The Dovekeepers is an original four hour miniseries for CBS produced by husband and wife team Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. The gripping tale details the lives of three women, Shirah (Cote De Pablo), Yael (Rachel Broshanan) and Aziza (Kathryn Prescott) whose stories and lives are tightly wound together through the siege of Masada in 70 AD. The series was based on a novel by the same title by Alice Hoffman, which was originally released in 2011. During the CBS winter TCA event producer Roma Downey said “At its heart, ‘Dovekeepers’ is a love story…there is tragedy, of course, but at its heartbeat, there is beauty and hope.” The series will air in a two night event March 31 and April 1 on CBS at 9pm following it’s juggernaut, NCIS.
Tag Archives: Television
Allegiance Week Three
“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
Secrets and Lies – Post 2
The countdown to the premier of “Secrets and Lies” is just over a week away. As the date nears the publicity the show has received has increased. In many ways the show appears to be an experiment. The story is told almost entirely from the perspective of Ben Crawford, who is accused or murder. Some critics suggest that the character is in almost every seen. While shows in the passed have centered around one character (consider the likes of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and the “George Lopez” show), this murder mystery will be a new challenge. Murder mysteries often encompass multiple people and many details. I am interested to see how the show develops its plot and tries to fill in blanks before viewers become too confused to watch.
The Slap Premieres
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
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.
ABC Television Network
by Macy Jenkins
History
The American Broadcasting Company began in 1943, after previously operating as the NBC Blue Radio Network. The first television broadcast was in 1948. In 1996, The Walt Disney Company bought ABC, which is now a part of the Disney-ABC Television Group. Corporate headquarters and network news are based in New York City, while programming is based in Burbank, California.
The Players
Source: disneylandtraveler.blogspot.com
.
Bob Iger
Chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company.
Iger began his career at ABC in 1974. Most recently, he acquired Pixar (2006) and Marvel (2009). He directed the merger between Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. and The Walt Disney Company. [1]
Source: Womensconference.org
Anne Sweeney
Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks; President, Disney/ABC Television Group.
Sweeney oversees ABC Studios, the ABC Owned Television Stations Group, the ABC Television Network, Disney Channels Worldwide, ABC Family, SOAPnet, and A&E Television Networks.
Source: disneyabctv.com
Kevin Brockman
Executive Vice President, Global Communications, Disney/ABC Television Group.
Brockman oversees all corporate, news and entertainment communication efforts worldwide on behalf of the Disney/ABC Television Group.
Source: disneyabctv.com
Rebecca Campbell
President, ABC Owned Television Stations Group.
Campbell is responsible for the company’s eight local TV stations and their digital assets in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno.
First Quarter Report
The Walt Disney Company’s media networks (which include cable and broadcast stations) increased by 7% in 2012, ending with $5.1 billion in revenue. ABC Broadcasting revenue increased by 6% over the last year, going from $1.4 billion to $1.5 billion. This comes after broadcasting operating income increased by $36 million to $262 million in 2012. The increase in operating income was able to increase because of higher advertising revenues. The amount of online advertising increased, as did advertising rates. [2]
Ratings
Each of the broadcast networks has seen a decreased in ratings from last year. As of March 24th, ABC is in fourth place (after CBS, FOX, and NBC) with a 26-week season average of a 2.3 rating. ABC is down 8% from last season. Among total viewers, ABC’s 7.8 million is second only to CBS’ 12.1 million viewers (CBS had the Superbowl and the Grammy’s, while ABC’s main event was the Academy Awards). [3]
Source: nydailynews.com
On Sunday February 24th, 40 million people tuned in to watch Seth MacFarlane host the 85th Annual Academy Awards ceremony. It was the most watched Oscars since 2010. And this year’s saw 1 million more viewers than Billy Crystal’s 2012 ceremony. [4]
Primetime Programming
In January 2013, ABC had television’s number 1 scripted program for adults 18-49,
“Modern Family.” [5] Source: scottfeinberg.com
Top Rated Shows: Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Once Upon a Time, Dancing With the Stars, The Middle, The Bachelor, Castle, and 20/20.
