Page 214 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

An industry perspective can help to account for the appearance and
sustainability of a genre that might otherwise escape ready explanation.
To illustrate, one of the major benefits of scheduling television quiz
shows is that they require little capital to produce. Personnel expenses
are negligible, as productions are not encumbered by the cost of paid ac-
tors or scriptwriters. In addition, the outlay for prizes is minimal. Indeed,
during the 1935–36 season, the popular radio quiz program Professor
Quiz offered a cash prize of only five dollars. Although the amount of
cash prizes for quiz shows has certainly increased over the years, it still
represents a small percentage of the financial return. Commenting on
the 1999 hit Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, reporter Bill Carter notes,
“Even with the promised million-dollar giveaways, its costs come in
well under $1 million an episode (no contestant has yet won more than
$500,000). That is one-tenth to one-twentieth the cost of the two mini-
series—Shake, Rattle and Roll on CBS and Leprechauns on NBC—it
trounced [in the ratings].” 8
To be sure, the reality series has been an economic godsend for tele-
vision. However, the reason that this genre first appeared on the air is
that reality shows are relatively inexpensive to produce. To illustrate, the
reality show series Biggest Loser costs NBC about $850,000 to produce.
In contrast, a drama can cost as much as $3.2 million. Scripted comedy
shows cost an average of $850,000 to $1.2 million to produce. Gary New-
man, co-president of 20th Century Fox Television, declares, “No network
is going to do 52 weeks a year of scripted programming, they simply
couldn’t afford it.” Indeed, the preponderance of reality shows has had
9
a significant impact on employment patterns in Hollywood, resulting in
a significant downturn in the demand for scriptwriters.
At times the profit strategy may be difficult to discern, in that the
appearance of a genre may generate revenue elsewhere within a media
conglomerate. For instance, in 2005, Warner Brothers established a
new video game subsidiary, developing computer games based on its
vast library of Hollywood films. The addition of this subsidiary enables
Time Warner to use video games as a way to advertise its film division.
As reporter Laura M. Holson explains, “More movies and games com-
mand shelf space at mega-retailers, and Warner Brothers sees that as an
opportunity to breathe new life into old franchises.” 10
Industry considerations can also explain why genres that suffer from
low ratings continue to appear in the media. For instance, golf matches
—with the exception of major tournaments like the Masters or U.S.

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