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Exam 1 review questions and answers. - Exam 2 review questions and answers. - Exam 3 review questions and answers. merged files: RTV3405 Review Questions.docx - RTV3405 Exam 2 Review.docx - RTV3405 Exam 3 Review.docx...

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RTV3405 Review Questions (week 2) 1. What is the difference between technological determinism, social construction of reality, and social shaping of reality? TD- assume that the characteristics of technology changes society. The impacts of technology are determined by its inherent features. SCoR- Focus on the meaning construction of technology. Technology has no “inherent” meaning without examining the society and culture in which it is used. Social Shaping of Reality- focus on how human choices shape the development of technology, in other words, the technological features are a result of human demands. 2. How did radio and motion pictures affect TV? Set genres and companies. Built need for mass entertainment 3. How did WWII influence the growth of TV? WWII slowed the development as engineers were recruited to war. But the large expansion of electronics manufacturing led to more television production after the war. After the war, the major networks started gaining popularity and each has its own affiliated channels 4. Who are the big three networks? How did they gain their dominance? ABC NBC CBS- FCC ordered television channel freeze to work out channel allocation issues= established Big Three 5. Why wasn’t color TV popular in the 60s? 

Only 5% of households have color TVs

6. How did tape recorders affect TV production? 

Allowed reruns and different airtime

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Introduced movie techniques such as cuts, edits, and special effect to TV shows

7. What is CATV? What spurred its development? 

Community Antenna Television (CATV):

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CATV pioneers were TV salesperson who wanted to promote TV sales. So they installed large antennas on a hill, amplify the broadcasting signals and distributed them to the community through cable.

was designed to give remote areas reception from the nearest broadcast television stations.

8. What are some of the major changes to TV in the 50-60s? 

Before the 50s, Hollywood brushed TV aside, after late 1940s, Hollywood realized it was losing ground to television, and decided to join the production.

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Some new genres were developed in this era. Such as game shows (cheap to produce), soap opera, and children shows.

9. How did video game, VCR, and cable in the 80s influence the relationship between TV and its viewers? 

Remote control: Allowed channel surfing. Audience had more choices now

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Video Cassette Recorder (VCR): Gave audience time-shifting ability and gave rise to the home video industry

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Video game consoles: TV became interactive for the first time

10. What is narrowcasting? And why? 

Targeting specific audience segments or niche markets.

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Driven by competition: Cable channels needed to carve out a niche to compete with networks

11. What are the benefits of digitalization? 

Free up spectrum for public safety communication.

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And for the Internet! Spectrums were auctioned to companies to provide wireless internet service.

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Multicasting: by transmitting signals more efficiently, local stations can offer more subchannels. *more channels by one TV station.

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Datacasting: free up bandwidth for other signals such as ads, emergency, and weather. *more signals through single channel.

12. What are the three general eras of TV? And what are their key influences? 

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Network Era(1940s-1980s): 

Networks established from radio era

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Mass audiences watched simultaneously

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Advertisement model

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Rise of TV as source of political and public affair information

Multi-channel Era (1980s-2000s): 

Cable and satellite TV emerge to compete with networks

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Narrowcasting: Audience segmentation by channels

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New networks (FOX, Univision)

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VCR changed audience viewing habits

Convergence Era

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The flow of content across multiple media platforms, the cooperation between multiple media industries, and the migratory behavior of media audiences who would go almost anywhere in search of the kinds of entertainment experiences they wanted.

13. What is collective intelligence? 

Communities of interest: voluntary, common intellectual enterprises and emotional investments => mutual production and reciprocal exchange of knowledge

14. What are the three types of convergence? What is the driving force behind them? 

Ownership

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Content: Content designed to be accessed across media 

Cross-media promotion

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Trans-media storytelling

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Technology: a camera, an music play, web browser, scheduler, calculator, game platform, TV, radio, photo album, dictionary, translator, notebook, virtual currency, shopping cart, video conference tool, movie, map, weather, newspaper, companion

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Forces behind them: 

More access; Lower production cost; Faster, mass distribution; More competition (diversity); Weakening gatekeeper

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More concentrated; More political, social, cultural influence; Stronger gatekeeping; Less competition through oligopoly

15. What are the “big 6” media owners in America? 

Comcast (NBC, Telemundo, Universal, MSNBC, Bravo)

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Disney (ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel, Disney Mobile, Touchstone, Miramax, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasart)

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News Corp (FOX, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, TV Guide,)

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Time Warner (CNN, CW, HBO, Cinemax, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros, 150+ magazines)

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Viacom (MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, BET, Comedy Central, Paramount Pictures)

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CBS (CBS News, Columbia picture, Tristar picture, Showtime, Simon & Schuster, 30 TV stations, 130 radio stations

16. What do we mean by “convergence of modes?” 

Erosion of one-to-one relationship between medium and content 

Video, audio, mass communication, asynchronous, breaking news

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Audio, interpersonal communication, synchronous

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Text, mass communication, asynchronous, slow

17. What does Jenkins mean by the “black box fallacy?” 

Old media won’t die, nor fade. Protocols and cultures live on.

