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Chapter 8 Content: Strategy and Distribution
OUTLINE
I. The Program Manager/Director
A. The program manager/director is responsible for programming content
B. Only a few employees work in a programming department
C. Program managers are responsible for many managerial tasks
II. Radio and Audio Programming
A. Audiences commonly identify radio stations by the type of format they
broadcast
B. Selection of a station format should begin with a careful analysis of the
marketplace
F. Station management regularly evaluates format variables and modifies
them as conditions warrant ͒
G. Terrestrial radio remains an important medium for both audiences and
advertisers
H. There are numerous types of audio programming available to consumers
via the Internet and digital platforms
III. Television and Video Programming
A. The emergence of the Internet in the 1990s and the ability to stream video
was a watershed moment for the television industry
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E. Most program producers will finance programs at a deficit in order to gain
G. An ad hoc network consists of stations that affiliate in order to receive
certain programming
H. Cord cutting is a practice that many consumers cancel subscriptions to
IV. Multichannel Programming
A. Cable, satellite, and telco systems deliver a series of services available to
consumers at different tiers and prices
B. Programming among multichannel carriers differs from broadcast
V. Management Issues in Programming
A. Audience research is taking on a greater role to help managers better
understand the audiences they serve
B. Programs that attract and hold audiences represent key brands for the
ASSIGNMENTS/PROJECTS
1. Have the students consult recent television guide listings to provide examples of the
2. Obtain program schedules of your local cable company, satellite services, and
telephone company television services. Compare the prices, tiers, and services offered
by each. Which do you feel is the best service? Why? Which, if any, is in the
strongest strategic position for the future? Which is in the weakest strategic position?
Why?
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Entertainment Tonight and Oprah Winfrey are all examples of this type of
programming.
2. Which of following factor is not included in the market analysis of a radio station?
a. the number of other radio stations
b. the formats and ratings of competing radio stations
3. In radio, the ____ demographic is considered ideal.
a. 18–35
4. Format variables of a radio station do not include_____
a. technical aspects
5. The 1996 Telecommunications Act removed all national limits on _____.
a. newspaper ownership
6. Which of following company is not the leading operators of radio networks in the
United States?
7. Which of the following is not a responsibility of a program director?
8. Which of the following is not a programming strategy identified in Chapter 8?
9. The highest concentration of radio listeners is found during the daypart?
10. ABC, CBS, and NBC typically provide hours of programming to affiliates each day.
a. 8–9
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11. Friends and Seinfeld are both examples of
*p.173 a. off-network syndication
12. The television programming strategy whereby a strong program is placed between
two weaker programs is called
13. _________________ is the most critical daypart for the local network affiliated TV
station.
a. Early morning
b. Morning
14. The programming strategy most often used by independent television stations that
involves scheduling a block of programs of the same genre (e.g., talk shows, movies,
sitcoms) is called
a. counter programming
15. Which of the following does not deliver a series of services available to consumers at
different tiers and prices?
a. cable
TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONS
16. Television network affiliates are not permitted to reject network programs.
17. Local TV affiliates actually have very many hours of programming decisions to
make.
18. The program director at an independent station has a much easier job than that of his
or her counterpart at a network affiliate.
19. Programming among multichannel carriers differs from broadcast television.
20. The FCC, the courts, and Congress have complicated the issue over time with
confusing standards regarding indecent material.
DISCUSSION/ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. Compare and contrast the responsibilities of the Program Director in any two of the
media industries discussed in Chapter 8.
2. How does a television station’s classification as network affiliate or independent
affect the programming strategies used?
3. Explain the concept of a radio format. How is a format selected and developed? How
does the station’s classification as AM or FM influence format choice? What role
does market size play in format decisions?
4. How do cable systems acquire and package programming services for subscribers?
5. Discuss the major concerns and issues facing program managers in the immediate