584-142: TELEVISION AND RADIO

IN AMERICAN SOCIETY – Fall 2015

Sec. 001 9:30 – 10:45 pm, Tues/Thurs, MER 131

Lecturer:

Mark Zoromski
562 Bolton Hall

Office Hours:T/R 11:00 – 1:00

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

JMC 142 tells the story of America’s most popular and powerful storyteller, television, and its companion medium, radio. It’s a subject that you likely, in some ways, are already an expert. These media are part of the everyday lives of most people. But this course will help you develop a different kind of expertise. You’ll learn about things you may have wondered about before, and things you may never considered – like how the ratings system works, where today’s media giants came from, and what to expect from tomorrow’s electronic media.

You may not know it, but you play a part in the broadcasting industry every day. Each time you turn on your television, or listen to the radio, or make a cellular phone call, or use a garage door opener, you become a part of the broadcasting industry. In some respects, you are the most vital part of the industry: a consumer. As such, the industry studies you, makes assumptions about your habits, and develops marketing strategies to win your business.

In this course, we will learn the fundamentals of America’s broadcasting and cable industry. We’ll study a broad range of topics: the history and technical aspects of broadcasting, the business aspects of the industry, programming, ratings, research, the effects of the industry, and governmental controls.

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IN THIS CLASS:

There’s a magic formula to success in this class: attend class and keep up with the readings. It’s that simple.

You will have a reading assignment for each class, but I’ve made every effort to make sure the reading load is manageable. Some of the textbook readings are complicated – particularly the ones about the technical aspects of broadcasting – but if you keep up with the readings and attend the lectures, hopefully we’ll be able to figure it all out and have fun at the same time.

TIME INVESTMENT:

To achieve the learning outcomes of this 3-credit course, an average student should expect to invest about 144 hours over the course of the semester. We’ll spend about 37 hours in class (including in-class exam time), which means that on average, you’ll be spending about 7 hours each week on work outside the classroom. That time will be spent reading the textbook, and, of course, preparing for the exams.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:

Attendance.I do not take attendance in this class. That said, see “The Secret to Success” above. It will be extremely difficult for you to do well in this class without attending the lectures. In previous classes, there has been a direct correlation between class attendance and exam scores – those who attended class regularly scored much better on exams than those who attended class sporadically. You’re an adult, and making adult decisions means living with the consequences. The consequences of skipping class include missing an outstanding and entertaining lecture, or missing lecture material that will appear on exams.

D2L. The PowerPoint slides can be found before each lecture on Desire to Learn (D2L). That’s also where you will find your grades and other important material. It is critical that you check your grades after each exam and e-mail us if your score is missing. You can access D2L from the UWM home page ( Use your alpha ID (the first part of your UWM e-mail address) as your login name and your alpha password (your e-mail account password) to log in. If you encounter any problems or need help with D2L, please e-mail .

Exams. You may not be excused from an exam or assignment without PRIOR approval from the instructor. Doctor’s written excuses are needed for eligibility to reschedule an exam; in the case of another, reasonable absence, such as the death of a relative, plan to provide official documentation of some kind.

Other important stuff. Please arrive to class on time. Don’t doze off, converse, or engage in some other activity during class time. Pay attention, take notes, and participate! If you have a conflict due to religious observance, have special needs for accommodation of a disability, or need help with other issues, please inform me as soon as possible.

GRADING:

Final grades are a compilation of points from the exams and a minimum of four unannounced in-class writing assignments. The exams make up 90 percent of your final grade, and your in-class assignment average counts 10 percent. Your lowest writing assignment score will be dropped from your assignment average. (Note: all tests count toward your final grade – it’s the lowest writing assignment score that is dropped, not the lowest test score).

Your final grade will reflect your weighted average of the tests and the writing assignments. The formula for determining your final average is (.9 x test average) + (.1 x writing average). Final letter grades will be assigned by the following scale:

Final AverageFinal Grade

90 or moreAt least A-

80 to 89At least B-

70 to 79At least C-

60 to 69At least D-

0 to 59F

I will not grade on a curve, which means that you are not competing for grades with other people in the class. In other words, everyone in JMC 142 could get an A, which would be great. Of course, in theory it’s also possible that everyone in the class could get an F. I’d be pretty depressed if that happened.

REQUIRED TEXT:

Head's Broadcasting in America: A Survey of Electronic Media, 10th edition, McGregor, Driscoll /McDowell.

There is an online version of the text. If interested, go to Enter the ISBN number in the search field: 978-0-205-60813-3

POLICIES:

1. Students with disabilities: If you will need accommodations in order to meet any of the requirements of this course, please contact the instructor as soon as possible.

2. Religious observances: Students will be permitted to make up assignments when (a) There is a scheduling conflict between the student's sincerely held religious beliefs and taking the examination or meeting the academic requirements; and (b) The student has notified the instructor, within the first three weeks of the beginning of classes of the specific days or dates on which he or she will request relief from an examination or academic requirement.

3. Students called to active military duty: Accommodations provided in accordance with university policy. See

4. Incompletes: A notation of "incomplete" may be given in lieu of a final grade to a student who has carried a subject successfully until the end of a semester but who, because of illness or other unusual and substantiated cause beyond the student's control, has been unable to take or complete the final examination or to complete some limited amount of term work.

5. Discriminatory conduct (such as sexual harassment): The University will not tolerate discriminatory conduct. It poisons the work and learning environment of the University and threatens the careers, educational experience, and well -being of students, faculty, and staff.

6. Academic misconduct: Cheating on exams or plagiarism are violations of the academic honor code and carry severe sanctions, including failing a course or even suspension or dismissal from the University.

For more information about these and other UWM academic policies, see:

584-142Syllabus: Television and Radio in American SocietyPage 1