Chapter 5; Friday, February 12th

1.What were the major technical standards established for television in the 1940s?

(response to question #1)

The development of television as a household necessity began with "creating a coherent set of technical standards for product manufacturers" (Media & Culture). In the late 1930s, while competing for new updated technical standards and dueling patents war, the National Television Systems Committee(NTSC), began outlining industry-wide manufacturing practices and compromising on technical standards. So, in 1941 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted an analog standard for all U.S. TV sets. About thirty countries, including Japan, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and most Latin American nations, adopted this system. In the U.S., analog signals were scheduled to be replaced by digital signals in 2009, allowing for improved image quality and sound.

5.How did visual news develop at the networks in the late 1940s and 1950s?

(response to question #5) 

Since the 1960s, broadcast journalism has consistently topped print news in national research polls that ask which news medium is most trustworthy. Most studies suggest this has to with its ability to create loyalty with viewers who connect personally with the news anchors we “invite” into our living rooms each evening. Print reporters and editors, by comparison, seem anonymous and detached. In this section, we focus on the traditional network evening news, its history, and the changes in TV news ushered in by cable.

12.Why has it become more difficult for independent producers to create programs for television?

(response to question #12) 

Although audiences and profits may have declined, the networks continue to attract larger audiences than their cable or online competitors. But the business of television is not just about larger audiences. To understand the TV business today, we need to examine the production, distribution, and syndication of programming. In fact, it would not be much of a stretch to define TV programming as a system that delivers viewers to merchandise displayed in blocks of ads—and at stake is $60 billion in advertising revenues each year.

This chart from the Media & Culture book is an example of the difficulty independent producers face when trying to produce programs for television: