Allegiance Week Three

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Brianne Sabino

“Allegiance” Hangs On

The outlook of the third episode of NBC’s “Allegiance” is not as dismal as the second week, but things are still not looking good for the series. Last Thursday, February 19, the show brought in a .9 rating/3 share and 3.38 million total viewers, up slightly from .7 rating in 18-49. The episode was filmed in Philadelphia and the plot line was based around the Masonic Temple. NBC Thursday night as a whole continues to struggle to succeed with it’s new programming, it came in behind ABC, CBS, and Fox with a 1.1 rating /3 share for adults 18-49. “Allegiance” came in third in its time-slot behind “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Elementary”. “How to Get Away With Murder” won the 10 o’clock hour by a larger margin– it brought in a 2.8 rating/ 9 share and 8.84 million total viewers for adults 18-49. Its lead-in “The Blacklist” matched last weeks ratings of the lowest of the season and is not bringing in the amount of viewers that as they would like it to.

Maybe the reason for such unsuccessful ratings for “Allegiance” is the lack of star-power. Writer-director George Nolfi is responsible for writing “The Adjustment Bureau” and “The Bourne Ultimatum” has a background in action/drama shows similar to “Allegiance”. The show’s biggest star is Hope Davis who made multiple appearances on the HBO show “The Newsroom” as well as the movie “A Special Relationship” where she played Hillary Clinton. While she has a vast portfolio of past work, she doesn’t seem to have a strong following as she doesn’t even have a twitter account. Her “Allegiance” husband Scott Cohen gathered his following as Max Medina on “Gilmore Girls” and starred in the USA show “Necessary Roughness”. He has just under six thousand twitter followers. NBC placed a series order for “Allegiance” in early May during upfront season along with the two other terrorism-dramas “State of Affairs” and “Odyssey”. Perhaps they missed the mark on the topic that their viewers wanted to watch as they planned their midseason lineup.

Facebook Likes: 16,764

Twitter Followers: 3,553

Allegiance Week Two

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Brianne Sabino

NBC “Allegiance” Flops During Week Two

The executives at NBC were in for a disappointing Thursday night. “Allegiance” premiered its second episode this week to extremely lacking results. The show received a .7 rating and 2 share for 18-49 with 3.65 million total viewers. It was the lowest performing in its 10 o’clock Thursday night time-slot behind CBS’s elementary with 7.9 million viewers and ABC’s how to get away with murder with 8.44 million total viewers. NBC’s strategy to place it directly after “The Blacklist” does not appear to be working, and this week “The Blacklist” brought in the lowest ratings it has seen since it was on Monday nights with a 2.4 rating/7 share. Although the numbers were a little lower than usual, it is still bringing in more viewers than the usual NBC Thursday night comedy lineup. Most sources and critics online are expecting “Allegiance” to be cancelled pretty rapidly and I would not be surprised if they were right.

The other critique of the show is that it is too similar to FX’s “The Americans”. After a second episode, the feedback generally is that they are different enough, but “Allegiance” falls short considering the success of “The Americans” has not been overwhelming– this week it received a .3 rating 18-49 with just under one million viewers. Saturating the marketplace with another cold war era spy shows when the demand is not high was not a good programming decision.

Facebook followers: 15,810

Twitter followers: 3,414

The Slap Premieres

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Stephanie Diehl

The Slap premiered last Thursday to less than stellar ratings. It earned a 1.1 rating, with a 4 share in the 18-49 group. Its total viewership was 5.1 million overall. It had a decent amount of competition, which is important to consider. It went up against ratings powerhouse The Big Bang Theory, which got higher numbers despite being a repeat. On Fox and ABC, it was up against American Idol and Grey’s Anatomy respectively, two shows with a loyal and established audience. On the bright side, The Slap was NBC’s second best regular programming timeslot result this season. Time will tell if it get gain an audience in the coming weeks.

As far as reviews for the show, it currently holds a 5.4/10 on IMDb. The reviews themselves are mixed, but most find the characters to be terrible people which could prove to be problematic. They also praise NBC for taking a risk and making a show one would expect to see on Showtime or HBO, not broadcast.

The Slap 2/12/15

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Stephanie Diehl

With a recent trend towards limited series and event television, NBC is premiering The Slap next week. The 8-week series follows a group of family and friends in the aftermath of one fateful party, where one man slaps another couple’s child. Based on the Australian mini-series of the same name, it has a star-studded cast, including Peter Sarsgaard, Zachary Quinto and Uma Thurman. The controversial storyline could be a risk for network television, which rarely delves into this kind of psychological show. NBC hopes the edgy subject matter will bring viewers in, even if just out of curiosity.

As far as publicity, NBC has a trailer on its site, as well as YouTube, where it has almost 4 million views. The show has a Twitter account (@TheSlap), mostly comprised of character bios and retweets from excited viewers. As the premiere date gets closer, more and more interviews and articles about The Slap are popping up. No reviews are up yet, so there’s no telling if it will be the awards darling the Australian series was. Even if it isn’t, it’s clear that NBC is pushing the boundaries of their usual content.

