Introduction to television content, programming, scheduling, and implementation
Think of a Television set without any program or broadcast channels.
Empty and useless, right?
Television programming is the broadcast and management of television programs and software, which gives the TV Set its value and meaning, and without which the TV set would be ordinary hardware.
TV programming is the major reason people use the set. It is the most vital selling point of the television.
Successful television programming is the duty of a station or network provider, and the success cannot be achieved without the inputs of satellite, cable, and telecommunications companies. It is a mutually beneficial relationship in which the companies need the networks and vice versa.
WHAT IS TELEVISION PROGRAMMING?
Basics and meaning of television programming
Television Programming is the organization of television programs into schedules that could be daily, weekly, or seasonal. It is the in-depth planning of the kind of programs to broadcast when to broadcast, and the audience targeted for the broadcast in order to ensure optimum usage of airtime.
Television programs, which are sometimes referred to as television shows, are content particularly prepared for broadcast on the television. It could be a one-time show or production, and it could also be a part of seasonally recurring programs.
CATEGORIES OF TELEVISION PROGRAMS
The common types of television programs
Programs prepared for television broadcast are in different categories, some of which are:
- News Program
- Reporting of Events Coverage
- Religious related program
- Documentaries
- Reality Shows
- Music Video shows
- Comedy shows
- Educational Programs
- Sports Programs
- General Entertainment programs
- Infomercials and promotional videos
- Game Shows
PLANNING FOR TELEVISION PROGRAMMING
Plans and scheduling strategies used in program implementation
Plans for television programming are made by television programmers. They decide on what show to broadcast and when to broadcast the shows.
However, it is not as straight-forward as selecting shows to be aired. A lot of marketing and planning strategies are involved in television programming.
However, before strategizing on what program to broadcast, the program has to be produced first. The production of television programs is in three stages.
- Pre-production stage: This stage involves everything prior to the actual shooting of the program. It includes research, ideas, writing, plans with crew and cast, costume organization, location hunting, and every other thing that would make for a successful shoot.
This stage enables one to understand the kind of program that is expected as a finished product, the accompanying problems or complications, and solutions. It is the foundational stage.
- Production Stage: This stage involves the actual shoot to produce the program. It is the stage where the crew, cast, location, and equipment are managed in order to produce a perfect program.
- Post-Production: The final stage is where you obtain the concluded and perfected program. It involves cutting out any unnecessary details, editing, use of effects or music, arrangements of visuals to fit a proper and approved sequence. This is a stage where the program is finalized.
Program production is just one aspect of the planning for television programming. Once this is done, the networks would have to plan on how to select programs based on considered factors. They would have to decide which programs to continue and which to cancel.
This stage of planning involves two major aspects. One is development, which includes considered factors for selecting programs and producing them into television shows. The second aspect is known as scheduling, which involves planning the lineup of the programs to attract the audience and advertisers.
Some of the following factors are often considered for the development and scheduling of television programs:
- The target audience for the programming
- Appropriate day and time to air shows
- Audience flow to ensure that the audience is tuned in for the next program
- The appeal of the show for advertisers
- Production cost or cost of purchasing rights to a program
- Type of program and its general appeal
- Television ratings
- Cost to purchase rights to particular programs
- Type of program such as sitcom, drama, reality, and talk show
- Television ratings
The scheduling strategies employed for television programming are such that can give shows the ability to attract and retain an audience.
They work to not only pull in the audience for the shows but to also deliver strategic audiences to the advertiser that would make their advertising have strong effects on their products.
SCHEDULING STRATEGIES AND IMPLEMENTATION
The newest and modern television programming strategies
Some of the common scheduling strategies for television programming are:
- Block programming: The strategy of scheduling a group of programs that are complementary in the same lineup. They are usually programs of the same category or genre and can be easily promoted together.
- Counterprogramming involves deliberate scheduling of programs to attract an audience away from another program. This usually occurs when both programs would typically attract contrasting audiences.
- Dayparting is a strategy of compartmentalizing the day into different segments in which a type of show or program appropriate for that time of the day would be broadcasted.
- Hammocking involves scheduling an unpopular show in between two popular shows with the hope that the audience would be tricked into watching it.
- Hot switching strategy eliminates commercial breaks in between two shows. The next show or program begins immediately after the previous show to give the viewers no chance to change channels.
The implementation of these strategies sometimes involves a combination of more than one strategy to achieve optimum results. The major aim of implementing any development or scheduling strategies for television programming is always to attract audiences, advertisers, and to increase ratings.
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With modern intelligent software, programmers can have access to a large database of statistics about their target audience – thanks to RSG Media!
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