After reading chapter nine,"Television," in the textbook, I decided to write a blog about the ratings system. First, I found it very interesting how there were actually two aspects of the rating system. According to Mass Media in a Changing World, these aspects are the rating and the share. The rating is the percentage of all homes with televisions that are on at a certain time of day and tuned to a particular station, where a share is the percentage of homes which the television is in use, and on a certain station. Since the ratings take their data from all homes with a television, whether it is turned on or not, the ratings number is usually smaller than the share number.
While reading the section on ratings I wondered what types of programs were the most popular in America, today. In order to find the answers, i turned to the resources of the most recognized rating company, Nielsen Media Research. While reading about the Nielsen system in the textbook, I thought it was very interesting how the ratings data is collected. The basic idea is that meters are installed in the television sets of 10,000 randomly chosen households, to monitor which stations are being viewed at any hour of the day. The system is also equipped with a device also detects which member of the family is watching the station through a system close to that of a time clock. They let the device know when they start viewing, and again when they are done.
After grasping the main idea of how the concept worked, i looked to the Nielsen Media Research website to obtain the ratings for both broadcast television, as well as cable television for the week of October 15,2007. According to the results for broadcast television the top five were:CSI, Dancing With the Stars, Grey's Anatomy, FOX MLB ALCS Game 7, and Dancing With the Stars(the results show). After looking at the top five I thought it made sense, as it was a mixture of reality television, mystery, drama, and sports. Also, I think it is worthy to note that half of the top ten shows are shown on ABC, four on CBS, and only one on FOX. I believe this probably gives great insight to stations on what types of shows they should be airing for more viewers, as well as advertisers who may be trying to decide on what time of day, as well as what station they are going to advertise on. Besides broadcast television, I was also curious to find the results for cable television. The top five programs for the week of October 15, 2007 being: NFL Regular Season L(Giants/Falcons), Hannah Montana,Law & Order:CI(Orig), College Ftbl-Sat Prime L(Auburn/LSU), and Wizards of Waverly Place. These ratings were interesting to me as two of the top five were football games, two were children's programs, and only one was a drama.
Also, three stations dominated the top ten: USA, ESPN, and Disney. This really gives insight into which programs households are truly interested in viewing in society today.
From these results I also found it easy to see why there is controversy over the Nielsen Media Research rating system today. Many are concerned with the fact that these ratings are only taken from households and do not take into account dorm rooms, bars, or hotels, all places of high viewing. If these were taken into account the four of the top ten rated programs on cable may have been something besides children's shows on the Disney Channel.
Overall, I believe the Nielsen rating system is beneficial for a television station's success, as well as serving the interests of advertisers. However, the system should be extended to other building including: college dorms, bars, and hotels, to get a true measure of which programs and stations are the most watched in America.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Radio
Although I do listen to the radio, the only time i really do so is when I am in the car. Other than that I always listen to my Ipod or Itunes on my computer. One reason is because i don't have a radio in my dorm room, and although you can now listen to many stations through the Internet, I usually prefer to choose the songs I want to listen to. Even when I am in the car the only stations I listen to are those that play music, and even then I have a select three or four that I listen to on a constant basis. These stations usually play more current music from today, or as early as the 90s, other than that I usually do not listen to any other radio stations. I could listen to AM news stations or radio talk shows, but I always can get my news from other sources, and listening to the radio when I am driving is what gets me energized, especially if I am driving to work. In fact, the station I listen to the most back home in Milwaukee is called 103.7KISS FM because it plays the most current music and has a great morning show! Also, it is the one radio station whose website i visit, because as you can see from the homepage they always have fun videos and other random contests and announcements to see.
I have never personally chose to listen to National Public Radio, but have heard it while in the car with my dad or grandparents. I don't listen to it because I always get my news from other sources such as the television or newspaper, and enjoy the morning programs of my normal stations opposed to those on NPR. I feel as though NPR is directed more towards an older adult crowd, and that many teenagers don't know NPR exists or simply choose not to listen to it. I believe there are benefits from it, such as certain programs are specified at different interests that people may not be able to find on other mediums such as the television. Also, on certain shows you can hear people's opinions about subjects or happenings in the news, which isn't found anywhere else really. Overall, I think the concept of NPR is great, I just prefer to listen to music rather than talk radio.
