D. Translate the following text from Russian into English

D. Translate the following text from Russian into English.

В настоящее время телевидение стало не столько неотъемлемой частью общественной и культурной жизни миллионов жителей нашей страны, сколько мощнейшим орудием влияния на сознание людей и, как следствие, воспитания подрастающего поколения. Бесспорно, что помимо положительного значения, оно оказывает и негативное воздействие на разум и чувства современных детей. На первый взгляд все выглядит вполне безобидно, да и что может быть плохого в том, что ребенок в свое свободное от уроков время посмотрит несколько развлекательных передач, фильмов и ярких иностранных «мультиков». Однако, огромный поток информации, ежедневно обрушивающийся на детей, может сослужить недобрую службу как для будущей жизни самого ребенка, так и людей его окружающих,  и далеко не всегда родители, близкие люди и педагоги могут оградить его от, казалось бы, такого нужного изобретения ушедшего века ‒ телевидения. Проблема влияния телевидения на воспитание и развитие подрастающего поколения много раз обсуждалась психологами, педагогами, социологами и представителями общественности, но она так и осталась неразрешенной.

Как известно, индивидуальное развитие человека и формирование его личности происходит в первую очередь в результате активного взаимодействия с окружающей средой во многом благодаря воспитанию, образованию, самообразованию. Но что делать, если большую часть времени ребенок общается с необыкновенно привлекательным «голубым экраном», который манит его красочными огоньками шикарной жизни, уводит от действительности в мир увлекательных программ о карьерном росте популярных людей, вводит в бесконечную круговерть сериалов, открывает двери шикарных апартаментов жителей всевозможных «Фабрик звезд» и учит жизни с помощью огромного количества рекламных роликов?  Как только еще формирующемуся сознанию маленького человека в одиночку справиться с таким диким напором информации, как ему понять, что хорошо, а что плохо?…
(http://journal.sakhgu.ru/work.php?id=22)
…Средства массовой информации – мощная сила воздействия на сознание людей, средство оперативного донесения информации в разные уголки мира, наиболее эффективное средство влияния на эмоции человека, способное убеждать реципиента наилучшим образом. Особенно четко это проявляется в отношении электронных СМИ. По мере расширения технических возможностей  их роль возрастает. А по эмоциональному воздействию на чувства и сознание людей они остаются пока непревзойденными и собирают самую большую аудиторию. В средствах массовой информации, а особенно на телевидении вопросы повышения эффективности выступлений тесно связаны с уровнем организации творческого процесса, форм и средств социально-политического воспитания журналистского, художественного и технического персонала. Прежде всего, это отбор проблем, решение которых может быть поддержано и подсказано аудиторией, и создание перспективных планов работы СМИ, их включающих.

В настоящее время значительно возросло влияние средств массовой информации на личность. Господствующее положение среди средств массовой информации на сегодняшний день занимает телевидение. Если в конце 70-х начале 80-х годов телевизор считался роскошью, то сегодня телевидение прочно вошло в быт, практически каждой семьи. Постепенно телевидение вытесняет газеты и журналы, серьёзно конкурирует с радио…

271. 
     I. Multiple Choice
     
272. 
     
     
273. 
     Choose the alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
     

a. TV uplinks b. DBS systems c. CATV d. illegal

2. The computerized cable system center, which receives, processes, and sends out signals, is called the _____.

a. hub b. headend c. satellite d. cable

3. Coded data is sent as beams of light through _____.

a. fiber-optic cable b. digital cable c. uplinking d. coaxial cable

4. Though the technology for cable existed as early as the late 1940s, _____ lobbied to prevent its development in cities.

a. the Federal Communications Commission b. NBC c. the National Association of Broadcasters d. CBS

5. What advantages does cable have over broadcast television?

a. more channels b. specialized programming c. less interference d. all of the above

6. The _____ rules were revoked in 1980, giving cable operators more sources of programming.

a. exclusive b. syndex c. syn-fin d. must-carry

7. The must-carry rules require cable networks to carry _____.

a. local broadcast stations b. networks c. educational programming d. program content warnings

8. The cable act of 1984 resulted in _____.

a. higher rates b. less money to the community for fees c. a gradual end to the must-carry law d. all of the above

9. The _____ brought cable under the same regulations as telephone, radio, and television communication.

a. Cable Act of 1972 b. Cable Act of 1984 c. syndex rules d. Telecommunications Act of 1996

10. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 resulted in which of the following?

a. it allowed cable operators to set the franchise fee b. it extended the must-carry rules c. it allowed telephone and cable companies to enter each other's markets d. all of the above

