The television industry as we know it is changing. The whole family sitting on the living room couch during primetime to watch their favorite shows is no longer the sole viewing model. With the American public becoming increasingly technologically savvy, viewers are growing accustomed to attaining content when and were they want it. The key to this shift is the Internet. The Internet has allowed for a host of new viewing models to be integrated into the consumers life: streaming television online, downloads, DVRs and mobile television, among many other platforms. While viewers are increasingly switching to the Internet for alternate content providers, traditional television will not become extinct any time soon. However, if television networks want to continue to stay relevant, they need to rework their business models in order to accommodate new strategies for time and space shifting. Hulu.com is NBC Universal and News Corporations first step towards making television flexible for audience members. While Hulu.com has been a great success, these corporations need to take it a step further and develop a stronger model, and will maybe even boost their profits in the process.

The Norman Lear Center at the Annenberg School for Communication at USC. The Future of Television? Marissa Gluck and Meritxell Roca Sales. Sept 2008. <http://66.102.1.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=cache:DW7Vx0zemikJ:www.learcenter.org/pdf/FutureofTV.pdf+hulu+%2B+television>

Sales and Gluck’s research shows how users are consuming content online and how their viewing habits on television are changing. The report cites Nielson, writing that television is still the medium with which consumers spend the most time engaged. Despite this, television ratings are dropping. Sales and Gluck examine why this has occurred. They assert that due to all of the new platforms for watching television—the Internet, mobile phones, DVRS—audiences are becoming more fragmented. Media companies need to take a better look at how this affects their ad dollars and if there are better metrics that need to be used to measure audience members. Sales and Gluck argue that media companies and advertisers are recognizing the new opportunities to be had online.  Networks are even becoming more flexible in terms of business plan, the researchers argue, by NBC Universal and News Corporation putting aside their differences and aggregating all of their material and creating Hulu, a bigger site that is a real contender in the online video world. This venture is just one example of the new media used to exploit the television-Internet connection. Though the future of TV is uncertain, this proves that television executives are making a push to stay current. Sales and Gluck cite four strategies that channels are using to ensure viewers: event programming (so that viewers watch live TV), variable length programming (becoming flexible with formats for every kind of screen), narrative sophistication (making audience members invested in the show) and brand integration (in order to battle ad-skipping technologies).

This study is important to my paper because it describes the predicament that television networks are in and presents solutions to their problems as well as strategies to keep their business afloat. Not only do Sales and Gluck give their opinion, but they also comment on current strategies that are working, such as Hulu, which is an important aspect of my paper. Talking about audience fragmentation, due to time and space shifting is integral because their comments will add to the strength of my thesis and the depth of my argument. They study many viewing patterns and include many charts and exact data, which I will have to examine in order to ensure that my argument has validity

Einav, Gali & John Carey. "Is TV Dead?." Televsion Quarterly Volume XXXVII - 2 (2007): 19-24.

In this journal article in Television Quarterly Gali Einav and John Carey argue that television is far from dead, in fact they believe this is the dawn of the “Golden Age of Media.” Einav and Carey assert that the coming of new technologies, most importantly the Internet, does not mark the demise of television, but opens a whole new door of opportunities for television networks, media providers and even consumers. At this turning point in television we have to re-evaluate what we think of as “television viewing” and what it means to “watch TV.” The burgeoning technology of the past decade has made television more accessible to the viewer, allowing them to watch their favorite shows when and where they want to. All of this new media is not replacing television, in fact, as Comscore noted, the amount of unique television streamers doubled in the past year, while traditional television viewers also increased. Einav and Carey argue that this is due to the rise in multitasking. A whole new realm of television viewing online has opened now that networks are offering full-length television shows. They also note a study done by nbc.com’s Rewind viewer player, that shows that most of television streaming online has been done at night, much like the habits of watching primetime television. These viewers are not forgoing primetime TV, but are instead, using it as a platform to catch up on their favorite shows or to watch in bed if their spouse is watching an alternate program on television. They note that professional content from networks is dominating the rise of streaming video online, benefiting those broadcasters. The television business is not dead, but the environment where people watch, and they time they watch it is shifting. 