On March 21, 2013, “Grey’s Anatomy” beat “American Idol” in the ratings for the first time. And ABC delivered its most-watched non-Oscar week since November during the week of March 18th. [6] Source: homeofthenutty.com
The Taste: The competitive reality cooking show premiered on Tuesday January 22, 2013. The eight-episode season consisted of auditions where the judges blindly tasted food and eventually eliminated teams to find the winner. The premiere earned a 4.0 rating but the spring finale raked in a mere 1.1. Critics say The Taste is simply a less exciting version of NBC’s The Voice. [7] [8]
Zero Hour: The drama premiered on Thursday February 14, 2013. It was the least-watched premiere for a scripted series in ABC’s history (1.3 rating/6.3 million viewers). Two weeks later, it was canceled. [9]
Red Widow: The drama premiered on Sunday March 3, 2013 and was picked up for eight episodes. It’s centered around a woman who discovered her husband’s secret business life after he is murdered. The premiere earned a 1.5 rating and it’s currently the lowest-rated show on the network. However, ABC hasn’t pulled the plug yet. [10]
Splash: The series premiered on Tuesday March 19, 2013 to an audience of 8.8 million and earned a 2.6 rating. It’s ABC’s highest-rated reality TV premiere in two years and the highest-rated reality TV premiere since The X Factor’s Fall 2011 premiere. [11]
Cast of “Splash”. Source: zap2it
How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life): The comedy premiered on Wednesday April 3, 2013. It stars Sarah Chalke as a divorced mother who moves back in with her hippie parents. The show premiered with a 2.9 rating. It airs after ABC’s #1 show, Modern Family. [12]
Source: Slant Magazine
(See the “How to Live with your parents…” trailer)
Family Tools: The comedy will premiere on Wednesday May 1, 2013 as a part of ABC’s Wednesday comedy line-up. The series is centered on a man who returns home from the army and has to take over his father’s hardware business. [13]
The only new shows from fall 2012 to escape cancellation (so far) have been Nashville, Malibu Country, and The Neighbors.
ABC Daytime
Daytime television as a whole is not what it once was. The soap opera era is over and only four traditional American soap operas remain on the air across all of the networks. Due to declining ratings, ABC canceled the long-running dramas All My Children in 2011 and One Life to Live in 2012. The sole survivor is General Hospital, which airs at 2pm.
Source: webpronews
The only other daytime programming the network offers is The View at 11am and The Chew at 1pm.
ABC News
ABC’s news programming includes World News with Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America, Nightline, Primetime, 20/20, and This Week with George Stephanopoulos.
Good Morning America was the number 1 morning program in total viewers and in the Adult 25-54 demographic during the fourth quarter of 2012. In fact, it marked the first time the program has won the Adult 25-54 demographic since 1994.
Source: Facebook
Nightline was the number 1 late-night program in total viewers and in the Adult 25-54 demo.
World News with Diane Sawyer beat CBS Evening News in fourth quarter ratings and saw its strongest fourth quarter performance since 2009.
Diane Sawyer has been with ABC News since 1989 and serves as the leading face of ABC’s News Department. Source: ABC News
Online and Mobile
![Election Night 2012 was the most streamed live event in the history of ABC News. [14] Source: Sun Times](https://bejone03.expressions.syr.edu/trf594/files/2013/04/election-night.jpg)
Election Night 2012 was the most streamed live event in the history of ABC News. [14] Source: Sun Times
ABC was the first network to offer a mobile app (released in april 2010). As of April 5th, the app had been downloaded 10 million times, there have been 200 million episode views and more than 1.3 billion ads run. [16]
ABC’s video player is the sixth most downloaded free iPad app of all time. Source: ABC
The Future
ABC still claims the number 1 scripted show, Modern Family, and has a large online presence. But overall, in the era of “blinkandyoumissit,” the major networks have no time to rest before they plot their next moves.
