Page 227 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

CHAPTER 8

Ancillary Products

Successful genric programming is often parlayed into a line of secondary
products. For instance, to capitalize on the success of the tween show
Zoey 101, Nickelodeon introduced a Zoey 101 apparel line. The highly
successful Harry Potter books have led to extensive merchandising as
well; anyone looking for a Harry Potter teacup or pillowcase will not
be disappointed.

Franchises

The media industry repackages its successful genres as franchises. A
franchise property refers to programming based on an established series.
Successful franchises can be extremely lucrative. In 2004, the premiere
of CSI: New York (the second spin-off of the successful CSI: Crime Scene
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Investigation franchise) attracted 23.1 million viewers. (For further
discussion of franchises, see Chapter 3.)
Advertising

The advertising revenue garnered by the media industry is enormous.
The breakdown of advertising revenue by media type in 2005 was as
follows:

• Newspapers: $46.6 billion
• Broadcast TV: $46.2 billion
• Cable TV: $21.5 billion
• Radio: $19.5 billion
• Magazines: $12.2 billion. 39

Advertisers wield an extraordinary influence on the shows they spon-
sor. To illustrate, variety programs broadcasted on radio in the 1930s were
named after the sponsor rather than the star of the shows, reflecting the
preeminence of the advertisers:

• The Kraft Music Hall (starring Bing Crosby)
• The Pepsodent Program (starring Bob Hope)
• The Lucky Strike Program (starring Jack Benny)

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