CHAPTER REVIEW

COMMON THREADS

228

One of the Common Threads discussed in Chapter 1 is mass media, cultural expression, and storytelling. As television and cable change their shape and size, do they remain the dominant way our culture tells stories?

By the end of the 1950s, television had become an “electronic hearth,” where families gathered in living rooms to share cultural experiences. By 2012, though, the television experience had splintered. Now we are watching programming on our laptops, smartphones, and tablets, making the experience increasingly individual rather than communal. Still, television remains the mass medium that can reach most of us at a single moment in time, whether it’s during a popular sitcom or a presidential debate.

In this shift, what has been lost, and what has been gained? As an electronic hearth, television has offered coverage of special moments—inaugurations, assassinations, moonwalks, space disasters, Super Bowls, Roots, the Olympics, 9/11, hurricanes, presidential campaigns, Arab uprisings, World Cups—that brought large heterogeneous groups together for the common experience of sharing information, celebrating triumphs, mourning loss, and electing presidents. Accessible now in multiple digitized versions, the TV image has become portable—just as radio became portable in the 1950s. Today, we can watch television in cars, in the park, and in class (even when we’re not supposed to).

The bottom line is that today television in all its configurations is both electronic hearth and digital encounter. It still provides a gathering place for friends and family, but now we can also watch a favorite show almost whenever or wherever we want. Like all media forms before it, television is adapting to changing technology and shifting economics. As technology becomes more portable and personal, the network TV, cable, and video subscription industries search for less expensive ways to produce and deliver television. Still, television remains the main place—whether it’s the big LED screen or the handheld smartphone—where we go for stories. In what ways do you think this will change or remain the case in the future? Where do you prefer to get your stories?

KEY TERMS

The definitions for the terms listed below can be found in the glossary at the end of the book. The page numbers listed with the terms indicate where the term is highlighted in the chapter.

analog, 191

digital, 192

prime time, 194

network era, 195

CATV, 195

narrowcasting, 196

basic cable, 197

superstations, 197

premium channels, 197

pay-per-view (PPV), 197

video-on-demand (VOD), 199

direct broadcast satellite (DBS), 199

time shifting, 200

third screens, 200

fourth screens, 202

kinescope, 203

sketch comedy, 204

situation comedy, 204

anthology dramas, 205

episodic series, 206

chapter shows, 206

serial programs, 206

affiliate stations, 207

Prime Time Access Rule (PTAR), 211

fin-syn, 212

must-carry rules, 212

access channels, 212

leased channels, 214

electronic publishers, 214

common carriers, 214

Telecommunications Act of 1996, 215

deficit financing, 217

retransmission fees, 218

O & Os, 218

syndication, 218

evergreens, 218

fringe time, 218

off-network syndication, 219

first-run syndication, 219

rating, 220

share, 220

multiple-system operators (MSOs), 223

multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), 223

video subscription services, 223

229

REVIEW QUESTIONS

The Origins and Development of Television

  1. Question 6.1

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

  2. Question 6.2

    6d915Z7wZynmC2eyctR1BPMCCFrAsR3ggciP6nGCFTvrXnYmSxIRhy1gsVUcZM7VQ/P1Y9dNV/HSLGxLRLQ7+jEAPFu/O5jFWz3An5TFXIc=
    Why did the FCC freeze the allocation of TV licenses between 1948 and 1952?

  3. Question 6.3

    vacbzc7B1ya91OB0XWvzEpJF/kfyvGGl6wfzSDsav910qQT76c2wqP53prVM5LrwpqAK2LonOm04Wp6HMVfzirJeHzDiKTS6
    How did the sponsorship of network programs change during the 1950s?

The Development of Cable

  1. Question 6.4

    ZlC6YT+BGxfw3v18rrQcHwwaY4qGZQjcuhpd8+cBE8sSAwMWlASNGTKZ1SP5REEt0fAmT+gJubfR/Qg8HlQwhWoZc5Ul2258puyUQw==
    What is CATV, and what were its advantages over broadcast television?

  2. Question 6.5

    nFybXSTc24kd3zslU8agc2Ef49dQnqC/5u9F+o1z0V2+6YQRxTQAOZr36rjyydc9fwIEOu44kSaBzfBxv4xUng==
    How did satellite distribution change the cable industry?

  3. Question 6.6

    gFb9gBOYwTxDM5yvDuvjbJYB5yiI18a/WYeVfybM46/d/c33hu0/kI1FKNCwHJeEl1PkBEx1ZJlEhr6K4ku+nxcP6Es=
    What is DBS? How well does it compete with the cable industry?

Technology and Convergence Change Viewing Habits

  1. Question 6.7

    BTWOZnpdKGxjhwV9Kb6065dkVSOI1ZgX0hPah6zRVU66FikvA4rW8sOehcwFdA9ixF1srU4RYNlWRK8oTgdrp1pXIDRIQ43zwzZZSBNoVyLmaX77
    How have computers and mobile devices challenged the TV and cable industries?