This article is important for my paper because it supports the idea that TV is still alive and well. Einav and Carey acknowledge that time and space shifting is going on, but they do not see this as a bad thing, something which I also argue. They also discuss how NBC is using new metrics to study the habits of streaming video online, which is important to my paper and the patterns of shifted television consumption. I argue that networks need to be aware of these new formats and find different ways to take advantage of these opportunities, which Einav and Carey also support, and elaborate on, giving many insightful thoughts about the television industry today.

NBC Universal and News Corporation (22 Mar 2007) NBC Universal and News Corp. Announce Deal with Internet Leaders AOL, MSN, MySpace and Yahoo! to Create A Premium Onion Video Site with Unprecedented Reach. Press Release. Retrieved on 3 Apr 2009.<http://www.hulu.com/press/new_video_venture.html>

This press release announces NBC Universal and News Corporation’s joint venture, Hulu.com. The two corporations banded together in order to create the largest high-quality Internet video distribution website. The site contains hours of programming, including full-length television shows and movies from the NBC Universal and News Corporation libraries, clips, and other content from different media companies. The press release notes that the site wanted to have a broad reach so they partnered with AOL, MSN, MySpace and Yahoo! in order to assure a large distribution field. All of the content on Hulu.com will be free, no matter where or how it is accessed. The content will have embedded commercials, but they will but much shorter than on traditional television. The executives stressed that they want to be able to give consumers high quality programming when they want, where they want it. The site will also contain a user-generated type of experience by allowing individuals to cut up videos, create playlists, discover online communities and make mash-ups. The networks developed this functions so that viewers can have an interactive experience with their favorite television shows and movies.  This website is the networks acknowledgement that television on the Internet is a reality and they need to start changing with the times, while retaining copyright on their intellectual property.

This press release is important to my paper because it gives a look into what NBC Universal and News Corp. were attempting to do when they created Hulu.com. It is important because it shows a great step in the television industry, since the networks are recognizing that there is more that needs to be done and they should embrace time and space shifting instead of rejecting it. Hulu is a very important example of convergence in my paper and this press release gives a great overview of the site. This also supports my thesis because the release in no way cites the end of television, but only an extended part of its future.

Pavlik, John V. "Broadband Mobile Media: Digital Video Goes Wireless." Television Quarterly Volume XXXVII - 1(2007): 7-14.

In this journal article, John V. Pavlik describes how the television, broadband and mobile worlds are converging. People are increasingly beginning to watch video content video their mobile phones. Most of these programs are formatted for the mobile screen and are cut into shorter clips. For example, Sony has launched a product called Minisode, in which there are short form videos from some of their feature films. This does not necessarily hurt television, Pavlik argues, because the individuals watching these clips are doing so at a time when they wouldn’t ordinarily be watching TV. Most often these videos are viewed on-the-go or at work. Mobile video viewing dramatically drops during primetime, showing that traditional television is not hindered by this new technology. TV networks are catching on, with CBS, ABC, MTV and ESPN all focusing on creating mobile content. Cell phones are an important platform because the majority of Americans own them, and the amount of users that have internet access on their phones is increasing. The biggest problem facing mobile video users today is that it uses up a lot of the phone’s battery life. This is why video iPods are also becoming important forces in the mobile video market. Apple’s iPhone is also bringing new life to mobile video because its battery life allows for up to seven hours of video use. The mobile phone had now been named the “third screen” behind TV and the computer screen, as video consumption via cell phones is on the rise. As wi-fi technology is explored on phones more and more, mobile video quality is also becoming better. Slingbox, owned by Slingmedia, has a developed a technology that allows users to stream live television from their DVRs or cable boxes to their computer screens, and now even their cell phones, providing multiple platforms for accessible time and space shifting. With all of these new forms of technology, the revenues from mobile video are increasing and are making this “third screen” a real force in the transition of television and new media.

This journal article is important to my paper because it presents another platform for time and space shifting via the Internet. This article also supports my assertion that traditional television is not in danger and these alternate outlets rather help the industry. The article also gives some good examples of how the television networks are responding to these new technological changes and presents interesting ways that they are utilizing the platform, such as short form videos and new companies like Slingmedia. The article discusses time and space shifting outside of the home and when individuals are at work, which is important for my paper and has not been discussed at length in any of the other articles. This article widens my perspective on what the “Internet” means and gives a broader definition of time and space shifting television.

 

de Moraes, Lisa. "A Thanksgiving Tradition: Having 'Friends' Over" The Washington Post. 27 November 2002. Lexis Nexis.