Last, I do not believe that satellite radio is the answer. I feel it is good for people who like to listen to a certain type of music, or have options when it comes to radio shows, as Sirius and XM offer a variety of specialized stations. However, for me I don't think it is worth the money, since i would still listen to the same radio stations that I can get now for free. I would only pay for XM or Sirius if I was looking for a certain type of program or music station that could not be found on regular radio. If you have the money to spend on it, then it could be a good investment, but it would definitely not be a top priority. Also, another nice thing about satellite radio is the fact that it is commercial free. As for whether I would choose XM or Sirius, it would really come down to which one was cheaper per month, and which I would be getting the better deal for my interests and lifestyle. One package may come with more stations that I would want to listen to, where the other may only come with a few that fit my interests, and the rest I would never use. But overall I do not think I will be investing in satellite radio anytime soon, especially since the only time I ever listen to the radio is in my car, and I don't even have a car here at school.
I have never personally chose to listen to National Public Radio, but have heard it while in the car with my dad or grandparents. I don't listen to it because I always get my news from other sources such as the television or newspaper, and enjoy the morning programs of my normal stations opposed to those on NPR. I feel as though NPR is directed more towards an older adult crowd, and that many teenagers don't know NPR exists or simply choose not to listen to it. I believe there are benefits from it, such as certain programs are specified at different interests that people may not be able to find on other mediums such as the television. Also, on certain shows you can hear people's opinions about subjects or happenings in the news, which isn't found anywhere else really. Overall, I think the concept of NPR is great, I just prefer to listen to music rather than talk radio.
Last, I do not believe that satellite radio is the answer. I feel it is good for people who like to listen to a certain type of music, or have options when it comes to radio shows, as Sirius and XM offer a variety of specialized stations. However, for me I don't think it is worth the money, since i would still listen to the same radio stations that I can get now for free. I would only pay for XM or Sirius if I was looking for a certain type of program or music station that could not be found on regular radio. If you have the money to spend on it, then it could be a good investment, but it would definitely not be a top priority. Also, another nice thing about satellite radio is the fact that it is commercial free. As for whether I would choose XM or Sirius, it would really come down to which one was cheaper per month, and which I would be getting the better deal for my interests and lifestyle. One package may come with more stations that I would want to listen to, where the other may only come with a few that fit my interests, and the rest I would never use. But overall I do not think I will be investing in satellite radio anytime soon, especially since the only time I ever listen to the radio is in my car, and I don't even have a car here at school.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Movie Downloading
While reading chapter 6 in the textbook about movies, I decided to write my blog this week about illegal movie downloading. Now known as pirating, the illegal copying and selling of movies, it is still a large problem facing studios today. File sharing programs make it so easy for a person to download a movie in a matter of seconds, new or old releases, and even movies that are still in theaters. I think that pirating movies is most popular with teenagers, and especially on college campuses. But why aren't teenagers, and even adults who participate in pirating, going to the theaters like they used to? In today's society I believe people do not have as much time to go see movies, as they are busy with school, work, and other activities on the weekends. But another great reason is the cost of movies. To buy a DVD, most prices range from $10-20, and to see a movie, prices are always on the rise ranging from $6-10 depending on age and the time of the showing. Instead of having to pay all of this money for two hours of pleasure,(not even, if the movie is bad), people are able to download a new movie and burn it onto their own DVD in less than 5 minutes. Besides the time convenience, downloading a movie is virtually free.
In fact, according to recent poll results shown in an article called "Pirate Movies no Big Deal Say Most Americans" on www.downloadsquad.com, 40% of Americans polled thought that downloading movies illegally was a serious offense. I don't think many Americans today realize how much money they are costing the business buy downloading these movies. Instead they believe that studios, actors, and theaters are all making more than enough money without them seeing or purchasing the movies.
Although the movie industry is trying to rid the world of those who illegally download movies, I don't think it will ever completely disappear. However, it can help reduce the numbers. According to the textbook, in 2003 the movie industry started to take a stand against the problem with advertisements to scare people from downloading, as well as encrypting DVDs, so people are not able to copy and share them. They also filed lawsuits against certain file sharing programs such as "Kazaa," but even so, new file sharing systems are created on a constant basis. It is like the music industry, although they shut down the biggest file sharing program "Napster," the problem is still occurring today through other programs.
I believe that if people continue to download movies, the business will have more money issues than they do at the moment. People are not realizing how big of a deal illegal downloading is, and wont unless they are prosecuted, which obviously cannot happen to everyone. Perhaps making a system such as making a system as highly publicized as I Tunes, where customers could download movies at a reasonable price, there would be a cut back in the number of illegal downloads. But until the industry figures out a plan, people will continue getting away with downloading these movies for free.
In fact, according to recent poll results shown in an article called "Pirate Movies no Big Deal Say Most Americans" on www.downloadsquad.com, 40% of Americans polled thought that downloading movies illegally was a serious offense. I don't think many Americans today realize how much money they are costing the business buy downloading these movies. Instead they believe that studios, actors, and theaters are all making more than enough money without them seeing or purchasing the movies.
