Journal Entry 7

Journal Entry #7

Tonight, while watching TV at 1:30 A.M. I recorded the different types of programs. These are noted in the above chart. Overall the biggest emphasis is on infomercials and movies; while less emphasis is placed on kids and food programming. The target audience overall appears to be people that cannot sleep, because there is something from almost every genre on-air. This makes sense because people that can’t sleep seem to be able to doze off to infomercials and long movies. Kids are not targeted at all because they are asleep.
The commercials that play vary from channel to channel greatly however there are distinct trends. On channels that attract a primarily male audience commercials deal with hair loss, impotence, and retirement/money savings. Channels attracting a female audience tend to show more weight loss, beauty supplies, and birth control commercials. The channels that target the teen and college audience tend to show more movie trailers, restaurant ads, and risqué materials. All of these are clearly target audiences and the stations know who they are. For example, a man will not want to watch “The Golden Girls” while a grown female will not be interested in “America’s Stupidest Wipe-Outs”.
Examples of the main types of each show are as follows:
Dramas are mainly shows such as “C.S.I.” and “Law and Order”
Comedies are mainly shows such as “South Park” and “Saturday Night Live”
Movies playing are mainly Action/Drama with little emphasis on Comedies or Science-Fiction
Reality TV shows include “I Love New York” and “The Amazing Race”
The distribution of shows is not surprising at all. There is enough variety so that everyone can find something they can watch although it may not be their first choice. The broadcast stations know exactly who their target audiences are and tailor the commercials to them just like during prime time hours.

Journal Entry 8

Journal Entry #8


Ted Turner not only played a huge role in the progress of Atlanta but was also one of the early pioneers of cable television. “In the last three decades of the twentieth century, Ted Turner transformed himself into a modern-day icon whose work has made a significant impact nationally as well as in the city of Atlanta” (Ted Turner). He has produced many feature films and also owns the Atlanta Braves. Ever since his early years he has worked with Georgia in advertising as well as television and other forms of entertainment.
He started working for his father’s billboard company in Savannah in 1960 and after his father’s death moved the company to Macon. “At the age of 22, he became general manager of the Turner Advertising Company's Macon branch”(Ted Turner, Media Mogul). His billboard company became a huge success so he moved to Atlanta and bought a television station called WJRJ. He changed the name in 1979 to Turner Broadcasting System. He also aired the Atlanta Braves and made it one of the most popular teams in the nation due to the fact that his program was viewed nationwide. He later bought the Braves as well as the Hawks.
In 1980 Turner created the Cable News Network (CNN) which was a “twenty-four-hour all-news television network” (Ted Turner) He also went on to try and buy out CBS but failed in the attempt. Though he went on to expand his name across the globe. Networks arose under his name such as; Turner South, Cartoon Network, Turner Network Television (TNT), and Turner Classic Movies. He did stumble into some hard times when he bought out MGM and fell into $2 billion dollars in debt. Then in 1986 he tried to broadcast the Goodwill Games, which was a “Turner-conceived, made-for-television event that closely mimicked the Olympic Games”(Ted Turner). It was a big flop which cost him about $20 million.
A major boom for Turner was in 1991 when he began broadcasting the Persian Gulf War. This really boosted his ratings and brought more viewers to his network. Another major success was when the Atlanta Braves won the World Series in 1995. In 1996 he merged Turner Broadcasting with Time Warner giving up his “controlling interest” in his sports teams and networks. (Ted Turner)
Turner donated millions to several organizations, mostly to environmental causes. He also donated the largest amount of money ever donated to the United Nations. The donation was a sum of $1 billion. He also opened a food chain called Ted’s Montana Grill which is thriving and expanding. Turner also merged Time Warner with America Online (AOL) and went on to write an autobiography labeled, Call Me Ted, in 2008.
Ted Turner played a huge role in Atlanta’s media networking. Through Time Warner studios in Atlanta which contains, Cartoon Network, Turner South, and Turner Network Television. The Atlanta Braves also became a huge success due to Turner’s broadcasting and went on to be called “America’s Team” If it weren’t for Ted Turner Atlanta would not the media hub that it is today.



Bibliography

Starrs, Chris. "Ted Turner." Georgia Encyclopedia. 2009. Georgia
Humanities Council . Web.9 Apr 2009.
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"Ted Turner, Media Mogul." Vault . 2009. The New York Times . 9
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Journal Entry 6

Journal entry #6


Oscar Micheaux contributed a very crucial piece to black film making in the 1920’s. He created his studio to help expand African American ideas and expressions. Micheaux created films for an all black audience and gave African American actors the chance to shine. He created 43 films in his career and led the way for cinematic advancements. According to albany.edu, “Micheaux used his filmmaking to challenge openly the racial injustices that African Americans faced at the beginning of the twentieth century: lynching, job discrimination, interracial rape, mob violence, and economic exploitation.” He produced films such as The Homesteader, Within our Gates, and The Conquest. These films not only gave black society entertainment but also gave the nation responses to controversial subjects.
The Homesteader was Micheaux’s first film and included an all black cast and crew. The Homesteader had originally been a novel written by Micheaux and was at first supposed to be created into a movie by the Lincoln Motion Picture Company. Micheaux declined the offers and created his own company known as the Micheaux Film and Book Company (The Journal for Multi Media History).
In his second and most controversial film, Within our Gates, Micheaux’s goal was to combat The Birth of a Nation. This film brought out many of the truths surrounding the south’s history. Within our Gates contained the cruel nature of lynching and had very similar scenes that were in The Birth of a Nation. These scenes differed due to the fact that they replaced the protagonist as a black person and made the antagonist the white man. It was a much more realistic portrayal of America’s history and many did not want it viewed.
The last film that Micheaux made was The Betrayal, which was about a black man who was in love with a woman who he though was white. At the end of the movie she turned out to be from a back ancestry and they were wed.
Micheaux was a huge forerunner in cinema and gave African Americans acting opportunities. His movies not only inspired his race but were also eye openers for the nation.



Bibliography


Butters, Gerald . "From Homestead to Lynch Mob: Portrayals of Black
Masculinity in Oscar Micheaux’s." The Journal for Multi Media
History . 2001. 20 Mar 2009
ml>.