Television Networks and Censorships

Definition: National organizations that distribute television programs to local stations or affiliates

Significance: Television networks have been powerful forces in shaping the values, beliefs, and behaviors of viewers

Networks distribute programs to local stations or affiliates. Each network has a separate and distinct history. The American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) instituted the first television network in 1923. In 1926, this network became the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), which owned two networks, called the red network and the blue network. The red network proved stronger. Eventually NBC sold the blue network, which became the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Another network that was developing when NBC was being established was the Columbia Phonograph Company in 1927. This network later became the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). These major networks evolved from radio and telephone networks.

The importance of television networks relative to censorship is related to their primary function. Specifically, television networks are essentially a programming service. They are designed to provide entertainment and information to the public. Networks exercise a considerable amount of control over the programs that are offered to mass audiences. Networks increase profits by increasing the number of viewers because advertising prices are based on the estimated number of viewers for any given program. Therefore, judgments must be made regarding the content and style of programs. In many cases, the values and lifestyles of the audience for whom programming is intended will dictate the content and format of the network’s programs.

Network Programming

Prior to the 1970’s, all three American networks exercised more direct control over the content of their programs. In 1972 the U.S. Justice Department filed an antitrust suit against the networks. When the litigation was concluded in 1980, all three networks purchased more independent programming. Nevertheless, since the three major networks represent a powerful vehicle for transmitting information, they continued to provide a lucrative service to independent producers and to advertisers. They therefore continued to wield significant influence over the content of the programs that they distributed.

In the United States, individual networks broadcast more than ninety hours of programming every week. Although each network offers unique programs, there is a fairly uniform programming schedule during prime time, or the peak hours of 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Whatever the network, prime-time programming usually consists of dramatic series, comedy series, variety or “magazine” programs, made-for-television films, and sports. All broadcast networks have to abide by certain censorship regulations put in place by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for daytime and prime-time content. Between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., indecent content (per FCC guidelines) and obscene language is banned. Airing such content during those times could result in fines or loss of a station's license. According to the FCC, obscene content is always prohibited and, per their interpretation, is not protected under the First Amendment.

The extent to which such programs are included in a network’s programming schedule reflects the best estimate of each television network regarding which programs will find wide audiences and therefore make profits. Critics of networks argue that the quest for wide appeal has led networks to fail to have a fair representation of members of minority racial and ethnic groups in their programming. For example, much of the networks’ representation of African Americans has been stereotypical. This was especially pronounced prior to the 1970’s. Further, in the 1970’s, African Americans were conspicuously absent from network programming. It was not until the 1980’s that the networks expanded their programming to include more representative images of African Americans. This effort to present more accurate and representative images, information, and news regarding African Americans and other racial and ethnic groups was not systematically continued in the 1990’s, despite the objections of members of these groups and other critics. By 2015 this trend was starting to turn around, with major network television shows with all-black casts such as ABC's Blackish and FOX's Empire and the all-Asian cast of ABC's Fresh off the Boat.

Affiliates

Local stations that agree to carry some percentage of a network’s programs are known as affiliates. The concept of affiliates was initially introduced by CBS. Generally, affiliates accept approximately 80 percent of the network’s programs. The remainder of the affiliate’s programming is determined and provided by the local station. Censorship occurs at the affiliate level as well. Local stations occasionally decide that the network’s programming is unsuitable for their audiences. Historically, when decisions have been made by affiliates to omit the network’s programs, the racial content of the program has been cited as being unacceptable to the local viewing audience. For example, many Southern states maintained and enforced antimiscegenation laws, and television programs including sitcoms and movies that contained interracial dating and marriage were often considered unacceptable by Southern affiliates.

Profits and Programming

The costs of producing programs is also a major determinant that influences the networks programming decisions. Critics cite the networks’ intense interest in increasing profits as a major impediment to providing sound programming. Some believe that the networks relentless efforts to increase profits result in them focusing greater attention on ratings rather than on presenting interesting programs. Accordingly, it is suggested that programs of quality are not the primary concern of networks and that the value of programs is determined more by ratings than by programmatic content. Networks place a significant amount of emphasis on generating and maintaining profits, so they are quite competitive with one another. Therefore, the content of their programming is quite similar. The desire on the part of networks to satisfy the same kind of audience oftentimes results in the uniformity of content that is derived through the censorship of information and images. Moreover, the high costs of programming, particularly prime-time programming, means that networks are rarely able to recover the costs of production by airing only one episode of a program. Therefore, repeats, using the same advertisers, along with syndication, allow networks to generate sufficient revenue and considerable profits. However, this type of programming reduces the diversification of networks’ programs and increases the financial risk involved in creating a program. These economic considerations decrease the likelihood that network television will be representative on the basis of race, ethnicity, and social class.

Advertising is another area in which networks and advertisers control images, information, and news contained in the networks’ programs. Advertisers have been known to refuse to purchase time from a network when they do not approve of the content of the network’s programs. Advertisers generally play a significant role in influencing the content of the networks’ programs because of the costs of producing programs, which operates in conjunction with the networks’ overriding concern for maintaining and expanding their margin of profit.

Bibliography

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Jewell, K. Sue. From Mammy to Miss America and Beyond: Cultural Images and U.S. Social Policy. New York: Routledge, 1993. Print.

"Obscene, Indecent and Profane Broadcasts." FCC. Federal Communications Commission, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.

Poltrack, David. Television Marketing: Network, Local, and Cable. New York: McGraw, 1983. Print.

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