  2. Question 6.8

    01AZkAxOfQ0XVaRxuphGN5MDBgYy61Zf7wzt5jJHe4aSXb4qpSh06BUAzf1Y+5TFjSwYOmE2hXUB7rTXaTqC74JGG1/yPH6qrLFKvlEJFpxz7Bn9x5iThA==
    What has happened to the audience in the digital era of third and fourth screens?

Major Programming Trends

  1. Question 6.9

    2mxmPZ+SK0d/B4qmE8qF2elmxgs+pKG4WgseLxraavTKIy0oReiN0FIt2fjVdh8AYbY6OiJ7/GlqnYemUPpvwwmrLXbg6KO8ZtQzhSA60WU=
    What are the differences between sketch comedy and sitcoms on television?

  2. Question 6.10

    ePabFv88jM7sLykBJkXSDDRYJ0VlKEFOoGdL/ramuzoT0XD69cEP89HY7BKpQ35/IpfqrvS8+V+PbNoEJ8kg5ifyfvvYptMH
    Why did the anthology drama fade as a network programming staple?

  3. Question 6.11

    s+ieZZNf0ukyU0zFdd1lkmuYqSKqaz/56TIR3JfN0ZGTX9lS0ksEukunBgCAc3IuntGpqz2a5DM3s0euFadUOoIX020W2cNv
    How did news develop at the networks in the late 1940s and 1950s?

  4. Question 6.12

    mBWy8oGCc7AtIoFOfxP0BHuPlk1Tn+Q6VxswFekIarRF4Zu8iJd7m3AuMrysGjuyPQraKIclMbFTni0Z362t9Q==
    What are the challenges faced by public broadcasting today?

Regulatory Challenges to Television and Cable

  1. Question 6.13

    TJVg9Xn5xgd0hzuVERFB2Q67HsuAYL8oiMo4+RSutfs8jymiEceS92J8rzbPFcRHCkx9AWFAFEaY6euG0BPlYnQ2jGeEtzTT0Mm31f9cnnLmnZ3p/Yhj/ckXQq8=
    What rules and regulations did the government impose to restrict the networks’ power?

  2. Question 6.14

    bGS21tc5yWxcmu4xsdfjr2UxSWuQ0wXEoDHHrXy8IZJL9P1hub6jH/GibqFe9RwvrfGVtzEJ7y6V2rfqX0LEzLi5eW+Dv+zUJozt2a4h9dDOXPAOdjvHkuuCV2w0xw3qMY64FXpbiEQIeKwEYXInKQ==
    How did cable pose a challenge to broadcasting, and how did the FCC respond to cable’s early development?

  3. Question 6.15

    g8mVr6V0Dw2bw9AHyBU1fsJrcxw3Nf/6EDoYuuuYN4jrkP50aek340XneJ2PHhVXr91ucnvzINNVkYImdjM+v039i5x2CXCQZZsp5a9dIHkNjHDUF1H6Q9R7tDA=
    Why are cable companies treated more like electronic publishers than common carriers?

  4. Question 6.16

    BOFsxwsske9YNR9Z6xUF6BqwLmN1+mb3JsDAxpGFAcWTILopSOSUGNTmJNZqhaoBtl8T6GHIL77ubDsQ1jSUw1yt3B/9OmV18K47V/2obeWJ3mtISo8EFFasdnUDWrzHrWxYpbQzdc1ssCZG9xTy4q6YkQlgpVGNI3C1Fw==
    How did the Telecommunications Act of 1996 change the economic shape and future of the television and cable industries?

The Economics and Ownership of Television and Cable

  1. Question 6.17

    JfvA5eKN7SIsKz5eEUqoPEY1wiw28hWVH/KQ4IejAQaed7cHVYcQo0Lx4SomVGmYObvlu4CeRSSUmkh1Kk74difqoP/kVQzgrgGqrdeecMRLf4Vk/gTXZWeitt5yBz3NI74kNw==
    Why has it become more difficult for independent producers to create programs for television?

  2. Question 6.18

    CZHbNwfqR5d0urRvsaRZZp596Ec11W9UVbbnnZrX7MWFzvCHXU/4G9tfHNZ9p8dsy4kTWu5MNvVG6RBz0h8kUDL5HSYu8a8bZtIXA6wRQobPQKPfqbAZ8HkwONb/OnKtNSfXGZ3NpBGs6zAI4wDL84xL0lytNT/Z7NT9vjRIsvbAkncpt/CFZ6DeGB740KyseyFXwXERRPVwGk9vXyf6ye7E06iHUDryxXagX4vNYfcDi+JkP91arQ==
    What are the differences between off-network syndication and first-run syndication?

