Ralph E. Hanson, Second Edition
HomeWeblogChaptersCh. 1: Living in a Media WorldCh. 2: The Media Business: Consolidation, Globalization, and the Long TailCh. 3: Mass Communication Effects: How Society and Media InteractCh. 4: Books: The Birth of the Mass MediaCh. 5: Magazines: The Power of Words and ImagesCh. 6: Newspapers: Reflection of a Democratic SocietyCh. 7: Sound: Music and Talk Across MediaCh. 8: Movies: Mass-Producing EntertainmentCh. 9: Television: Broadcast, Cable and BeyondCh. 10: The Internet: Mass Communication Gets PersonalCh. 11: Advertising: Selling a MessageCh. 12: Public Relations: Manufacturing the NewsCh. 13: Media Law: Free Speech and FairnessCh. 14: Media Ethics: Truthfulness, Fairness, and Standards of DecencyCh. 15: Global Media: Communication Around the WorldAbout the BookAbout the AuthorHelp
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Chapter 9: Television

Exercises

1. What impact do you think new recording technology, such as DVRs will have on broadcast and cable television? Will this technology, which allows consumers to skip all advertising programming, scare away advertisers? Will it be simply something that the industry will have to learn to live with, as with the VCR?


2. In your opinion, what characteristics allow long running televisions shows like Meet the Press and Sesame Street to continue to be viewer favorites? What are some other programs that have seen their popularity span several decades, through significant change in the television industry?

3. No longer do the Big Four television networks, ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX, have the majority of television viewers. Competition with cable networks and other programming delivery media is changing the television industry.

•  Source: Who is reporting that network television is slowly losing viewers to cable television?

•  Analyze & Reflect: What advantages does cable television have over network television in terms of production? Are there any disadvantages?

•  Examine: How much of overall industry advertising revenue is going to non-network television, such as cable and satellite television? How much advertising revenue are the networks losing to their competitors on an annual basis?

•  Conclude: When you watch television, do you find yourself watching programming on one of the traditional broadcast networks or on cable television? Who do you believe is winning the battle for viewers: the Big Four networks, ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX, or the cable and satellite industries? Provide specific examples.