Allegiance: The Pilot

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Brianne Sabino

“Allegiance” Pilot Premiere

NBC is changing up its usual Thursday night lineup from comedy to drama. “Allegiance” is a cold war era drama about an American family with secret ties to Russia. Before the premiere, the main buzz surrounding the show was about how similar it was going to be to FX’s show “The Americans”—also a cold war era themed spy show about a family living in America.

“Allegiance” premiered last week on February 5 at 10PM following “The Blacklist” to a disappointing audience. The premiere gathered a 1.1 rating for the 18-49 audience and a 4 share, with 4.98 million total viewers. “Allegiance” is up against “How to Get Away With Murder” on ABC which had a 2.7 rating and 8.34 million total viewers. The general consensus of the reviews were that the show is different enough from “The Americans”, but is still boring. I would not be surprised if Allegiance does not stay around for long! You can watch the pilot episode here and check out their official website.

Facebook Likes: 14,163

Twitter Followers: 3,221

Television Production

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Elice Miller

by Elice Miller

Source: http://tvisnotdead.com/category/production/

Overview

In the television business, producing a successful show involves many factors. There are normally three stages to television production, Pre-Production, Principal Photography and Post Production. The main locations where shows are produced are either Los Angeles or New York, however some other U.S. metropolitan areas are also used to produce a show. Before a show can even reach the stage or pre-production programmers will require a package. This is a collection of key assets that differentiate one property from another. The main performers, the producers and the story line are also closely related to the concept and how it will be executed.

Pre-Production

Pre-Production is the stage of production which involves planning and development, financing and deal making as well as securing people to produce and appear in the television show. This is the period of time when a series is scripted, the actors are cast, sets are built and a production crew is hired. The producer or production company create a full-scale budget, schedule and production plan once a project is given a green light. The budget must be planned very carefully in order to assure that the project is delivered without exceeding the available funding and to make sure that the producer makes a profit. Pre-production on a show ends once the planning ends and content starts being produced. Most shows do not get a green light, because they cannot secure financing.

Source: http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-thoughts-on-pilot-season-so-far-one.html

Once a network has given a script a green light, it will order a pilot of the television show. Television pilots are standalone episodes of a television series that are used to sell the television show to a network. These episodes are used as testing grounds to gauge if a series will be successful. Sometimes a network will pick up a show after watching a pilot but will not air the episode. Instead, it will be reshot and even recast after it is given the green light. Variety estimates that around 20 pilots are ordered by a network, which are typically made up of half comedy, half drama. About half a dozen of these are actually picked up to become the premier episodes for the show. The rest are passed by the network and generally never seen again.

The big five networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and CW have ordered nearly 100 pilots for the fall 2013 season. The networks ordered a total of 87 pilots last year. The Hollywood Reporter offered a breakdown of the pilots ordered:

Grand total: 98 (vs. 87 in 2012)
Drama total: 50 (vs. 42 in 2012)
Comedy total: 48 (vs. 45 in 2012)
Single-camera total: 34 (vs. 30 in 2012)
Multicamera total: 14 (vs. 15 in 2012)

Just because a network has picked up a pilot does not mean that it will last throughout the season. If the television show receives low ratings within the first few weeks of airing, a network will normally cancel a show. This spring 2013 saw many new television shows get canceled. Zero Hour (ABC), Do No Harm (NBC), and The Job (CBS) are notable shows that were canceled after airing less than five episodes.

Principal Photography

Source: http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-thoughts-on-pilot-season-so-far-one.html

This is the phase of production when the actors are finalized for their roles and locations have been secured for filming. At this point the development team has created a plan for filming and financing the show. The term principal photography refers to the phase of production when the majority of footage and sound are recorded. This stage takes place either at a soundstage or filmed on location. Filming on location means securing permits to shoot in an actual real-life setting. Shooting a show normally means rigorous 12-hour workdays. Television episodes are filmed in groups called blocks, and rely on the availability of resources and the restrictions of the production schedule. Large sets can be altered to look like many different locations simply by changing set pieces or lighting. For example, a dark scary park can also be a beautiful garden by using contrasting lighting and changing a few set pieces. Techniques like this help to keep the cost of production down, since this is the most expensive phase of production. Most directors and producers will shoot the most expensive production elements first so that the budget can be allocated for the rest of the scenes.

Post Production

Once the first few episodes of a show have been filmed, the post-production phase begins. All of the footage that has been recorded is edited and sequenced and special effects are added. Sometimes additional dialogue needs to be recorded in the studio and it is layered into the recorded footage. During this last stage of production the production team will screen episodes to their target demographic. This can help gauge the public response to the show and if it is negatively received then it can be altered or reedited before releasing to the public.

Production Companies

Source: http://www.marycollins.com/production-companies-and-recording-studios

Production companies provide the physical basis for filming. Television programs are produced in a variety of entities, from small companies to large multinational corporations. Many corporations employ in-house producers for internal communication reasons. Outside production companies will handle Television networks and local stations will employ producers, who’s main job are to control costs and manage brand identities. Producers are held responsible for a television show’s overall quality and survivability. There are a variety of producers that work on a television show.

