TELEVISION
What They Say About TV “A vast wasteland.” Newton Minow “In this country, television is used primarily as a narcotic to prepare people for the commercial.” Mark Frost “[TV] trivializes everything. So there’s no more mystery, we’ve seen it all 50,000 times. And in order to make the boring interesting, everything is hyped.” David Chase
Before Television… Radio begat TV Telegraph Wireless Telegraph
Before Television… 1 st Radio Broadcast
Before Television… 1920 – 1922 – 1923 –
Before Television… 1934 – Federal Communications Act Federal Communication Commission (FCC)
Before Television… 1950s
Television “The medium is the message” Marshall McLuhan
Television A medium where viewers make sense of it all Performers in scale…
Television Mix of 4 mediums: A medium of personalities
History of Television “Television” Radio, TV share:
History of Television 1920s
History of Television 1927 – Philo T. Farnsworth
History of Television 1928 1932 1936
History of Television
VHF UHF
History of Television 1941 – First sets:
History of Television 1946 1947 TV Sets
History of Television 1948 In most homes since mid 1950s
History of Television 1950s “Television Generation” Advertising Revenue
Golden Ages “Golden Age” I “Golden Age” II Affected all media
Color and Cable 1960s – color introduced
TV Statistics On average: 1/3 of viewers zap
Television Ratings Arbitron Nielsen Media Research
Impact of Television TV has immediate emotional impact on audience Edutainment
McCarthyism
Kennedy Nixon Debate 1960 Presidential debates
Tobacco Advertising 1972
War Coverage News coverage
War Coverage 1991 2003
News Programs Gatekeeper CNN Typical newscast
Visual Design of News What affects perception? “Live”, amateur footage “If it bleeds, it leads.” Themes:
Fictional Programs Programs moved from radio to TV
Fictional Programs Fictional programs have: Same experience as movies
Music Videos Bridges sight and sound Surrealism
Commercials Primary function = generate response Length
Commercials Immediate involvement Microdrama Elements for analysis:
But What? We feel TV should be something more - something better no one is sure what, though
Next Time… Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations: A Practical Experiment Chapter 6