 

This article gives information on the popularity of several shows during the week of Thanksgiving in 2002. The most watched show was the “Friends” Thanksgiving episode. The annual showing of “The Wizard of Oz” on Thanksgiving received 7.9 million views and handed WB its largest Sunday audience ever.

While on the surface uninformative, this article points to something central to “The Wizard of Oz”‘s undying popularity: tradition. Beyond the pure story itself, “The Wizard of Oz” evokes so much more because of its annual viewing on Thanksgiving in the United States every year. People are reminded of being with family, good food, and potentially even growing up. Many people have watched the film every year with their family during Thanksgiving since they were children. This article points to the fact the viewership is anything but down, with 7.9 million people watching the film in 2002, 63 years after its original release. This small, but very important point could play a key, if not central role, into the films continued popularity. However, there is of course reverse causality. One should bring up the question as to why studios continue (or even decided in the first place) to show the film every year on Thanksgiving. There are plenty of movies that could potentially be shown instead and studios could have created an “alternative tradition”. So why “The Wizard of Oz”? The reason probably lies in the uniqueness of the story being so family-friendly, while having deep themes central to human existence. While probably difficult to test, it is this aspect that started the annual screening, while the creation of this American tradition has boosted his popularity and will probably continue to ensure the film will be watched by each generation to come.

         “12 oz. Mouse” is a modern TV series (although it is not a film, the show is strongly Surrealist and congruent with the techniques and goals of many Surrealist films; additionally, Foster writes that "The surrealists, many of whom were avid film spectators, despised impressionism, but they admired lowbrow American serials and slapstick comedies") about a crudely animated green mouse called by many names including Mouse, Fitz, and Butch and his companion Skillet who do odd jobs for a shark (named Shark) in order to be able to buy more beer.  As the show progresses, other bizarre characters (such as a wealthy businessman named Square, a hitman specializing in archery named Pronto, a peanut-shaped police officer more concerned with his drug habit than maintaing law and order, a character capable of morphing between a male and female representation, and several clocks that perpetually display 2:22) are introduced and what first appears to be a meaningless cartoon world is revealed to be a dream world imposed on people represented by these characters through the use of Asprind (what one is led to believe is a mind-erasing drug) and Time Gas (a drug released by the 2:22 clock in order to freeze time at a single instant in the dream world).  Much of the plot is left unresolved as the show was cancelled after 20 episodes and although another episode (released solely on the internet) was made after the cancellation, the writers opted to start a new chapter of the story rather than writing a conclusion to the show.
           “12 oz. Mouse” uses many methods common to Surrealist film in order to establish an ever-changing dream world through hierarchies of knowledge: upon the first viewing, it is slowly revealed that the world of Fitz is in fact a dream world imposed on him by other characters (represented by Shark and Square); on the second viewing, the viewer is able to pick up on what seemed to be simple passing comments and disconnected statements at first, but are actually clues which reveal that this dream world is actually based on the real world that the characters live in; a third viewing reveals even more of the intensely complex plot, as the viewer is now more aware of the nature of this world and able to notice clues that previously one would not have connected to this world on a higher level.  The show very effectively utilizes many of the techniques used by Surrealist film makers: establishing a normative narrative forum which is then interrupted by the characters, thus breaking character identification.  The show forces the viewer to not only interpret what happens in the show, but to rethink these interpretations upon subsequent viewings when the viewer is equipped with more knowledge of the situation.  Furthermore, because much of the plot is unresolved, the viewer is also forced to fill in certain holes and postulate explanations for unexplained elements.  The same techniques that were first used for this purpose in The Seashell and the Clergyman are utilized in “12 oz. Mouse” to create not just a simple dream world, but an experience which requires participation, consideration, and evaluation from the viewers in a manner that one hopes would garner at least the interest of Antonin Artaud.

 

Maiellaro, Matt. "12 oz. Mouse." Atlanta. 19 June 2005.

