I want to learn about American TV

[Rodgers]

OK, I'll insert the usual disclaimer even though most of you know the point of these threads by now - this is, if you like, akin to research it isnt trolling or any suchlike - give me factual responses please

1. American TV

There are millions of channels all showing rubbish programmes. There are a few that are OK and these are the ones that get marketed abroad - Friends, ER, The West Wing, The Sopranos, Seinfeld, Larry Sanders, 6 Feet Under, Ally Mcbeal to name the most recent of these - the ones we in Britain DONT see are terrible.

On terrestrial stations there can be NO nudity, swearing or anything too "unconventional" but graphic violence is fine. If you get cable (which is expensive) then you can see anything you want - hardcore porn etc. There is something called HBO, which seems to be the equivalent of TV nirvana but that is even more expensive. The trerrestrial stattions are - NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox.

There are also local (statewide stations?) stations and something called "public access" which (for an inexplicable reason) has to be available to all citizens to use whenever they want. This mainly involves unwatcheable nonsense made up for the benefit of the programme makers friends or minute niche audience. Also, there is a lot of extreme political stuff that wouldn't get aired elsewhere.

Lots of unusual sports get shown for hours at a time on TV - bowling, pool and tractor pulling. Oh, and WWF wrestling.

The news programmes involve Barbie dolls (again!) and Kens engaging in false banter between every item. Often there is a "wacky" weather man who is way over the top.

Finally, there is PBS - government run? - which shows opera and Monty Python for the benefit of Frasier Crane types and is always having telethons to keep it going.


2. American Radio

Mostly as awful as English commercial stations but I mention it here because of the "shock jocks" - Howard Stern (?? the one who made that film about himself recently) and Russ/Ross someone or other (big fat guy - anti semitic?). These seem to be incredibly offensive people who aim at the lowest common-denomenator, spouting blind prejudices that get them attention (and thereby listeners and REVENUE). Incredibly, they have some influence on mainstream politics. Fortunately, they couldn't work over here due to libel laws and media regulation.


Once again, I wait to be corrected

 

[amadeus]

Originally posted by Rodgers
There are a few that are OK and these are the ones that get marketed abroad - Friends, ER, The West Wing, The Sopranos, Seinfeld, Larry Sanders, 6 Feet Under, Ally Mcbeal to name the most recent of these...

If "Ally McBeal" is O.K., I'd hate to think how bad the terrible stations are.

On terrestrial stations there can be NO nudity, swearing or anything too "unconventional" but graphic violence is fine. If you get cable (which is expensive) then you can see anything you want - hardcore porn etc.

Not true. Cable stations are bound by many of the same rules set by the (U.S.) FCC. Cable isn't quite expensive, but it's not cheap. It's worth it if you watch it, which I do. It costs about $30 (15 pounds?) per month.

There is something called HBO, which seems to be the equivalent of TV nirvana but that is even more expensive. The trerrestrial stattions are - NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox.

HBO is about $10 per month, per station? There are several HBO channels. HBO Family, etc.

There are also local (statewide stations?) stations and something called "public access" which (for an inexplicable reason) has to be available to all citizens to use whenever they want. This mainly involves unwatcheable nonsense made up for the benefit of the programme makers friends or minute niche audience. Also, there is a lot of extreme political stuff that wouldn't get aired elsewhere.

Mostly religious programming for my local public access station. Not statewide, sometimes they are confined to a small region. Channel 10, in my town, for example, reaches about 30 miles from here.

Lots of unusual sports get shown for hours at a time on TV - bowling, pool and tractor pulling. Oh, and WWF wrestling.

Second to the last nail on the coffin.

The news programmes involve Barbie dolls (again!) and Kens engaging in false banter between every item. Often there is a "wacky" weather man who is way over the top.

Last nail on the coffin. Exactly.

Finally, there is PBS - government run? - which shows opera and Monty Python for the benefit of Frasier Crane types and is always having telethons to keep it going.

Some Frasier-esque material, but mostly children's programming and documentaries and political shows.

Mostly as awful as English commercial stations but I mention it here because of the "shock jocks" - Howard Stern (?? the one who made that film about himself recently)

Those kinds of people usually appeal to inept teenagers. They aren't as big as they were five years ago.

Russ/Ross someone or other (big fat guy - anti semitic?). These seem to be incredibly offensive people who aim at the lowest common-denomenator, spouting blind prejudices that get them attention (and thereby listeners and REVENUE).

You're probably thinking of Rush Limbaugh. No, he is not anti-semetic, nor is he incredibly offensive, etc. He doesn't have blind prejudices, he's just a conservative commentator.

But, there is an answer network to Rush Limbaugh, it's called National Public Radio. They are not privately funded (hence the "public") and generally lean to pro-leftist commentators.

