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TV News Reporting and Production MCM 516

LESSON 42

NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS

THE PROGRAMMING & SCHEDULING

Getting TV programme on the air

At the local level, the biggest effort at a TV station goes into the newscast. Almost every station has a

studio that contains a set for one or two anchor-people, a weather forecaster and a sports-caster. The

stations news director assigns stories to reporters and camera crews, who travel to the scene of a

story to videotape a report.

Back at the station, the newscast producer and the news director are planning what stories to air and

allotting time to each. In the meantime, the camera crews and reporters return; the reporters write

copy and editors prepare videotapes segments. When the final script is finished (this may be only a few

minutes before airtime), it is given to director, who is responsible for pulling everything together and

putting the newscast on the air.

In addition to the news, the local station might also produce one or two interview programmes. Some

stations produce a magazine programme consisting of segments videotaped on location by portable

equipment and later edited into final form. Aside from these kind of shows, most local stations do little

other productions.

Because they are responsible for filling the hours when the biggest audience is watching (called prime

time, 8-11 pm generally), the network must pay special attention to cultivate news shows. For the

moment, let's concentrate on how a prime time series is produced.

Everything starts with an idea. Network executives receive hundreds of ideas every year; some come

from independent producers, some from TV departments of motion pictures companies, some from

network employees and a good many from the amateurs hoping for a break through. From this mass of

ideas the networks select perhaps 50-75, usually submitted by the established producers or companies

for further attention.

After examining plot outlines and the background sketches of the leading characters for these ideas that

survive, the networks request a sample script and a list of possible stories that could be turned into

scripts. If the idea still looks promising, the networks and producers enter into a contract for a pilot

programme, the first episode of a series.

In a typical year, perhaps 25 pilots are ordered by the each network. If the pilot show gains a respectable

audience, the network may order next sex episodes to be produced and my place programme on its fall

schedule. From the hundreds of the ideas that are sent to the network, only a few ever make it to prime

time.

The process does not stop with a fall season. If a programme does well in the ratings, the network will

order enough episodes for the rest of the season. If the show does not do well, it will be cancelled and

another show will replace it. Meanwhile, network executives are sifting and sorting through the

hundreds of programmes for the next season and the cycle begins once again.

TV broadcast programming

Broadcast programming, or scheduling, is the practice of organizing television programs in a daily,

weekly, or season-long schedule. Modern TV broadcasters regularly change the scheduling of their

programs to build an audience for a new show, retain that audience, or compete with other broadcasters'

programs.

Television scheduling strategies are employed to give programs the best possible chance of attracting

and retaining an audience. They are used to deliver programs to audiences when they are most likely to

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TV News Reporting and Production MCM 516

want to watch them and deliver audiences to advertisers in the composition that makes their advertising

most likely to be effective.

At a micro level, scheduling is the minute planning of the transmission; what to broadcast and when,

ensuring that every second of airtime is covered.

Scheduling strategies

Day-parting

Theme-ing

Stripping

Stacking

Counter-programming

Bridging

Tent-poling

Hammock-ing

Cross-programming

Day-parting

In TV broadcasting, day-parting is the practice of dividing the day into several parts, during each of

which a different type of television programming appropriate for that time is aired. Programs are most

often geared toward a particular demographic, and what the target audience typically engages in at that

time.

Theme-ing

It is, having a special theme-night on some particular occasion.

Stripping

Stripping is running a syndicated television series every day of the week. It is commonly restricted to

describing the airing of shows which were weekly in their first run.

Stacking

Stacking is a technique used to develop audience flow by grouping together programs with similar

appeals to "sweep" the viewer along from one program to the next.

Counter-programming

Counter-programming is used when a time period is filled with a program whose appeal is different

from the opponent program because it is a different genre or appeals to a different demographic.

