Intro to Media Studies Exam 2

The percent of households that have TV in 1948

1%

Percent of households that have TV in 1953

more than 50%

Percent of households that have TV by the early 1960s

more than 90%

Device used in early TVs a vacuum tube that uses a beam of electrons to create images on a phosphorescent screen. An electron gun at the back of the tube heats a cathode, which emits electrons. These electrons are focused into a beam, accelerated, and directed by deflection coils to scan across the screen.

Cathode Ray Tube

Early TVs displayed information from places far away via this process

encoding from a transmission point (broadcast station) and decoding at a reception point (TV set)

invented iconocscope, which converted light rays into electrical signals; key to the invention of television

Vladamir Zworkykin

man who broadcast the first ever TV signal with an all electronic system

Philo Farnsworth

In the 1930s, the National Television Systems Committee, along with the FCC, adapts this for all U.S. TV sets in the United States

an analog standard

What becomes the standard in and in what year when sales of this type of television increase

color television, 1966

The United States switched to this in 2009; required all station to switch from analog which cost stations a lot of money

the digital signal standard

One analog signal can carry this amount of digital signals

8 or 9

differing signals; one is made up of continuous waves with infinite values within a range, while the other is made up of discrete, representing information as a series of binary 0s and 1s

analog vs. digital signals

this is how advertising originally worked in television

television was sponsored by a single entity; one ad per program

after the initial one ad per program, executives increased show length from what to what

15 to 30 minutes or longer

NBC introduced the Today Show in what year and how long was it

1952; 3 hours

NBC introduced the Tonight Show in what year and how long was it

1954; 90 minutes

change in the 1950s in which single sponsorship switched to this — many ads within a show

spot ads

standalone, single-event television broadcasts that temporarily interrupt regular programming

television spectaculars and specials

one of the quiz show scandals — show sponsored by revlon that prepped contestants and choreographed outcomes to make for better television

1955 $64,000 question

another quiz show scandal in which a particular contestant was given answers to make him a star

Twenty One and Charles Van Doren

this tv show episode attracted the highest audience ever recorded on February 28, 1983, pulling in 106 million viewers

the final episode of mash; goodbye, farewell, and amen

harmed sponsors ability to dictate programming; undermined american expectation of democratic potential of television; magnified the difference between high and low culture attitudes towards television

aftermath of the quiz show scandals

the era in which three main networks (CBS, NBC ABC) controlled 95% of prime time TV. Eventually dropped to 40% in 2012

the network era

technology that developed in the 1940s for areas that had blocked reception due to tall mountains. was essentially cable before cable became widespread. Had the advantage of decreased interference and increased channel capacity

CATV

occurred in the 1960s; allowed for greater reach and clarity of signals. The first commercially launched U.S. domestic communications satellite system was this

the launch of domestic communication satellites; the United States Westar in 1974

the first cable network to use satellites

HBO (1975)

man who was the first to use satellites to distribute content nationally; founded this station in 1976 which was the first local station to be retransmitted nationally

Ted Turner and WTBS

percent of homes that had cable in 1977 and 1985. Cable surpasses broadcast broadcast television in what year

14%;46%;1997

making programs available to a niche audience rather than a broad audience; enabled/perfected by cable

narrowcasting

the lowest tier subscription package to cable. Often included local broadcast channels; access channels; PBS; variety of specialty channels such as MTV, ESPN,CNN, Bravo, Nickelodeon, Disney; superstations such as WGN in Chicago, and others

basic cable

stations available to the entire country. Examples include WGN in Chicago, and big stations out of NYC.

superstations

cable providers pay each of the channels between

$4 to a couple cents per subscriber

average cost of cable nowadays is between

$70 and $90 a month

the original promise of cable, much like streaming, was

no ads

a higher tier of cable that that offers a wider array of channels. Cable providers pay between $4 to $6 per subscriber per month. It has the allure of unique, high production value programs and no commercials. It is pay per view and offers video on demand

premium cable services

television service initially created for remote areas that were not accessible by cable, but eventually competed directly with cable. it was often cheaper than cable but had drawbacks such as weather interference. originally had these two services, which have since combined to compete with streaming

direct broadcast satellite; direcTV and dish

the switch to streaming services; get content directly from the producer of the content rather than through a cable provider. many streaming services have started to partner into bundles to entice customers

cord cutting

how have time shifting viewing habits changed over time

VCR (1976); DVD (1990s); internet streaming, DVR, blue ray (today)

the convergence of internet and TV coverage. cinema is first, TV is second, and the personal computer and mobile devices are now considered the , which has effectively created the untethered customer

thirdscreen and fourth screen.

television format that centers on a recurring cast of characters in a consistent, everyday setting such as a home, workplace, or bar. The humor primarily arises from the characters' reactions to various situations presented in each episode.

situation comedy (sitcom)

examples of sitcoms

the mary tyler moore show (1970-77), I am Mr. Ed (1961-66), I love lucy (1951-57), the simpsons

