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Chapter 7 Reality TV PresentationTRANSCRIPT
CH. 6: THE POLITICAL ECONOMIC
ORIGINS OF REALI-TV
Amanda Barone
DECLINE OF NETWORKS• 1980’s channels expanded rapidly• VCRS, Fox Networks, Local stations
• Advertising spread rapidly, which cut program production costs
• Advertisers tried recording who was watching what
• Reali-TV emerged as a cost cutting solution in this new economic environment
PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES• 1990’s started “nontraditional labor” = less
costly• Hidden video programs • Professional camera crews maneuvered for
embarrassing situations• Totally Hidden Video, America’s Most Wanted,
Unsolved Mysteries
• Then known camera crews began shooting in forced living arrangements• The Real World, Survivor, Fear Factor
TOTALLY HIDDEN VIDEO & THE REAL WORLD
THE SQUEEZE ON PRODUCTION• Prime-time producers average cost of an hour
drama soared to over $1 million • By the end of the 1980’s the costs increased by 10%
a year
• The networks were all in competition due to the restructuring federal tax laws
• Producers were able to deduct 6.7 percent of the cost of their productions from their federal tax bills
PRODUCERS TO LABOR• Producers initiated a series of cost cutting
strategies• Cutting staff, technicians, engineers, and extras.
• Screen Extras Guild (SEG) took a more defensive stand by starting a strike
• It ended with union members accepting a 25% wage cut, and change in overtime schedules• This motivated the power to break unions
SURVIVOR ECONOMICS• Hiring “name” actors were getting too costly• By doing away with higher priced stars could
lead to less production finance
REALI-TV SERIES BEGIN• First wave of Reali-TV shows were crime related
filled by unknown actors• Cops, FBI: The Untold Stories, America’s Most
Wanted
• Second wave of Reali-TV programing was in 1999 and 2000• Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Survivor
PRODUCTION BUDGETS• No relying line up talent or writers help shows
develop quicker• The “real” look of Reali-TV footage • No makeup artists or lighting
techniques which has low
production costs
• Reali-TV programs offered
50% in savings compared to
fictional programming
PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAMMING• Reali-TV redefined public service programing• Regan-Bush could close screening of
programs for announcements with no need for defense
• Also, many shows used “public service” and “educational” announcements for the civic value of their programs
INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION• Reali-TV is big on selling abroad• Shows can be licensed outright to foreign
broadcasters• “The easiest and most profitable thing for a
distributor to do with reality shows is to license them as they are. Prices can even approach what distributors get for action-adventure hours in some territories.” – Chad Raphael
• This extends the spread of U.S “victory” showings
WHAT PRICE REALITY?• Smaller audience = small success• Unsolved Mysteries aired on Lifetime and
because it was a cable network and had smaller audience it was a financial disappointment
• Public embarrassments tend ruin their viewers opinions
• Yet public embarrassments
are hard to ignore with
unscripted shows
CONCLUSION• Expensive dramas and sitcoms are in
competition with inexpensive Reali-TV• Reality provides us with too much
entertainment with no likely chance to ever go away
CAN YOU NAME THE MISSING WORD IN THE TITLES OF THESE REALI-TV SHOWS? The Biggest ________ America's ________ Top Model ________ Runway Storage ________ Deal or ________ Deal ________ Kitchen ________ and Tiaras The ________ Race Sister ________ ________ with the Stars ________ You Think You Can Dance?
ANSWERS The Biggest Loser America's Next Top Model Project Runway Storage Wars Deal or No Deal Hell’s Kitchen Toddlers and Tiaras The Amazing Race Sister Wives Dancing with the Stars So You Think You Can Dance?