Bridging

Bridging is being used when a station tries to prevent the audience from changing channels during a

junction point - the main evening breaks where all channels stop programs and shift gear. This is

achieved in a number of ways including: having a program already underway and something compelling

happening at a junction point, running a program late so that people `hang around' and miss the start of

other programs, or advertising the next program during the credits of the previous.

Tent-poling

In tent pole programming, the programmers bank on a well-known series having so much audience

appeal that they can place two unknown series on either side, and it is the strength of the central

program that will bring the others along to victory.

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Hammock-ing

A technique used by TV broadcasters whereby an unpopular program is scheduled between two popular

ones in the hope that viewers will watch it. Public-service broadcasters use this as a way of promoting

serious but valuable content.

Cross-programming

Cross-programming involves the interconnection of two shows. This is achieved by dragging a storyline

over two episodes of two different programs.

Programming

Getting TV programming shown to the public can happen in many different ways. After production the

next step is to market and deliver the product to whatever markets are open to using it.

This typically happens on two levels:

Original Run or First Run a producer creates a program of one or multiple episodes and shows it on

a station or network which has either paid for the production itself or to which a license has been

granted by the producers to do the same.

Syndication this is the terminology rather broadly used to describe secondary programming usages

(beyond original run). It includes secondary runs in the country of first issue, but also international

usage which may or may not be managed by the originating producer.

In many cases other companies, TV stations or individuals are engaged to do the syndication work, in

other words to sell the product into the markets they are allowed to sell into by contract from the

services, but few domestically produced programs are syndicated on domestic FTA elsewhere.

This practice is increasing however, generally on digital-only FTA channels, or with subscriber-only

first run material appearing on FTA. Unlike the repeat FTA screenings of a FTA network program

almost only occur on that network. Also, Affiliates rarely buy or produce non-network programming

that is not centred on local events.

Funding

Around the globe, broadcast television is financed by either advertising, a TV licensing (a form of tax)

or by subscription. To protect revenues, subscription TV channels are usually encrypted or encoded to

ensure that only subscription payers receive the decryption codes or decoding to see the signal. Non-

encrypted channels are known as Free to Air or FTA.

Television genres

Television genres include a broad range of programming types that entertain, inform, and educate

viewers. The most expensive entertainment genres to produce are usually drama and dramatic

miniseries. However, other genres, such as historical genres, may also have high production costs.

Popular entertainment genres include action-oriented shows such as crime, detective dramas, horror

or thriller shows. As well, there are also other variants of the drama genre, such as daytime soap

operas. Sci-fi (Science fiction) shows can fall into either the drama category or the action category,

depending on whether they emphasize philosophical questions or high adventure. Comedy is a popular

genre which includes sitcoms (Situation Comedy) and animated shows.

The least expensive forms of entertainment programming are game shows, talk shows, variety shows,

and reality TV. Game shows show contestants answering questions and solving puzzles to win prizes.

Talk shows feature interviews with film, television and music celebrities and public figures.

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Variety shows feature a range of musical performers and other entertainers such as comedians and

magicians introduced by a host or Master of Ceremonies. There is some crossover between some talk

shows and variety shows, because leading talk shows often feature performances by bands, singers,

comedians, and other performers in between the interview segments.

Reality TV shows show "regular" people (i.e., not actors) who are facing unusual challenges or

experiences, ranging from arrest by police officers to weight loss. A variant version of reality shows

depicts celebrities doing mundane activities such as going about their everyday life or doing manual

labour jobs.

One of the television genres, the children's and youth genre is defined by the audience, rather than by

the content of the programming. Children's programming includes animated programs aimed at the child

demographic, documentaries for children, and music/variety shows targeted at kids. There is overlap

between the children's/youth genre and other genres, such as the educational genre.

Social aspects of television

Television has played a pivotal role in the socialization of the 20th and 21st centuries.

There are many social aspects of television that can be addressed, including:

Positive effects

Negative effects

Gender and television

Politics and television

Socializing children

Technology trends

Suitability for audience

Alleged dangers

Propaganda delivery

Educational advantages

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