Producers

Typically, the main producer and the writer are normally the same person; this ensures that a producer can make sure that a project stays true to its brand. There are many different types of producers; the executive producer or the “chief executive” is in charge or everything relating to the production of the show. Executive producers can be the head writers of a show, the CEO of a production company, or a producer on the writing team and may serve on the board of directors. The co-executive producer is second in charge behind the executive producer, and assists with the development and daily management of the show. The associate producer runs day-to-day operations for the show.

Many stations will have producers that work on multiple projects for the network. For example, Seth MacFarlane has three television shows in production on Fox network. Another notable producer is J.J. Abrams, who has produced shows on multiple networks throughout the years.

Sources

1. The Business of Television, Bleumenthol & Goodenough

2. http://www.wisegeek.com/in-the-film-industry-what-is-pre-production.htm#did-you-know

3. http://tvisnotdead.com/category/production/

4. http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5137630_tv-production-process.html

5. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/ruby-slippers-delorean-marilyn-monroe-wedding-ring-auction-272009

6. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2192882/Artists-sketch-floorplan-Friends-apartments-famous-TV-shows.html

7. http://variety.com/static-pages/slanguage-dictionary/?layout=slanguage_result&slang=busted+pilot&x=0&y=0

8. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/faces-pilot-season-2013-416223

9. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/arts/television/fall-tv-pilot-season-is-in-full-swing.html?_r=0

10. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-pilot-season-2013-by-the-numbers-422351

11. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/02/unaired-tv-pilots_n_2998504.html

12. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/08/do-no-harm-canceled-nbc_n_2649224.html

13. http://videoproductiontips.com/equipment-needed-to-set-up-a-simple-video-studio/

14. http://youtu.be/MBZUkFpRW1I

Programming and Program Development

Posted on April 8, 2013 by jzimmerman

Programming has traditionally been made up of two dominant genres, the drama and the situational comedy (or sitcom). In a typical week’s prime time schedule, the major five broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, and NBC) air a combined 43 hours of dramas and 18 hours of comedy. Another notable genre in the current schedule is reality and competition shows which currently make up 14 hours of the broadcast schedule. When looking into the broader scope of television, more and more genres begin to emerge. Currently on cable and premium networks, dramas and sitcoms also dominate the schedule but they are accompanied by more diverse programming such as mini-series, more reality, and developing genres such as mock reality. Schedules are constantly changing and adapting as new programs are developed and programs begin to come off the air. The development process is unique for each genre and the current season has already showed some success and failures.

Drama

The beginning of any drama series typically happens in one of three ways. Either a writer-producer meets with the network and a concept emerges which then turns into a script or a writer-producer already has a script and pitches it to the network. The third common way for a show to develop is for a highly regarded star to decide they want to do a television program and a team is assigned to develop something which fits their needs. Once a script is written and the network approves along with a cast and crew, a pilot is produced and shown to the network. How many pilots are commissioned is dependent upon the networks overall tone, for example The CW is unlikely to produce a large amount of comedy pilots since their schedule is dominated by dramas, along with their current needs. If not many dramas survive the season, more are likely to be commissioned for the next season.

In the current pilot season, Vulture magazine has already spotted several programming trends. One of which is franchise programming. Shows such as NCIS, The Vampire Diaries, and Chicago Fire all have related pilots being worked on. Going off of the success of Once Upon a Time, there is also a tendency towards magical or supernatural themed programs. Vulture predicts a rise in “House” type characters as well as many bigger name stars following Kevin Bacon back to the smaller screen. Much of this is based off of the successes of this past season and an effort to keep promising trends rolling.

One of the more successful launches this Spring was Fox’s The Following starring Kevin Bacon. The show has already been picked up for a second season and has been consistently winning it’s time slot.

A significant drama which went off the air this spring was The CW’s Gossip Girl. While not a major player in the ratings, Gossip Girl was still influential in it’s run on the CW as a trend setter for other programming. The network saw an uptick in the amount of programs focusing on the glamorous and elite such as 90210 and this season’s The Carrie Diaries.

Cable networks typically are more adventurous in their programming and have been seeing a lot of success lately.

Among the biggest successes is AMC’s The Walking Dead. It is a slightly nontraditional show that has garnered huge ratings for the cable network. It was a major Sunday night competitor this season despite not being on a major broadcast network.

Another major program this spring was The History Channel’s mini series The Bible. It received a lot of attention for it’s content and created a viewing war with The Walking Dead.

Comedies

Comedies are developed in a very similar way to dramas. Typically more comedy pilots are produced each year because they are shorter and quicker to make. However, more concepts are abandoned and there are different standards for determining what shows get picked up. A comedy will rarely be picked up just because it’s funny. Comedies are evaluated more based on the current schedule and where there are holes. If a current show is going off the air or needs a stronger lead in, then a comedy has a stronger chance of making it to air. There is also a different target demographic for comedies. They are intended to appeal to younger, typically less educated, and lower income than other types of programming.

NBC had a much hyped new series in 1600 Penn which was given an early release of the pilot. The show did not hold an audience well and saw continually declining ratings. NBC chose to end the season early by airing multiple episodes in a night. The scheduling change combined with declining ratings led to cancellation rumors.

