Course 2016-2017 a.y.

20476 - TELEVISION


ACME

Department of Management and Technology

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 31
ACME (6 credits - I sem. - OBS  |  3 credits L-ART/06  |  3 credits SECS-P/07)
Course Director:
ANDREA QUARTARONE

Classes: 31 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: ANDREA QUARTARONE



Course Objectives

Television is undergoing a radical transformation process. On the one hand, digitization, the increasingly global scope of the industry and the maturation of new technologies for content consumption brought about the expansion of the number of different players involved in TV production and distribution and a substantial change in competitive dynamics and value generation models. On the other hand, content consumption is constantly growing, albeit with radically different patterns if compared with the past. While television remains a central medium in content production at the global level, incumbents are being challenged on their ability to innovate their offering models and the type of relationship they develop with their audiences and new entrepreneurial ventures are emerging aiming to exploit the opportunities rising in the context of industry disruption. The objective of the course is to develop understanding of the television industry in the current context of radical transformation, in which dynamics of attention, content production processes and business models are being redefined. More specifically, the course aims to prepare people who wish to develop their professional career in this industry, in order for them to be able to grasp the key emerging challenges and opportunities and to be able to cope with them with both managerial awareness and entrepreneurial proactivity.

Course Content Summary

Following a brief introduction of the basics of the TV industry, the course focuses on five main areas that are defining the on-going transformation:

  • Strategic models: the expansion of the competitive landscape, the shift over to coopetition, the interaction between incumbents and newcomers, etc.
  • Audience: audience typologies, old and new, their fragmentation, new models of attention and relational engagement, etc.
  • Editorial and content production processes: ideation and production of new content, dynamics and structures in TV programming, emerging editorial trends, etc.
  • Content monetization models: emerging/changing advertising models, payment and micro-payments, etc
  • Diversification: integration of (more or less closely related) new offering models, development on international markets, etc.

The course adopts a broad perspective including the point of view of all the major players involved in the transformation of television at the national and international level (incumbents, emerging players, content producers, advertising players, companies of complementary industries, etc.).


Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

The evaluation process will be different for attending and non attending students.
Attending Students:
The course evaluation will be structured as follows:

  • Individual MidTerm Assignment - 25%
  • Final group project (video documentary) - 45%
  • Class Participation - 30%

Non-Attending Students:
Non-attending students will be required to take an oral exam. The exam will be based on the required readings.


Textbooks

Attending Students:
  • A. Lotz, The Television will be revolutionized, NYU Press, 2014, 2nd edition.
  • Teaching and case materials provided for the course.
Non-Attending Students:
  • A. Lotz, The Television will be revolutionized, NYU Press, 2014, 2nd edition.
  • J. Ulin, The Business of Media Distribution, Focal Press, 2014, 2nd edition, (except chapters 4 and 5).
Exam textbooks & Online Articles (check availability at the Library)

Prerequisites

The course does not require specific proficiency on the topic, but rather a sincere interest in the television industry and its evolution. It is therefore warmly recommended to be updated on the current industry trends by regularly accessing key available resources (i.e. http://paidcontent.org/ http://www.theguardian.com/media/television, http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/other/tv-research/?a=0, http://www.tvblog.it/, http://www.davidemaggio.it/, etc).

For those who do not have even a basic knowledge about the industry, we suggest one of the following readings:

  • T. MILLER, Television studies, Routledge, 2010.
  • J. ORLEBAR, The television handbook, Routledge, 2011.
Last change 08/06/2016 16:03