After reading Chapter 13 of Media Today you should be familiar with the following vocabulary:

Prime-time Access Rule (PTAR)
Television Network
Network Affiliate
Independent
Digital Compression
Conglomeration

Here are some thoughts and questions that may inspire a Mini-Writing paper or Wiki post from Chapter 13 of Media Today.

1. Turrow discusses the stages in the process of producing a television series. Describe that process and explain what you think is the most difficult stage for the programming department.

2. Turrow discusses several controveries at the end of the chapter (desensitization to violence, stereotypes of social groups, etc.). Describe what your stance would be on one of these issues if you were a Program Director for one of the "Big 4" networks.

3. Turrow mentions that conglomeration is leading to a lack of diversity in programming. Investigate one of the "Big 4" and find out just how many different media channels their parent company owns.

2. Can you find examples of all the primetime programming strategies listed above? Provide them in the wiki-post or expand on how networks use them in a mini-writing.