A more successful show this spring has been ABC’s How to Live With Your Parents For The Rest of Your Life. It had a late premiere date but has still seen favorable ratings. It focuses on a single mom having to move back in with her parents and the struggles that ensue from her eccentric family.

This season will see the end of the long running NBC comedy The Office. The show was a hit for the network for many years and led to similar programs such as Parks and Recreation which is still on air. Show Runner Greg Daniels promises a heartfelt goodbye to match the series all around tone and characters.

Reality

There are four general rules that define reality television. The first is that they do not involve actors, at least in the traditional sense. Second, while they may be planned, they are not written in the way that comedies and dramas are. They are always produced on location, and finally they have some sort of special gimmick. When in development, these programs are judged more on the potential of the idea than the reputations of the writers or performers. Reality television has created a place for itself in the schedule over the past few decades. It is especially prominent on cable networks with networks such as E! and Bravo airing almost exclusively reality in their prime time slots. Bravo recently announced they have 17 new series being planned, nearly all of which are reality.

On broadcast networks, it is most common to see reality programming in the form of competition. The Voice saw a cast change this spring with Shakira and Usher replacing Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green as judges. The show has been seeing decent numbers with the new judges.

Emerging Trends

Mock Reality

Reality is clearly a genre which is here to stay. Over the years, reality programming has reached to some pretty extreme levels as far as the types of stories and characters that are put on the air. This has led to a new trend of mock realities, shows which are meant to look like reality shows but are scripted or improv and actually make fun of reality programming.

E! has an hour every week titled “Mock Block Monday” which features two of these Mock Reality Shows. The first is Burning Love which is an imitation of dating shows such as The Bachelor. The second is After Lately which is a supposed documentary of the office of Chelsea Lately, another popular program of theirs.

Other networks are picking up on this trend as well. MTV recently announced a new show, appropriately called Reality Stars, which will be about four friends who get involved in reality television. BET has committed to a second season of The Real Husbands of Hollywood. The show follows men of Hollywood in their “natural environment”.

Social Media

Nielsen announced earlier this winter that it plans to begin using Twitter to measure program popularity. This focus on the “second screen” could give more insight into what viewers are responding too and begin to dictate programming decisions. It can help programmers adapt to the growing social engagement of viewers and use social media trends to their advantage.

Sources

1.http://www.fox.com/the-following/
2.http://epguides.com/grid/
3.http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/04/07/bubble-watch-vegas-craps-out-on-friday-go-on-still-on-the-bubble-how-to-live-with-your-parents-and-hannibal/176840/
4. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/04/07/bubble-watch-vegas-craps-out-on-friday-go-on-still-on-the-bubble-how-to-live-with-your-parents-and-hannibal/176840/
5. http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/03/05/the-following-monday-ratings/
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fFq-w5CxN8
7. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/01/the-walking-dead-ratings_n_2993622.html
8. http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/12/18/gossip-girl-finale-ratings/
9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufkXlmtHJnw
10. http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/fall-season-brings-shift-in-tv-ratings-race/
11. http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/nielsen-using-twitter-data-to-gauge-tv-programming-popularity/
12. http://www.bibleseries.tv/

13. http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2013/apr/060413-mtv-is-launching-a-new-tv-series-called-reality-stars.htm

14. http://www.bravotv.com/blogs/the-dish/bravo-announces-17-new-18-returning-series?page=0,1

15. http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/03/17/the-office-tease-series-finale/

16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzzerIyOI9s

17. http://www.vulture.com/2013/04/comedy-pilots-2013-everything-you-need-to-know.html

18. http://www.vulture.com/2013/04/pilots-2013-dramas.html

19. The Business of Television, Bleumenthol & Goodenough

Legal and Business Affairs

Posted on April 7, 2013 by lzfeldma

by Leonardo Feldman

Changes in Television Contracts

There are millions of contracts that have been, and will be negotiated in the United States in all kinds of different industries. Before 1677, verbal contracts were allowed under Common Law. However, there was a change when the “Statute of frauds” came about. The “Statue of Frauds” is a “measure intended to prevent the frauds that may occur whenever there is no signed, written agreement” [1]. Therefore, to prevent fraud a verbal agreement is not a binding commitment. Nowadays, written agreements are necessary with signatures unless they “performed the agreement”. This means that if the parties involved started performing their tasks as required in the contract, then a signature is not necessary. With the rapid changes in technology, contracts can also be enforced under the law if they are conducted in an e-mail or in another digital manner.

The television industry is very particular about the way its contracts are enforced. About.com has a very interesting article written by Glenn Halbrooks that details the basics of a TV contract. In summary, the article says that the contract should contain a list of services, compensation, station rights, moral clauses, a covenant not to compete, and termination penalties [2].