11. Which of the following does basic cable not usually include?

a. broadcast channels b. cable radio channels c. public-access channels d. national satellite services

12. The MTV network was launched in _____.

a. 1979 b. 1981 c. 1984 d. 1986

13. A channel that is a good example of narrowcasting is _____.

a. ESPN b. NBC c. ABC d. Fox

14. CNN has become a major cable network by _____.

a. offering 24-hours news b. covering international news on the spot c. providing detailed coverage of ongoing crises d. all of the above

15. First appearing in the mid-1970s, _____ provided the same channels as cable.

a. fiber optics b. satellite dishes c. Time Warner d. MediaOne

16. Since 1970, the number of small cable systems has _____.

a. stayed about the same b. almost doubled c. almost tripled d. almost quadrupled

17. What does MSO stand for?

a. multiple systems operations b. multiservice organization c. multiple-system operators d. municipal system organization

18. The largest MSO in the United States is _____.

a. Time Warner b. AOL c. Comcast d. Charter Communications

19. The first community to build a municipal cable system in the U.S. was in _____.

a. New York b. Kentucky c. Oregon d. Iowa

20. Like movie studios, cable employs people in the _____ field.

a. production b. distribution c. exhibition d. all of the above

21. CATV systems were first developed to _____.

a. provide service to isolated areas and small communities b. eliminate broadcast stations c. provide government broadcast space d. none of the above

22. Until the 1980s, most cable systems used _____.

a. broadcast signals b. coaxial cable c. fiber-optic cable d. digital cable

23. The _____ of a cable system acts as its center.

a. hub b. headend c. satellite d. cable

24. The first cable systems appeared in the _____.

a. 1940s b. 1950s c. 1960s d. 1970s

25. What does NAB stand for?

a. National Association of Broadcasters b. National Antenna Business c. Network Association Bill d. Network Agenda for Broadcasting

26. The must-carry rules state that cable networks must carry _____.

a. local broadcast stations b. networks c. educational programming d. program content warnings

27. Until 1980, the _____ laws prevented cable channels from importing syndicated programs from distant markets.

a. exclusive b. syndex c. syn-fin d. must-carry

28. A cable company bids with the local governing body for the right to establish a(n) _____.

a. franchise b. conglomerate c. oligopoly d. syndicate

29. Cable companies today should be viewed as _____, not common carriers.

a. municipal franchises b. public property c. utilities d. electronic publishers

30. The option for broadcast networks to be reimbursed for the use of their channels on cable is called _____.

a. retransmission consent b. must-carry law c. syndication law
d. none of the above

31. Which of the following is typically a premium cable channel?

a. AMC b. USA c. E! d. HBO

32. The CNN network was launched in _____.

a. 1978 b. 1980 c. 1985 d. 1989

33. Cable channels like AMC and ESPN are examples of _____.

a. broadcasting b. narrowcasting c. multicasting d. democasting

34. Much like with early CATV, people in outlying areas were the first to embrace _____.

a. fiber optics b. satellite dishes c. the Internet d. MediaOne

35. Cable companies generate revenue through _____.

a. subscriber fees b. premium channels c. pay-per-view d. all of the above

36. _____ is the second-largest MSO in the United States.

a. Time Warner Cable b. AOL c. AT&T d. Charter Communications

37. By the year 2004, cable profits were _____ broadcast channel profits.

a. roughly equal to b. higher than c. still lower than d. none of the above

38. Communities have begun creating publicly owned cable systems in an effort to _____.

a. raise prices b. foster competition c. replace utility poles d. all of the above

39. Which of the following is NOT a division of the cable industry?

a. production b. distribution c. packaging d. exhibition

40. Time Warner merged with _____ in 2000.

a. AOL b. Turner Broadcasting c. MediaOne d. AT&T

274. 
     
     
275. 
     (http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/mediaculture/pages/bcs-main.asp ?v= chapter&s=06000&n=00030&i=06030.01&o=|00040|00020| 00030|&ns=0)
     
276. 
     
     
277. 
     II. Summary
     
278. 
     
     
279. 
     Summary 1 Read the summary of the section of Chapter 6 titled "Technology and the development of cable" and answer the multiple choice questions that follow.
     

280. 
     Technology and the development of cable
     
281. 
     Since the mid-1970s, cable's growth has been rapid. The percentage of American homes with cable rose 54 percent between 1977 and 2004. This rapid growth was in part due to the advantages that cable has over broadcast television. Cable services provide better reception for larger areas. Also, cable's specialized programming caters to many smaller audiences instead of trying to reach the largest audience possible. Finally, the greater channel capacity of cable provides an opportunity for more public, government, and educational programming.

