2.+Television

1. History and Future of TV 2. Media Titans: Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch 3. The development of American TV through commercialization, programming and influence on society See also References
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 * History and Future of TV **

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**Media Titans: Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch**

**Task:** Add personality profiles of Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch
 * [[image:http://www.nyemmy.org/NewMedia/Images/tedturner.jpg width="162" height="208"]] || [[image:http://www.americanprogress.org/kf/murdoch.jpg width="331" height="210"]] ||
 * = **Ted Turner** ||= **Rupert Murdoch ** ||

The development of American TV through commercialization, programming and influence on society
Television has revolutionized from its prehistory (before 1947) to the Network Era (1948-1975) and the Cable Era (1976-1994). It begins with the laying of the first telegraph line in 1844, which gave rise to the idea that images and sounds could be transmitted over long distances. During World War II television's look and purposes were remodeled; the role of television has undergone many changes beginning with the gender, racial, and ethnic components of its early broadcasts and audiences to its function in the political life of the country. The evolution of television is determined by the birth of prime time and cable, the influence of innovators like Sylvester "Pat" Weaver, Roone Arledge, and Ted Turner, as well as television's entrance into the international market. Such programs as //Dallas// and //The Cosby Show//, have had an impact on transmitting American culture abroad.

Commercialization of Television
 Television first became commercialized in the U.S. in the early 1950s, initially by [|RCA] Radio Corporation of America (through [|NBC] National Broadcasting Company, which it owned) and CBS Columbia Broadcasting System. A number of different broadcast systems had been developed through the end of the 1930s. The [|National Television System Committee] (NTSC) standardized on a 525-line broadcast in 1941 that would provide the basis for TV across the country through the end of the century. Television development halted with the onset of [|World War II], but pioneers returned to the airwaves when that conflict ended. There were only a few dozen stations operating at the end of the decade, concentrated on the East and West coasts. The FCC began handing out broadcasting licenses to communities of all sizes in the early 1950s Half of all U.S. households had TV sets by 1955, though color was a premium feature for many years (most households able to buy TV sets could only afford black-and-white models, and few programs were broadcast in color until the mid-1960s).  Many of the earliest TV programs were modified versions of well-established [|radio] shows. The '50s saw the first flowering of the genres that would distinguish TV from movies and radio: [|talk shows] like [|//The Jack Paar Show//] and [|sitcoms] like [|//I Love Lucy//]. Stations across the country also produced their own local programs. Usually carried live, they ranged from simple advertisements to [|game shows] and [|children] 's shows that often featured [|clowns]. Local shows could often be popular and profitable, but concerns bout product promotion and other issues led them to almost completely disappear by the mid-1970s.  [|Subscription television] (such as [|cable] and [|satellite] ) became popular in the early 1980s. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;"> The U.S. has now moved to [|digital television]. A law passed in 2006 required over-the-air stations to cease analog broadcasting by February 2009, but was delayed to June 12. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">In 2008, there were an estimated 327 million television sets in the US.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;"> ** Programming **
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: justify;">Today television is by far the most powerful force in entertainment. TV production and programming is a major industry. Billions of dollars are spent by advertisers to tap TV’s vast audiences. TV broadcasters divide the day into nine “day-parts” or segments. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Early Morning: 6:00 am to 9:00 am <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Morning: 9:00 am to Noon <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Afternoon: Noon to 4:00 pm <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Early Fringe: 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Early Evening: 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Access Time: 7:00 pm or 7:30 to 8:00 pm <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Prime Time: 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Late Fringe: 11:00 pm to 11:30 pm <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Late Night: 11:30 pm to 6:00 am