Some TV actors have mastered contract negotiations. Currently, Ashton Kutcher is the highest paid actor in television [3]

Courtesy by Michael Prince [4]

The Current Highest Paid Television Actors are:

1. Ashton Kutcher- “Two and a Half Men”- $ 16.8 Million

2. Jon Cryer- “Two and a Half Men”- $ 14.4 Million

3. Mark Harmon- “NCIS”- $ 12 Million

4. Mariska Hargitay- “Law and Order: SVU”- $ 11.5 Million

5. Sandra Oh, Ellen Pompeo, and Patrick Dempsey-“Grey’s Anatomy”- $ 8.4 Million

6. Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, and Kaley Cuoco-“The Big Bang Theory” $ 7.2 Million

7. Simon Baker- “The Mentalist!”- $ 7.2 Million

8. Angus T. Jones- “Two and a Half Men”- $ 7.2 Million

9. David Boreanaz- “Bones”- $ 5.85 Million

10. Patricia Heaton-“The Middle”-$ 5.64 Million

Dancing with the Stars

All of these highest paid television actors are likely to be happy with their contracts. However, there are some frustrated television personalities that are upset because of the length of their contract. On March 29th there was an article written on Fox News which reported that a source closely connected to the series “Dancing with the Stars” said that some of the dancers are unhappy with the exclusivity and length of their contracts. The source claims that when they signed the contract they weren’t well-known, so they couldn’t really do much except to sign what was offered to them. But, now that they gained prominence, the exclusive rights along with its length have become a real issue for them [5].

Photo by Reuters (November 17th,2007) [6]

For Example, Julianne Hough got into the show when she was only 19 years old. After four seasons, she decided to split her time to pursue her music and movie career. Currently, Hough is not a dancer in the show, but ABC still has control of what movies or other projects she can do. If ABC does not want her to participate in a specific project, Hough has to abide by their rules. As of yet, Hough nor ABC have commented about the current situation [7].

Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon

Photo courtesy of Getty Images [8]

For 22 years Jay Leno has hosted the “Tonight Show” on NBC, however his luck has run out and his contract will not be renewed. Jimmy Fallon will become the sixth all time host of the 59 year old show, and is expected to begin in February of 2014. Leno’s contract is set to expire in September of 2014 and NBC has decided to give him $15 Million dollars to exit the show early. There is no word yet as to wether he will remain with the network, go elsewhere, or possibly retire [9].

Courtesy by IMDB.com [10]

On the same day of the announcement. Jimmy Fallon tweeted, “Today was one of the most exciting days of my life.” He also addressed his viewers during his current show, ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’ by saying, “I want to thank everyone here at ‘Late Night.’ The staff, the crew and, of course, The Roots…I have to say thanks to Jay Leno for being so gracious. It means so much to me to have his support” [11].

Fallon will become one of the youngest hosts ever to host the “Tonight Show” at the age of 38.

Television average salaries

Television salaries are definitely not all as glamorous as Jay Leno’s or Ashton Kutcher’s multi-million dollar contracts. A website called PayScale had the following average salaries a year for different positions in television [12]:

News Anchor- $54,895
News Producer- $39,316
Film/ Video Editor- $46,206
Film/ TV Producer- $50,498
News Reporter- $33,036
Promotions Producer- $44,191
Producer-Director, TV/Cable Broadcast- $54,180

The future of contracts is uncertain

There is a lot of speculation over the future of Television and other media contracts. A very radical article from USNews.com believes contracts may go away completely. The article expresses the possibility of having robots be the Television anchors basing it on a new App.

Here is a video of a News Anchor Robot : Robot News Anchors [13]

The article talks about a new startup App called Guide that will be available through iTunes and Android Play stores in May of this year. The company transforms online news articles into video news pieces. This is done so viewers can pick what news they want to watch, and computerized characters (robots) can read them just like a human news anchor [14].

Courtesy by joinguide.com [14]

The startup is trying to give viewers the “TV-Newscast-feel” by having online comments at the bottom of the screen in a ticker, and including commercials between segments. The computerized characters include a non-human Avatar, a puppy. an anime character, and they are in the process of creating more variety. The founder says this could also be a source of revenue for the company by making viewers pay a small fee to buy the different computerized characters [14].

Although this article may be somewhat of a stretch, it is clear that television will keep changing as technology evolves. As of now contracts still exist, and are enforced under Common Law.

Bibliography

[1] Blumenthal, Howard J., and Oliver R. Goodenough. The Business of Television. New York: Billboard, 1998. Print.

[2] http://media.about.com/od/mediacareer/tp/The-Basics-Of-A-Tv-Contract.htm

[3] http://www.businessinsider.com/highest-paid-tv-actors-2012-9?op=1

[4] http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mfl45mddh/ashton-kutcher-4/

[5] http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/03/29/source-dancing-with-stars-professionals-frustrated-by-tight-7-year-contracts/

[6] http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/03/29/source-dancing-with-stars-professionals-frustrated-by-tight-7-year-contracts/

[7] http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/03/29/source-dancing-with-stars-professionals-frustrated-by-tight-7-year-contracts/

[8] http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1073388/thumbs/r-JAY-LENO-large570.jpg?9

[9] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/05/jay-leno-to-receive-15-million-to-exit-nbc-early_n_3023418.html

[10] http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1916895232/nm0266422

[11] http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/04/showbiz/tv/leno-tonight-show-exit/index.html

[12] http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Industry=Television_Broadcasting/Salary

[13] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU9uE_CnL88&feature=player_embedded

[14] http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/04/01/your-next-news-anchor-may-be-a-robot

NBCUniversal

Posted on April 7, 2013 by decesarechelsea

By: Chelsea DeCesare

History

The story of NBCUniversal goes back more than a century and involves the dreams of two visionary entrepreneurs, David Sarnoff, who founded NBC, and Carl Laemmle, who created Universal.

