Television and New Media

In today's lecture, you were introduced to the variety of ways in which both television audiences and television producers take advantage of new media forms so as to engage with specific programmes. You were also introduced to a case study of Lost and the various ways in which audiences have engaged with this series through forms such as the internet and social media.

For this assignment, respond to this post by providing a case study of the opportunities offered by new media technologies in relation to a television series of your choice and critically reflect upon how the examples you find do/do not intersect with ideas surrounding media convergence.

Audience Measurement and BARB

In the lecture, you were introduced to how information concerning the 'television audience' is collected by BARB in the UK. In response to this method of data collection, consider the following questions:

• What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of BARB's approach to gathering information about audience viewing habits?
• What alterations/improvements would you suggest to this pre-existing method?
• What might be some of the limitations of your own suggestions?

Weeks 7-10: Television Form

The weeks following on from Reading Week have all looked at issues regarding the formal elements of television programmes such as narrative, genre, aesthetics and so on. All of these are key to the analysis assignment that makes up your second piece of assessed work. If you are unclear on definitions or key features of these elements, use this space to share your ideas.

Television Aesthetics

In the lecture we talked about three key approaches to the aesthetics of television: intimacy, immediacy and televisuality or 'style'. As a follow up and continuation of the session, think about other television programmes that you watch yourself and consider how they engage with and use the aesthetics of television. You can use any programme at all, just think about how your favourite shows might engage with these ideas.

Revisiting Industrial Debates - Guided Study Task Two

This is your main task to engage with in place of a lecture this week as the Guided Study requirements.

Follow the link below and watch the video of James Taggart's 2009 MacTaggart Lecture to the annual Edinburgh Television Festival:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2009/aug/29/james-murdoch-edinburgh-festival-mactaggart

Having watched this lecture, consider the following questions:

1. What are the key terms of Murdoch's position concerning British television in the digital era?

2. What terms/ideas does he use to justify these claims? Why?

3. What might be some of the positive points of what he is saying?

4. Why do you think Murdoch made these claims? What is motivating his discussion? What ideas/consequences does he overlook?

Representation and Luther - Guided Study Task One

Last week's lecture saw a screening of one episode from BBC1's crime drama series Luther (2010- ). Thinking about the lecture last week consider the following questions:

1. How can we use the language of semiotics to talk about Luther in terms of representation? With regard to representation, what stood out to you as significant regarding the programme's approach to this issue?

2. What examples of either positive representations and/or stereotyping did you see within this episode. What wider evidence would you use to support your claims?

3. How do you think issues of scheduling might have affected certain forms of representation in this episode?

You may also like to think about the review of the episode from The Telegraph that was given to you in the episode. How does this touch upon issues of representation? What kind of audience is it addressing and how?

A Place for Public Service Broadcasting?

One of the major issues to arise from this week's lecture surrounds whether public service broadcasting remains a necessity within the contemporary multi-channel, globalised television marketplace. For this week's further debate, then, I'd like you to summarise the contemporary issues for and against public service broadcasting nowadays and then offer your own informed reflection upon whether you think PSB is relevant to contemporary television's structures. Best of luck!

Characteristics of TVIII

Hi everyone,

I hope that you enjoyed the session on TVIII this week. Some of the key terms to consider in relation to this historical era are issues surrounding branding and vertical and horizontal integration. Use this space to engage with these terms and think about how relevant you think they are to the TVIII era. For example, in the lecture we looked at the case of ITV1 and its various attempts at branding strategies. How, then, are these ideas relatable to other channels within the UK? At the same time, what do you understand by the terms 'horizontal integration' and 'vertical integration'? How are these demonstratable in relation the contemporary television industry and/or explorable through a programme such as True Blood?

Further Debating TVI and TVII

Hi everyone,

An interesting point to consider in relation to this week's lecture is whether you think any examples of the safe, genre-based, broad-reaching style of programming seen in the TVI era is still identifiable today? What programmes would you use as evidence to support (or argue against) these claims? Post your thoughts about this issue here.

Best,

Ross

Welcome to the Course!

Dear all,

Hello and welcome to the course 'Introduction to Television'. This blog will act as a hub outside of the weekly sessions on which you can ask questions and discuss ideas relating to the themes that we cover on the module. Remember to follow the guidelines provided in the Module Outline for submitting posts (i.e. names and so on), though.

As a useful starting point for the module, you should bookmark the following page:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/television

The Guardian's television page provides a high level of coverage to events happening television in the UK and beyond and so you will find some of the articles posted here useful for your studies.