Chapter 6 - Television and Cable

Question 1

Analog

Answer 1

In television, standard broadcast signals made of radio waves (replaced by digital standards in 2009)

Question 2

Digital

Answer 2

In television, the type of signals that are transmitted as binary code.

Question 3

Prime Time

Answer 3

In television programming, the hours between 8 and 11 PM ( or 7 and 10 PM in the Midwest), when networks have traditionally drawn their largest audiences and charged their highest advertising rates.

Question 4

Network Era

Answer 4

The period in television history, roughly from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s, that refers to the dominance of the Big Three networks - ABC, CBS, and NBC - over programming and prime-time viewing habits; the era began eroding with a decline in viewing and with the development of VCR’s, cable, and new TV networks.

Question 5

CATV

Answer 5

An early cable system that originated where mountains or tall buildings blocked TV signals; because of early technical and regulatory limits, CATV contained only twelve channels.

Question 6

Narrowcasting

Answer 6

Any specialized electronic programming or media channel aimed at a target audience.

Question 7

Basic Cable

Answer 7

In cable programming, a tier of channels composed of local broadcast signals, non broadcast access channels (for local government, education, and general public use), a few regional PBS stations, and a variety of cable channels downlinked from communication satellites.

Question 8

Superstations

Answer 8

Local independent TV stations, such as WTBS in Atlanta or WGN in Chicago, that have uplinked their signals onto a communication satellite to make themselves available nationwide.

Question 9

Premium Channels

Answer 9

In cable programming, a tier of channels that subscribers can order at an additional monthly fee over their basic cable service; these may include movie channels and interactive services.

Question 10

Pay-Per-View (PPV)

Answer 10

A cable-television service that allows customers to select a particular movie for a fee, or to pay $25 to $40 for a special one-time event.

Question 11

Video-on-Demand (VOD)

Answer 11

Cable television technology that enables viewers to instantly order programming such as movies to be digitally delivered to their sets.

Question 12

Direct Broadcasting Satellite (DBS)

Answer 12

A satellite-based service that for a monthly fee downlinks hundreds of satellite channels and services; DBS began distributing video programming directly to households in 1994.

Question 13

Time Shifting

Answer 13

The process whereby television viewers record shows and watch them later, when it is convenient for them.

Question 14

Third Screens

Answer 14

The computer-type screens on which consumers can view television, movies, music, newspapers, and books.

Question 15

Fourth-Screens

Answer 15

Technologies like smartphones, iPod, iPads, and mobileTV devices that are forcing major changes in consumer viewing habits and media content creation.

Question 16

Kinescope

Answer 16

Before the days of videotape, a 1950s technique for preserving television broadcasts by using a film camera to record a live TV show off of a studio monitor.

Question 17

Sketch Comedy

Answer 17

Short television comedy skits that are usually segments of TV variety shows; sometimes known as vaudeo, the marriage of vaudeville and video.

Question 18

Situation Comedy

Answer 18

A type of comedy series that features a recurring cast and set as well as several narrative scenes; each episode establishes a situation, complicates it, develops increasing confusion among its characters, and then resolves the complications.

Question 19

Domestic Comedy

Answer 19

A TV hybrid of the sitcom in which characters and settings are usually more important than complicated situations; it generally features a domestic problem or work issue that characters have to solve.

Question 20

Anthology Dramas

Answer 20

A popular form of early TV programming that brought live dramatic theater to television; influenced by stage plays, anthologies offered new teleplays, casts, directors, writers, and sets from week to week.

Question 21

Episodic Series

Answer 21

A narrative form well suited to television because the main characters appear every week, sets and locals remain the same, and technical crews stay with the program; episodic series feature new adventure each week, but a handful of characters emerge with whom viewers can regularly identify (for contrast see chapter show)

Question 22

Chapter Show

Answer 22

In television production, any situation comedy or dramatic program whose narrative structure includes self-contained stories that feature a problem, a series of conflicts, and a resolution from week to week (for contrast, see serial program and episodic series).

Question 23

Serial Programs

Answer 23

A radio or TV program, such as a soap opera, that features continuing story lines from day to day or week to week (for contrast see chapter show).

Question 24

Affiliate Stations

Answer 24

A radio or TV station that, though independently owned, signs a contract to be part of a network and receives money to carry the network’s programs; in exchange, the network reserves time slots, which it sells to national advertisers.

Question 25

Prime Rime Access Rules (PTAR)

Answer 25

An FCC regulation that reduced networks control of prime-time programming to encourage more local news and public-affair programs, often between 6 and 7 PM.

Question 26

Fin-Syn

Answer 26

(Financial Interest and Syndication Rules) FCC rules that prohibited the major networks from running their own syndication companies or from charging production companies additional fees after shows had completed their prime-time runs; most fin-sun rules were rescinded in the mid-1990s.

