Murray State University
College of Fine Arts and Communications
Department of Journalism and Mass Communications
JMC 520   3 Credit Hours


I. Title: Radio and Television Programming

II. Catalog Description: Current principles and practices in broadcast television, cable television, and broadcast radio programming, audience analysis, sources of programs and regulatory constraints.

 III. Purpose: To familiarize the student with the business of both radio and television programming and its relationship to marketing, promotion and sales development.   IV. Course Objectives: Each student will learn: a. How program schedules are created in commercial and noncommercial radio and television, and cable television systems.

b. How to formulate competitive, acquisitive and retentive programming strategies.

c. How to promote and market programming to both the audience and advertisers.

d. How programming strategies are evolving as the media environment changes.

 V. Content Outline: Click here for current schedule.

VI. Instructional Activities: This class is primarily lecture/discussion. In order to participate fully in the learning experience, students must read the text, trade magazines, and other materials. There are three (3) out-of-class examinations, one of which is a group project. Finally, each student will make a class presentation on a relevant topic concerning present or future trends in radio or television programming.

 The minimum time commitment to achieve a good grade in this class is nine hours per week plus an additional 30 hours during the semester working on exams, research, projects, and presentations.
 

VII. Field and Clinical Experience: N/A

  VIII. Resources: WWW research facilities in the JMC reading room; Waterfield Library reserve; guest speakers as scheduled.
 

IX. Grading Procedure: All assignments must be turned in during class on the date due in order to receive credit. All assignments must be typed neatly and proofed to be acceptable. I reserve the right not to evaluate any assignment that does not look professional.

The final grade is based on a maximum of 1,000 points as follows:

900 - 1,000 = "A"

800 - 899 = "B"

700 - 799 = "C"

600 - 699 = "D"

Below 600 = "E"
 

 Assignments and grades will be weighted as follows: Exam 1          250 points

Exam 2          250 points

Exam 3           250 points

Presentation    250 points
 

1,000 points The examination topics and presentation assignment for graduate students will be of a substantially higher degree of difficulty than those for undergraduates. X. Attendance Policy: Attendance and punctuality are required. Just as your punctuality and presence would be expected on a professional job, you are expected to attend all classes and labs—and to be there on time. A legitimate reason for absence, such as illness or a university-related trip, should be brought to the instructor’s attention by notifying the instructor of an absence ahead of time, just as you would notify a professional employer. Work missed because of an excused absence may be made up as provided elsewhere in this syllabus, but work missed because of an unexcused absence may not. Unexcused absences will thus negatively affect a student’s final grade. Any student who misses more than seven (7) classes, for whatever reason, will not receive a passing grade in this course. XI. Text and References: Broadcast/Cable/Web Programming: Strategies and Practices. Eastman and Ferguson, 2002.  ISBN 053451295X. Other reading as per assignments

XII. Academic Honesty: Cheating, plagiarism (submitting another person’s material as one’s own), or doing work for another person which will receive academic credit are all impermissible. This includes the use of unauthorized books, notebooks, or other sources in order to secure or give help during an examination, the unauthorized copying of examinations, assignments, reports, or term papers, or the presentation of unacknowledged material as if it were the student’s own work. Disciplinary action may be taken beyond the academic discipline administered by the faculty member who teaches the course in which the cheating took place. Note: Faculty reserve the right to invalidate any examination or other evaluative measures if substantial evidence exists that the integrity of the examination has been compromised.

  XIII. Prerequisites: JMC 168, Junior, Senior or Graduate Student status