- Home
- Courses
- Introduction to Electronic Media
- Class 10, TV Programming
- Television News
- Sources
- Network TV
- morning talk shows
- evening news
- Cable News channels
- Local News
- most local origination content is news
- cheap
- profitable
- News Gathering
- 16mm film
- electronic news gathering
- satellite news gathering
- digital news gathering
- Types of Television Programming
- Network programming
- original programming funded by, produced for, and distributed
by the major TV and cable networks
- examples
- NCIS
- Big Bang Theory
- Grey’s Anatomy
- The Office
- Family Guy
- Soy Tu DueƱa
- cable programming
- originates and distributes directly to its franchisees
- syndication
- TV programming sold by distribution companies to local TV
stations and cable services
- off-network
- first-run
- local origination
- programs produced by local TV stations or cable companies for
their own viewers
- local news
- local sports
- local talk shows
- Network Television Programming
- Television Networks
- Big Four
- Netlets
- Affiliate System
- 200 independently owned stations
- national coverage
- large audiences for national advertisers
- affiliate agreements with a network
- network compensation
- affiliates charge retransmission consent fees
- networks allow affiliates to sell additional ad time
during network programs
- cleared vs. preempted programming
- Broadcast Season
- Fall
- late-September
- mid-December
- Spring
- late-January
- beginning of May
- runs
- once 39 episodes
- most common is 22 episodes
- 6 or 13 guaranteed
- if 6, then order 7 more for 13
- if performing well, order “back 9”
- short runs for cable
- as few as 6
- as many as 13
- Production
- Majors (Movie Studios)
- Sony
- Twentieth Television
- Warner Brothers
- Paramount
- NBC Universal
- Walt Disney Studios
- Independents
- Chuck Lorre
- Two and Half Men
- Big Bang Theory
- Dick Wolf
- Jerry Bruckheimer
- Imagine Entertainment
- Dreamworks
- Steven Bochco
- Aaron Spelling
- Program Development
- the “pitch”
- written synopsis
- short description of the program
- concept
- short story narrative
- treatment
- script
- fully developed screenplay
- development
- “step-deal” for a “property”
- producer holds option to develop the program
- studio accepts project for development
- right of first refusal
- revise or “punch up” the script
- creates a “log line”
- network orders a “pilot” episode
- producer produces a pilot
- network evaluates pilot
- test audiences
- program executives
- orders changes or cancels development
- series appears on network schedules
- Production is Expensive
- multipart network miniseries
- common on HBO and Showtime
- cost between $7–12 million per hour
- movies of the week
- “made for cable”
- cost $5–8 million per hour
- personal tragedy, disease
- hour-long dramatic series
- adventure
- action
- cost $2.5 and 4 million per hour
- half-hour comedies
- situation comedies
- cost $1.5–3 million per hour
- reality television programs
- game shows
- news documentaries
- competition programs
- Cable Programming
- Theatrical Movies
- released to cable a year after theatrical
- multipay platforms
- exclusive deals with pay channels
- package deals with studios
- Original Movies
- keeps cable channels competitive
- couples cable showing with theatrical run
- HBO is the leader
- Cable Series
- regularly scheduled high profile series
- more TV production is for cable than network
- lower costs than broadcast networks
- independent production companies
- runaway productions outside California and New York
- shorter runs
- more frequent showings
- examples
- Public Television Programming
- Public Broadcasting System
- member stations
- charges members a fee
- funds production of programs
- stations decide what and when to broadcast, unlike network
model
- “core schedule”
- reruns contribute to cumulative audience
- programming
- news and public affairs
- cultural programs
- American Experience
- Masterpiece Theater
- children’s programming
- special interest shows
- This Old House
- Antiques Roadshow
- “the idea of providing the public with an independent point
of view is sometimes controversial” (Dominick, Messere,
Sherman)
- Syndication
- marketplace
- insatiable hunger for content
- syndicators: companies that sell programs directly to stations
- estimated to be $9 billion annual business
- buyers: stations that acquire content from syndicators
- local television stations
- cable services
- programming
- movies
- network reruns
- talk shows
- music videos
- how-to shows
- competition series
- NAPTE Convention
- National Association of Television Programming Executives
- early January
- trade show for connecting syndicators and buyers
- mostly US-based but increasingly international
- MIPCOM markets
- normally in October
- Cannes
- largest international television syndication market
- also MIPTV in the summer
- movies
- usually sold in packages
- arrangement in the post-World War II era
- television stations need content
- movie studios needed revenue from people staying home
watching TV
- pricing varies
- off-network syndication
- programs once on a network
- pricing varies