Sources
[1] “Robert A. Iger” http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about-disney/leadership/ceo/robert-iger
[2] “The Walt Disney Company Reports First Quarter Earnings For Fiscal 2013” http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/sites/default/files/press-releases/pdfs/q1-fy13-earnings.pdf
[3] “2012-2013 Season: CBS Leads Among Adults 18-49 & With Total Viewers Through Week 26 Ending March 24, 2013” http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/03/26/2012-2013-season-cbs-leads-among-adults-18-49-with-total-viewers-through-week-26-ending-march-24-2013/174970/
[4] “Seth MacFarlane-Hosted Oscars Watched By 40.3M, Up From 2012” http://www.deadline.com/2013/02/oscars-2013-tv-ratings-up-from-2012-abc-seth-macfarlane/
[5] “ABC The Only Major Net to Grow Year to Year” http://tvafterdarkonline.com/2013/01/abc-the-only-major-net-to-grow-year-to-year/
[6] “ABC Delivers Its Most-Watched Non-“Oscar” Week Since November” http://www.thefutoncritic.com/ratings/2013/03/26/abc-delivers-its-most-watched-non-oscar-week-since-november-209415/20130326abc02/
[7] “The Taste’s Two-Hour Premiere Earned Solid Ratings” http://eater.com/archives/2013/01/23/the-taste-wire.php
[8] “’The Taste’ Ends First Season With A Sad Whimper” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/14/the-taste_n_2876049.html
[9]” ‘Zero Hour’ Canceled: ABC Pulls Anthony Edwards Drama After Three Episodes” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/01/zero-hour-canceled_n_2794162.html
[10] “Red Widow: New ABC TV Series; Cancel or Keep It?” http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/red-widow-new-abc-tv-series-cancel-or-keep-it-27528/
[11] “Ratings: ABC Makes a Big Splash, Body of Proof Rises, Smash Dips, New Normal Drops” http://tvline.com/2013/03/20/ratings-abc-splash-premiere-ncis-la-spinoff/
[12] “’How to Live with Your Parents’ Opens Strong, ‘Modern Family’ is Wednesday’s Number 1 TV Show” http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/04/04/how-to-live-with-your-parents-opens-strong-modern-family-is-wednesdays-number-1-tv-show/176484/
[13] “’Family Tools’ Cut Down To 10 Episodes: ABC’s Midseason Comedy Affected By ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Schedule” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/10/family-tools-cut-down-to-10-episodes-abcs-midseason-comedy_n_2109980.html
[14] “ABC News surges into 2013 propelled by strong 4th quarter 2012 ratings.” http://www.cynopsis.com/files/8013/5759/7642/ABC_NEWS_SURGES_INTO_2013_PROPELLED_BY_STRONG_4TH_QUARTER_2012_RATINGS.pdf
[15] “It’s No April Fools Joke: ‘Taye Diggs Destroys Hip Hop’ on ABC.com/ABCdotcomedy – Video” http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/04/01/its-no-april-fools-joke-taye-diggs-destroys-hip-hop-on-abc-comabcdotcomedy-video/175843/
[16] “Disney/ABC App Downloaded 10 Million Times.” http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/197432/disneyabc-app-downloaded-10-million-times.html#axzz2PslnXpZl
Programming and Program Development
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
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]
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]
Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon
![Photo courtesy of Getty Images [8]](https://bejone03.expressions.syr.edu/trf594/files/2013/04/r-JAY-LENO-large5701.jpg)
Photo courtesy of Getty Images [8]
Courtesy by IMDB.com [10]
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]
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/
[8] http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1073388/thumbs/r-JAY-LENO-large570.jpg?9
[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
Fox Network, O&Os and Affiliates
by Thomas Staudt
Fox Television, owned by News Corp, is one of the “Big Four” television broadcasters in the United States, and also owns a wide portfolio of cable properties domestically. Fall 2012 was a busy time for many areas of the business.
