CH. 6: THE POLITICAL ECONOMIC

ORIGINS OF REALI-TV

Amanda Barone

DECLINE OF NETWORKS• 1980’s channels expanded rapidly• VCRS, Fox Networks, Local stations

• Advertising spread rapidly, which cut program production costs

• Advertisers tried recording who was watching what

• Reali-TV emerged as a cost cutting solution in this new economic environment

PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES• 1990’s started “nontraditional labor” = less

costly• Hidden video programs • Professional camera crews maneuvered for

embarrassing situations• Totally Hidden Video, America’s Most Wanted,

Unsolved Mysteries

• Then known camera crews began shooting in forced living arrangements• The Real World, Survivor, Fear Factor

TOTALLY HIDDEN VIDEO & THE REAL WORLD

THE SQUEEZE ON PRODUCTION• Prime-time producers average cost of an hour

drama soared to over $1 million • By the end of the 1980’s the costs increased by 10%

a year

• The networks were all in competition due to the restructuring federal tax laws

• Producers were able to deduct 6.7 percent of the cost of their productions from their federal tax bills

PRODUCERS TO LABOR• Producers initiated a series of cost cutting

strategies• Cutting staff, technicians, engineers, and extras.

• Screen Extras Guild (SEG) took a more defensive stand by starting a strike

• It ended with union members accepting a 25% wage cut, and change in overtime schedules• This motivated the power to break unions

SURVIVOR ECONOMICS• Hiring “name” actors were getting too costly• By doing away with higher priced stars could

lead to less production finance

REALI-TV SERIES BEGIN• First wave of Reali-TV shows were crime related

filled by unknown actors• Cops, FBI: The Untold Stories, America’s Most

Wanted

• Second wave of Reali-TV programing was in 1999 and 2000• Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Survivor

PRODUCTION BUDGETS• No relying line up talent or writers help shows

develop quicker• The “real” look of Reali-TV footage • No makeup artists or lighting

techniques which has low

production costs

• Reali-TV programs offered

50% in savings compared to

fictional programming

PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAMMING• Reali-TV redefined public service programing• Regan-Bush could close screening of

programs for announcements with no need for defense

• Also, many shows used “public service” and “educational” announcements for the civic value of their programs

TEEN MOMS PREVENT TEEN PREGNANCY: PSA

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION• Reali-TV is big on selling abroad• Shows can be licensed outright to foreign

broadcasters• “The easiest and most profitable thing for a

distributor to do with reality shows is to license them as they are. Prices can even approach what distributors get for action-adventure hours in some territories.” – Chad Raphael

• This extends the spread of U.S “victory” showings

WHAT PRICE REALITY?• Smaller audience = small success• Unsolved Mysteries aired on Lifetime and

because it was a cable network and had smaller audience it was a financial disappointment

• Public embarrassments tend ruin their viewers opinions

• Yet public embarrassments

are hard to ignore with

unscripted shows

CONCLUSION• Expensive dramas and sitcoms are in

competition with inexpensive Reali-TV• Reality provides us with too much

entertainment with no likely chance to ever go away

CAN YOU NAME THE MISSING WORD IN THE TITLES OF THESE REALI-TV SHOWS? The Biggest ________ America's ________ Top Model ________ Runway Storage ________ Deal or ________ Deal ________ Kitchen ________ and Tiaras The ________ Race Sister ________ ________ with the Stars ________ You Think You Can Dance?

ANSWERS The Biggest Loser America's Next Top Model Project Runway Storage Wars Deal or No Deal Hell’s Kitchen Toddlers and Tiaras The Amazing Race Sister Wives Dancing with the Stars So You Think You Can Dance?