Although the movie industry is trying to rid the world of those who illegally download movies, I don't think it will ever completely disappear. However, it can help reduce the numbers. According to the textbook, in 2003 the movie industry started to take a stand against the problem with advertisements to scare people from downloading, as well as encrypting DVDs, so people are not able to copy and share them. They also filed lawsuits against certain file sharing programs such as "Kazaa," but even so, new file sharing systems are created on a constant basis. It is like the music industry, although they shut down the biggest file sharing program "Napster," the problem is still occurring today through other programs.
I believe that if people continue to download movies, the business will have more money issues than they do at the moment. People are not realizing how big of a deal illegal downloading is, and wont unless they are prosecuted, which obviously cannot happen to everyone. Perhaps making a system such as making a system as highly publicized as I Tunes, where customers could download movies at a reasonable price, there would be a cut back in the number of illegal downloads. But until the industry figures out a plan, people will continue getting away with downloading these movies for free.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Magazines
Following professor Sander's media blog discussion idea, I have decided to blog about four different types of magazines: a consumer magazine, trade magazine, public relations magazine, and a miscellaneous magazine.
The first magazine is called Seventeen magazine, which is placed in the category of being a consumer magazine as it advertises and reports on issues dealing with lifestyle, as well as consumer products. those most likely to subscribe to this magazine are teenage girls, especially of ages 16-20. This is because issues of the magazine discuss the newest fashions for teen girls, makeup ideas, body issues, and the ever important advice for problems with boys. Even the websites homepage displays advertisements for Covergirl Cosmetics on the bottom, and links to health, beauty, and college tips at the top. Likely advertisers would be clothing companies, makeup companies such as Covergirl, hair product companies, or even ads for perfumes, or movies now on DVD that cater to the interests of teen girls. These are popular advertisements because teen girls are always looking for new products to try, or the latest clothes that will make them the most fashionable.Seventeen could put ads for their magazine in other magazines owned by the same company, such as Cosmo Girl, to cross promote the two. Also, other promotion strategies could be to put links to the Seventeen magazine website on other teenage related webpages. The publisher of this magazine is Hearst Communications, and is specifically part of the Hearst Teen Network, which publishes other teen magazines. Last, single copies of Seventeen magazine can be purchased in bookstores, grocery stores, gas stations, or even airports.
The second magazine I researched was a trade magazine called Midwest Real Estate News. This is a trade magazine as it focuses specifically on the real estate business, and is essential reading for Realtors in the Midwest, who would most likely be the main subscribers to this magazine. Advertisers in this magazine would generally include brokerage firms, construction or architecture companies, or any other companies that go hand-in-hand with the real estate business. Midwest Real Estate News could help promote the magazine by sending out a free sample issue to major real estate firms throughout the Midwest, or place advertisements in other publications Realtors may read. The Midwest Real Estate NewsSeventeen magazine, I did not know whether single copies of this magazine could be purchased, but if they are available I would assume they would be sold at a major bookstore that carries a variety of different kinds of magazines.
For my third magazine choice I chose PR Week magazine, which is categorized as one of the major public relations magazine. This magazine would cater to anyone with a job in the PR industry as it offers recent news, research studies, and techniques currently popular in the world of public relations. Advertisers in this magazine are most likely going to be for PR agencies, large corporations, or even companies advertising for PR job openings. These advertisements are most likely to be seen in PR Week magazine because they are the types of things most directly related to the world of PR, and it is a great way for companies to fill PR staff positions. PR Week magazine could be promoted by supplying PR agencies with sample copies, to persuade them to subscribe, or even placing links to their magazine's website on other PR related pages. The publisher of PR Week is Haymarket Media which also publishes other business, consumer, and medical publications. Last, when searching on their website I came across a single copy order form, but other than that I do not know whether single copies can be purchased in regular stores.
The last magazine I researched was Communication Law and Policy, which is classified as a miscellaneous magazine. Subscribers of this magazine are most likely people involved in the field of journalism, sociology, communications, business, or even attorneys and policy makers. This is because the magazine focuses on recent problems in the media dealing with the freedom of expression, and the first amendment. Advertisements in this magazine may be for law firms, or other publications dealing with similar issues, because people who are reading about law and policy may have media companies with legal problems who made need more information, or the help of a law firm. Communication Law and Policy seems like it would be harder to promote than the other magazines, but could be sent out to schools with journalism classes, media companies, or law offices to persuade them to subscribe. The publisher of this magazine is Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Online it states that "subscriptions are based on a calendar-year-basis only,"and I assume single copies are not available since the subscription price is higher than most magazines. The cost is $60 for individuals and $455 for institutions, and no replacement copies can be sent out, which makes me believe single copies are not sold of this magazine.