Carl Laemmle

NBCUniversal was formed in 2004 when NBC and Universal merged to create a media powerhouse co-owned by General Electric and Vivendi. With the company’s acquisition by Comcast in 2009, a third visionary entrepreneur, Ralph J. Roberts, joined the sides of Sarnoff and Laemmle as a key figure in the annals of the company. Roberts started Comcast in 1963, after he bought a tiny cable system in Tupelo, Mississippi, setting in motion a remarkable American business success story.

Ralph J Roberts

All three companies were founded by men of modest backgrounds who were propelled by their visions of a new industry—movies, television, and cable distribution—and enthusiastic about the possibilities they represented for economic growth for the betterment of the community and people around them. Laemmle, Sarnoff, and Roberts dedicated themselves to turning their visions into the reality that represents Comcast and NBCUniversal in the present day.

David Sarnoff was a radio visionary who through his work with RCA helped to make NBCUniversal into what it is today. In 1916, Sarnoff was a young Russian immigrant living in New York City. One day, he wrote a memo to his manager at the American Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. in New York City. In his “Radio Music Box” memo, Sarnoff imagined a world connected by wireless communication that would bring information and entertainment into the home. This audacious vision would become reality in 1926 with the first broadcast of the National Broadcasting Company.

David Sarnoff

Through the remainder of the twentieth century, these two companies, Universal Studios and NBC, would create extraordinary legacies of accomplishment in the exciting new worlds of motion picture production and distribution, location-based entertainment, and radio and television production and broadcasting.

On May 12, 2004, the parallel histories of the two companies converged, in the creation of a powerful new media entity, NBCUniversal. [1]

Parent Company

In December of 2009, the largest cable operator in the U.S, Comcast, announced an agreement to acquire NBCUniversal from General Electric.

The deal valued NBCUniversal at around $30 billion, and has Comcast owning 51 percent and General Electric owning 49 percent of the NBCUniversal corporation. Comcast will contribute its own offering of cable channels, worth about $7.25 billion, and will pay General Electric about $6.5 billion in cash, for a total of $13.75 billion.

On January 18, 2011, the FCC and the United States Department of Justice officially approved the merger. [2]

Company Leaders

Stephen B. Burke Chief Executive Officer, NBCUniversal

Steve Burke oversees the company’s valuable portfolio of news, sports, and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks.

Burke assumed this role in January 2011, upon the closing of Comcast and General Electric’s joint venture merging the assets of NBC Universal with Comcast’s programming assets.

He previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Comcast Corporation, where he was a driving force in its growth from a cable industry leader to one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information and communication products and services. [3]

Matt Bond, Executive Vice President, Content Distribution, NBCUniversal

Bond is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the company’s content portfolio, and managing the distribution relationships for NBCUniversal cable channels, owned-and-operated televisions stations, and other licensing responsibilities.

Prior to this, Matt held the position of Executive Vice President of Content Acquisition for Comcast, overseeing the company’s content acquisition efforts including the negotiation of programming agreements for cable systems serving more than 24 million customers. Bond also led content acquisition for new media rights and strategic multiplatform initiatives, including On Demand Online. [4]

Patricia Fili-Krushel,Chairman, NBCUniversal News Group, NBCUniversal

Patricia Fili-Krushel serves as Chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, the most influential and respected portfolio of on-air and digital news properties in the world, reaching more than 120M viewers each month. She reports directly to Steve Burke, CEO of NBC Universal.

The News Group includes such assets as NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC and the Weather Channel as well as digital platforms including NBC News Digital, MSNBC.com and CNBC.com.

Previously, Ms. Fili-Krushel was Executive Vice President of NBC Universal with a broad portfolio of functions reporting to her, including Operations and Technical Services, Business Strategy, Human Resources and Legal. [5]

Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment

Robert Greenblatt joined NBC Universal in January 2011 as Chairman, NBC Entertainment and reports to Steve Burke. In this role, he is responsible for all aspects of prime time and late night programming, business affairs, West Coast research, marketing, public relations and scheduling for NBC and also oversees Universal Media Studios. [6]

Subsidiaries

Universal Pictures

Focus Features
Working Title Films
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Animation Studios
Illumination Entertainment [7]

