last updated 9/2/2010

Technology + $ (Revenue Source) ----- > Media Content 

The nature of the content in a medium is principally determined by the combination of :

• the features of the available technology (and features of competing technology), and

• the potential sources of revenues (that support the medium)

1. The Rise of the "Penny Press."  (early 1800s): an example

   1. Industrial Revolution technological improvements made the cost of printing newspapers drop and papers became less expensive ....

   2. Making it practical to support the newspaper through street sales (rather than subscriptions) of 1cent per issue.....

   3. Causing editors to include content designed to appeal to a mass ("street") audience such as local crime, "yellow journalism," etc.
       

2. TV - Radio and Rock and Roll  (1940s)  [ historical details ]:  another example

   1. In the late 1940s and early 1950s television became available and much of the traditional programing on radio (situation comedies, drama, mystery, variety shows) moved from radio to TV, the new technology.

   2. Thus radio had a "content gap" (that could lead to fewer listeners and a revenue gap) so stations began to fill with popular recorded music (The technology of radio fits content that is primarily sound based - e.g. music and talk).

   3. But the copyright owners of the most popular recorded music (e.g. big bands) who were represented by ASCAP demanded payments for playing the music on radio that were too high for most stations to afford.

   4. So radio stations arranged to form a new agency, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) to represent artists not already signed by ASCAP so that BMI could license recorded music to radio stations for free.

   5. Many of the artists available (unrepresented) to be represented by BMI were non-mainstream country and blues/R&B artists.

   6. And when you put together country and blues/R&B in the same studio, you get --- Rock and Roll.
       

3. Cable and "Niche" Programming -- Music Videos and The Rise of MTV (1981):  a more recent example

   1. The rise of cable (new technology) allowed programmers to create channels designed to appeal to nanrrower, more specfic listener interests than the broader audience sought and served by broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC).

   2. Warner Amex sought to develop a new cable channel designed to appeal to an audience segment that had substantial disposable income (a revenue source appealing to advertisers) and common (content) interests that could attract this audience to a specific channel.

   3. Young viewers (say age 14-24) fit this demographic well -- disposable income with few expenses (no kids, etc.) and a high interest in entertainment, esp. popular music, and often similar product tastes in such things as music, movies, clothes, food and beverages, etc.

   4. So MTV was founded to attract this youth audience, showing music videos by popular and new artists, leading to the development of the music video as an art form (new content based on new technology) and much else in the music and entertainment worlds.

·         Discussion questions for Thursday

• Make a list of possible revenue sources available to various media.

• Think of examples of how the nature of the technology itself influences the content (e.g. ring tones, cable weather vs satelite weather, etc.)

• Consider current examples of the idea Tech. + $ --> Content:  How do technology combined with revenue sources determine the nature of media content for...

  • Internet Search - (e.g. Google)

  • Cell phones

  • Hulu

  • Twitter

  • Film on DVD

• How can/do the "two big ideas" help you be a better media citizen?