Owned and Operated Stations
Fox Sells WUTB in Baltimore
FOX Agrees to Sell O&O WUTB in Baltimore [17]
On November 29, 2012, Sinclair exercised the option to purchase WUTB, paying an additional $2.7 million. Because Sinclair owns WBFF in Baltimore, the sale is between Fox Television corporate, and a third party Deerfield Communications, controlled by sole shareholder Stephen Mumblow. Sinclair will control the station through operations contracts with Deerfield. Sinclair will also owe an additional $25 million to Fox, unless Fox exercises an option to acquire certain stations from Sinclair’s current portfolio. WUTB is the third Sinclair controlled station in Baltimore, as they also control the CW station, WNUV, owned by Cunningham Broadcasting- which is owned by the children of Sinclair’s shareholders. [2]
Fox Owned and Operated Stations Receive Uniform Graphics and Music Update
The Fox owned and operated stations (17 stations) rolled out a uniform graphics update for locally produced programming during the first week of November, 2012. The changes are for show and segment openings, as well as lower third graphics. The Fox rectangular logo has largely been replaced with the Fox name, and appears with 3D and circular elements. The standard music package has also been slightly adjusted. Finally, Fox owned stations have standardized the practice of showing reporter’s Twitter handles, rather than email addresses under their name on air. [3]
[18]
Affiliates
WFFF Fox Burlington Sold to Nexstar
Nexstar Broadcasting Purchases WFFF [19]
While Burlington, VT is DMA 97, it is an important market because it reaches a substantial Canadian market not counted in its DMA size. This includes Montreal, a city with ten times more population than the entire Burlington DMA. Canadian cable operators carry WFFF in the southern Quebec province as their Fox station. [5]
4 Northwest Broadcasting Fox Stations Pulled From Dish Network
Northwest Broadcasting pulled four Fox affiliate stations off of Dish Network after retransmission renewal negotiations broke down on November 26, 2012 over a dispute about rate increases. The stations affected are WICZ in Binghamton, NY; KMVU in Medford, OR; KFFX in Yakima, WA; and KAYU in Spokane, WA. After months of negotiations, a deal could not be reached, and the signals went dark to Dish Network customers.
The impasse comes only two months after a long blackout of the same stations ended with Dish competitor DirectTV. The Northwest- DirectTV battle lasted for over 22 months, and at times was hostile. [6]
LIN FOX Stations Almost Pulled From Charter
LIN TV threatened to pull two other Fox affiliates, WNAC in Providence, RI and WLUK in Green Bay, WI off of Charter Communications cable platforms if increased retransmission rates were not agreed to by November 29, 2012. Charter claimed that LIN was demanding 150% increases in fees. [7] At the last moment before the stations were scheduled to go dark, the two sides reached a deal for undisclosed terms. [8]
Syndication
Fox O&O Stations Purchase Syndication Rights to Anger Management
Charlie Sheen stars in Anger Management on FX [20]
Fox O&Os Purchase Rights to Veteran’s Day Parade
The 2012 NYC Veteran’s Day Parade aired on Fox Stations [21]
Bethenny Frankel Daytime Show Picked up by Fox Owned Stations
Fox owned and operated stations have signed a syndication deal to air the daytime talk show Bethenny, hosted by former reality television star Bethenny Frankel, and executive produced by Ellen DeGeneres. The show was left for dead in 2012, after it failed to achieve Fall 2012 clearances, but Fox kept the show alive by airing it on six owned stations for a trial period of six weeks during the summer. The positive results gave enough of a sample and momentum for Warner Brothers Distribution to syndicate nationally in other markets. The show is expected to premiere in early 2013. [11]
Ownership
Fox Purchases Stake in YES to Assist Clearance
FOX Purchased 49% of YES [22]
Sports
Fox launches Saturday Night Football and Baseball
Erin Andrews Joined Fox to Anchor Sports Coverage [23]
Legal
Fox Denied in Suit Against Dish Network’s DVR
United States District Court ruled on November 29, 2012 against Fox Broadcasting in its attempt for an injunction against Dish Network’s advanced DVR and ad-skipping technology. The court found that Fox was not likely to succeed on the merits of copyright infringement against the DVR service, and that Fox had failed to show irreparable harm caused by the “quality assurance” ad-free copies made to show customers. [14]
Technology
Fox Joins with Dyle to bring Television to the iPad
Dyle Can Bring Television to the iPad [24]
Performance
1st Quarter Financial Data for News Corp.