NBC Universal Cable

nbc-universal-will-lay-off-500-employees-due-to-budget-cut

Cable Network	Approximate U.S. Subscribers at December 31, 2011 (in millions) ^(a)		Description of Programming
USA Network		99	General entertainment
Syfy		98	Imagination-based entertainment
E!		98	Entertainment and pop culture
CNBC		97	Business and financial news
MSNBC		95	24 hour news
Bravo		95	Entertainment, culture and arts
Golf Channel		85	Golf competition and golf entertainment
Oxygen		78	Women’s interests
NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS)		76	Sports
Style		76	Lifestyle
G4		61	Gamer lifestyle
Chiller		42	Horror and suspense
CNBC World		40	Global financial news
Cloo (formerly Sleuth)		39	Crime, mystery and suspense
Universal HD		25	HD, general entertainment programming

[9]

NBC Sports Group

Comcast Sports Group
Golf Channel
NBC Sports
NBC Sports Digital Network [10]

Entertainment and Digital Networks and Integrated Media

Bravo Media
Oxygen Media
Style Media
Telemundo
mun2
PBS Kids Sprout
TVOne [11]

NBC Universal News Group

NBC News
CNBC
MSNBC
The Weather Channel [12]

Local Television News Stations

DMA Served ^(a)	Station	General Market Rank ^(b)		Percentage of U.S. Television Households ^(d)
New York, NY	WNBC		1		7	%
Los Angeles, CA	KNBC		2		5	%
Chicago, IL	WMAQ		3		3	%
Philadelphia, PA	WCAU		4		3	%
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX	KXAS ^(c)		5		2	%
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA	KNTV		6		2	%
Washington, D.C.	WRC		8		2	%
Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL	WTVJ		16		1	%
San Diego, CA	KNSD ^(c)		28		1	%
Hartford, CT	WVIT		30		1	%

[13]

Parks and Resorts

Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Singapore [14]

Digital Media

2013 Programming

2013 Winter/Spring Series Premieres:
— New Drama “Deception” January 7
— New Comedy “1600 Penn” January 10
— New Relationship Series “Ready for Love” March 31

Anticipated Returns:
–“The Voice” March 25/26
–“Revolution” March 25
–“The Biggest Loser” January 6/7
–“Smash” February 5
–“Community” February 7
–“The Celebrity Apprentice” March 3
–“Betty White’s Off Their Rockers” January 8 [16]

Sources:

1.) NBC Universal History http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/about-us/history/

2.) Atlantic Magazine, “Comcast Buys GE Stake in NBCUniversal, Completing the ’30 Rock’ Prophecy.” http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/02/comcast-buys-ge-stake-nbcuniversal-completing-30-rock-prophecy/62069/

3.) NBC Universal Senior Corporate Executives: Stephen B. Burke http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/senior-corporate-executives/nbc-universal/stephen-b-burke/

4.) NBC Universal Senior Corporate Executives: Matt Bond http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/senior-corporate-executives/nbc-universal/matt-bond/

5.) NBC Universal Senior Corporate Executives: Patricia Fili-Krushel http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/senior-corporate-executives/nbc-universal/patricia-fili-krushel/

6.) NBC Universal Senior Corporate Executives: Robert Greenblatt http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/senior-corporate-executives/nbc-entertainment/robert-greenblatt/

7.) Columbia Journalism Review: Who Owns What, Comcast Corporation http://www.cjr.org/resources/?c=comcast

8.) Columbia Journalism Review: Who Owns What, Comcast Corporationhttp://www.cjr.org/resources/?c=comcast

9.) NBC Universal Annual Shareholder’s Report http://apps.shareholder.com/sec/viewerContent.aspx?companyid=cmcsa&docid=8430852

10.) Columbia Journalism Review: Who Owns What, Comcast Corporation http://www.cjr.org/resources/?c=comcast

11.) Columbia Journalism Review: Who Owns What, Comcast Corporation http://www.cjr.org/resources/?c=comcast

12.) Columbia Journalism Review: Who Owns What, Comcast Corporation http://www.cjr.org/resources/?c=comcast

13.) NBC Universal Annual Shareholder’s Report http://apps.shareholder.com/sec/viewerContent.aspx?companyid=cmcsa&docid=8430852

14.) Columbia Journalism Review: Who Owns What, Comcast http://www.cjr.org/resources/?c=comcast

15.) Columbia Journalism Review: Who Owns What, Comcast http://www.cjr.org/resources/?c=comcast

16.) NBC Reveals Changes for Mid-Season 2013 http://www.nbc.com/news/2012/10/30/nbc-reveals-changes-for-mid-season-2013/

Production

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Jennifer Pittz

by Jennifer Pittz

In the beginning stages of television production, programs were produced by television stations, by one of the three big networks, or by motion picture studios. By the 1970s, a portable video camera and other production equipment were made available and television production has continued to evolve since [1]. Technological advancements in television production have helped to reduce costs, create time efficiency, and keep up with the demand for exciting television.

Recent Changes in Production

Television production continues to go through constant changes as technology progresses. Production equipment is now mobile, lighter, digital, and offers more creative features. Production locations are primarily in big metropolitan cities like New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and Chicago. Production is an aspect of the television business that must stay up-to-date with technological developments and current economic activity to stay competitive and maintain cost efficiency.

Production Houses Migrating out of L.A.