 

    In a copyright infringement case, the judge ruled against the company Cablevision.  Customers were given a DVR remote to store television shows where “the hard drive itself was stored on Cablevision property.”  The courts decided that this made “Cablevision liable for reproducing and transmitting the programs without permission.” In other words, when Cablevision customers record television shows, no matter if they actually watch them or not (“buffer copies”), Cablevision is responsible for creating this “infringing copy.” Since all the saved programs are stored in Cablevision’s hard drive, the shows are then transmitted to the user after the broadcast, whenever they choose to watch their show.  Thus, officials are claiming that Cablevision “needs to manipulate signals in order to record the shows a user has selected” and, in essence, calling the company a “broadcast pirate.” The Cablevision case “does nothing to curb piracy”; if anything it “discourages innovation.” Also, it seems that Cablevision did nothing to actually infringe any copyright laws, which “center not on the details of the machinery, but on how the rights in a work are affected.” This is a major problem for the officials who deal with copyright laws.  If DVR and other recording techniques become so complicated and so afflicted with copyright laws, consumers may refuse to use them; thus, consumers would not be able to keep up with their favorite shows and probably never be willing to buy the DVD box sets later in life.  These copyright laws could negatively affect the market more so than DVRS (what they see to be the problem in this case) ever would have.

Consumers using Cablevision were not affecting how the works were used, the general market was in no way affected, and there was no copyright infringement.  Therefore, it seems that all this lawsuit did was enrage the public and prove that copyright laws are only “being used as a tool to scrape more money from wherever the studios can get some.”

 

In a recent case, television studios realized that a certain individual had gotten a copy of a number of episodes of the popular Fox television show 24. These episodes had yet to be aired, but were soon uploaded to the Internet. The individual was charged with “uploading copyrighted material…knowing the work was intended for commercial distribution.” The episodes were first uploaded to the website LiveDigital, but quickly reached YouTube, therefore both “were served subpoenas under the DMCA demanding they disclose the identities of the users who uploaded the episodes.” In this landmark case, the individual could receive a rather severe punishment. Not only were the uploaded episodes considered valuable because of the popularity of 24 and the fact they hadn’t been aired yet, but copyright officials are trying to use this case as an example for future pirates. Normally, Internet copyright infringement cases are taken up against “user share sites.” The fact that an individual did the same gives copyright officials more incentive to protect “‘the rights of the content owners who invest millions of dollars in a television series must be protected.’”

Twentieth Century Fox, who produces 24 and is a major studio in the television industry “hopes it [this case] will serve as a powerful warning that uploading copyrighted TV shows and movies to the Internet can be a crime with significant penalties and will be prosecuted as such. ”It seems fair to say that this particular studio is not alone in their beliefs. It also seems that the individual prosecuted in the 24 case is being so harshly is so that others will be deterred from attempting the same. Television copyright officials “have no choice but to take it seriously, because if they don’t catch it early, they won’t be able to stop it at all ’” Without enforcing harsh punishments, illegal downloading and uploading of copyrighted material will continue to the point that there will be no laws to prevent it or punish for it. Officials are implementing harsh penalties, but more importantly they are putting into effect laws that are current with the technology.

 

    There are many “legal issues facing copyright holders of television shows whose product is available online through modern peer-to-peer networks.”  In the instance there is a copyright infringement in peer-to-peer file sharing, court cases are left to determine whether or not the fair use policy is applicable.  It has been suggested that the fair use argument depends “on whether the end user downloads for a private viewing experience or whether the end user downloads and extends the use beyond mere private viewing.”  In other words, the courts are responsible for determining whether the character of the television show has been changed from the original.  If, in fact, individuals are downloading television shows with the intention of using it for more than just “a private viewing experience,” then the fair use argument is much less valid.

            It is suggested that the television industry take as many anti-piracy precautions as possible, so to avoid the level of illegal downloading in the music industry. Though the fair use argument may prevail in some instances, the majority of copyright infringement and piracy cases cannot be explained by the fair use doctrine.  Therefore, copyright laws need to be updated to cover the technology that pirates are using to download their favorite television shows.  As the title suggests, individuals involved in these copyright cases need to prepare for the fact that the fair use argument does not work with television shows as well as it may with music. 

 

    High licensing costs are one of the many reasons that many former television shows are unable to be reproduced as DVDs.  Shows that are actually released on DVD often edit the language or change the music, in order to abide by specific copyright laws.  “And some shows, like WKRP [in Cincinnati], which is full of music, will probably never make it to DVD because of high licensing cost.”  Not only are some shows not even able to reach the DVD format, but those that do are often different than the originals. In these cases, the fans of certain television shows are disheartened and upset.  “The fans don’t want syndicated cuts. They don’t want the songs replaced.  They don’t want anything censored for political correctness.  They want to see it in the way they originally saw it broadcast, enjoyed it, and fell in love with.” Some shows have been released in full in other countries, and only limitedly in the United States, due to a difference in licensing fees.  For example, “only selected episodes from the first season of Ally McBeal had been released in the United States because of the high cost of music licensing. But in the United Kingdom, where different licensing deals have been struck, viewers can order all five seasons.” 

