Page 212 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media
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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
in fashion, where they say brown is the new black. On TV reality is the
new comedy, intended or otherwise.” 4
Producers are under tremendous pressure to keep abreast of popular
trends. As an example, NBC was the only television network that had
not developed its own reality series for the 2003–4 television season. As
a result, the network lost its dominant position among younger adults, as
the Fox Network, fueled by Joe Millionaire and American Idol, surged
ahead. Consequently, in January 2004, NBC introduced The Apprentice,
which became the number one new show among total viewers, as well as
among the target group (adults between the ages of 18 and 49).
In a perfect world, industry concerns are subordinate to artistic con-
siderations. In this ideal world, the media industry provides the necessary
resources that enable the artists to fulfill their creative visions. In reality,
however, industry considerations often drive artistic decisions.
In this market-driven media system, the primary goal is to maximize
profit by producing programming as cheaply as possible. As an example,
in May 2004, the 20th Century Fox television studio announced plans
to establish Fox 21, a production unit designed to produce relatively
inexpensive media programming. The studio immediately implemented
a number of cost-cutting measures, including:
• Shooting dramas on 16 millimeter film rather than the usual 35
millimeter film;
• Hiring lesser-known actors;
• Offering writers a profit-participation deal rather than large, up-front
script fees;
• Insisting on a seven-day shooting schedule (as opposed to eight
days);
• Setting up a stage in a warehouse rather than inside an expensive
sound stage on a Hollywood lot;
• Filming outside of Los Angeles and New York, in order to hire non-
union crew.
Indeed, the president of 20th Century Fox Television, Dana Walden,
declared that if it came down to letting a show die or giving in to pay more
to land a big-name actor, “We’ll have to decide to let the show die.” 5
This economic imperative has an impact on the content of genric
programming. The evolution of broadcast news programs provides an
excellent example. In the 1950s, television news divisions consistently
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