Telecommunications Programming and Management
Term: Fall 2008
Meeting Days: Tuesday/Thursday
Meeting Time: 2:00PM - 3:15PM
Prerequisite: TELE 3010
Professor: Dr. Casey O'Donnell
Email: WebCT; or caseyod@uga.edu
Email Note: Please put "[TELE 3310]" at the beginning of your email subject line. It will improve my response time to your email.
Office location: Grady 101-J
Office hours: Tuesday 3:30PM-4:30PM; Wednesday 9:00AM-Noon; By Appointment
Phone: 706-542-5951
Course Location: Student Learning Center 275
Disclaimer
The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary. This course syllabus is adapted from Ann Hollifield's TELE 3310 course syllabus.
Description
This course will provide an overview of the economics, management, and programming practices of telecommunications industries. Course participants will focus on current issues and trends facing today's telecommunications professionals with emphasis on the development and management of the industry's primary product: programming.
Course Goals and Requirements
Upon completion of this course, students should have a thorough understanding of what both telecommunications management and programming entails. Students also will develop an appreciation for industry trends and practices that will enhance their careers as media professionals. Reaching these course objectives will contribute to students' awareness of the important relationship between the media and society. Specifically, after completing this course, students should be able to:
- Understand the fundamental economic principles that drive management decisions in the telecommunications industry.
- Understand the structure and competitive environment of the telecommunications industry as a whole and the different sectors in the industry; understand how those factors affect management practices;
- Understand the effects management practices have on media content;
- Understand the implications that industry management practice have for your personal career;
- Be able to read about and understand the implications of current events and developments in the industry;
- Understand the basic principles and vocabulary of programming development and placement;
- Be able to think critically and analytically about telecommunications management and programming problems and be able to propose appropriate and creative solutions.
Required Textbooks
- The Business of Media: Corporate Media & the Public Interest, 2nd edition. Croteau, David & Hoynes, William, Pine Forge Press, 2006.
- Media Programming: Strategies and Practices. Eastman, Susan, & Ferguson, Douglas, Wadsworth Publishing, 2006, 7th ed.
- Other readings as assigned
Additional Readings
You are required to subscribe to Television Week and TVBizWire's RSS (Real Simple Syndication) news feeds. You can do this using any number of freely available RSS feed readers. You will also be required to subscribe to a news feed (or continually re-check the website) which I will add news items to. Students must pick three news items per week and write a response essay to these news articles. A response essay will consist of exactly one page, double spaced, Times New Roman (or equivalent) 12 point font, in which they articulate an argument and support that argument with material presented in the articles or drawn from other sources. Students must cite sources.
Television Week RSS Feed:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/tvweek/News
TVBizWire RSS Feed:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/tvweek/tvbizwire
Web-based View:
http://www.google.com/reader/shared/user/14229394684930416384/label/TELE%203310
RSS Feed:
http://www.google.com/reader/public/atom/user/14229394684930416384/label/TELE%203310
Ethics
All academic work must meet the standards contained in "A Culture of Honesty." All students are responsible to inform themselves about those standards before performing any academic work.
Plagiarism and Citations
You are required to review and learn the definition of plagiarism included in the UGA Student Code of Conduct. The idea that information that you provide will be complete, accurate, fair and original is the fundamental ethic of the mass communication industry. If you take more than four words directly from a source, they must be enclosed in quotation marks and the citation must appear at the end of the sentence in which the quotation appears. If you use facts or ideas from another source but paraphrase them into your own words, the source must be cited immediately after the paraphrased material.
Cooperative Work
More than one student may be using the same materials on assignments. You are ENCOURAGED to work together, help, and learn from one another. But you may NOT turn in identical or nearly identical papers. Each student is required to independently conduct his/her own analysis and write his/her own paper. Evidence that you are co-producing papers and turning them in individually will be considered plagiarism. If you have a question about whether your joint work is acceptable, ask me before you turn in the assignment. Group projects are of course not included in this category.
Violation of Honesty Policy
I will vigorously prosecute all instances of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, cheating, or other information fabrication. The minimum penalty for being found in violation of violations of the University's academic honesty policy will be failure of the entire course - regardless of how small a proportion of the final grade the assignment or material represented.
Office of Disability Services
Any student who is working with the University's Office of Disability Services and who needs special consideration on assignments or exams should let me know as soon as possible.
Attendance
Good workers come to work. Your class attendance not only helps you learn more, it makes the class better. But sometimes things happen. Let me know ahead of time via email. Missing 20% of the classes (six classes) will result in a FAIL grade for this course. Missing classes can negatively affect your in-class participation points as well.
Coming Late
Good workers arrive on time. You must come to class on time to receive the full benefit from your class. For every two times you arrive late, you will be counted absent.
Cell Phones Off
It is unprofessional to allow outside interruptions to disrupt meetings. The same goes for class. Turn your cell phone off before you enter class (or at least turn it to vibrate).
Classroom Computer Use
Professionals do not engage in extraneous activities during meetings. Successful students do not engage in activities unrelated to a class during that class. In class, not use your computer for activities unrelated to the class. Answering email, working on other class projects, downloading songs - do these on your own time, not during class. If you engage in non-class related activities during class, you might as well not be in class - and you will be counted as absent.
Honors Option
This class is available for Honors Option credit. If you are interested in taking the course at the Honors level, please let me know by the beginning of the second full week of classes.
Challenging Evaluations
In your jobs and your classes, you will be evaluated. How you handle and use these evaluations will greatly determine your eventual success. There is a professional approach for addressing evaluations (or grades) with which you do not agree.
- Take some time to consider the evaluation. After you receive the evaluation, think about it for at least 24 hours before doing anything - this cooling off period will help you present your case in a positive manner.
