1.) In what ways and why is TV today so diverse?

 

How We Got Here: The Birth of Broadcast TV:

2.) What steps had to be taken before television could become a commercial mass medium?

 

3.) What are major elements of the broadcast model?

 

4.) What are the keys differences between three-camera live and one-camera film systems of TV production?

 

The Network Era: The Big Three Dominate TV:

5.) How did the Big Three networks take control of programming?

 

6.) How did networks' pursuit of efficiency and predictable profits influence the development of TV programming?

 

7.) What concerns did critics have about the path TV was taking in the early 1960s, and how did the networks respond?

 

The Post-Network Era: Competition Heats up:

8.) How and why did FCC try to protect broadcast TV form cable?

 

9.) How did satellite distribution change the cable industry?

 

10.) Why did Hollywood studios like Warner Brothers launch their own television networks in 1980s and 1990s?

11.) What is the quality audience, and what role did it play in the increase of gay content on network TV in the 1990s?

 

12.) What factors helped fuel the rise of reality TV series?

 

 

Our Digital Era and the Business of TV:

13.) What role did the Telecommunications Act of 1996 play in the shift to the digital era?

 

14.) How does TV viewing in the digital era differ from previous periods?

 

15.) What are the primary revenue models used by content delivery services, and how do they influence program development?

 

16.) Why has there been a record level of original TV content production?

 

17.) Why are programs from TV's past eras important in today's industry?

 

18.) How are the emergence of digital technologies and websites like YouTube and TikTok changing television?

 

Television and Democracy:

19.) How has television's cultural role changed over the years?

 

QUESTIONING THE MEDIA (QTM): Answer ONE of these questions--your choice:

Use these critical-thinking questions to reflect on your own experiences with media and apply your understanding of media concepts.

 

1.) How much television do you watch today? How has technology influenced your current viewing habits?

 

2.) If you were an executive at a content delivery service, what changes would you make to today's programs and how they are delivered in order to respond to young viewer's habits?

 

3.) Do you think must-carry rules violate a cable company's First Amendment rights? Why or Why not?

 

4.) How do you think new technologies will further change TV viewing habits?

 

5.) How could television be used to improve our political life?