In some instances, fans are willing to wait long periods of until the studios strike a deal and the television shows are eventually released.  However, other fans are neither willing to wait nor pay the money for a show that has been altered from the original.  Similarly, some producers do not want their shows reproduced differently than the originals.  Since fans are unable or unwilling to legally purchase original copies of their favorite television shows, some have taken to finding and downloading them illegally.  As a result, many copyright laws and infringement cases have erected.  The technology of the Internet moves at a much faster pace than many of these current laws; therefore, since fans have take to finding alternative means of watching currently syndicated or previously cancelled television shows, copyright officials must find ways to stop them. 

 

In this article Henry Jenkins discusses the series of events that gradually elevated Japanese animation to prominence in the Western market. He suggests that Japan's allowance of early fan piracy was able to promote international expansion of the cartoon business when its own publicity efforts could not. Early attempts to broadcast Japanese animated cartoons in the US were rebuffed by censor groups who considered them inappropriate, and Japanese cartoons largely disappeared from American television. When videotape recorders became available, however, it became common practice for Japanese and American animation fans to tape their favorite shows and exchange them, circumventing both copyright laws and the limits of television broadcasting. In the US, many of the Japanese tapes were exhibited at science fiction fairs around country, and fan clubs sprang up to collect and translate these foreign cartoons in a practice called “fansubbing.” As Japanese animation gained popularity, some fan groups actually won the rights to distribute Japanese cartoons in the US and began the first legal distribution companies. Eager to see more work imported, fans collectively agreed to stop circulating pirated shows that had been licensed, so as to avoid competing with the official legal cartoons and encourage growth of the foreign market. In addition to fansubbing, fan clubs worked to translate and explain the unfamiliar cultural elements of Japanese cartoons to American viewers. They also worked to identify Japanese cartoons that could be commercially successful in the US. This has resulted in the introduction of new animated genres in the western market, and massive global growth in the industry from 1994 to 2004.

A few ideas here are central to my research.  Jenkins remarks that the Japanese industry's tendency to not interfere with fan practices has largely encouraged its own international growth and innovation. The industry has followed a similar policy domestically, too, largely supporting fan-made cartoons (called “dojinshi”) and using them to promote official work. Moreover, this article emphasizes the commercial advantages of thoughtfully monitoring a trend before taking action for or against it, as the Japanese animation industry has done. The industry has pleased its consumer base and ultimately strengthened itself by exploiting a form of piracy that it could not completely control anyway. In Japan, apparently, new technology is not considered inimical to business, a philosophy that western entertainment businesses might do well to embrace.

 

Website for television network called BET

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Alwitt, Linda F. "Suspense and Advertising Responses." Journal of Consumer Psychology. Vol. 12, no. 1. 2002. pp. 35-49.

         In her article on suspense and consumer psychology, Linda Alwitt explores what suspense is, how it is created, and its effects on audiences. She argues that the presence of suspense in an advertisement, in this case a television commercial, evokes at once both positive and negative emotional responses in the viewer, with the ultimate result being a more positive attitude towards suspenseful ads than non-suspenseful ads. She also argues that while viewers have a respond better to suspenseful ads, there are trade-offs in regards to effectiveness.

        Suspense is a fundamental element of Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious, as it is for most of his films, and is one of the keys to understanding the movie's success. For both filmmakers and advertisers, suspense is used to maintain the audience's interest, so for both groups the creation of suspense is similar, though filmmakers must hold the audience's attention for much longer than advertisers. As outlined by Alwitt, the critical elements that set the stage for suspense in both mediums are characters, a plot, conflict, perceived time (the passing of which must be somehow related to the conflict), multiple possible outcomes to the situation, and often the omniscient knowledge of the audience. All of these elements are present in Notorious. Since he is working within the movie format, which is much more extended than that of the commercial, Hitchcock is able to more fully utilize the camera, editing, music, and his characters to heighten the suspense.