Overall it was interesting to analyze these aspects for four different types of magazines to see in which ways they were similar, as well as how they differed from one another. The advertising is always based on the target group reading the magazine, and all magazines could use some of the same approaches to promoting their magazines. All seem to have publishers that specialize in the area of interest in which the magazine covers, and single copies of the magazines were most likely to be issued for the most popular magazines, such as magazine is published by the Real Estate Publishing Group, who also publishes other news magazines for different regions of the United States. Unlike Seventeen.
The first magazine is called Seventeen magazine, which is placed in the category of being a consumer magazine as it advertises and reports on issues dealing with lifestyle, as well as consumer products. those most likely to subscribe to this magazine are teenage girls, especially of ages 16-20. This is because issues of the magazine discuss the newest fashions for teen girls, makeup ideas, body issues, and the ever important advice for problems with boys. Even the websites homepage displays advertisements for Covergirl Cosmetics on the bottom, and links to health, beauty, and college tips at the top. Likely advertisers would be clothing companies, makeup companies such as Covergirl, hair product companies, or even ads for perfumes, or movies now on DVD that cater to the interests of teen girls. These are popular advertisements because teen girls are always looking for new products to try, or the latest clothes that will make them the most fashionable.Seventeen could put ads for their magazine in other magazines owned by the same company, such as Cosmo Girl, to cross promote the two. Also, other promotion strategies could be to put links to the Seventeen magazine website on other teenage related webpages. The publisher of this magazine is Hearst Communications, and is specifically part of the Hearst Teen Network, which publishes other teen magazines. Last, single copies of Seventeen magazine can be purchased in bookstores, grocery stores, gas stations, or even airports.
The second magazine I researched was a trade magazine called Midwest Real Estate News. This is a trade magazine as it focuses specifically on the real estate business, and is essential reading for Realtors in the Midwest, who would most likely be the main subscribers to this magazine. Advertisers in this magazine would generally include brokerage firms, construction or architecture companies, or any other companies that go hand-in-hand with the real estate business. Midwest Real Estate News could help promote the magazine by sending out a free sample issue to major real estate firms throughout the Midwest, or place advertisements in other publications Realtors may read. The Midwest Real Estate NewsSeventeen magazine, I did not know whether single copies of this magazine could be purchased, but if they are available I would assume they would be sold at a major bookstore that carries a variety of different kinds of magazines.
For my third magazine choice I chose PR Week magazine, which is categorized as one of the major public relations magazine. This magazine would cater to anyone with a job in the PR industry as it offers recent news, research studies, and techniques currently popular in the world of public relations. Advertisers in this magazine are most likely going to be for PR agencies, large corporations, or even companies advertising for PR job openings. These advertisements are most likely to be seen in PR Week magazine because they are the types of things most directly related to the world of PR, and it is a great way for companies to fill PR staff positions. PR Week magazine could be promoted by supplying PR agencies with sample copies, to persuade them to subscribe, or even placing links to their magazine's website on other PR related pages. The publisher of PR Week is Haymarket Media which also publishes other business, consumer, and medical publications. Last, when searching on their website I came across a single copy order form, but other than that I do not know whether single copies can be purchased in regular stores.
The last magazine I researched was Communication Law and Policy, which is classified as a miscellaneous magazine. Subscribers of this magazine are most likely people involved in the field of journalism, sociology, communications, business, or even attorneys and policy makers. This is because the magazine focuses on recent problems in the media dealing with the freedom of expression, and the first amendment. Advertisements in this magazine may be for law firms, or other publications dealing with similar issues, because people who are reading about law and policy may have media companies with legal problems who made need more information, or the help of a law firm. Communication Law and Policy seems like it would be harder to promote than the other magazines, but could be sent out to schools with journalism classes, media companies, or law offices to persuade them to subscribe. The publisher of this magazine is Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Online it states that "subscriptions are based on a calendar-year-basis only,"and I assume single copies are not available since the subscription price is higher than most magazines. The cost is $60 for individuals and $455 for institutions, and no replacement copies can be sent out, which makes me believe single copies are not sold of this magazine.
Overall it was interesting to analyze these aspects for four different types of magazines to see in which ways they were similar, as well as how they differed from one another. The advertising is always based on the target group reading the magazine, and all magazines could use some of the same approaches to promoting their magazines. All seem to have publishers that specialize in the area of interest in which the magazine covers, and single copies of the magazines were most likely to be issued for the most popular magazines, such as magazine is published by the Real Estate Publishing Group, who also publishes other news magazines for different regions of the United States. Unlike Seventeen.
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