The Exam will cover the Entertainment, Information, and Advertising functions of television as well as the effects of television on society and the reflection of American culture on television. The focus will be on material since the Mid-Term: entertainment programming in the nineties and 2000-2006; TV advertising (including political ads) , and the Effects of TV on Culture (social values, violence, trivializing, etc.).

You are responsible for all the hand-outs and web readings since the Mid-Term and the chapters in the text covering the 1990s and 2000-2004.

Questions will be Matching, Short Answer, and Short Essay.

A. You should be prepared to:

• Recognize important people in the television industry and their contributions like: Walter Cronkite, Jerry Springer, Neil Postman, Tom Brokow, Jerry Seinfeld, Dan Rather, George Gerbner, Larry David, Rupert Murdoch, Chris Carter, Jay Leno, David letterman, Larry Sanders, Jon Stewart, Ray Romano, Candice Bergen, Roseanne Barr, Drew Carey, Ellen DeGeneres, Regis Philbin, et al.

• Recognize terms, agencies, networks, and television events like: reality TV, image- based culture, mean-world syndrome, effects theories, the FCC, the Iraq War, O.J. Trial, Clarence Thomas v. Anita Hill, Bronco chase, ad clutter, ADD, conglomeration, trivialization, tabloidizing, Clinton's Impeachment, the 2000 election debacle, the Millennium coverage, 9/11 coverage and effects, "wardrobe malfunction," etc.

• Identify specific television shows (from a description of characters, typical plots, "firsts" etc.). Pay particular attention to the most popular shows in the nineties and recent years and the shows covered in the web readings: South Park, Family Guy, Friends, Seinfeld, Frazier, Murphy Brown, CSI, the reality shows, X-Files, NYPD Blue, Law and Order, ER, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Northern Exposure, Ally McBeal, Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, My Name is Earl, The Office, Boston Legal, Desperate Housewives, 24, Lost, American Idol, Rescue Me, The Apprentice, The Swan, etc.

B. For the Essays you should be thinking about the following:

• The evolution of television advertising (the persuasive appeals, life style images, post tobacco ads, use of music, selling happiness, reduction of length, use of humor, sex, product placement, etc). Political ads (negative advertising purpose, techniques, and effects). Have concrete examples in mind for each aspect of TV advertising.

• Current (90s to today) entertainment programming as a culmination of comedy and drama from the early days. How do the shows reflect the era from 1990 to today? How different are today’s shows from earlier decades (character, set-ups, formats, topics covered, language, "realism")? What is the fate of the sit-com since the demise of Seinfeld and Friends? See the web readings on this,

• News events and news coverage from the 90s to today. How has technology affected news coverage (the two Iraq wars, for example)? How have business and entertainment motives affected the news? Consider the effects of "trivialization" and "tabloid" news.

• The effect of corporate mergers and "conglomeration" on television programming. How well does TV serve its audience when it is owned by huge corporate enterprises?

• The impact of new delivery systems on television programming: cable, VCRs, TiVo, digital signals, computers, YouTube, etc..

• The fusion of the different roles television has played over the past 50 years: To Inform, To Entertain, To Sell. Think about how the "selling" role has invaded the other two areas. Think about how "news" and "entertainment" have invaded each other’s area with entertaining news and reality entertainment. Be prepared to describe the "fusion" of these roles in specific TV programs.

• The effects of TV on society. Most agree TV "mirrors" society. But does it influence society as well? Consider how television affects critical thinking, the morals of society, aggression in society? What are some examples of television programming that has caused controversy? What are the ways TV might shape the society it mirrors? What are the different theories about this? What is the evidence? What should be done, if anything? Review the web readings on this.

STUDY GUIDE – TELEVISION HISTORY
Fall, 2003

 The Exam will cover the Entertainment, Information, and Advertising functions of television as well as the Effects of television on society.  The focus will be on material since the Mid-Term (Variety Shows, Talk Shows, Quiz and Game Shows, Reality TV, Network and Local News, News Magazine Shows, TV Commercials, and the Effects of TV on Culture (violence, trivializing, dumbing-down), but you may have occasion to refer to the drama and sit-coms covered in the first half of the semester as well.

You are responsible for all the hand-outs and web readings since the Mid-Term.  You should be prepared to

·        Recognize important people in the television industry and their contributions like: Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Charles Van Doren, Johnny Carson, Jerry Springer, Neil Postman

·        Define significant terms (with examples) like: reality TV, visual culture, mean-world syndrome, cathartic effects theory, hypodermic needle theory.

·        Identify specific shows in specific genres (from a description).  Know the names of important shows and when they aired in each of the genres we have discussed since the Mid-Term. (This knowledge will also help you in the essay questions).

·        Explain the effects or consequences of things like The Quiz Show Scandal, the banning of tobacco commercials from TV, the use of familiar music in TV ads, the impact of entertainment programming on news shows, TV coverage of the Kennedy Assassination, etc.

Questions will be Matching, Short Answer, and Essay. 

For the Essays you should be thinking about the following:

·        The historical development (over several decades) of the genres we have discussed: Talk, Game/Quiz, Variety, News, Reality Shows, and Commercials.  The Web readings will give you what you need to know: the key moments in the development, the changes over time, the people and events involved.

·        The fusion of the different roles television has played over the past 50 years: To Inform, To Entertain, To Sell.  Think about how the “selling” role has invaded the other two areas.  Think about how “news” and “entertainment” have invaded each other’s area with entertaining news and reality entertainment.  Be prepared to describe the “fusion” of these roles in specific TV programs.

·        The effects of TV on society.  Most agree TV “mirrors” society.  But does it influence society as well?  What are the ways TV might shape the society it mirrors?  What are the different theories about this?  What is the evidence?  What should be done, if anything?