Practically all production companies and broadcasting stations own at least one on site studio or a production house. Studios can be used for several purposes including news production, creating local commercials, public affairs programming, and talk shows. The majority of production houses are located on the West Coast, typically in Los Angeles. Since the 1980s, when Twentieth Century FOX established the FOX Network, L.A. quickly transformed into the production capital of the world [5]. A couple years later Paramount, Warner Brothers, and Disney followed. The talent of the cast and crews, the industry resources, diverse locations, and constant weather help to keep L.A. the primary area for production [2].

However, the television industry is constantly changing to stay cost effective and many production companies are migrating to other locations. Production in Los Angeles County has lost over 16,000 jobs sine 2004 because of work migrating out of the state [3]. California was not competitive with other states despite the favorable environment it offers.The state’s lack of offering competing tax incentives as well as the current program on its way to an end has driven production out of the hub. During this same time frame New York, North Carolina, New Mexico, Georgia, and Louisiana have added thousands of jobs because of new film tax credits. Production of pilot programs for broadcast and cable networks have been mounting outside the state, making L.A. take only half of the pie in 2011 [6].

However, September 30, 2012 Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed the Assembly Bill 2026 and Senate Bill 1197 to extend government funding for California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program. Governor Brown signed the state on for a new two-year, $200 million extension to the existing bill that was due to expire at the end of next year. The new bill will be offered through the 2016-2017 fiscal years [4]. The new bill is positive for productions that are currently in the works or productions that will end by 2016-2017. The bill was overwhelmingly supported by the state Assembly and the Senate. California offers a 20 percent to 25 percent tax credit towards production costs to offset business tax liabilities but compared to what other states offer the bill appears to be limited and not competitive [7]. But for upcoming and long-term productions, the bill does not encourage the film and television industry to stay.

Hurricane Sandy’s Impact on Production

Since production crews have recently relocated to new locations, the East Coast became a popular place to set up equipment. New York City has always been known as a television hub, but has lately flourished in the absence of L.A. production. In May of 2012, the Boston Consulting Group released a study recognizing New York City’s film sector is the strongest in its history. In 2011 it generated $7.1 billion and increase in over $2 billion since 2002 [9].

After Hurricane Sandy touched down and made land fall October 30 of this year, production throughout the North East came to a halt and was postponed. New York City officials announced that all film permits were to be revoked October 29 and October 30 for Hurricane Sandy precautions [10]. At least nine television shows were hurt by the shutdown including “Blue Bloods” (CBS), “Elementary” (CBS), “Gossip Girl” (CW), “Person of Interest” (CBS), “666 Park Avenue” (ABC) and “The Following” (Fox). Without the production of these new television shows, networks were forced to preempt other shows and shuffle around television programming for the week.

Late night talk shows, morning shows, and news stations were forced to figure out ways to get their shows on the air despite the natural disaster. Several talk shows also cancelled television production during the disaster and its aftermath including “Katie,” “The Colbert Report,” and “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” [10]. “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” which normally is filmed in L.A., was set for production for a special “Jimmy Kimmel Live from Brooklyn” in New York [10]. “The Colbert Report” and “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” filmed their shows despite missing the studio audience [8]. “Jimmy Kimmel Live from Brooklyn,” was not filmed according to plan. Morning news shows were able to go on for air but were forced to remain inside. ABC’s “Good Morning America,” NBC’s “Today Show” and “CBS This Morning” aired live Tuesday with extensive storm coverage [13].

Other production problems that came with Hurricane Sandy include getting enough news station crews out safely to shoot video and report for air. Stations were forced to be innovative and use the most of technology and social media with limited resources. In order to keep up with breaking news and current updates, CBS sent out its own mobile SUV weather lab to measure wind and rain [15]. Reporters also turned to citizen journalism by means of social media to get video and pictures on the scene. More equipment and labor are needed in order to cover a massive event at different locations and different news angles. CBS sent reporters and equipment from as far as Minneapolis and Dallas to help stations hit by the super storm on the East Coast [15].

Sources

1. Howard J. Blumenthal and Oliver R. Goodenough, The Business of Television, 2006.

2. http://www.resource411.com/content/?pageID=1013

3. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-laedc-report-20121116,0,3320485.story

4. http://www.film.ca.gov/Incentives.htm

5. Dominick, Joseph R., Sherman, Barry L., & Messere, Fritz. (2000). Broadcasting, Cable, The Internet, and Beyond, 4th Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill.

6. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/California-runaway-production-tax-incentive-337952

7. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/30/entertainment/la-et-ct-state-film-tax-credit-20120930

8. http://thecomicscomic.com/2012/10/30/late-night-with-jimmy-fallon-the-no-audience-hurricane-sandy-edition/

9. http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/statistics/stats.shtml

10. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/29/entertainment/la-et-ct-storm-production-20121029

11. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jimmy-kimmel-cancels-monday-brooklyn-384033

12. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/jimmy-kimmel-brooklyn-show-canceled-hurricane-sandy_n_2038338.html

13. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/31/superstorm-sandy-aftermath-nyc-entrtainmen_n_2048791.html

14. http://www.deadline.com/2012/07/tv-production-takes-another-big-hit-says-filml-a/

15. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/490148/Stations_Improvise_to_Cover_Massive_Sandy.php