 

[Chris85]

Originally posted by Rodgers
There are millions of channels all showing rubbish programmes. There are a few that are OK and these are the ones that get marketed abroad - Friends, ER, The West Wing, The Sopranos, Seinfeld, Larry Sanders, 6 Feet Under, Ally Mcbeal to name the most recent of these - the ones we in Britain DONT see are terrible.

Yes!!!, The Brits have Seinfeld!!!

Anyway, there is the conventional stations like NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX, then there is cable which costs $35 here which is pretty reasonable. I get like 80 channels and I you don't even watch like 3/4 of those channels, unless you have a lot of time on your hands. There is also channels that you have to pay extra for that show movies and have more graphic TV shows like HBO and Showtime.

Then there are local stations that are affiliated with the big 4 (NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX) that broadcast in a particular region (varies form place to place). The public access station, I just know its there I never have actually watched it.

You're right on about the unusual sports.

Right on about, the news programs, except that you forgot
about the sports guy who is always really into about every sport in existance.

PBS is funded by the public, but receives grants from the government and large companies, I think. It is perfect for the Fraiser Crane type.

The only radio show I'm into is the Todd 'n Tyler Show which is a local radio show based in the Omaha area about a whole bunch of guys who state there opinions about everything going on and tell it how it is. They also talk about and do very funny things that happen to them and people who call into the show. They talk about sex a lot, because they're guys. There are a lot of morning shows like this on FM stations nation wide.

 

[Padma]

On terrestrial stations there can be NO nudity, swearing or anything too "unconventional" but graphic violence is fine. If you get cable (which is expensive) then you can see anything you want - hardcore porn etc. There is something called HBO, which seems to be the equivalent of TV nirvana but that is even more expensive. The trerrestrial stattions are - NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox.

The four broadcast networks are just that: broadcast. The content is is "flying around" the airwaves, free for the taking by anyone with a receiver in range of a transmitter. Therefore, their content is regulated more closely than that of the cable networks, since they fed the data stream directly to your home. HBO is just another "Premium" cable channel, i.e., if you already have cable, you can get it, too, but it costs extra. Not worth the money, IMHO. (FWIW, I get all the non-premium channels my cable supplier provides - runs about US$50 per month - worth it. )

There are also local (statewide stations?) stations and something called "public access" which (for an inexplicable reason) has to be available to all citizens to use whenever they want. This mainly involves unwatcheable nonsense made up for the benefit of the programme makers friends or minute niche audience. Also, there is a lot of extreme political stuff that wouldn't get aired elsewhere.

Nearly all stations are "local" stations. They are usually affiliated with one of the major broadcast networks, and broadcast their programming. Part of their FCC licensing involves allotting time for local "public access" (That same licensing holds true for cable companies, too. They usually reserve one channel for local/public access.) Not just any nut can get "public access". First, the station has to have a hole in their schedule, and then I am sure the local station manager gets some say in what he broadcasts. Their primary purpose is to ensure tht those niche markets, including extreme politics, are served.

Lots of unusual sports get shown for hours at a time on TV - bowling, pool and tractor pulling. Oh, and WWF wrestling.

Actually, not that much. (except wrestling. ) But with several all-sports networks on cable, they can't all show the same thing all the time, so they give a nod to us bowlers, for instance. (An hour a week.) Sometimes, there are no "real" sports being played at a specific time, and they are reduced to showing soccer matches!

The news programmes involve Barbie dolls (again!) and Kens engaging in false banter between every item. Often there is a "wacky" weather man who is way over the top.

I understand where this stereotype comes from. In any reasonable-sized local market today, there will be a man and a woman sharing the news anchor desk, with a weatherman/woman, and a sportscaster. I have never seen these stereotypes all together, but I have occasionally seen forced/false banter, or a wacky weatherman.

Finally, there is PBS - government run? - which shows opera and Monty Python for the benefit of Frasier Crane types and is always having telethons to keep it going.

PBS is the Public Broadcasting System. It is definitely NOT run by the government. It is totally dependent on public support to keep broadcasting. (That's why they are always running fund-raising telethons. ) They do receive some grants from the government, though. From my experience, they are often associated with local universities. They function, to a degree, like a nationwide "public access" system. During the day, much of their programming is geared towards "educational" programming, ranging from Sesame Street to college-level discussions of say, the Lewis and Clark Expidition. In the evening, they do tend to provide some "cultural" relief for those of us tired of Friends, Seinfeld, etc.

American Radio: Don't listen to it much, so I'll avoid stepping on my own face, here.

Edit: Hi Chris! You listen to Todd & Tyler? The only one I listen to is Drew and Courtney, on KGOR, but then, I'm an old fart.