     Cable got its start in the late 1940s, a product of appliance-store owners' ingenuity. To sell television sets to people who lived in outlying or mountainous areas, TV dealers and electronics firms built antenna relay towers to pick up signals and ran cables from the towers into individual homes. Although cable technology has become more advanced, the difference between cable and broadcast remains the same. Broadcast television must travel through the air, while cable travels through wire, avoiding possible signal interference. The headend, which is the computerized cable-system center, receives and processes signals from each channel and sends each out along its own line. Most cable systems are comprised of coaxial cable, fiber optics, or a combination of the two. A coaxial cable has a solid core of copper-clad aluminum wire, surrounded by an outer ring of braided wires. These wires can carry fifty or more channels with little to no interference. In the 1980s, fiber-optic technology was developed, which sends coded information along beams of light. The signals are then sent to utility poles and go from there into subscribers' homes.

     
     
282. 
     
     
283. 
     CATV: Community antenna television
     
284. 
     CATV, or community antenna television, refers to the first small cable systems, which began in Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Manhattan. This early usage proved that cable was a boon not only for its improved picture quality, but also because of increased channel capacity. Though early systems contained only twelve channels, this was still twice as many as were available on broadcast channels in large cities. CATV foreshadowed later developments in cable, when channel capacity grew rapidly and the need to operate a broadcast frequency lessened.
     
285. 
     
     

2. The headend in a cable system does what?

3. CATV stands for _____.

286. 
     Summary 2 Read the summary of the section of Chapter 6 titled "Cable threatens broadcasting" and answer the multiple choice questions that follow.
     

Though cable was pioneered in the 1940s, its growth was thwarted by traditional broadcasters and it did not flourish until the 1970s. For almost thirty years, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) worked to keep cable out of homes, fearing that if viewers could watch programming from larger cities like New York and Chicago, then local broadcasts would fail. The FCC fought on the side of traditional broadcasters through the 1950s and 1960s to ensure that cable would not be a threat. The one exception in the early years was CATV service for smaller outlying areas. This ensured that some form of television could reach even the most remote homes.

Realizing that cable's growth could not be limited to isolated communities, in 1972 the FCC updated or enacted a series of rules regarding cable expansion. The FCC reaffirmed the must-carry rules, which stated that cable systems have to carry all local TV broadcasts on their systems. Initially, the FCC also limited the number of independent stations per cable system. Further, it protected local affiliates by not allowing cable systems to bring in affiliates from other cities. The FCC rules set in 1972 also required that cable systems set aside access channels for original programming in the nation's top one hundred markets. Essentially, cable providers were forced to fund and transmit channels dedicated to local government, education, and the public. Finally, the FCC required that leased channels be set aside for use or rental by the public.

During the 1970s, companies fought to establish cable franchises in local communities. In nearly all cases, communities chose just one cable system, usually for a fifteen-year period. Some larger cities permitted two cable companies. Only eight states determined that cable was a public utility and should be governed as such. In the other states, cable franchises were assigned by local or regional governments. During the franchising process, a city or state would outline its cable needs and accept bids from cable operators. A bid would consist of estimates on the cable system, construction, channel capacity, and programming, as well as the franchise fee, which is the sum paid to the city or state for the right to be the cable operator. In the beginning, few laws regulated the franchising process — cable companies offered more than they could deliver, and some cities made unreasonable demands. Many cable contract battles ended up in court.

Prior to 1969, the FCC functioned primarily to protect local and national broadcasters. However, once cable began infiltrating larger TV markets, the FCC decided to get involved. Cable is technically designated a common carrier in states where it is a public utility. This means that the cable company must offer part of its service to whoever gets there first and can pay the fee. A common carrier does not dictate channel content, though most cable carriers consider themselves common carriers only with regard to the leased channels that they carry. In general, cable companies prefer to be seen as with the right to pick which channels they will carry. Further, cable companies have sought the same "speech" freedoms as broadcast and print media. In the landmark 1979 Midwest Video case, the Supreme Court sided with the cable industry on this issue. In the case, lawyers argued that cable operators like their client, Midwest Video, have the right to choose their own content under the First Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Midwest Video and took away the FCC's power to dictate channels. It is no longer mandatory for cable systems to have public-access channels.

