In recent years, the media has been awash in exuberant tales of the arrival of the information superhighway, when television will explode with exciting possibilities, offering some 500 channels as well as a marriage of TV and computer that will provide, on command, access to the latest movies, magazines, newspapers, books, sports events, stock exchange figures, your bank account, and much, much more. And the major TV networks, pundits add, will be doomed to
extinction by this revolution in cable, computers, and fiber optics. But in Television Today and Tomorrow, Gene Jankowski--former President and Chairman of the CBS Broadcast Group--and David Fuchs--also a
former top executive at CBS--tell a different story. They predict a bumpy road ahead for the information superhighway, and the major networks, they say, are abundantly healthy and will remain so well into the next century. The information superhighway, Jankowski and Fuchs admit, will dramatically increase the distribution channels, but it will have little impact on the amount of programming created--and this may spell disaster. The authors show how the networks began as a way to
provide programs to local stations (who could not afford to produce their own), who in turn provided the distribution that gave networks access to mass audiences and ultimately large advertising
dollars. They then offer us an inside look at television production--showing us, for instance, a veteran scriptwriter putting together a breakfast table scene for "Cloud Nine"--to underscore how much effort goes into producing just two minutes of primetime programming. They reveal that the present 20 channels require some 20,000 hours of programming each year, which is more than all the Broadway plays produced in this century, and they conclude that without a dramatic increase in programming
(which won't happen if only because of the very finite supply of talent), the superhighway will be jammed bumper-to-bumper with reruns, old movies, and inexpensive programming aimed at tightly focused
audiences ("narrowcasting" as opposed to "broadcasting"). This is hardly the bonanza the pundits have promised. The authors point out that the media blitz about the new technology has hardly focused on programming, or on funding, or on what needs these 500 channels will fill. The major networks, on the other hand, will remain the only means of reaching the whole country, and the only channels that offer a full schedule of current, live, and original programs, free of charge. And thus they will
continue to attract most of the audience of TV viewers. The real loser in the cable revolution, the authors contend, is PBS, whose role as an alternative to network TV has been usurped by cable
stations such as The Discovery Channel and Nickelodeon. This is a brass tacks look at television with an eye on the bottom line by two men who boast over sixty years of experience in the medium. If you want to understand television in America, where it came from and where it is going, you will need to read this book.
In recent years, the media has been awash in exuberant tales of the arrival of the information superhighway, when television will explode with exciting possibilities, offering some 500 channels as well as a marriage of TV and computer that will provide, on command, access to the latest movies, magazines, newspapers, books, sports events, stock exchange figures, your bank account, and much, much more. And the major TV networks, pundits add, will be doomed to
extinction by this revolution in cable, computers, and fiber optics. But in Television Today and Tomorrow, Gene Jankowski--former President and Chairman of the CBS Broadcast Group--and David Fuchs--also a
former top executive at CBS--tell a different story. They predict a bumpy road ahead for the information superhighway, and the major networks, they say, are abundantly healthy and will remain so well into the next century. The information superhighway, Jankowski and Fuchs admit, will dramatically increase the distribution channels, but it will have little impact on the amount of programming created--and this may spell disaster. The authors show how the networks began as a way to
provide programs to local stations (who could not afford to produce their own), who in turn provided the distribution that gave networks access to mass audiences and ultimately large advertising
dollars. They then offer us an inside look at television production--showing us, for instance, a veteran scriptwriter putting together a breakfast table scene for "Cloud Nine"--to underscore how much effort goes into producing just two minutes of primetime programming. They reveal that the present 20 channels require some 20,000 hours of programming each year, which is more than all the Broadway plays produced in this century, and they conclude that without a dramatic increase in programming
(which won't happen if only because of the very finite supply of talent), the superhighway will be jammed bumper-to-bumper with reruns, old movies, and inexpensive programming aimed at tightly focused
audiences ("narrowcasting" as opposed to "broadcasting"). This is hardly the bonanza the pundits have promised. The authors point out that the media blitz about the new technology has hardly focused on programming, or on funding, or on what needs these 500 channels will fill. The major networks, on the other hand, will remain the only means of reaching the whole country, and the only channels that offer a full schedule of current, live, and original programs, free of charge. And thus they will
continue to attract most of the audience of TV viewers. The real loser in the cable revolution, the authors contend, is PBS, whose role as an alternative to network TV has been usurped by cable
stations such as The Discovery Channel and Nickelodeon. This is a brass tacks look at television with an eye on the bottom line by two men who boast over sixty years of experience in the medium. If you want to understand television in America, where it came from and where it is going, you will need to read this book.
Gene F. Jankowski is Chairman of Jankowski Communications Systems. He served as President and Chairman of the CBS Broadcast Group from 1977 to 1989. David C. Fuchs, now retired, was Senior Vice President, Corporate and Broadcast Affairs, of the CBS Broadcast Group.
"A thoughtful, intriguing set of predictions of how it might work
in the future."--Jeff Sagansky, Executive Vice President, Sony
Corporation
"Anyone betting heavily on the 'information superhighway' should
consider this bottom-line view."--Kirkus Reviews
"The authors provide an insider's view of the television industry
and make some surprising predictions as to the future of the major
networks. An interesting and provocative read for media
professionals, communication scholars, and lay people alike."--Dr.
John DiBiaggio, President, Tufts University
"Inside knowledge meets conventional wisdom--with surprising
results. Recommended reading for students, viewers, and critics of
the business of television."--George Gerbner, Dean Emeritus, The
Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania
"A comprehensive insider's look at how the television business
really works as well as a thoughtful, intriguing set of predictions
of how it might work in the future."--Jeff Sagansky, Executive Vice
President, Sony Corporation
"This is an 'insider' book with a visionary reach. First class in
every way, readable and insightful."--Jack Valenti, President and
CEO, Motion Picture Association of America
"A solid overview of how networks function, of government
regulation of TV, and of public television. Anyone betting heavily
on the 'information superhighway' should consider this bottom-line
view."--Kirkus Reviews
"Jankowski and Fuchs, former top CBS execs, provide an interesting
view of TV's influence from a perspective not always directly seen
on the printed page....Their writing reflects deep knowledge of the
industry."--Booklist
"A thoughtful, intriguing set of predictions of how it might work in the future."--Jeff Sagansky, Executive Vice President, Sony Corporation "Anyone betting heavily on the 'information superhighway' should consider this bottom-line view."--Kirkus Reviews "The authors provide an insider's view of the television industry and make some surprising predictions as to the future of the major networks. An interesting and provocative read for media professionals, communication scholars, and lay people alike."--Dr. John DiBiaggio, President, Tufts University "Inside knowledge meets conventional wisdom--with surprising results. Recommended reading for students, viewers, and critics of the business of television."--George Gerbner, Dean Emeritus, The Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania "A comprehensive insider's look at how the television business really works as well as a thoughtful, intriguing set of predictions of how it might work in the future."--Jeff Sagansky, Executive Vice President, Sony Corporation "This is an 'insider' book with a visionary reach. First class in every way, readable and insightful."--Jack Valenti, President and CEO, Motion Picture Association of America "A solid overview of how networks function, of government regulation of TV, and of public television. Anyone betting heavily on the 'information superhighway' should consider this bottom-line view."--Kirkus Reviews "Jankowski and Fuchs, former top CBS execs, provide an interesting view of TV's influence from a perspective not always directly seen on the printed page....Their writing reflects deep knowledge of the industry."--Booklist
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