Question 27

Must-Carry Rules

Answer 27

Rules established by the FCC required all cable operators to assign channels to and carry all local TV broadcasts on their systems, thereby ensuring that local network affiliates, independent stations (those not carrying network programs), and public television channels would benefit from cable’s clearer reception.

Question 28

Access Channels

Answer 28

In cable television, a tier of non-broadcast channels dedicated to local education, government, and the public.

Question 29

Leased Channels

Answer 29

in cable television, channels that allow citizens to buy time for producing programs or presenting their own viewpoints.

Question 30

Electronic Publishers

Answer 30

Communication businesses, such as broadcaster or cable TV companies, that are entitled to choose what channels or content to carry.

Question 31

Common Carriers

Answer 31

A communication or transportation business, such as a phone company or a taxi service, that is required by law to offer service on a first-come, first-serve basis to whoever can pay the rate; such companies do not get involved in content.

Question 32

Telecommunications Act of 1996

Answer 32

The sweeping update of telecommunications law that led to a face of media consolidation.

Question 33

Deficit Financing

Answer 33

In television, the process whereby a TV production company leases its programs to a network for a license fee that is actually less than the cost of production; the company hopes to recoup this loss later in rerun syndication.

Question 34

Retransmission Fees

Answer 34

The fee that cable providers pay to broadcast networks for the right to carry their channels.

Question 35

O & Os

Answer 35

TV stations “owned and operated” by networks.

Question 36

Syndication

Answer 36

Leasing TV stations of cable networks the exclusive right to air TV shows.

Question 37

Evergreens

Answer 37

In TV syndication, popular, lucrative, and enduring network reruns, such as the Andy Griffith Show or I Love Lucy.

Question 38

Fringe Time

Answer 38

In television, the time slot either immediately before the evening’s prime-time schedule (called early fringe) or immediately following the local evening news or the network’s late-night talk shows (called late fringe)

Question 39

Off-Network Syndication

Answer 39

In television, the process whereby older programs that no longer run during prime time are made available for reruns to local stations, cable operators, online services, and foreign markets.

Question 40

First-Run Syndication

Answer 40

In television, the process whereby new programs are specifically produced for sale in syndication.

Question 41

Rating

Answer 41

In TV audience measurement, a statistical estimate expressed as a percentage of households tuned to a program in the local or national market being sampled.

Question 42

Share

Answer 42

In TV audience measurement, a statistical estimate of the percentage of homes tuned to a certain program, compared wit those simply using their sets at the time of a sample.

Question 43

Multiple-System Operators (MSOs)

Answer 43

Large corporations that own numerous cable televisions systems.

Question 44

Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPD)

Answer 44

The cable industry’s name for its largest revenue generators, including cable companies and DBS providers.

Question 45

What were the major technical standards established for television in the 1940s? What happened to analog television?

Answer 45

The ANALOG STANDARD - broadcast signals made of radio waves. This standard was adopted in over 30 countries. In the U.S. we continued to use analog signals until 2009, when they were replaced by DIGITAL SIGNALS.

Question 46

Why did the FCC freeze the allocation of TV licenses between 1948 and 1952?

Answer 46

In the 1940s, the FCC began assigning channels in specific geographic areas to make sure there was no interference between channels. That meant that some states had no TV channels because they would interfere with neighboring states channels. By 1948 the FCC had issued nearly 100 TV licenses, and there was a growing concern about the finite number of channels and the frequency-interference problems. Because of that the FCC froze the allocation of TV licenses until 1952.

Question 47

How did the sponsorship of network programs change during the 1950s?

Answer 47

Early TV programs were often developed, produced, and supported by a single sponsor. This meant that the advertiser could easily influence the program’s content. In the early 1950s broadcast networks became unhappy with the lack of creative control in that agreement. In 1953 Sarnoff appointed Weaver as the president of NBC. Weaver increased program length from 15 minutes to 30 minutes or longer, raising program costs for advertisers, discouraging some from sponsoring programs.

Magazine format and the TV spectacular also helped the networks gain control over content. The magazine program featured multiple segments - news, talk, comedy, and music. The Today Show and the Late Night Show were both extremely long programs that ran daily instead or weekly making it impossible for a single sponsor to cover. NBC offered spot ads within the show instead.This allowed the network to own the program and not the sponsor.

Television spectacular began when Weaver bought the rights to Peter Pan and sold spot ads for it to multiple sponsors.

Question 48

What were the advantages of CATV over broadcast television?

Answer 48

First, by routing and re-amplifying each channel in a separate wire, cable eliminated over-the-air interference.

