Then:
The first form of media that people had to learn to
operate was radio. When it first hit the air waves people were entertained
nightly by news, comedy shows, music, dramas, and serials. Producers popped up
left and right creating content to try and be responsible for entertaining the
masses. This caused a lot of interference on the air so the FCC had to regulate
channels and air time. After the times of shows were worked out people had to
be hired into radio companies to help produce and manage the material they were
putting on the air. This included advertising for specific shows. Ads would pop
up in between programs to let listeners know about anything from household
goods to other radio shows. Ads were a way to earn money and more money meant
more available for content on the air. When television first came on the air it
was worked in the same way. Many radio shows even transitioned over to the
television because it was easier to manage familiar content.
Production back in the day seems pretty simple to
anyone working in the business now. Most production studios, especially for
television, resembled a stage for a theater production. There were big, bright
lights and ginormous cameras. Rehearsal schedules had to be planned around existing
live shows and actors in television could no longer just read their lines like
in radio. They had to memorize so that acting for the camera and audience
seemed “real”. Distribution of the media included different radio stations and television
stations, like ABC, NBC, and CBS, or it was advertisements. Ads like I said
earlier not only helped to popularize a show, it helped pay for other content
as well.
Now:
In today’s time there aren’t as many radio shows or
personalities as there were even 40 years ago. Today most content that is
operated, produced and distributed is via television, film, or the internet. Production
in television has changed considerably. Most television shows now are filmed in
advance so actors don’t have to worry about live performances. The quality is
much better now because the post production editing and effects fix virtually
all mistakes. Live television didn’t have that luxury. News today is still
live, but they don’t have to memorize their lines. They read their lines off of
a teleprompter. It is basically a television that scrolls the words a
newscaster must inform the audience. To operate a television station is a big
job. Most stations today not only have serial content, but a news platform as
well. The stories they present to an audience have to be kept relevant and up
to date or they’ll lose viewership. Without viewers, no one wants to sponsor a
station, which in turn means that station will make no money. It is also hard
to keep up a new station in today’s time because there is a lot of equipment to
deal with. If even one piece of equipment crashes the whole station could be
thrown into anarchy which would interrupt daily shows and the rehearsal of up
and coming ones.
The internet is very important in todays’ distribution
of media. Most, if not all, television stations have their own personal
website. This website lists all of the current shows and information about
them. It also has the option of streaming any episodes you missed live. Now
people can follow a show with any kind of busy schedule. Keeping the webpage
current is also a big operation job. If the content isn’t current viewers can’t
be up to date and will get frustrated, which in turn, loses viewers. The
internet is also a good way to advertise. People google search things every
day. If your content isn’t on the internet there is a slimmer chance of it
being found by anyone.
Later:
The future of distributed any content is via the
internet. People stream shows online now, myself including. Online viewing
creates a much more flexible viewing schedule which is ideal in our fast-paced
world. Time means everything. Being able to enjoy a television show whenever
you want is currently a luxury, but it will soon become the norm. Advertising
media is becoming harder to do as well. It has visibly shown through films that
people are less likely to watch something they aren’t familiar with. Stations
started losing viewers due to the same reason. Therefore they started creating
content that would have an existing fan base, or something that is relevant to
society. For example, Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D is based on Marvel characters and
The Walking Dead is about zombies. Those fan bases have existed for years so it
is safe to assume that that content will more likely generate more viewership
than something completely new.
The internet is a taboo medium. Translation: it can’t
be strictly regulated. Operation and production of most media content involved
following strict guidelines to avoid exposing the youth of our nation to
profane and obscene material. On the internet it mostly free game. I think
stations will want to produce more content on the internet in the future because
it is 1) Cheaper to produce. It doesn’t include paying royalty fees for primetime
slots. You just upload content. 2) Less regulated. Producers don’t have to
worry about following many rules. Creators have free reign of what content is
created and put into shows. And 3) It is easier for viewers to keep up with the
content that is being put up. The future of most things is the internet, but
this is especially true for the future of operating, producing, and
distributing media.
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