- size of television market
- popularity of show in network run
- number of programs available
- stripping
- historically 100 episodes is necessary
- ideal number is 130 episodes
- 260 weekdays a year
- showing a series each weeknight in a daypart
- first-run syndication
- programs that debut that did not premiere on a network
- cheap and easy-to-produce
- occasional dramatic series
- Star Trek: the Next Generation
- Baywatch
- syndication payments
- cash
- barter
- syndicator provides the program
- free
- reduced cost (“cash plus”)
- syndicator places own ads
- market clearance
- syndicators try to patch together many markets
- large market clearance means large national audience for
advertisers
- Local Origination
- local television stations producing own programming
- local news
- local talk shows
- local sports
- local programming forms resemble AM radio programming
- programming reflects local interests
- Programming Strategies
- define potential audience
- audience flow
- counter programming
- attract an audience different from competing stations
- Sportscenter vs. news
- comedy vs. Monday Night Football
- CSI procedural vs. comedy 30 Rock
- challenge programming
- head-to-head with same type of programming
- Oprah vs. Jerry Springer
- Chicago Hope vs. ER
- Big Bang Theory vs. The Office
Niche market
- 7-night schedule, 1992
- young, black urban audience
Mainstream network, 1993–94
- NFL’s NFC broadcast rights
- NHL
- Melrose Place
- X-Files
WB Network
United Paramount Network
The CW
- merger between WB and UPN netlets
- announced January 2006
- began airing in September 2006
- youth audience network
MyNetwork TV
ION
Local TV Stations
- Network O&O Stations
- owned by networks
- most profitable
- limited by ownership restrictions
- largest television markets
- enjoy a steady of supply of programming
- Major Network Affiliated Station
- independently owned
- affiliated with major networks
- constitutes about 200 stations for each network
- leaders in their community
- Netlet Affiliated Stations
- affiliates of newer networks
- Independent Stations
- unaffiliated with a broadcast network
- successful with off-network and first-run syndication
- live sports and news programming
- Low-Power TV Stations
- authorized in 1982 by the FCC
- retransmit other stations
- originate their own programming
- designed to increase minority ownership of TV
TV Group Ownership
- ownership restrictions
- prevent concentration of ownerships
- 7-station rule
- 12-stations in 1980s
- current regulations
- no numerical restrictions
- cannot exceed 39% of market reach
- largest group owners
- CBS
- ION Media
- Fox
- NBC
- Tribune
- ABC
- Univision
- Trinity
- Gannett
- Hearst-Argyle
Cable TV Stations
- Broadcast
- Ad-supported
- Pay Cable
- Superstation
- PEG
Cable TV Stations
- Programming
- specialty services
- “100 retail stores in a new mall”
- over 300 national and 80 regional
- Basic Cable Services
- local and regional broadcast stations
- “must-carry”
- cable systems obligated to carry all the stations
available to their customers
- declared unconstitutional in 1985
- retransmission consent
- broadcasters could receive compensation
- exchanged transmission of other cable channels
- growth of secondary cable networks
- Ad-Supported Basic Cable Services
- program services designed to reach cable audiences
- carry national advertising
- local advertising spots for sale
- subscriber fees
- Top Cable Nets
- USA
- TNT
- ABC Family
- TBS
- Fox News
- CNN
- Cartoon Network
- Lifetime
- ESPN
- Digital Services
- increased channel capacity
- more than 42 million customers in 2010
- more channels for a higher fees to subscribers
- Pay Services
- additional services available to subscribers for additional
cost
- “premium” programming
- original programming
- commercial free movies
- home team sports
- top pay-TV nets
- HBO
- Cinemax
- Showtime
- The Movie Channel
- Starz
- Speciality Services
- public service
- regional news channels
- electronic programming guides
- music channels
- local government
- local weather
- Voice Over Internet Protocol
Cable TV Distribution
- Homes Passed
- all households that could subscribe to cable television
- about 112 million homes passed
- about 115 million total TV households
- Cable Subscribers
- basic penetration
- rate of homes passed that take the cable
- Pay Households
- cable households that pay for additional pay services
- about 52 million households
- Multipay Households
- households that pay for more than one service
- bundle services
- highest monthly bills
- Pay-Per-View Services
- ordering pay-per-view services
- requires addressable converter boxes
Cable Ownership
- no limit to how many systems (franchises) a company could operate
- Cable System Ownership
- Multiple System Ownership (MSO)
- Top MSOs
- Comcast
- DirecTV
- Dish Network
- Time Warner Cable
- Cox Communications
- Charter Communications
- Cablevision
- Verizon
- AT&T, Inc.
- Bright House Networks
Direct Broadcast Satellites
- Duopoly
- DirecTV (Fox)
- Dish Network (Echostar)
- accessible where cable might not be able to reach
- digital services
- digital video recorders
- online video portal