting events get rebroadcast by consumers over streaming services
Streaming video is social
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