Juan Monroy — Electronic Media: Class 8, Network TV

1 Three Network Oligopoly
- 1.1 NBC
- 1.2 CBS
- 1.3 ABC
- 1.4 filled VHF band
- 1.5 controlled television production
- 1.6 evenly split throughout 1960s, 1970s
2 Television Station Types
- 2.1 Owned and operated
- 2.2 Network affiliates
- 2.3 Independent television stations
- 2.4 Public television stations
3 Relevance
- 3.1 growing youth audience
- 3.2 Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In (NBC 1968–1973)
- 3.3 Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
- 3.4 Dragnet
4 Primetime access rules
- 4.1 PTAR
- 4.2 stations in top–50 markets
- 4.3 first hour of prime-time
  - 7:00 PM
  - Mon-Sat
- 4.4 not take the network feed
- 4.5 produce their own local programming
5 Financial Rules on Syndication
- 5.1 Fin-Syn
- 5.2 financial
  - network could only own 15 hours of non-news programming
  - production companies could remain independent
- 5.3 syndication
  - networks acquired only first- and second- runs
  - ownership of television programs remained with the producer
6 Independent Production
7 Norman Lear “relevant series”
- 7.1 All in the Family
- 7.2 Maude
- 7.3 Good Times
- 7.4 The Jeffersons
8 Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, 1970–1977)
9 Independent TV stations
- 9.1 UHF band
- 9.2 stations unaffiliated with broadcast networks
- 9.3 thrived with first-run syndicated programming
10 Cable TV
- 10.1 CATV
  - began as community antenna television, 1940s
  - distant signal importation
  - local systems began to consolidate as MSOs
- 10.2 broadcasters saw cable systems as competitors
- 10.3 must-carry rules
- 10.4 access rules
  - public
  - educational
  - government
11 satellite cable
- 11.1 Open Skies order, 1972
- 11.2 launching of communication satellites
- 11.3 cable seen as alternative to broadcasters
12 cable technologies
- 12.1 “Blue Sky” advocates for cable TV
  - policy reformers and think tanks
  - social action groups
  - cable operators
- 12.2 interactive television
  - access libraries of information
  - conduct financial transactions
  - exchange electronic mail
- 12.3 QUBE
  - interactive television
  - Warner-AMEX
  - introduced 1977
  - failed to find commercial success
13 Ted Turner
- 13.1 WTCQ-TV Atlanta
- 13.2 leased transponder on Satcom I
- 13.3 launched WTBS-TV Atlanta as a national superstation
  - off-network syndicated programming
  - sports programming
  - no news programming
- 13.4 dual-revenue
  - advertising (as in broadcasting)
  - subscriber fees from cable distributors
14 Music Television
- 14.1 Warner-AMEX Cable
- 14.2 launched August 1981
- 14.3 free programming: music videos
- 14.4 young audience
- 14.5 influenced network television style