Electronic Media

What station made what is often called the first commercial radio broadcast, and when?

KDKA in Pittsburgh, November 2, 1920, airing the Harding-Cox election results.

Why is The Jazz Singer (1927) important?

It was the first feature film with synchronized spoken dialogue, launching the "talkie" era. Produced by Warner Bros.

What 1903 film was one of the first to use editing to tell a story?

The Great Train Robbery (1903), directed by Edwin S. Porter.

Which film pioneered deep focus cinematography?

Citizen Kane (1941), directed by Orson Welles and shot by Gregg Toland.

What is vertical integration?

When one company controls production, distribution, and exhibition. The major studios did this during the studio system.

What did the 1948 Paramount Decision do?

It forced the studios to sell their theaters, ending vertical integration and weakening the studio system.

Who founded many of the major Hollywood studios?

Jewish immigrants, many from Eastern Europe, such as Adolph Zukor (Paramount), Carl Laemmle (Universal), Louis B. Mayer (MGM), and the Warner brothers.

Who were the "Big Three" networks?

NBC, CBS, and ABC.

How was I Love Lucy filmed?

With multiple cameras (a three-camera setup) on film before a live studio audience.

What business advantage came from shooting I Love Lucy on film?

Episodes were preserved on film, so the show could air as reruns and be syndicated, earning long-term revenue.

Which film established the summer blockbuster?

Jaws (1975), directed by Steven Spielberg.

How did The Wizard of Oz use color?

It contrasted sepia-toned Kansas with vibrant Technicolor Oz, pioneering artistic use of color in mainstream film.

What was the first feature-length film made entirely with CGI?

Toy Story (Pixar, 1995).

When did the Golden Age of prestige TV drama begin?

The late 1990s and early 2000s, with shows like The Sopranos (1999) and The Wire.

What show pioneered "The Volume" (virtual production with LED screens)?

The Mandalorian (Disney+, 2019), developed by ILM.

What agency regulates U.S. broadcasting, and what law created it?

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission), created by the Communications Act of 1934.

What was the Hays Code?

The Production Code (1934 to the late 1960s) restricted what could be shown on screen, including LGBTQ+ characters and interracial relationships. The MPAA ratings system replaced it in 1968.

What did the Telecommunications Act of 1996 do?

It relaxed ownership limits, leading to major consolidation (one company came to own more than 1,000 radio stations).

What is media consolidation?

Fewer and fewer companies owning more and more media outlets.

What is convergence?

The merging of separate media technologies and industries, such as TV, news, and music all on one device.

What is the difference between a network and an affiliate?

A network distributes programming to many outlets. An affiliate is a local station that carries the network's programming.

What is syndication?

Selling the rights to air a show (often reruns) to other stations or platforms.

What is often considered the first American reality TV series?

An American Family (PBS, 1973).

Why do networks love reality TV?

It is cheaper to produce than scripted shows: no scripts, smaller casts, fewer union and residual costs.

Do producers shape reality TV?

Yes. Casting, editing, staged situations, and story producers all shape what audiences see.

What is a Nielsen rating?

The percentage of ALL TV households watching a show.

What is a Nielsen share?

The percentage of households using TV at that moment that are tuned to a show. (Percentage of ALL households is the rating.)

What is multi-camera production?

Shooting with several cameras at once, common in sitcoms filmed before a live audience.

What is cord-cutting?

Canceling cable or satellite TV and watching through streaming services instead.

How did Netflix start, and when did it begin streaming?

As a DVD-by-mail service. It began streaming video in 2007.

What is copyright?

The legal right of creators to control how their original work is copied and used.

What are the four fair use factors?

(1) Purpose and character of the use, (2) nature of the work, (3) amount used, (4) effect on the market for the original.

Is educational use automatically fair use?

No. Every use is weighed case by case using all four factors.

What is representation?

How groups of people are portrayed, or left out, in media.

What is a stereotype?

An oversimplified, often negative image of a group repeated over and over.

Why does who is behind the camera matter?

Owners, executives, writers, and producers decide whose stories get told and how. When they come from one background, other groups are often stereotyped or left out.

What is tokenism?

Including a single character from an underrepresented group to appear diverse, without giving them depth.

What is whitewashing?

Casting white actors in roles written for, or based on, characters of color.

What is underrepresentation?

When a group appears on screen far less often than it appears in real life.

Why does representation matter to the business?

Audiences are diverse. Content that reflects them can grow ratings, box office, and ad revenue.

What is a podcast?

A digital audio series that listeners can download or stream on demand.

What is a logline?

A one- or two-sentence summary that sells a podcast or show concept.

How does stop-motion animation work?

Objects are photographed one frame at a time and moved slightly between shots. Played in sequence, they appear to move.

At 12 fps, how many photos make 10 seconds of stop motion?

120 photos (12 × 10).

Is stop motion filmed continuously?

No. It is built from individual still frames.

What is one of the biggest ethical concerns about AI in media?

Creating a digital replica of an actor's face or voice without their consent or payment.

What AI protections did SAG-AFTRA win in 2023?

Actors must give consent and be paid when studios create digital replicas of them.

What are common safeguards for ethical AI use?

Consent, disclosure, credit, and payment for the people whose work or likeness is used.

Why are deepfakes an ethical problem?

They can spread misinformation by making it look like someone said or did something they never did.

Is AI-generated content free of copyright concerns?

No. AI can be trained on copyrighted work, and ownership of AI output is still being decided.