TV

Media Minutes: September 16, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:08:02 -0400

A new investigation found that U.S. TV news is turning away from video reporting and to arguing pundits and hypothetical conversations about what might be happening. And it’s been 50 years since Newt Minow gave his speech about TV’s “vast wasteland.” In this digital age, his words still reverberate for the industry, policymakers and public interest advocates.

How Uncle Sam Invented Television

Stevie Converse — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 10:30:20 -0500

Full article: Ars Technica
Matthew Lasar
TV broadcasters can sit on their licenses and discuss "current marketplace realities" with the FCC because, seventy years ago, Capitol Hill created that marketplace for them. The government literally created the business model and framework in which broadcast TV flourished. And now, regulators face the challenge of uninventing that framework.

Searching for the Future of Television

Stevie Converse — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:14:36 -0500

Full article: Technology Review
Robert D. Hof
The future of television is now up for grabs: the screen, the industry, even the meaning of the word. Just as the Internet tore through newspapers, magazines, and music, it's now poised to make television the media battleground of the coming decade.

Verizon Plans to Let Customers Watch Live TV on IPads

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:59:17 -0400

Full article: Bloomberg News
Verizon, the phone company trying to win television customers from cable providers, is planning to allow subscribers to its FiOS TV service watch live shows on Apple's iPad.

Don’t Look for a TV in Television’s Future

Stevie Converse — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:43:44 -0400

Full article: New York Times
Nick Bilton
The future of television doesn't involve a television. Following this year's World Cup soccer holds a glimpse of what is to come: following along on Twitter and Facebook; checking stats on iPhone apps; joining chat rooms; watching from work on the corner of a computer screen.

Fox to FCC: 'American Dad' Inquiry Is Unconstitutional

Stevie Converse — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:37:52 -0400

Full article: Broadcasting & Cable
John Eggerton
Fox has a message for the FCC: We're sick and tired of your indecency enforcement regime and we shouldn't have to take it anymore. Last month, the FCC said it planned to fine the Fox stations for not providing it with all the information it asked for in its inquiry into a Jan. 3 episode of American Dad. The fine is not for airing the show (and its suggestion of pleasuring a horse), but against the group for not supplying a list of all the stations that aired the show and other information the FCC asked for.

Comcast and NBC to Speed Up Plans to Unload L.A. TV Station

Stevie Converse — Mon, 10 May 2010 07:35:57 -0400

Full article: Los Angeles Times
Joe Flint
Comcast and NBC Universal told the FCC they are changing plans on how to unload one of NBC's three Los Angeles television stations. FCC rules prohibit a company from owning more than two stations in big markets, but NBC has operated the three under a waiver.

Some TV Viewer Loss Blamed on Video Games

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:31:43 -0400

Full article: MediaPost
Wayne Friedman
Television viewer erosion is the result of a fractionalized viewership -- which is due, in large part, to cable viewing and Internet usage. But a lot of video game usage is also contributing, especially in the evening hoursv.

Biased TV Stations Intensify Divides in Thailand Protests

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:27:23 -0400

Full article: Christian Science Monitor
Simon Montlake
Red-shirted protesters in cars, pickup trucks, and motorbikes snaked around the Thai capital, the latest in a series of anti-government demonstrations. Police estimated that 65,000 people had joined the convoy, which stretched for several miles. But viewers of Thailand's TV stations, the most popular source of news, were told that 25,000 attended.

After Digital Switch, Basic Broadcast TV Offers Cable Alternative

Stevie Converse — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:58:39 -0500

Full article: National Public Radio
Catherine Welch
Just before 2009's switch from analog to digital cable, TV viewers were inundated with commercials from cable companies, urging viewers to subscribe to cable in order to get a clear picture and plenty of channels. But for the price of an antenna, over-the-air television offers plenty of different programs.