  3. Question 6.19

    PFLGIKrfEVa2kPaWKBK9Rcwegbpn0PKbFf+UXa1OmAroxlyEp2BxIeGm/MVLSKpOoDQ7PYuuN0twBK9C
    What are ratings and shares in TV audience measurement?

  4. Question 6.20

    Mx5Gn1/JSku5q06KwSvTTSKOS5ebrKZa8+SHOGGsuH+T4A2DFCSyQCh2M7oP57NTfB3D/esGmaiiVykDoYg4IywT+68Htc1cazP7i5HDVosQLYvEizhTLA==
    What are the main reasons some municipalities are building their own cable systems?

Television, Cable, and Democracy

  1. Question 6.21

    +NWNB35drpTdJZfZwSFsrDMr30cjA+uwb5JYXSI3KAJR1Zxn/U86FJZbQn1ZuRLo6HxJnZJh839Hg/N911BWDwcozGwsbioV1x9DJccmcBLsv8OErd+wTvQ65lSgqUTR5KupzmAzgtlQ4vUinj8ozZ4IZ5OibbwpUlmIFErFzwmAKfLqEUkGNQz0Gza/RMXHyyNptQ==
    Why has television’s role as a national cultural center changed over the years? What are programmers doing to retain some of their influence?

QUESTIONING THE MEDIA

  1. Question 6.22

    CmSh0fJcyiCGHGmsf4iW6QtH2BS8lWffOi7e7hegCdkct9laETC7hL0kyXRTxTvMZ5ZcVvIXjHWWv/Vc71zlRq7XSKE8+FT1JmN2k7cg5TspA41lUgOCh/2Bh4rzuqAMP44S7cLZgAE=
    How much television do you watch today? How has technology influenced your current viewing habits?

  2. Question 6.23

    3xOd2d1XccSZmT5YeqmsYTZ+pUcT2c8btgMNvLuPSnf1OUo+C3iwO6sTWBQFvQ/4bJqmQ3FvNev4GJ4lOtExarMrqUgGVpI2xrcXpdgk4rpqQQphxSSa4CZ6X/XH1iqMXYimPCFoKCn0nkWJtk+mJFJQBLjAv6ZSkHqEVcjffvAXZ2P7KQo5jPOI+BlFC6wWLLfow+Dtk2nunw6DEUW05U/iei23tfcVc1z3+NEvmB83ipBkZvSFDN9c1Nz4tV2aycWGOlMlkERZ7xgzpCHPydeKjElLDhN5HcHxUhA8hiruqVV8mliIhPaNKWNsVV8w7Qk8biSrvvZ7pkF1FzYW5Tb6NizWZJfkJ/I1M9ABjFQ=
    If you were a television or cable executive, what changes would you try to make in today’s programs? How would you try to adapt to third- and fourth-screen technologies?

  3. Question 6.24

    jKvpq5CplOzseqR+ZsxWxCeu3o62+tLEPjX6F76KB2lyggZPGf0j4B8ysJ9EbxqGi5X6dzW26m49vKXCYWVrvO1SyQgWOo5ieUgAWKv7c+xU5HQysFBJF5pWzdV1ugBMRvn8WgM7YsfcwYvDqfkM5amX5YjGPhL10Me/6qOdrpFZ4Qm8HJi8HFWoccEaryOqOGVabMn3Occ=
    Do you think the must-carry rules violate a cable company’s First Amendment rights? Why or why not?

  4. Question 6.25

    gi2TkRg4ulYX8UHJGfTj5W7d8rDX+tijDrbhGzJdCx1qO/5mOM+jK94uf1PXDNlm10Zx9Hv/s9bB/Wwi1WbugGqSZA3Gt0eYd7TQDFuDMPHZtQaVD150fiZuHExvhwFC01gg64Zs1xMpoHq0Ts6o9UmV5svFIb6JCM/oLB5nOdqVfBigm4+YVUkiYWaQZHIwm/T6qofuIT5qoixkXhQFgcR4oClwjxRp/VJo8h+HKUnNZKlukjKR6w==
    If you ran a public television station, what programming would you provide that isn’t currently being supplied by commercial television? How would you finance such programming?

  5. Question 6.26

    Xx7Kne9I7sbGxaPk1wcAAFbKp0gu6g1J4AkoERD0QpzziNe2ItDE4X6bLF+b2YdaN9eTsF6kwOMgulw3b0zRhANSPcBrUMjCjFtRXA==
    How do you think new technologies will further change TV viewing habits?

  6. Question 6.27

    7ME8LP+tmtYjl48K966p4yJZpT0nCZaro+Cg2i0zIqRa5GYcALR9zhrZ/YnaZXKW98NdnwcWqNrth6TOlw4WE+klUaAtI+EWrA3csw==
    How could television be used to improve our social and political life?

LAUNCHPAD FOR MEDIA & CULTURE