Juan Monroy — Class 10, TV Programming

Television News
- Sources
  - Network TV
    - morning talk shows
    - evening news
  - Cable News channels
    - all-news stations
  - 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 Dueña
- 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
    - CBS
    - NBC
    - ABC
    - Fox
  - Netlets
    - CW
      - WB
      - UPN
    - MyNetwork TV
    - Paxson
  - 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
      - Law and Order
    - Jerry Bruckheimer
      - Amazing Race
      - CSI
    - 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
    - producers
    - agents
    - lawyers
  - “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
    - Frontline
    - Newshour
  - cultural programs
    - American Experience
    - Masterpiece Theater
  - children’s programming
    - Sesame Street
  - 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
    - “A” pictures
    - “B” movies
- 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
    - game shows
    - talk shows
  - 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
  - tuning inertia
  - lead-in
- 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

Time Warner, 1995

United Paramount Network

Viacom-Paramount, 1995

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
  - CW
  - MyNetworkTV
  - ION
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
- single system
Multiple System Ownership (MSO)
- more than one system
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