In 1980, the FCC repealed the syndex, or syndicated exclusivity, laws. This allowed cable channels to carry syndicated programs from distant markets, meaning that the same show could possibly be on several channels in one day, though cable operators did have to pay copyright fees for imported signals. The Cable Act of 1984 was the first federal attempt at regulating the medium, and it was a victory for cable companies. It capped the annual franchise fee at 5 percent of a community's revenues. It also called for a two ‒ year phaseout of the must ‒ carry rules. Finally, it allowed cable operators to set their own subscriber fees ‒ a boon for the companies, as they operate as near-monopolies in most markets. As a result, the average monthly rate for service nearly doubled between 1984 and 1990. Cable operators also began dropping public, independent, and even some broadcast stations. Displeased, broadcast lobbyists and consumer groups called for reform. In 1992, the FCC and Congress changed the law again, putting rate regulation back in place. In addition, the 1992 act required commercial broadcasters to choose must-carry or retransmission consent every three years. Retransmission consent meant that cable operators would reimburse broadcasters for the rights to their channels, but they didn't have to carry them. Must-carry guaranteed local broadcasters that their channels would be carried on the cable system, but they would receive no reimbursement. Some networks offered a trade: Instead of receiving the fees from the cable systems, they would promise to carry a new channel, like ABC's ESPN2.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 finally brought cable under the same regulation as the telephone, radio, and television industries. One of the most important results of this act was that it allowed telephone and cable companies to enter each other's markets. It allowed cable companies to offer long distance and phone companies to build cable systems, and both could enter the growing market for the Internet. While the Telecommunication Act of 1996 gave cable companies the chance to offer more services to customers at initially lower rates, mergers between cable and phone giants (like the AT&T/TCI merger) have left critics grumbling about the return to media monopolies, which could mean less competition and higher rates. Though some cable consumers in competitive markets have seen lower subscription rates, most markets don't have effective competition.
1. The ____ rules state that cable networks must always carry local broadcast stations.
a. syndex b. broadcast c. must-carry d. none of the above
2. A(n) ____ is the amount paid to a community by a company for the right to be the local cable provider.
a. franchise fee b. bribe c. incentive d. contract fee

3. In 1979, the Supreme Court gave cable operators the right to ____.

4. Cable companies today should be viewed as ____, not common carriers.

287. 
     Summary 3 Read the summary of the section of Chapter 6 titled "Cable comes of age" and answer the multiple choice questions that follow
     
288. 
     
     
289. 
     Cable comes of age Direct broadcast satellites: Cable without wires
     
290. 
     As cable channels have pulled viewers away from the broadcast channels, networks have used cable to pull some viewers back in by developing or owning parts of cable channels. For example, NBC owns news services like CNBC and (with Microsoft) MSNBC; ABC owns ESPN; and CBS owns TNN and CMT, country music channels. During the peak of the network era, ABC, CBS, and NBC accounted for 95 percent of all prime-time viewing, but by 1997, cable channels eclipsed the networks for prime-time audience numbers. One of the biggest reasons that cable has cut into the network audiences is the concept of narrowcasting, or programming for a specific, smaller demographic. For example, MTV produces programming aimed at the youth market and popular music fans, AMC presents only classic films, and ESPN offers sports programming.

     Traditionally, cable consumers choose their programming from a group of basic channels and a group of premium channels, which come at an additional fee.

     
     
291. 
     
     
292. 
     Basic cable services
     
293. 
     Today, the normal basic cable package includes between thirty-six and seventy-two channels, including local broadcast channels, access channels, and a host of national satellite services like CNN, Bravo, and BET. Basic services also include superstations, which are independent TV stations such as WTBS in Atlanta that have uplinked their signal to a satellite to make themselves available nationwide. Local cable systems pay a fee to each channel, depending on demand, and that fee is recovered by subscriber rates. Cable companies do not rely solely on advertising for their income; they also make money through monthly subscription fees, pay-per-view programming, and premium channels. The number of available basic cable networks boomed in the 1990s, growing from around 87 in 1992 to more than 300 in 2003. The number of channels that cable systems can carry steadily increased in the 1990s due to the rebuilding of cable systems with high-bandwidth, fiber-optic cable and the introduction of digital cable services. Larger markets, like New York and Chicago, feature regional cable channels, which cover local news and sports.
     
294. 
     
     
295. 
     Two cable channels, CNN and MTV, have risen to success, and in doing so have left their mark on American society and global culture. CNN was launched by Ted Turner in 1980. The network lost money until 1985, but by 2000 it was making a healthy profit and could be found in more than 77 million U.S. homes. CNN's ratings truly took off during the Gulf War in 1991. Before CNN entered the picture, there were two primary daily news cycles, the morning and the evening. CNN provided timely, detailed news access twenty-four hours a day. The network is able to offer things that other news cannot: continuous coverage of breaking news and ‒ even more important as networks began closing foreign news operations ‒ an extensive international news perspective. The success of CNN proved that there is a market for 24-hour news.
     

