Managing Electronic and Digital Media

Presented to:
Contents:
Habiba Rahman,
Management in the Electronic and Digital Media
Assistant Professor & Chairperson, An overview of the Electronic and Digital Media
Department of Television, Film and Photography
Interrelated Activities of Traditional Media Companies
University of Dhaka. Media Convergence
Presented by: Three Levels of Management
Asrafun Naher Management Skills
Roll: Management Functions
RK-048-001 Management Roles
Course: Broadcast and Film Production Source:
Management (TFS 404) Book: Management of Electronic and Digital Media,
6th Edition
Writer: Alan B. Albarren
 Management in the Electronic and Digital
Media
Management:
 A dynamic process by which individuals work with and through other people to
accomplish organizational objectives;
 Challenges:
 Globalization;
 Changing audience tastes and preferences;
 Competitive environment;
 Emerging philosophies;
 Interplay of economic, technological and regulatory forces.
 Solution:
 Learning new process;
 Refining skills and do more than just managing.
An overview of the Electronic and Digital
Media
 Radio
 Consists of AM and FM broadcasting as well as HD and satellite radio.
 Television
 Dominated by the broadcast networks.
 Multichannel Video Services: Cable, Satellite and Telcos
 Consists of broadcast signals, satellite-delivered networks, premium services, and pay-per-
view, as well as ancillary services like DVRs and telephone service.
 Telecommunications Industry
 Offers a range of communication services ranging from traditional telephone to Internet access
in addition to video distribution.
 Digital Video Platforms and Social Media
 Provide a host of new ways to consume information and entertainment.
Interrelated Activities of Traditional Media
Companies (Sherman, 1995)
 Development
 Concerned with new technological innovations.
 Production
 Consists of the manufacture of both hardware and software for the electronic media.
 Hardware: Television and radio receivers, satellite dishes, mobile devices.
 Software: Television and radio programs, sound recordings.
 Distribution
 Concerned with getting products to consumers.
 Example: Traditional broadcast networks to satellite-delivered services, the Internet.
 Exhibition
 Concerned with the sector where the consumer will use and engage the product.
Media Convergence
 Idea
 The integration of video, audio, the Internet, and computing
systems, as well as distribution technologies;
 Pros
 Saves resources;
 Integration of newsgathering operations;
 Sharing of official support functions, marketing and engineering.
 Example
 Fox, Gannet, Raycom Media.
 Three Levels of Management
 Lower-level manager:
 Centers on supervising others and monitors individual performance;
 Example: Program Director who evaluates the on-air staff.
 Middle-level manager:
 Plan and allocate resources and manage groups of people;
 Example: General Sales Manager who coordinates the activities of the sales
department.
 Top-level or Executive Manager
 Monitors the entire organizational environment
 Identifies internal and external factors that impact the operation.
 Example: The General Manager or Market Manager
 Management Skills

 The basic competencies needed by electronic media managers;

 Can be developed via continuing education, experience, and attendance at
managerial seminars and workshops;
 Needed skills in the Management process:
 Technical skillls; Human skills; Conceptual skills
 Crucial skills to the successful Electronic and Digital media Management:
 Financial skills; Marketing skills; Entrepreneurial
Technical Skills

 Meaning
 The technical aspects of the operations.
 Example
 Equipment operation, signal transmission, content distribution and
digital applications.
 Challenge
 Technological advancements.
 Benefit
 Greater respect from employees.
Human, or People, Skills

 Characteristics:
 The single most important skill;
 Helps to exhibit strong interpersonal skills, leading and motivating
employees;
 Helps to make managers dynamic, visionary and motivated.
Conceptual, or Problem-Solving, Skills

 Characteristics:
 Making decisions based on sound judgment;
 Solving problems in an efficient and timely manner.
 Challenges:
 Constantly changing pattern of media;
 Responding to the environment quickly.
 Financial Skills

 Tasks
 Meeting financial goals;
 Managing budgets;
 Dealing with unexpected contingencies.
 Challenges
 Heavily competitive environment;
 Constantly evolving economic system;
 Increasing the value of the enterprise .
Marketing Skills

 Tasks:
 Positioning the product(s) effectively;
 Using vehicles and platforms strategically to build
audience;
 Understanding the using of four Ps of marketing.
 Entrepreneurial Skills

 Tasks:
 Thinking and working like entrepreneur;
 Helps to be innovative, tenacious, and courageous to take risks;
 Helps to exhibit a sense of passion.
Management functions

 Refer to the tasks that managers perform;

 Functions that actually occur in the daily activities of electronic media
managers:
Planning;
Organizing;
Motivating;
Controlling;
Facilitating;
Communicating;
Negotiating.
 Planning
 Function
 Establishing organizational objectives
 Providing others with the resources needed to accomplish their
tasks.
 Challenges:
 The establishment of both short and long term objectives;
 The complicated form of strategic planning;
 Example: A competitive environment among the “Traditional
Media”, the already emerged “New Media” and the growing
importance of “Social Media”.
Organizing

 Functions:
 Determines the responsibility of a unit for specific company
objectives.
 Creates a holistic environment by linking managers of
individual departments with the overall structure of the
organization.
 Conflicts are resolved and mediated by top-level managers.
Motivating
 Functions:
 Helps any organization to accomplish goals;
 Manages employees to give a high level of performance.
 Applicable areas
 production, research and engineering.
 Employees demand:
 Recognizing for individual achievement and contribution;
 Opportunities for continued growth and advancement.

(Buckingham and Coffman, 1999; Herzberg,1987)

Controlling

 Functions:
 Giving feedback to other managers and employees;
 Monitoring the progress toward completion of organizational objectives;
 Making changes as situations demand.
 Criticism regarding feedback:
 Managers do not offer enough feedback;
 Feedback should not be limited to annual performance reviews.
Facilitating
 Characteristics:
i. Empowers the needed resources to complete
organizational tasks;
ii. Resources may include personnel, money, or equipment;
iii. Most prominent at the executive and middle levels of
management;
iv. Provides more than just moral support;
v. Articulates the needs of the unit;
vi. Seeks additional resources as needed on an ongoing basis.
 Communicating
 Benefits:
 Permeates all areas of management;
 Keeps employees abreast of information;
 Establishes a participatory climate beneficial to the organization.
 Types of communication:
 Formal lines of communication: newsletters, performance reviews.
 Informal lines of communication.
 Ways of encouraging communication:
 E-mail and messaging, regular meetings and an open-door office
policy.
Negotiating
 Purpose
 Seeking best possible solutions.
 Types of negotiation:
 Negotiation with employees: salary and benefit package, new personnel
positions, dealing with vendors.
 Program acquisition: license fees, news services.
 Equipment needs: production equipment.
 Other forms of negotiation: owners, regulators, audience members,
community leaders.
Management Roles
 Leader:
i. Accepting responsibility for both the organization and the
employees;
ii. Adapting to change, making decisions, maintaining open
lines of communication, leading/ motivating others, setting a
vision and exhibiting passion.
 Representative:
i. Serving as figureheads in a variety of contexts;
ii. Representing various trade and professional organizations
like NAB, NCTA, RTDNA etc.
 Management Roles
 Liaison
i. Transferring the information to the parent company and
filtering information from the corporate level.
ii. Needs strong communication and negotiating skills;
iii. Maintained usually by the executive manager;