TV format/genre comprised of a series of short, self-contained comedic scenes, or sketches, typically ranging from one to ten minutes in length

sketch comedy

examples of sketch comedy

SNL (1975), (kind of) Late Night with David Letterman, Key & Peele

TV format/genre where each episode or season tells a self-contained story with a new cast and plot, unlike traditional series with recurring characters

anthology drama

examples of anthology dramas

the twilight zone, black mirror, american horror story

Recurring characters, new conflict each episode, and no requirement to watch in order. Most classic TV comedies, procedurals, and early adventure shows fit here.

episodic chapter show

examples of episodic chapter show

spongebob, star trek: the next generation, the office

A long-form story broken into episodes with continuity, evolving characters, and ordered arcs.

episodic serial program

examples of episodic serial programs

twin peaks, breaking bad, stranger things

Delivered by

network news

broadcast TV networks

, generally free over-the-air, national reach, traditional news desk delivery.

examples of network news

CBS news, NBC news, ABC news

A 24-hour

cable news

television news format distributed through cable/satellite

, heavy punditry and political discussion (depending on channel), not over-the-air broadcast.

examples of cable news

CNN, Fox News, MSNBC

Unscripted or

reality tv

lightly produced real-world formats

featuring

non-actors

, documenting situations, competitions, lifestyles, or social experiments. Continuity depends on the subtype (competition, docu-reality, social, etc.)

examples of reality tv

survivor, big brother, love island

regulations requiring cable and satellite TV providers to carry local broadcast television stations. Instituted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure the viability of local stations against competition, these rules ensure viewers have access to local news, weather, and other community-focused programming

Must carry rules

a landmark U.S. law that deregulated the telecommunications market to promote competition and innovation. Its main provisions included allowing companies to enter new markets, requiring local exchange carriers to lease their networks to competitors, mandating interoperability between networks, and updating regulations for media ownership and the internet. impacted television by

telecommunications act of 1996

raising national ownership caps

, which led to major

media consolidation

and a subsequent reduction in the diversity of content and local programming

the process by which producers lease the right to air a program to local TV stations, cable channels, and streaming services.

syndication

the sale of reruns of a television show that has already completed its original run on a broadcast network to local stations or cable channels. impacted television by raising national ownership caps, which led to major media consolidation and a subsequent reduction in the diversity of content and local programming

off network syndication

Anthology sci-fi drama.

The Twilight Zone

Each episode tells a standalone story exploring psychology, morality, society, and the uncanny, often with a twist ending that reflects real-world fears and human behavior.

Children’s educational series (anthology + sketch-structured segments).

Sesame Street

Uses short ensemble scenes, recurring characters, and reset-format sketches to teach literacy, numeracy, and social lessons through humor, music, and puppetry.

Classic sitcom.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Follows Mary Richards, a single Minneapolis TV producer, balancing career, independence, friendships, and workplace comedy as she navigates life with charm, optimism, and wit.

Episodic comedy-drama (sitcom-adjacent in early seasons).

Mash

Set in a mobile army hospital during the Korean War, it blends dark humor, character-driven stories, and emotional episodes highlighting trauma, coping, and humanity in wartime.

Late-night talk show including sketch comedy bits.

Late Night with David Letterman

Combines interviews, comedy segments, remote comedic sketches, satirical lists, and absurdist humor to present offbeat cultural commentary and entertainment.

Syndicated episodic talk/news-adjacent show.

The Oprah Winfrey Show

Featured interviews, cultural stories, self-help segments, and social issues, shaping national conversations through personal storytelling, celebrity guests, and human-interest featur

Animated episodic sitcom.

The Simpsons

A satirical comedy about a working-class family in Springfield, using humor to critique society, pop culture, politics, and everyday American life.

Serialized episodic mystery drama (continuous story).

Twin Peaks

A surreal investigation into a small-town murder, blending crime, supernatural symbolism, emotional subplots, and dreamlike storytelling.

Serialized crime drama. Follows Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss balancing organized crime and family life, exploring identity, mental health, loyalty, and moral ambiguity.

The Sopranos

Serialized family dramedy.

The Gilmore Girls

Character-driven, dialogue-heavy story about a mother and daughter in Stars Hollow, blending emotional arcs, relationships, humor, and long-form continuity rather than sitcom structure.

Serialized thriller drama.

Breaking Bad

A high school chemistry teacher turns to meth production, evolving through moral descent, long-form story arcs, crime, consequence, and character transformation.

Serialized fantasy drama.

Game of Thrones

Multi-chapter political power struggles across kingdoms, combining war, family dynasties, betrayal, and mythic elements in a continuous ordered narrative.

Era of high-budget, mass-market films

age of the blockbuster

defined by huge cross-platform promotion, global releases, and merchandising-driven reach. Began in 1975 with the release of Jaws and continued through the 90s. Does not have a clear end date.

examples of movies from the age of the blockbuster

jaws, star wars, jurassic park

Early optical motion and projection devices that simulated images in motion before film cameras existed.

precursors to cinema

an early slide projector that existed from the 17th century until the mid-20th century. It used a light source, such as an oil lamp, a concave mirror, painted glass slides, and a lens to project magnified images onto a screen. Originally used for education and entertainment, magic lantern shows became popular forms of entertainment in the 1800s before eventually being supplanted by moving pictures

magic lantern

1800s toy; spinning disc

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