News Corp’s 1st Quarter (July-Sept) financial data showed a slow start to the television year. Overall company revenues were up 2.2%, but operating income down .5% to $1.38 billion. The company reported higher than expected political advertising spending, and a more than doubling on average of retransmission rates, but also had a poor start to the network season ratings. The Fox broadcast network and owned and operated stations posted a 17.3% increase in operating income to $156 million, while Fox cable properties showed 23% increase in operating income to $953 million.
The scatter market was not robust as the company had hoped, and the Olympics siphoned off some potential revenue, but Fox is working towards its stated goal of a dual revenue stream of retransmission revenue and reverse affiliate compensation. A low- rated four game World Series and poor fall launches hurt the quarterly performance, but projections for the 2nd Quarter are more optimistic. [16]
References
- Malone, M. (2012, November 29). “Fox Selling WUTB to Deerfield Media for $2.7 Million”. Broadcasting and Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/490598Fox_Selling_WUTB_to_Deerfield_Media_for_2_7_Million.php
- Jessell, H. A. (2012, November 29). “Sinclair Makes it a Triopoly in Baltimore”. TV News Check. Retrieved from http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/63866/fox-sellingwutb-baltimore-to-deerfield-llc
- Newscast Studio. (2012, November 16). “Fox Owned Stations Roll Out Graphics Overhaul”. Newscast Studio. Retrieved from http://www.newscaststudio.com/blog/2012/11/16/fox-owned-stations-roll-out-graphics-overhaul/
- Knox, M. (2012, November 5). “Nexstar Acquires Stations in California, Vermont.” Media Bistro. Retrieved from http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/nexstar-acquires-stations-in-california-vermont_b68213
- TV NewsCheck. (2012, November 5). “Nexstar Adding Stations in Calif. and Vt.” TV News Check. Retrieved from http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/63324/nexstar-adding-stations-in-ca-vt
- Stiles, G. (2012, November 28). “New Battle for Northwest Broadcasting Inc”. Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved from http://www.opb.org/news/article/new-battle-for-northwestbroadcasting-inc/
- Donohue, S. (2012, November 20). “LIN TV Threatens to Pull CBS, NBC, Fox Stations from Charter Communications”. Fierce Cable. Retrieved from http://www.fiercecable.com/story/lin-tv-threatens-pull-cbs-nbc-fox-stations-charter-communications/2012-11-20
- Donohue, S. (2012, November 30). “Charter Signs Last-Minute Deal with LIN TV”. Fierce Cable. Retrieved from http://www.fiercecable.com/story/charter-signs-last-minute-retransdeal-lin-tv-still-no-directv-gannett-agre/2012-11-30
- Porter, R. (2012, October 31). “Charlie Sheen’s Anger Management Sold into Syndication, Which was Point All Along”. Zap 2 It. Retrieved from http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/10/charlie-sheens-anger-management-sold-into-syndication-which-was-the-point-all-along.html
- Wounded Warriors. (2012, November, 8). “New York City Veterans Day Parade to be Broadcast in 10 Major Markets”. Market Watch. Retrieved from http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-york-city-veterans-day-parade-to-be-broadcast-in-10-major-markets-2012-11-08
- Andreeva, N. (2012, September 24). “Bethenny Frankel’s Talk Show to Launch on Fox Stations in 2013”. Deadline. Retrieved from http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/bethenny-frankels-talk-show-to-launch-on-fox-stations-in-2013/
- Jannarone, J. (2012, November 20). “News Corp. to Buy 49% of YES Network”. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324851704578131030193577240.html
- Hiestand, M. (2012, November 4). “Saturday Nights: The Future of Big-Time TV Sports?” USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2012/11/04/michael-hiestand-television-college-football-ratings-dan-patrick-notre-dame-alabama-lsu/1681031/
- Davidson, S. (2012, November 29). “Federal district court refuses to enjoin DISH Network’s advanced DVR and ad-skipping services”. Lexology. Retrieved from http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=f124e36b-91d0-441b-a617-1adb5aa26470
- Kafka, P. (2012, November 19). “Dyle Brings Legal, Live TV to Your iPad, With Many Strings Attached”. All Things SD. Retrieved from http://allthingsd.com/20121119/dyle-brings-legal-live-tv-on-your-ipad-with-many-strings-attached/
- Messmer, J. (2012, November 6). “News Corp. Admits Soft Fall Start for Fox”. TV News Check. Retrieved from http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/63366/news-corp-admits-soft-fall-start-for-fox