- Formulate a rational argument for why you deserve a better evaluation. Develop at least three points that you think prove you deserve a better evaluation. Your opinion is not an argument. Support your argument with data and analysis.
- Present your argument in writing (email is preferred) then request a meeting to discuss your evaluation. I may very well buy your argument and you won't need to meet with me at all! Handling disputes constructively is the mark of a true professional.
Grading Policy
Grading in the course will be based on the percentage of points earned out of the total points possible. The standard scale will be used (Note: rounding is based entirely on in-class participation):
A: 93%-100%;
A-: 89.995-92.995
B+: 86.995-89.994
B: 82.995%-86.994
B-:79.995-82.994
C+: 76.995%-79.994
C: 72.995-76.994
C-: 69.995-72.994
D+ 66.995%-69.994%
D: 62.995-66.994
D- 59.995-62.994
F = below 59.995%
Assignments
Description Due Date Percentage of Final Grade
In-Class Assignments/Admin N/A 5%
Reading Responses Multiple - See Schedule 20%
First Exam 09/30/2008 20%
Second Exam 11/11/2008 20%
Program Report 12/04/2008 15%
Third Exam Thursday, Dec. 11, 3:30PM - 6:30PM 20%
Assignments must be turned in to me by 2PM (Class time) on the day that they are due, except when noted. They may be turned in to me at the beginning of class or in my mailbox in the Dept. of Telecommunications main office. They may NOT be turned in to my mailbox in the Main College office. Late assignments are due by 2PM on the day of the next class period and will be penalized one full grade (11% of the possible points). No late assignments will be accepted after 2PM on the day of the next class period after the assignment was due. Be aware that I do not accept computer and printer problems as an excuse for late assignments. Computer-problem solving is a critical professional skill.
Course Schedule
A continually updated course calendar is available online here: http://www.google.com/calendar
Week 1:
08/19/2008 First Class Meeting: Welcome and Course Introduction
08/21/2008 Setting the Course Context: Developments in the Industry
Week 2:
08/26/2008 Assignment Due:
Student Profile Form & Honesty Form;
Topic:
Basic Industry Structures;
Read for Class:
Croteau & Hoynes: Preface, Introduction, Chapter 1;
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
08/28/2008 Assignment Due:
Reading Response 1
Topic:
Current Events and Fundamental Issues;
Read for Class:
Rep. Bernie Sanders: Corporations Have Chokehold on US Media;
http://www.theconversation.org/chokehold.html
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 3:
09/02/2008 - Assignment Due:
09/04/2008 Reading Response 2 (09/04/2008)
Topic:
Basic Economic and Financial Concepts
Read for Class:
Croteau & Hoynes: Preface, Introduction, Chapter 2;
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 4:
09/09/2008 - Assignment Due:
09/11/2008 Reading Response 3 (09/11/2008)
Topic:
Basic Economic and Financial Concepts;
Industry Life Cycles;
Regulation and Deregulation
Read for Class:
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 5:
09/16/2008 - Assignment Due:
09/18/2008 Reading Response 4 (09/18/2008)
Topic:
Current Management Strategies
Read for Class:
Croteau & Hoynes: Preface, Introduction, Chapter 3 & 4;
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 6:
09/23/2008 - Assignment Due:
09/25/2008 Exam 1 - September 25
Topic:
Exam and Exam Review
Read for Class:
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 7:
09/30/2008 - EXAM:
10/02/2008 Reading Response 5 (10/02/2008)
Topic:
The Effects of Industry Business Practices on Content
Read for Class:
Croteau & Hoynes: Preface, Introduction, Chapter 5;
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 8:
10/07/2008 - Assignment Due:
10/09/2008 Reading Response 6 (10/09/2008)
Topic:
The Effects of Media Business Practices on Society and Options for Change
Read for Class:
Croteau & Hoynes: Preface, Introduction, Chapter 6 & 7;
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 9:
10/14/2008 - Assignment Due:
10/16/2008 NONE
Topic:
TBA;
Read for Class:
Eastman & Ferguson: Chapters 1 & 4;
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 10:
10/21/2008 - Assignment Due:
10/23/2008 Reading Response 7 (10/23/2008)
Topic:
Introduction to Programming;
Network Programming Strategies;
Read for Class:
Eastman & Ferguson: Chapters 2;
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 11:
10/28/2008 - Assignment Due:
10/30/2008 Reading Response 8 (10/30/2008)
Topic:
Ratings and Audience Research
Read for Class:
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 12:
11/04/2008 - Assignment Due:
11/06/2008 Reading Response 9 (11/06/2008)
Topic:
POLITICS and the MEDIA;
Syndication and Nonprime-time Programming
Read for Class:
Eastman & Ferguson: Chapters 3, 5 & 6;
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 13:
11/11/2008 - EXAM:
11/13/2008 Exam 2 - November 11
Topic:
Cable and Satellite Programming
Read for Class:
Eastman & Ferguson: Chapters 8 & 9;
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 14:
11/18/2008 Topic:
Cable, Satellite, and Radio Programming
Read for Class:
Eastman & Ferguson: Chapters 11 & 12;
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
11/20/2008 Assignment Due:
Reading Response 10
Topic:
TBA;
Week 15:
11/25/2008 THANKSGIVING BREAK
11/27/2008 THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week 16:
12/02/2008 - Assignment Due:
12/04/2008 Program Report (12/04/2008)
Topic:
New Media;
Powerhouse Job & Internship Hunting
Read for Class:
Eastman & Ferguson: Chapters 10;
TVWeek, TVBizWire, and Course RSS Feeds;
Others as Assigned
Week 17:
12/11/2008 Final Exam: 3:30PM - 6:30PM