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- Introduction to Media Industries
- Television
- Mechanical Television
- Paul Gottlieb Nipkow disk
- Electronic Television
- Vladimir K. Zworykin
- worked for Westinghouse and General Electric
- invented iconoscope (1923)
- first camera tube covert light rays into electrical signals
- file patent for iconoscope in 1931
- Philo T. Fransworth
- Image dissector 1922
- patented system for electronic television (1930)
- demonstrated television in Philadelphia (August 25, 1934)
- transmitted signal to different room
- RCA and the World of Tomorrow
- 1939 World’s Fair, New York City
- RCA Pavilion
- experimental television station
- transmitted from Empire State Building
- RCA and the “Story of Television” (1939)
- Live Television
- considered the best use of tele-vision technology
- whither theater television
- would follow radio as home entertainment medium
- NTSC
- group of electronics firms, including RCA
- established analog standard TV in US (1941)
- 525-lines
- 60 Hz (fields per second)
- Digital ATSC finally replaced NTSC in 2009
- The Freeze
- concern over interference
- FCC implemented freeze on new licenses, 1948
- Freeze would last until 1952
- Licensed TV stations would increase from 106 to over 400 in first
year after Freeze
- Network Television
- Pre-Freeze television broadcasters affiliated with networks
- Between 1948–1952, television set ownership grew
- Network-affiliated broadcasters thrived because there was no
competition
- VHF and UHF
- alleviate scarcity of TV channels
- Very High Frequency
- 54–72, 76–88, and 174–216 MHz
- TV Channels 2–13
- Ultra High Frequency
- 470–806 MHz
- TV Channels 14–69
- Early TVs capable of receiving only VHF channels
- Color
- Format war between two competing systems
- CBS introduced a color system (1952)
- tentatively approved by FCC
- not backward compatible
- RCA introduced own color system (1954)
- worked on older black and white sets
- ultimately became color standard
- Networks would not fully adopt color until 1966
- Network Era
- FCC Freeze exacerbated network’s power over television
- Begins in 1950s with consolidation of networks
- Single to Magazine Sponsorship
- Triune Voice
- Over 90% prime-time market share between three networks
- Last until 1980s with advent of cable and home video
- early programming
- news summaries and magazines
- quiz shows
- live anthology dramas
- Three-Network Oligopoly
- Home Video
- Sony Betamax (1975)
- JVC VHS (1976)
- MCA-Disney v. Sony (1979)
- Broadcast Network Distribution
- Nine Broadcast Networks
- CBS
- NBC
- ABC
- Fox
- CW
- My Network TV
- ion
- Univision
- Telemundo
- network TV losses are offset by cable networks
- O&O stations
- once constituted the most profitable stations
- decline in advertising have sapped profits
- demanding retransmission fees
- affiliate stations
- independently owned stations
- sign affiliate agreement with networks
- clear or preempt programming
- Digital Television
- replaced NTSC in 2009
- SDTV vs. HDTV
- up to 1080 lines
- 16:9 aspect ratio
- six-channel surround sound
- digital sub-channels
- Channel 4 in NYC has two sub channels
- WNBC 4 on 4.1
- Nonstop New York on 4.2
- speaking of unicorns: on-demand video over ATSC
- Community Antenna TV
- Oregon, Pennsylvania, New York City
- rough terrain caused radio interference
- coaxial cable
- eliminates radio interference
- increases channel capacity
- distant signal importation
- Satellite Cable
- Early Communication Satellites
- AT&T and NASA launches Telstar (1960)
- Western Union launches Westar (1974)
- RCA launches Satcom I (1975)
- Satellite Cable TV Stations
- Home Box Office (1975)
- WTBS Atlanta (1976)
- Christian Broadcasting Network (1976)
- Showtime-Pinwheel (1977)
- distributed by multichannel video distributors (MVPD)
- Cable TV: Niche Medium
- narrowcast
specialized programming for diverse and fragmented groups
- audiences are small but more targeted
- similar to postwar trends in magazines and radio
- network television’s role as “the chief programmer of our shared
culture had eroded“
- Basic Cable Networks
- distributed via satellite
- leading cable nets controlled by Big Five conglomerates
- retransmission fees paid per-subscriber basis
- advertising spots available to local cable systems
- Premium Cable Networks
- Major Premium Nets
- HBO
- Cinemax
- Showtime
- Starz/Encore
- Single revenue stream
- direct payment
- subscription fees
- Cable TV Station Revenues
- Advertising Revenue (indirect)
- Cable Nets ($8.876 billion)
- Local/Spot Ads ($2.667 billion)
- Regional Sports Net ($426 million)
- Retransmission Fees (direct)
- Telecommunications Act
- relaxed ownership rules
- mergers between TV and cable, music, print, movies, Internet
- convergence between video, voice, and Internet services
- Multichannel Video Programming Distributors
- Cable Franchises
- local monopolies
- licensed to highest bidder
- negotiations
- subscription rates
- channel capacity
- public access
- Major MVPDs
- consolidated ownership of MVPDs
- exacerbated by Telecommunications Act (1996)
- multiple system operators (MSOs)
- MVPD Revenues
- indirect payments
- direct payments
- subscriber fees
- pay-per-view programming
- premium channels
- video-on-demand
- Triple and Quad Play Services
- multichannel video
- broadband Internet
- digital voice telephony
- wireless mobile telephony
- Broadcast Television Production
- Production Companies
- Fin-Syn 1971–1993
- usually independent companies
- employ cast and crew
- sell to networks
- Networks acquire programs first-run rights
- Fees do not cover cost of production
- Since 1993, network programs are usually produced in house
- Big Five Television Producers
- Time Warner
- Disney
- National Amusements (Viacom)
- News Corp
- NBC Universal (Comcast)
- Cable Programming
- follows same model as broadcast programming
- some local origination program
- community access channels
- Public Television
- PBS: Public Broadcasting System (1968)
- program exchange, not a true network
- exercises economies of scale for non-profit stations
- most programs produced by largest member stations
- distributed across “network” of participating stations
- Revenue
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting
- tax money to subsidize PBS operations
- corporate underwritng
- co-sponsorships
- Advertising
- up-front advertising
- spot market
- scatter market
last minute deals