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: justify;">Television viewing increases throughout the day, reaching a peak between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., then declining as people go to sleep. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: justify;">The most important day-part is, from 8:00pm to 11:00pm. During prime time, TV draws its largest audience, and the networks and other stations trot out their most expensive programming to compete for the largest number of viewers.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">American television has had very successful programming that has inspired television networks across the world to make shows of similar types or broadcast these shows in their own country.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;"> ** Primetime comedy ** has included situation comedies as well as sketch comedy/variety series.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">The major networks all offer a morning **news program** as well as an early-evening newscast anchored by the de facto face of the network's news operations. Successful news magazines have included 60 Minutes, 20/20, and Dateline in primetime and Meet the Press.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;"> ** Reality television ** has long existed in the United States, both played for laughs. A new variant - competition series placing ordinary people in unusual circumstances or in talent contests, generally eliminating one participant per week - exploded in popularity in 2000 with the launch of Survivor.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;"> ** American soap operas ** have been running for over six decades. Of the six current daytime soaps, four have been on the air for over forty years: General Hospital, Days of our Lives, One Life to Live and All My Children. Primetime soap operas of note have included Peyton Place, Dallas, Dynasty, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Desperate Housewives. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Daytime has also been home of many popular **game shows** over the years. Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! have found their greatest success in the early-evening slot before primetime, while game shows actually aired within primetime had great popularity in the 1950s and 1960s (What's My Line?, I've Got a Secret, To Tell the Truth) and again, intermittently, in the 2000s (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Weakest Link, Deal or No Deal). The Price Is Right, which has appeared on CBS since 1972, was the only daytime game show remaining on the broadcast networks for fifteen years. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">The most successful **talk show** has been the late-night (after 11:30 PM Eastern/Pacific) Tonight Show (particularly during the 29-year run of third host Johnny Carson). Tonight ushered in a multi-decade period of dominance by one network in American late-night programming and paved the way for many similar combinations of comedy and celebrity interviews, such as those hosted by Merv Griffin and David Letterman. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;"> ** Daytime talk show ** hits have included The Oprah Winfrey Show, Phil Donahue, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Live with Regis and Kelly, and run the gamut from serious to lighthearted; a subset of so-called trash TV talk shows such as The Jerry Springer Show also veered into exploitation and titillation. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;"> ** Children's television programs ** are also quite popular. Children's programming has mostly migrated to cable television. The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon cable channels are among the most popular ones. Other channels offering kids and family programming include PBS Kids Sprout, Disney XD, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and others. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">While the majority of programs broadcast on United States television are produced domestically, some programs carried in syndication, on public television or on cable television are imported from outside the U.S.; most commonly, these imported programs come from the primarily English-speaking countries of Canada and the United Kingdom.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: left;">**Roles of TV in American society**
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Television has always been a big part of American society. Every day as they are moving forward with their busy life, television is taking part on it. As American society is growing, the news media, sports, and entertainment are also expending themselves. Television is influencing their daily life in many ways. It’s good parts are helping us to move forward in life. On the other hand, television has a negative impact on American society because it is seen more of an entertainment Vance, rather than educational. Somewhere around the age of two or three, children in American society first encounter the media as an agent of socialization in the form of TV. Socialization comes through from children's shows, cartoons, and, most especially, commercials specifically acts to be an agent of socialization (e.g., children's programs such as Sesame Street) but most only strive to be entertainment. Today the media seriously challenges the family. Children spend as much or more time in front of the TV as interacting with parents. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">About three-quarters (74%) of US adults say they get local information at least once a week from a local TV news broadcast and/or website of a local TV station. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Television's influence grew quickly by providing audiences with the chance to experience major political events live or with little delay. No aspect of the political process has been affected more by television than political campaigns and elections. Use of television for political advertising was the beginning of a trend that has grown so dramatically that televised political advertising is now the major form of communication between candidates and voters in the American electoral system. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Educational television is the use of [|television programs] in the field of [|distance education]. It may be in the form of individual [|television programs] or dedicated [|specialty channels] that is often associated with [|cable television in the United States] as [|Public, educational, and government access] (PEG) channel providers. Interest in educational television was expressed early. Educators envisioned television's potential as an instructional tool and sought recognition by Congress. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Whatever television plays an important rolefor the Americans.

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