 

[Graeme the mad]

What are the good american TV shows that we dont get like - the onyl decent ones I can think of are the Simposons and the X-files

 

[knowltok2]

My take on TV: There is good stuff out there if you want to find it. The history channel and the learning channel are two good examples (Except for TLC during the day, then it is the province of my wife with these weird shows on babies, weddings, dates, and makeovers. WTH?). The true joy of American television is that it is all there from the quality to the crap. You can watch watevr you want to. Love animals like my wife? Try Animal Planet. They have romance channels, movie channels, Science Fiction channels, sports channels, classic sports channels, news channels, etc. A lot of what is on is crap, but fortunately my TV comes with a remote that allows me to control what channel I watch, and an on/off switch. I have no complaints with American TV.

Except: Local news. Local news is a bunch of crap. The weather is about the only use I have for it. I don't care to hear about the lady with 50 cats pissing and ****ing all over her house. I don't care to hear about the latest thing that is going to kill me (Not really, they just build up a tiny danger with a night full of ads for it). I also don't care to hear about what building caught on fire today, or if the storm today knocked down a few trees. It just doesn't matter to me. However, sometime they throw in a bit of national news, or local politics that gets me to watch through all the crap. Rant over.

Radio: Anyone who can get and keep an audiance will be given a microphone. Generally the car is the only place I listen, and generally I opt for a book on CD. When I do listen it is to a morning entertainment show that does silly stuff that makes me laugh, or an afternoon call in show on current topics.

 

[andyo]

just a random question - where do you get your info from?every poll of yours so fars has been "these are the steriotypes of america - discuss" - is everything you know of america from some bad punch line of a joke? if you have a question, that is fine - but not - "I think all t.v. is jerry springer etc"

 

[floppa21]

99% of American television is worthless garbage. You ain't missin a thing. Knowltok did make some attempts at "good" television, and he is correct. But average tv over here is a waste of time. And most everybody over here stares at it for a few hours EVERY day.

 

[drake]

Cable = 5 channels you watch 95 you never watch

 

[napoleon526]

Originally posted by rmsharpe

You're probably thinking of Rush Limbaugh. No, he is not anti-semetic, nor is he incredibly offensive, etc. He doesn't have blind prejudices, he's just a conservative commentator.

Excuse me? Have you actually ever listened to this man? He is the most racist, prejudiced person person I have ever heard. I reccomend you read the book Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot by Al Franken. It sheds a great deal of light on this hideous person's background, like the fact that he lived on welfare for a year, which is strange because he constantly welfare recipients as "greedy piglets suckling at the teats of America".

My favorite Rush quote has got to be this, which he actually said, as hard as it may be to believe. I'm looking for the source right now:

"Have you ever noticed that the suspects in police 'Wanted' posters always look like Jesse Jackson?"

Yeah, that's not offensive. He obviously has no blind prejudices.

 

[Bill_in_PDX]

Other good american shows not listed:

Well, two of them are actually import/copies from the UK, as in:

Who's Line is it Anyway
Junkyard Wars (that's Scrapheap Challenge to you I believe)

As to US sourced shows, it is really all about volume versus quality. Much more focused due to the hundreds of channels (I get 135 channels for $49 / mo) and if you like sports, you will not go without it.

I also like in the current cycle:

CSI
Malcolm in the Middle
Ed

And while I despise The West Wing as the usual leftist feel good bullcrap, I did like, and miss Sorkin's show Sports Night.

 

[drake]

I agree with that assessment (Napoleons)...The Howard Stern Show is less offensive than Rush or those Religious buffoons (like farwell) who spout out lies like it's going out of style (Like gays caused 911 to happen)............

Stern may be disgusting and immature, but I respect him more than these other "fine" radio personalities

 

[Jason Fox]

A couple quick notes -

Networks are comprised of "local" stations that pay for the right to broadcast programming from (the big four) ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX (but also UPN and WB on a much smaller scale.

Cable has an entirely different set of rules and, in fact, can go much further than "free" network TV. Most people are surprised to know that a cable show can show nudity, sex. extreme violence and curse at will. The reason they don't isn't due to FCC regulations but because advertisers won't allign themselves with these types of shows. We saw this with The Shield this year, great cable ratings and yet advertisers left due to content.

There's a large number of sports only stations that haven't been mentioned and are among the highest cable earners in many markets. More and more sports are moving away from network contracts and signing lucrative cable deals. As a rule, the big sports tend to lose money for TV because networks can't charge per spot what they need to recoup the upfront money. However, they use the large audience to promote other shows.

There are also many "informational" channels (TLC, Discovery) and news channels (CNN, MSNBC) and other specialty channels that appeal to a select, but generally reliable, audience.

Quality is a different issue. Networks (who own many of the cable stations as well) will air whatever gets ratings. Survivor rocked the TV world and a spat of reality based programming followed. Who Wants to be a Millionaire took over prime time and other game shows followed.