- Image. “WUTB Logo”. WUTB. Retrieved from http://www.my24wutb.com/
- Video. “November 12, 2012- Fox 13 WHBQ”. Newscast Studio. Retrieved from: http://www.newscaststudio.com/blog/2012/11/16/fox-owned-stations-roll-out-graphics-overhaul/
- Image. “Nexstar Logo”. Logos Wikia. Retrieved from www.logos.wikia.com
- Image. “Anger Management”. TMZ. Retrieved from http://www.tmz.com/category/anger-management/
- Image. “NYC Veterans Day Parade 2012 Logo”. Wounded Warrior Project. Retrieved from http://www.vetsday.org
- Image. “YES Network Logo”. SNY Networks. Retrieved from http://snynets.com/nets/nets-already-helping-yes-network-grow/
- Image. “Erin Andrews.” Daily Glow. Retrieved from http://www.dailyglow.com/beauty-news/erin-andrews-shares-her-best-beauty-tips-for-game-day.html
- Image. “Dyle”. Dyle TV. Retrieved from http://www.dyle.tv/devices/elgato-eyetv-mobile-tv-tuner/
Broader Definition of Television
by Giancarlo Rulli
The “Fiscal Cliff” and the Future of Public Television in the U.S.
If we don’t have an informed electorate we don’t have a democracy. So I don’t care how people get the information, as long as they get it. I’m just doing it my particular way and I feel lucky I can do it the way I want to do it. – Jim Lehrer
Jim Lehrer (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
The so-called upcoming “fiscal cliff” on Capitol Hill once again has the annual government funds allotted to public television once again in the cross-heirs. Last year, the U.S. spent 430 million dollars to support the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, also known as the CPB. These funds which represented a mere .00012 percent of the 2011 federal budget, were spread across several public broadcasting platforms including PBS, NPR and other various public stations (Bingham, 2012). But that hasn’t kept PBS out of the political spotlight throughout this hotly contested election year. In the first presidential debate, Republican nominee Mitt Romney told moderator Jim Lehrer, “I’m sorry Jim, I’m going to stop the subsidy to PBS. I like PBS, I actually love Big Bird. I like you too, but I’m not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for.” Lehrer, a longtime newsman and host of PBS’s arguably most well known news show “Newshour,” chose not to respond to the former Massachusetts Governor’s criticism. At the time, Romney’s vice presidential pick, Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI), was also a outspoken critic of federal funding for PBS. The Wisconsin Congressman had put provisions in his controversial 2010 budget plan, “The Ryan Budget,” to strip congressional funds to the CPB.
This recent push by House Republicans to strip federal money to public media comes at a very tough time for PBS because not only is PBS under the budget microscope in Congress, but also has received less private donations in recent years. According to the CPB, “between 2008 and 2009, non-federal support of public television stations fell by $260 million nationwide. In addition, for the past several years, Congressional funding has remained relatively flat, at about $400 million a year. For 2010, public radio and TV stations surveyed by CPB projected a 14 percent drop in revenue, due to state cutbacks and declines in corporate and philanthropic support and viewer pledges.” So the question arises, is public television worth the money?
“American” Trust
According to the vast majority of Americans, the answer is yes. In fact, 74 percent of American’s feel that the money PBS receives from the government, corporations, and individuals is well spent. According to a study published this February by Harris Interactive Trust QuickQuerry, PBS ranks number one in public trust at 26 percent. That far surpasses the second place finisher, the U.S. judicial system, which ranks at just 13 percent. The obvious next question arises, why do Americans feel they are receiving trustworthy news and information from their national and locally affiliated PBS stations? The prestigious Columbia Journalism Review stated that PBS and public media are, “held up as the potential savior of serious journalism, the place with the potential to tackle the tough topics—complicated revolutions in Arab lands and zoning board shenanigans alike—that an informed citizenry needs to function.” Bill Kling, the former president and chief executive of American Public Media, says public broadcasting will eventually be “the last journalism standing,” (Jensen – 2011).
