Mass Communication

ECO-306

Sami Ullah
Department of Economics
Faculty of Contemporary Studies
National Defence University, Pakistan
 Lecture 4

History and Structure

Electronic Media
Broadcasting
 Broadcasting is the systematic diffusion of entertainment, information
educational and other features for simultaneous reception by a
scattered audience, individually or in groups, with appropriate receiving
apparatus. The subject matter may be either audible or visual or
combination of both.
 Broadcast Media
 It can be defined as a media with signal transmission that is open widely
and freely for anyone to have a live view or to watch programs.
 Examples of broadcast: Format of Radio and format of Television are
may be the simplest examples
 Non broadcast
 It can be defined as the complete opposite of Broadcast, wherein it
makes you to pause, stop, rewind and fast forward videos or audio. It
gives you access to watch anything that you may feel like watching
which gives you chance to watch some of the past programs in the TV.
 Examples of non broadcast: YouTube 
Broadcasting
 Role of Broadcasting in a Developing Country like Pakistan
 The Educational Role
 Role in Social and Economic Development
 Dissemination of information
 Entertainment
 Objectives of Broadcasting
 To build Pakistan into a well-known nation by developing a national outlook
among the people
 To raise the prevailing standards of education and awareness in the country
 To inculcate true moral and civic values among the people.
 To introduce the vast mass of people to our rich culture and spiritual
heritage and to promote the cause of Pakistan arts, letters and culture
 To project the true image of Pakistan abroad.
 Radio
 Characteristics of Radio as a Mass Medium
 Radio is a cost effective medium
 Advancement of technology made radio production and transmission less expensive. • Production format is sound which can be
produced at a minimum rate.

 Radio is a Public Medium

 Radio can be accessed by any number of people simultaneously without much technical paraphernalia.

 Radio is accessible for the Illiterates

 In developing and under developing countries it becomes a popular medium because of these characteristics.
  Radio is a mobile medium
 We can listen to radio while we are moving.

 Radio is a background medium

 Specialty of a background medium is that it can be used while doing other jobs.

 Radio is an Audio Medium

 Being an audio medium, radio is accessible to the visually challenged also.

 Radio needs less energy

 In that sense it is an environment friendly medium.

 Radio is a speedy Medium

 Instant live broadcasting with less equipment is possible in radio section.
 The Evolution of Radio as a Mass Medium

 Big Business Step In

 Radio reaches a Mass Audience
 The development and Improved Receivers
 Radio goes Commercial
 The Emergence of Networks
 Government Support and Regulation
 Early Radio Content: Live Music , Variety and Drama
 Structure of Radio Industry
 Organization of the Radio Industry
 Local Stations and Syndicators Local stations operate in cities, towns and villages
across the country. Syndicators are agency that sells articles, features, or photographs
for publication in a number of newspapers or periodicals simultaneously.
 Amplitude Modulation and Frequency Modulation
 Digital Broadcasting ( DAB) Digital broadcasting is the practice of
using digital signals rather than analogue signals for broadcasting over radio
frequency bands.

Radio Stations Formats

 The Music Format
 Black and Ethnic Format ( Race and Nationality)
 News/Talk Format
Structure of Radio Industry
Producing Radio Programs
Departments and Staff
Structure of Radio Industry
Economics in The Radio Industry
 Sources of Revenue: Radio stations earns their money by selling advertising time. The amount
that a radio station charges for time is included in its rate card.
 Sale of spots
 Sale of time
 Advertising only immediate community
 General expenses in Radio stations
 Technical ( Payroll for engineering staff and cost of maintaing and replacing technical equipment)

 Program: program costs cover salaries paid to talent, cost of tae and records and music
fees.
 Selling : sales costs are made of salaries of the sales staff and all of the other expenses
that go with selling.
 General administration: expenses include the salaries of all management, secretarial and
clerical personnel, the depreciation of physical facilities, the cost of office supplies and
any interest that is due on loans to the station.
 Advertising/promotions
 News: Marketing News
 Structure of Recording
Industry
 Organization of the Record Industry
 Recording Industry:
 The recording industry consist of the various creative talent and business enterprises that
originate, produce and distribute records to consumers.
 The recording industry is divided into four major segments.
 Talent: The talent segment of the industry consists of all the singers, musicians, songwriters,
arrangers and lyricists who hoe to make money by recording and selling their songs.
 Productions: Audio engineers, producers, directors, set designers, Camera man etc.
 Distribution: Four main outlets for record distribution.
 Direct retail: direct retail refers to regular record stores that specialize in the sales of records, tapes and
related equipment.
 Rack jobbers: services the record racks that are located in variety or large department stores, .The rack
jobbers chooses the records that are sold in these locations. The department stores are then relieved of
the task of keeping track of what's popular, ordering new releases, reordering, returning unused
merchandise.
 One- stop: purchase records from record companies and resell to retail stores.
 Retail: The consumers purchase tapes and discs at the record departments of various department stores
and through hone or mail or through online shopping.
Structure of Recording
 Departments and Staff
Industry

 Economics of the Recording Industry

 CDs/DVDs
 Cassettes
 Online platforms
 Structure of Motion Picture
Industry
 Organization of the Film Industry
 The film industry divide its structure into three levels
 Production: three phases in movie making
 Pre production
 Production
 Post production
 Distribution: the distribution arm of the industry is
responsible for supplying prints of films to the
thousand of theaters and to cinemas across the
globe
 Exhibition: cinemas, theaters, movie channel,
drive in movies etc.
Structure of Motion Picture
Industry
 Structure of Motion Picture
Industry
 Economics
 Financing films
 Distributer gives loan the producer in return distributer gains distribution rights.
 Arrange for pickup: Distributer gurrantees a producer that the distributer will pick
up a finished picture at a later date for an agreed-uom price.
 Limited partnership: no of investors
 Joint venture: several companies involved in film production and distribution
process.
 Source of income
 Domestic Box Office rentals
 Foreign Box Office Rentals
 Ay and Network TV
 Foreign TV
 Domestic and Foreign Video
 Broadcast and Other Sources
 Organization of Traditional TV Industry
 The TV industry divide its structure into three levels
 Production: the three phases of production are following
 Pre production
 Production
 Post production
 Sources of Production
 Local production
 Syndicated programming
 For some stations, network programs
 Distribution
 Networks
 The network distributes programs to its viewers as they are received, or it videotape
them and resent them at a later time period or different day.
 Syndications: contract for legal right.
 Exhibition
Department and Staff
Assignment

 Impact of Mass Communication on society.

 Recommended Reading

 The Dynamics of Mass Communication,

Fourth Edition by Joseph R. Dominick