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Technology (hardware) ≠ media (social/ cultural system)

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No one-size-fits-all media/ technology. Convergence/divergence

18. Understand the role of production, distribution, and transmission in television. 

Production: Manage creative production process (Networks, film studios. Independent production companies, local stations, cable channels, ad agencies, community access, public tv)

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Distribution:

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Networks- Still most powerful distributor because of large amount of local affiliated channels. Who are paid clearance fees for opening its airwave to network programs

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Syndication- reruns are often more profitable

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Cable and satellite channels: Narrowcast to niche audiences. Less restricted in contents, and therefore can experiment with new formats and programing.

Transmission: See #20

19. What is deficit financing? What is a syndication? 

Deficit financing: Networks pay licensing fees to air programs on their channels

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Syndication: Sales of broadcasting rights to multiple channels. Two types of syndication: First-run syndication & Off-network reruns 

Most profitable for production

20. What’s the difference between O&O, Network affiliated, and non-affiliated stations? 

O&O (Owned and operated): Stations that are directly owned by networks.

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Network affiliated stations: stations that air network programs.

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Non-affiliated stations: independent of the networks

21. Understand the different programming strategies used to attract or sustain attention 

Block scheduling (stacking): back-to-back scheduling of similar shows

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Cross-programming: extend a story arch between episodes

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Counter scheduling: appeal to the opposite audience group

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Hammocking: Insert new or unpopular programs between popular ones.

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Tentpoling: Insert a popular program between two unpopular ones.

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Hotswitching: eliminate advertisement between shows to avoid channel switching

22. Why did the FCC protect MSOs? They control the market at the level of an oligopoly 23. What is the “must carry” rule of cable TV? to protect broadcast stations, which also helped lower quality stations 24. The pros and cons of media consolidation 

Pros: Cross media synergy, Transmedia storytelling, Less government control, Diversification of content

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Cons: $$, not public interest, May raise entry barrier for new innovation and programs, Lack competing views, can be biased, Fewer local programs (including news)

25. What does vertical and horizontal integration mean in the TV industry? 

Vertical integration: one company controls all stages of its business (production, distribution, transmission)

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Horizontal integration: one company owns multiple media (e.g., tv, magazine, internet)

26. Strengths and weakness of different advertisement strategies 

Single sponsorship: TV ad brand recognition was stronger than radio. Anthology drama: discrete story in each episode. Performed live by different actors. CONS- For networks: no control over schedule, not maximum profit. For advertisers: cost of programs rising, risky to put all the eggs in one basket

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“Magazine concept” sponsorship: Sell 1-2 minute commercial spots throughout the program. Now advertisement must compete for audience attention TV advertisement became more aggressive, sensational.

27. How to calculate CPM: advertisement unit cost to reach 1000 audiences 

1 unit of media program/

28. How are ratings and shares calculated? 

Rating: Households watching program/all households with TV x 100

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Share: Households watching program/all households watching TV x 100

29. How are ratings taken? What are the problems with the way Nielson ratings are calculated? 

Mail surveys

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Diary: boost ratings

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Meters (in more than 25,000 households) 1. People meter 2. From live, to c3, to c7

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Analytics: Digital code embedded in programs

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Social media: Nielsen started tracking Twitter (19 million people tweeted 263 million tweets about TV in Q2 2013). They also track YouTube. 1. Individual-level tracking 2. Continuous tracking over time 3. Identify networks and indirect influences 4. Identify key influencers

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Problems w/Nielson ratings: 1. Is the sample generalizable? Certain population are more likely to join Nielson families. 2. Focused on segmentation through demographics, which may or may not reflect actual preference. 3. Overlook some devices that are also used for accessing TV content. 4. Social desirability bias: e.g., do not log in when watching violent or sexual content 5. What about leaving the TV on and not watching?

30. How is PBS different from TV networks 

Unlike networks, PBS does not pay affiliated stations to take over programming. PBS merely produces programs for its members stations. The member stations “pay” PBS fees to distribute its programs

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PBS is a provider that makes money through fundraising

31. Why regulate broadcasting? What are the basic assumptions? 

License and Spectrum

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Reactive regulations of content

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Protect copyright

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BASIC ASSUMPTION: spectrum is a limited resource that must be rgualted for public interest

32. Difference between obscene, indecency, & profane 

Obscene: Sexual content made purely for “prurient interest” with no legitimate value

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Indecency: material that depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities

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Profane: Curse words (after 10pm)

33. Copyright protection: 

To reproduce

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To prepare derivative works

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To distribute copies or phonorecords

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To perform the work publicly

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To display the copyrighted work publicly

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Life of author +70 years

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Corporate owned: 95 years

34. What is considered fair use? 

the purpose and character of the use

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the nature of the copyrighted work

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the amount used

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the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Why push for digital TV? 1.