History of Budget Threats
From a historical standpoint, this isn’t the first time PBS and public media have been under fire from conservatives. During the 1970’s, members of the Nixon Administration “were dismayed” with the newly introduced network because of a “perceived liberal bias in news and information programs,” (Blumenthal-Goodenough, 2006). As a result, the growth of PBS was temporarily halted due to actions taken by the Administration and Congress to veto funding measures. These early actions aimed to stymie PBS ended up making it a “membership organization, funded largely by dues paid by locally owned and operated member stations,” (Blumenthal-Goodenough, 2006). With PBS becoming locally owned and operated, problems continue to this day on how public television structure their news and information. According to a recent Aspen Institute Study, “PBS’s national news and information programs are not produced by a single entity but by production companies or member stations in Washington, New York, Boston and Miami for distribution to other stations. Up to now, this has made it more difficult for the program producers to coordinate their efforts and bring their collective strengths to bear on major news stories such as elections or the economic crisis,” (Everhart, 2010).
PBS’ Bill Moyers (AP Photo/Ric Francis)
The Future
In conclusion, public television has the ability to play a important role in meeting the information needs of local communities. In order to survive long into the future however, public television will still need to require outside funding both on the federal and philanthropic level. It will also take collective leadership within PBS to embrace and utilize ever-expanding digital platforms. Signs of this transformation are slowing taking root in public television as this April, “NewsHour…quietly began streaming its newscast online live, for free, on ustream.tv,” (Jensen, 2011). Another recent example of PBS embracing online digital content was when “NewsHour” created the “oil widget,” which allowed people to view “an embeddable player that showed BP footage of the Gulf oil leak with a variety of counters that the user could select from to calculate how much oil was flowing. The oil widget went viral, with 12 million page views by the end of June, and was embedded on 6,000 web pages, (Jensen – 2011). As a direct result, the Columbia Journalism review points out “NewsHour” website traffic in the summer of 2010 ran “40 percent above the previous year,” (Jensen – 2011). This example of remarkable growth is something the PBS will continue to need to capitalize upon in the future. The fact remains, PBS can succeed in a rapidly changing digital age by fully embracing it instead of shunning new ways people access the news and media content. By building on existing strengths that has kept PBS going for decades, nurturing creativity, and developing a strong leadership strutter, public television can modify itself into public media service that meet the needs of the American people.
Works Cited:
1) Bingham, A. (2012, October 4). Mitt romney can’t roast big bird with pbs cuts. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/10/fact-check-mitt-romneys-pbs-cuts-wont-fire-big-bird/
2) Blumenthal, H., & Goodenough, R. (2006). The business of television. New York, NY: Billboard Books.
3) Corporation for public broadcasting. Retrieved from http://www.cpb.org/
4) Everhart, K. (2010, December 13). Knight advisors urge reboot of public broadcasting . Retrieved from http://www.current.org/wp-content/themes/current/archive-site/news/news1023knight-cochran.shtml
5) Francis, R. (2002, January 1). People moyers. MOYERS PHOTO
6) Harris interactive poll charts. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/about/news/archive/2012/pbs-most-trusted/. CHART PHOTOS
7) Jensen, E. (2011, July-August). Big bird to the rescue?. Retrieved from http://www.cjr.org/cover_story/big_bird_to_the_rescue.php?page=all
8) Neibergall, C. (2012, October 1). Presidential debate. LEHRER PHOTO
9) Paletta, D. (2012, August 11). What is the ‘ryan budget’?. Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/08/11/what-is-the-ryan-budget/
10) Pbs newshour. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/
11) WSJDigitalNetwork. (2012, October 3). Mitt romney loves big bird-presidential debate. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilv3VLIGJzE