        One of the films' clearest examples of mounting tension is just before the climax in the wine cellar, as the camera cuts back and forth between large party scenes and close-ups of the dwindling numbers of champagne bottles. The result is the audience's increased emotional involvement in the film and it's main characters, Alicia and Devlin. When the conflict is resolved, viewers walk away with a more gratifying emotional experience, having experienced both excitement and fear with the films characters and having lived to tell the tale.

 

Ch. 1 Television's ebb and flow in the postnetwork era 3
Ch. 2 Narrative structure : television stories 21
Ch. 3 Building narrative : character, actor, star 51
Ch. 4 Beyond and beside narrative structure 83
Ch. 5 Style and setting : mise-en-scene 131
Ch. 6 Style and the camera : videography and cinematography 159
Ch. 7 Style and editing 195
Ch. 8 Style and sound 227
Ch. 9 A history of television style / Gary A. Copeland 253
Ch. 10 Music television / Blaine Allan 287
Ch. 11 Animated television : the narrative cartoon / Daniel Goldmark 325
Ch. 12 The television commercial 363
Ch. 13 Television studies : alternatives to empirical approaches 417 

New Yorker; 10/22/2007, Vol. 83 Issue 32, p150-163, 13p

The article profiles author and television producer David Simon. Simon, a former reporter for the newspaper "The Baltimore Sun," created the television program "The Wire" about drug crimes in Baltimore. Convicted drug dealer Melvin Williams plays a role on the program. Simon comments how the program depicts the devaluation of people and how much of the program's content is inspired by real events. He describes his struggle to get the program aired on the cable network Home Box Office (HBO).

My project focuses on the emergence of new types of "screens" - computer screens, iPod, PDA, cell phone screens, and other new media monitors - that might change how we approach, digest, and consume media every day. The sources I have chosen for this project reflect my desire to compare these new physical screens with older screens such as TV monitors and those in movie theaters. I also chose sources that provided background information on digital and New Media, as well as on theories of spectatorship and screen consumption, since I was not well-versed on the topic before beginning this project.

    The 2006 Annual Report from The Walt Disney Company summarizes the financial status of the company in comparison to the past two years. It is sent to every shareholder and available online as well. While reading through their statistics, I was looking to see if they made mention of “High School Musical” as having any amount of effect on their success and to see how much they specifically credited made-for-TV movies or feature animation as key to their survival.
    Disney has their hands in a large variety of markets, from their parks and resorts to movies to cable TV channels, international markets, and consumer products, and their newest endeavor with the Walt Disney Internet Group. Each of these components contributes to their overall financial success. Featured on the title page of the the section on “Media Networks: Cable Networks” is a two-page spread picture of the cast of “High School Musical,” claiming that nearly 90 million viewers have seen the movie since its debut on the Disney Channel.
    Overall, the company boasts revenues at $34,385 million for the year, a seven percent increase since 2005. For perspective, 2005’s revenues were a four percent increase from those of 2004. Their net income weighed in at $3,374 million, which is thirty three percent higher than last year’s income. The percent difference between 2005 and 2004 was only eight percent (p.57). Obviously they’re heading in the right direction, up. But when I was looking at the numbers for their Media Networks section, nothing seemed unusual or different from the previous year. The eleven percent increase to revenue of $14,638 million is close to the twelve percent increase last year (p.59). The increase specifically from cable networks (as opposed to broadcast television) was ten percent, whereas last year’s revenues increased by thirteen percent (p.60). At least when looking at the numbers, it doesn’t look like the cable networks experienced any sort of huge jump from previous years.
    The note about Disney’s purchase of Pixar, however, shared some relevant insight into the company’s philosophy of the nature of feature animated films: “Disney believes that the creation of high quality feature animation is a key driver of success across many of its businesses and provides content useful across a variety of traditional and new platforms throughout the world.” (p.83) Not only do they consider feature animation important in its own right, but they see the multitude of possibilities that it creates in their other markets. Disney is already used to the idea of cross marketing, because they’ve existed across so many different forms of media for a long time already. I’m glad to see that they’re sticking to tradition in putting feature animation at the top of their priorities, because it has been proven to be their most successful endeavor as well as a valuable fuel for the rest of their departments.

Note: Page numbers are based on the print version of the Annual Report. To download a PDF copy, click on the tab labeled “Financials.”