But the bulk of bad shows is to be blamed on the public. They kept Full House, and unwatchable sitcom, on the air for nine years, mind boggling.

All network stations have to program some type of public service show. Radio stations too. Most of these air on Sunday morning.

PBS stations are non-profit and do cater to the more literate among viewers. They tend to have special interest programming (the Philidelphia Philharmonic, while brilliant, appeals to only a select few) and rely heavily on donations since they do not run commercials.

 

[Bill_in_PDX]

Originally posted by napoleon526

Excuse me? Have you actually ever listened to this man? He is the most racist, prejudiced person person I have ever heard. I reccomend you read the book Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot by Al Franken. It sheds a great deal of light on this hideous person's background, like the fact that he lived on welfare for a year, which is strange because he constantly welfare recipients as "greedy piglets suckling at the teats of America".

My favorite Rush quote has got to be this, which he actually said, as hard as it may be to believe. I'm looking for the source right now:

"Have you ever noticed that the suspects in police 'Wanted' posters always look like Jesse Jackson?"

Yeah, that's not offensive. He obviously has no blind prejudices.

I've listened to quite a bit of Rush in my life, which is pretty hard not to considering he has had the most successful show on radio over the past 10 years. I've never heard him utter a racist comment, though it is the usual thing people who don't like him try to say.

I'd love to see your source on this Jackson quote.

Oh, and you do realize that Franken is just as biased to the Left as Limbaugh is to the right. I would consider his analysis of Rush in the same biased light as a George Will assessment of the Clinton legacy.

 

[napoleon526]

Junkyard Wars (that's Scrapheap Challenge to you I believe)

I love this show! It amazes me that these people find cars and motorcycles and they run perfectly after just a few minutes of tinkering? Did you see the finals on wednesday, with the remote controled battle-cars?

The only bad part is the new host. I just want to punch him.

 

[Rodgers]

It seems from the answers above that the actual STRUCTURE of broadcasting in the US is very similar to this country, however, we are more heavily regulated and libel laws place a further restriction on (effectively) what can or cant be said. We have multi-channel cable and sattelite systems priced at roughly the same levels as you guys showing the same amount of channels, together with 5 terrestrial channels.

As far as QUALITY is concerned, about 15 years ago, I would have been able to say with some certainty that British TV and Radio were streets ahead in these terms. Nowadays I'm not so sure - things are getting pretty dire over here.

In response to this quote from ANDYO -

!just a random question - where do you get your info from?every poll of yours so fars has been "these are the steriotypes of america - discuss" - is everything you know of america from some bad punch line of a joke? if you have a question, that is fine - but not - "I think all t.v. is jerry springer etc"

Well, I HAVE been trying to limit the possibility of people taking offense to the initial post in these threads by explaining that what I am about to say consisits of random stuff I have heard about the US - I'm not convinced they are TRUE.

I thought the best way to get people to respond was to assemble the worst things I had heard about the topic concerned to provoke (perhaps too strong a word) people into proving me wrong. I'm a (fairly) intelligent person - I do realise the majoritty of what I say at the start is wrong, but in the welfare related thread one thing I thought was way off and bound to be corrected turned out to be spot on and vice versa for another "fact". If you are an American Andyo, I hope you can take this on board and perhaps give me your take on things over there

 

[Nick]

Lots of US shows make it to Britain, if you've got Sky/cable, and are prepared to look around. I've seen US Whose Line... and Junkyard Wars. I expect most (or all) or what is on US channels like Animal Planet makes it to the British version.

 

[Lt.Col. Kilgore]

Originally posted by rmsharpe

But, there is an answer network to Rush Limbaugh, it's called National Public Radio. They are not privately funded (hence the "public") and generally lean to pro-leftist commentators.

I'm as anti-'left' and anti-'right' as one can get. NPR is terribly unbiased. Have you ever listened to it? I recommend 'All Things Considered'. I believe it's on at 3:00 P.M.

N.P.R. is all I listen to as far as radio goes, since there are no 'kill the socialists' Conservative opinions permeating the entire staion. Just like they keep from going to far left with the 'kill all the white people' Liberals. I've only heard intelligent commentaries by their journalists. Of course not 100% since everyone is hit and miss. Just because there are some lefty book authors on preaching about how all Jews were killed by Nazis 3 days ago doesn't mean the station itself is biased.

 

[amadeus]

Of course you'd say National Public Radio is unbiased...you're in Vietnam of all places. NPR and Hanoi are two branches from the same tree.

 

[Lt.Col. Kilgore]

Originally posted by rmsharpe
Of course you'd say National Public Radio is unbiased...you're in Vietnam of all places. NPR and Hanoi are two branches from the same tree.

I live in Florida actually. I just put Vietnam 'cos of the movie I got my handle from.