Second, running signals through coaxial cable increased channel capacity.

Question 49

How did satellite distribution change the cable industry?

Answer 49

It created a reliable system for the distribution of programming to cable companies across the nation.

Question 50

How well does DBS compete with the cable industry?

Answer 50

It was a big threat, especially in regions with rugged terrain and isolated homes where the installation of cable wiring hadn’t been possible or profitable. DBS transmitted its signal directly to small satellite dishes near or on customers homes. Cable penetration dropped by 44% in 2012.

Question 51

How have computers and mobile devices challenged the TV and cable industries?

Answer 51

Third- and fourth-screens have made it so that consumers may no longer need television sets - just as landline telephones have fallen out of favor as more people rely solely on their mobile phones.

Question 52

What has happened to the audience in the digital era of third and fourth screens?

Answer 52

The audience has shifted. Seventy-five percent of people watch most of their “television” online.

Question 53

Why did the anthology drama fade as a network programming staple?

Answer 53

It ended for economic and political reasons. First, advertisers disliked anthologies because they often printed stories containing complex human problems that were not easily resolved. The commercials that interrupted the dreamt, however, told upbeat stories in which problems were easily solved by purchasing a product; by contrast, anthologies made the simplicity of the commercial pitch ring false.

A second reason for the demise of anthology drama was a change in audience. The people who could afford TV sets in the early 1950s could also afford tickets to a play. For these viewers, the anthology drama was a welcome addition given their cultural tastes. By 1956, however, working- and middle-class families were increasingly able to afford television, and the prices of sets dropped.

Third, anthology dramas were expensive to produce - almost double the cost. Each week meant a completely new story line, as well as new writers, casts, and expensive sets. It was less expensive and easier to build audience allegiance with an ongoing program featuring the same cast and set.

Finally, anthologies that dealt seriously with the changing social landscape were sometimes labeled “politically controversial”.

Question 54

How did news develop at the networks in the late 1940s and 1950s?

Answer 54

Originally the news was a panel of reporters that interrogated political figures on Meet the Press.

Question 55

What are the challenges faced by public broadcasting today?

Answer 55

Funding has been an issue, especially with economic downturn in 2009. Majority of their funding comes from viewers, listeners, and corporations.

It’s audience has also declined due to third-screen technology.

Question 56

What rules and regulations did the government impose to restrict the networks’ power?

Answer 56

1. Prime Time Access Rule (PATR) - See above
2. Financial Interest and Syndication Rules (Fin-Syn) - See above
3. A policy was instated in 1975 that limited the networks’ production of non-new shows, requiring them to seek most of their programming from independent production companies and film studios.

Question 57

How did cable pose a challenge to broadcasting, and how did the FCC respond to cable’s early development?

Answer 57

The FCC created the “must-carry rules” and the “access-channel mandates”.

Question 58

Why are cable companies treated more like electronic publishers that common carriers?

Answer 58

Because they are simply supposed to carry channels, and not have a say in what the channels play on them. That is what common carriers do. It is the electronic publishers that can have a say in content.

Question 59

How did the Telecommunications Act of 1996 change the economic shape and future of the television and cable industries?

Answer 59

It brought cable fully under the federal rules that had long governed telephone, radio, and TV. This act also allowed companies to sell multiple services (such as TV and phone; phone and internet, etc.) Their hope was to spur the competition and lower rates, but that hasn’t really happened.

Question 60

Why has it become more difficult for independent producers to create programs for television?

Answer 60

Because the production company leases each episode to a network for less than it costs to produce the episode. Their hope is to make a profit off of reruns and international airing, but the payback is not immediate, or even guaranteed.

Question 61

What are the differences between off-network and first-run syndication?

Answer 61

Off-Network Syndication is also called a rerun. They are older programs that no longer run demurring network prime time and are made available as reruns to the local networks, cable operators, online services, and foreign markets.

First-Run Syndication is any program specifically produced for sale into syndication markets. The producers of theses programs usually sell them directly to local markets around the country and world.

Question 62

What are the main reasons some municipalities are building their own cable systems?

Answer 62

To compete with the current cable giants, They are operated by the community-owned, non-profit electric utilities. They are less expensive for cable subscribers as well.

Question 63

Why has television’s role as a national cultural center changed over the years? What are programmers doing to retain some of their influence?

Answer 63

In the 1950s it significantly changed the media landscape. It carried the egalitarian pro mist that it could bypass traditional print literacy and reach all segments of society. In the 1970s cable-access channels gave local communities the chance to create their own TV programming. Initially commercial television held a great appeal. It now tends to serve the interests of profit more than those of democracy.

Programmers are recycling old TV shows and movies. Cable companies have become and extension of the networks. TV is still a gathering place for friends and family.