    The fifth chapter of Lesser’s book, titled “Production” discusses the nuts and bolts of how to get and sustain children’s attention using television that is both entertaining and educational. Many different techniques were researched and used in creating “Sesame Street,” including repetition, action, humor, anticipation, and variety in style. In particular, I would like to focus on his discussions on animation and music. Animation, he says, is useful because it can show things that are not naturally occurring or easy to film live. It can give life to abstract shapes, letters, or ideas, and it can strengthen the elements of suspense or surprise in a scene. It feels obvious that animation appeals to children, but Lesser was able to use documented research on children and television to prove it and explain why.
    This same process applies to his discussion of music. Children drift in and out of full attention and focus when watching television, and auditory clues are signals to them of a change in scene or the entrance of a familiar character. These clues redirect their attention to what’s going on in the program. Children respond very differently to audio than adults, who just expect music to exist in the background of what they’re watching. Music is also an aid to memory when teaching a sequence of ideas like the alphabet, the days in the week, or the order of the months. Children will have a much easier time singing the alphabet than reciting it, because the song helps them remember the order. Producers often underestimate the number of sounds that children can differentiate. Lesser provides a list nearly a page long of sounds, showing that children can differentiate the sounds of all different kinds of emotions, or things as specific as “being-hot-in-the-sun music” and “being-cold-in-the-snow music.” (p. 105)
    Sound itself can be used as a teaching device in place of words. Lesser provides an example of a Sesame Street character telling a story almost entirely in sound effects, but the message is communicated equally as well if not better than it would have been with dialogue. Music can also encourage children’s participation, from singing along with the words to getting up to dance to the music. It is important to remember when creating programs for children, though, that music must be integrated with visual movement on screen to be successful. Still visuals completely counteract any effect that music would have. This explains why Fantasia was so successful. Because of the visual motion paired with the symphony’s performance, viewers were much more likely to be attentive and interested for longer than if there had just been music without active visuals.
    With all of this information, it is easy to see why musicals would be much more successful children’s entertainment than dialogue-driven stories without songs. Children are able to concentrate better, learn the words to songs, understand the emotion of a scene, and feel compelled to sing along when music is part of the experience. Kids watch movies over and over again, and knowing the songs is another reason to enjoy each viewing.

This show is appearing on WFIL, a Philadelphia TV station. By E. Fuld

The author of this article uses supply and demand econometrics to quantitatively describe the life cycle of new product introductions and their diffusion into the consumer marketplace. He establishes that there is interdependence between related products, and this is the basis by which one should study how new products are developed and introduced. Thus, color televisions and VCRs are used as the case study example.

In general, there are three steps that take place in consumer goods markets that induce new product introductions. First, once the existing product, in this case television, saturates the market to a certain level, the marginal cost to achieve sales growth exceeds marginal revenue. Second, due to disappointing growth prospects, manufacturers are induced to develop new and innovative products. In fact, with the VCR, Sony had the technology available, but only released the Betamax in 1977 when demand for television started to slow. Finally, once the new product is released, the demand functions for the two interrelated products (the VCR and TV) become intimately correlated. The overarching argument is that new products are more likely to be introduced when the demand for existing products declines due to market saturation.

Importance for thesis:

This paper helps make the conceptual argument, based on both marketing research and econometrics, that the evolution of new technologies is a market force.  Thus, when media companies try to fight this inevitable evolution, they are inherently fighting a lost cause.  This research empowers my thesis that media companies should have seen the VCR as an opportunity to grow profits, not as the end to their existence.  Also, it supports my stance that adapting to new technologies is vital, considering the evidence that new technologies are born from emerging market demands.  Thus, meeting these demands should lead to higher growth and profits than trying to stifle it.  

 

This is a class action suit brought against the NFL for violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 (SBA) exempted professional sports leagues from the Sherman Act and allowed them to collectively sell their broadcasting rights. The NFL agreed to sell broadcasting rights to DirectTV so they could sell NFL Sunday Ticket packages to the public. This package is considered "all or nothing" for you either purchase the ability to view all games, or you are limited to only the 2 games in your region. Shaw argues that this limits options for the public while creating artificially high and non-competitive prices. The Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court's decision that the NFL's actions did not fall within the bounds of the SBA. The NFL already received an exemption to the Sherman Act and that exemption must be narrowly construed according to the Court; after already being granted an exemption it would be wrong for the NFL to be allowed so much latitude.

