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  4. Class 9, Television

Class 9, Television

  1. Mechanical Television
    • Paul Gottlieb Nipkow disk
  2. Electronic Television
    • Iconoscope
    • Kinescope
  3. 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
  4. Philo T. Fransworth
    • Image dissector 1922
    • patented system for electronic television (1930)
    • demonstrated television in Philadelphia (August 25, 1934)
    • transmitted signal to different room
  5. 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)
  6. Live Television
    • considered the best use of tele-vision technology
    • whither theater television
    • would follow radio as home entertainment medium
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. early programming
    • news summaries and magazines
    • quiz shows
    • live anthology dramas
  14. Three-Network Oligopoly
    • NBC
    • CBS
    • ABC
  15. Home Video
    • Sony Betamax (1975)
    • JVC VHS (1976)
    • MCA-Disney v. Sony (1979)
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. Community Antenna TV
    • Oregon, Pennsylvania, New York City
    • rough terrain caused radio interference
    • coaxial cable
      • eliminates radio interference
      • increases channel capacity
    • distant signal importation
  19. 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)
  20. 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“
  21. 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
  22. Premium Cable Networks
    • Major Premium Nets
      • HBO
      • Cinemax
      • Showtime
      • Starz/Encore
    • Single revenue stream
      • direct payment
      • subscription fees
  23. 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)
      • generally undisclosed
  24. Telecommunications Act
    • relaxed ownership rules
    • mergers between TV and cable, music, print, movies, Internet
    • convergence between video, voice, and Internet services
  25. Multichannel Video Programming Distributors
    • Cable Franchises
      • local monopolies
      • licensed to highest bidder
    • negotiations
      • subscription rates
      • channel capacity
      • public access
  26. Major MVPDs
    • consolidated ownership of MVPDs
      • exacerbated by Telecommunications Act (1996)
    • multiple system operators (MSOs)
  27. MVPD Revenues
    • indirect payments
      • local spot advertising
    • direct payments
      • subscriber fees
      • pay-per-view programming
      • premium channels
      • video-on-demand
  28. Triple and Quad Play Services
    • multichannel video
    • broadband Internet
    • digital voice telephony
    • wireless mobile telephony
  29. 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
  30. Big Five Television Producers
    • Time Warner
    • Disney
    • National Amusements (Viacom)
    • News Corp
    • NBC Universal (Comcast)
  31. Cable Programming
    • follows same model as broadcast programming
    • some local origination program
    • community access channels
  32. 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 underwriting
      • co-sponsorships
  33. Advertising
    • up-front advertising
    • spot market
    • scatter market last minute deals