Free up spectrum for public communication

2.

Public communication eg police

3.

Auction to private company for wireless service

Multicasting-allows single stations to broadcast more channels

Datacasting- allows single channels to carry more data. Think as spectrum or one cable (Know difference)

Relationship between technology and society Three perspectives 1.

Technological determinism: “technology makes our society dumb”

2. Social construction of technology: Technology doesn’t have any MEANING. The meaning is giving by the society 3. Social shaping of technology: IPod was created because the society has human NEEDS. Technology was create to cater to human NEEDS

TELEVISION IN THE 40S After WW2 is when there was TV boom 1.

Suburban life created new demand for consumption

2.

Factories started producing household electronics

3.

TV shaped American life as a window to the world

Soldiers created lots of demands for consumptions Attracted larger audiences 1940 NTSC Standard: without standards people created different shows with different formats 1948-1952: FCC TB channel freezes established big 3 ABC, CBS, NCB??

TV in 50-70s ·

Video tape made precaution cheaper allowed editing

· Community antenna Television (CATV) brought TV to rural areas. Invented by TV salespeople as a way to promote TV Sales in Rural USA. Put big Satellites on top to get channels. ·

News genres such as game show and soap opera

How do programs get in our TV Sets? Production: whole sale

Distributing: retail Transmission

What are the unique challenges of TV Production? Series, long exposure, no pre-planed ending

Production companies make money? 1.

Licensing fee: Deficit Financing

2. Syndication- selling shows based on episode bases. If show is a hit. Most of the money comes from this. 3.

Product placement: advertisers. Sell ad spots between the shows for revenue

Programming Strategies Block scheduling: similar shows together. Comedy night Cross- programming: episodes that cross and you have to watch the next week to find out Counter scheduling: when popular show that dominates the market, other competing stations will cater to complete different audience Hammocking: placing weaker show between two strong shows to boast rating Tentpoling: weak shoes placed with two-week shows and a strong one in-between. REMEMBER SHAPES Hotswitching: ??

Main Distributors ·

Networks

·

Cable and satellite: multiple-system operations (MSO) &: must carry” rule

·

Syndication

· Cable is very expensive so it’s a big investment, so if you let companies compete then no one makes money and now one wants to invest. Government protects cable to make investors feel safe. Cable companies worked as a monopoly. And it protect their profit

·

To protect cable companies profit through monopoly.

Commercial TV From single sponsorship to “ magazine concept ·

Advertising prices are sold as CPM, cost per thousand audiences.

Cost per thousand (CPM) EX: calculate the CPM of an equation

Product Integration 1.

Less intrusive to audience

2.

Can’t be skipped by audience

3. Cheaper for advertisers 4. Audience perceived it as a celebrity endorsements 5.

It add realism to the show and products

6.

Give, as exposure but advertiser can’t control how it is used.

Hard Sell: informational, new products or to distinguish brand Soft Sell: emotion appeal, usually established brands. Don’t really tell you about it or explain it. Used for established brands. Like Nike, Coke, Gatorade. Link brand to emotion Anti- ads: address audience intelligence to build brand image. Creating demand: use fear appeal or exaggerated problem.

Readings: households tuned into Don’t count household without TV FCC: for public interest

RTV3405 Exam 2 Review TV Narratives & Genres 1. What is the three-act structure? What is the goal of each act? Incitement (Set up)establish the “normal”, Introduce the characters,1st turning point “inciting incident”— disrupt the norm, Setback(Confrontation)-protagonist tries to solve the problem, leads to more problems, antagonists are introduced, Climax (resolution)- resolution & tension resolved & characters go back to normal but more developed 2. What makes TV narratives unique? Format: continuous yet segmented narrative. Focus: character development. EPISODIC, Longer narrative but in episodes. No definite ending a. Series: i. Self-contained stories in each episodes ii. Recurring characters iii. Easy to pick up b. Serials i. Continuous story arcs across episode ii. Deeper character/plot development iii. Difficult to pick up midway 3. What’s the difference between a protagonist and an antagonist? Protagonist: leading character who pursue a certain goal. Antagonist opposes the protagonist a. Can be individuals or a group b. Not always distinguished by good or evil, its who is carrying the narrative and who are the obstacles along the way 4. What is a parasocial relationship? one-sided interpersonal relationship with strong perceived emotional intimacy (EX- celebrity, sports team, characters) 5. What facilitated complex narratives in TV- Technological: Digitalization, Network technologies for collaboration and debates. Industry: Increased competition (branding, distinction), Attract audiences that did not watch television. Society & culture: More engaged audiences, more diverse audiences - participatory audience!! Now we have multiple treads (think Game of Thrones), non-linear narratives 6. What are genres? How are they categorized? A category of artistic composition: a. Narrative form b. Characterization c. Style d. Subject matter e. Settin...