After reading the Fenwick article, I had sympathy for the NFL, actually believing they were being deprived of their due "piece of the pie". However, I find it improbable that the NFL believed that their contract with DirectTV was fair to the consumer population. If Direct TV is the only provider and offers only one option, they essentially hold a monopoly on the market. If a compromise is to be made between the NFL and their fans, each group needs to be conscious of each other's well being. The consumer can not be held responsible for a ratings system that does not properly reflect viewership; the NFL should, and was held responsible for taking advantage of their fans. Is the NFL acting as a typical capitalist profit seeking firm? To a point yes, but Shaw reveals some greed on their part. The Nielsen ratings already limit consumers' options on the Super Bowl, now the NFL Sunday Ticket limits their options every Sunday. The latter action leads to me to stop giving the NFL the benefit of the doubt.

The Star Wars empire that George Lucas created has millions of fans anxiously awaiting Lucas' next move. What lies in store for the shaky future of Star Wars? An article published in Variety in April 2005, attempts to answer this question.

George Lucas currently has plans for two television series. The first is a three dimensional, animated half hour that would make use of the new CGI animation facility in Singapore. The second is a spin-off live action series. It will center around some of the supporting characters from each of the original Star Wars films. While both of these are interesting concepts, don't expect to see them on television next year. Neither idea is close to production nor does either have a network on which to broadcast. Some networks, such as Sci Fi, USA and the Cartoon Network have expressed interest in Lucas's ideas; however, nothing is close to being finalized.

This article is extremely significant when considering the next move of the successful Star Wars franchise whose fans are constantly demanding new material. George Lucas is one of the most influential filmmakers of our time. Every decision he makes impacts a wide array of people throughout the entire industry. As such, his ideas will likely be imitated and repeated for many years to come. Furthermore, Star Wars is a money making machine. Over the past thirty years, Lucas has built an empire from his six films, making a huge profit not only from the films themselves, but also through product tie-ins, endorsements and copyrights. George Lucas has created a billion dollar industry out of Star Wars. If Lucas' plan to continue the saga on television is successful it will be revolutionary, generating even more money in the transition from big screen to small. This business move will serve as a blueprint for future filmmakers.

In recent years, the sequel genre has become one of - if not the - only successful type of film. Interesting original story lines have become increasingly unique in an environment where risk-taking can mean financial suicide. Thus, the safe and profitable route is to capitalize on already established films. George Lucas has done this arguably better than anyone else. With the move to television, Lucas will attempt to make another valuable addition to the Star Wars empire. Successful or not, the Star Wars tradition will live on forever in the phenomenally successful films.

Study of how mass media, particularly television, effects human behavior and communication. Looks at taste development in children, the link between aggressive content and aggressive behavior, the effects of repetition, and how media induces action, among many other phenomena.

"Describes about 600 English-language reference sources for film and television, listed by type of source (e.g., bibliographic guides, dictionaries and encyclopedias, indexes, biographies, directories, bibliographies). Concluding chapters note core periodicals, research centers and archives, societies, and associations. Full, evaluative annotations. Author/title and subject indexes." (Balay, Guide to reference books, 11th ed, 1996)

"Lists about 6,000 sources, more than half concerned with individual American filmmakers, actors, and actresses. Includes books, dissertations, periodical and newspaper articles, films, videotapes, audiotapes, and archival material relating to Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America, in addition to the U.S. For Africa, identifies material on 'colonial and ethnographic film activity as well as works on indigenous African films and filmmaking" (Introd), but excludes television. U.S. section also cites references on the image of African Americans in film and television. Appendix for film resources (archives and research centers, societies and associations, production companies, distributors, and festivals). Artist, film/series title, subject, and author indexes. Based largely on research collections of the New York Public Library." (Balay, Guide to reference books, 11th ed, 1996)

"If readers can get past the somewhat inaccurate title (there are many non-British listings in this work), they will have a hard time ever putting it down. There are over 3,000 entries covering characters in fiction, real-life people, professions, character names, abstract subjects, film and program titles, and much more in the realm of English-language cinema, television, and radio (primarily from Britain, but also from the United States and Australia). There are numerous cross-references, which will keep the reader thumbing though, looking up favorite TV shows, movies, actors, and situations for hours at a time. The author himself justly proclaims in the preface: "But, for now, rejoice! This is homosexuality run amok through Britain's lounges, parlours and dining-rooms." Strongly recommended for large academic and public libraries." (Library Journal, 4/1/94, Vol. 119 Issue 6, p90)