296. 
     The second influential cable network, MTV, was launched by Warner Communications in 1981 and purchased by Viacom in 1985. MTV and its global counterparts reach over 340 million homes worldwide. MTV was able to develop unchallenged, due to the network's practice of paying music companies for exclusive rights to their music videos for certain lengths of time. Because cable had no laws against this, it was a legal form of payola. In addition, MTV signed deals with cable systems in major markets, ensuring that it would be the only music-video network in those markets. As demand for music television increased, MTV added its own new networks, VH1 and (more recently) MTV2, to cable lineups. Though there have been several attempts at competing with MTV, the only network that has lasted thus far is its Canadian counterpart, MuchMusic. Regulations kept MTV out of many Canadian cable networks, allowing MuchMusic the time and space to grow. In an attempt to provide advertisers with a more reliable audience during certain viewing times, MTV has added weekly nonmusic shows like The Real World over the years. MTV takes its fair share of criticism for its effects on global, youth, and media culture. It is often seen as Americanizing global culture through its programming. The MTV style ‒ bright colors, quick editing, and other similar techniques ‒ has influenced other contemporary media as well.
     
297. 
     
     
298. 
     Premium cable services
     
299. 
     Premium channels include movie channels like HBO, pay-per-view (PPV) programs, and specialized interactive services that allow viewers to bank, shop, and access the Internet. Launched in 1972, one of the oldest premium services is Home Box Office, or HBO, a part of the AOL/Time Warner empire. Like CNN, HBO struggled initially, but by 1980 it had become a success. HBO only reaches around one-third of basic cable subscribers, but it remains the dominant premium channel over others like Showtime, Starz, and the Independent Film Channel. Although initially wary of the effects of movie channels on ticket sales, the movie studios have worked the deal into a profitable partnership. When in the mid-1980s movie studios started releasing movies on PPV and to video stores before releasing them to movie channels and video-rental services, HBO found the need to create its own programming to fill airtime. In addition to developing television series like The Sopranos, HBO and other cable network have entered deals with film-production companies to make their own movies.
     
300. 
     
     
301. 
     Pay-per-view services began in 1985 and allow users to view movies or special events for a one-time fee. The amount that movie studios make from pay-per-view services is higher than their share of movie rentals and premium services. Though video rental still remains more popular because video stores get new releases about a month and a half before they appear on PPV, the video chain Blockbuster has recently entered the pay-per-view and video-on-demand field. Blockbuster offers this new service through broadband cable. It allows viewers to select from hundreds of movies for immediate viewing. Another cable service, interactive programming, allows users to send information back to the headend. However, because of the high bandwidth this requires, most cable operators are unwilling to offer this service. Currently many cable systems have begun offering audio music channels, or cable radio. Different channels offer specific genres of music twenty-four hours a day without commercial interruption. Music available on the Internet has drawn some of the audience away from these services, but as digital cable becomes more common, they may get a second chance.
     
     Direct broadcast satellites: Cable without wires
     
302. 
     Given all of the advances and recent changes in communication technology, direct broadcast satellites, or DBS, present the biggest threat to the existing cable and television industries. Satellite dishes, which first appeared in the mid-1970s, have decreased in size and increased in capability over the years. Although the FCC restricted DBS-company development to allow cable to grow, people in outlying areas invested in satellites and began receiving the same signals that cable companies did, without the fees. As a result, cable companies began scrambling their signals, forcing satellite owners to pay fees for descrambling. This spurred the development of the first DBS companies, who provided dishes and a way to descramble signals. By 1994, the restrictions on DBS companies were relaxed. Today, two DBS companies, DirecTV and EchoStar emerged as leaders. They provide consumers with a wider choice of channels, often at a lower subscription fee. While DBS's technology provides better-quality pictures and sound for consumers, it can only broadcast one signal at a time, which will not allow for a show to be watched while another is being taped. Also, up until 1999, DBS companies could not transmit broadcast channels. Now, with the new ability to carry broadcast channels, DBS companies have risen to rival cable providers.

     1. Showing programs that are targeted toward one specific demographic is known as ____.

     
     
303. 
     
     
304. 
     a. broadcasting b. narrowcasting c. multicasting d. democasting
     
     
     
305. 
     2. The initials DBS stand for ____.
     
306. 
     
     
307. 
     a. digital broadcast signal b. direct broadcast signal c. digital broadcast satellites d. direct broadcast satellites
     

308. 
     3. The CNN network was launched by ____.
     

309. 
     a. Warner b. Turner c. Murdoch d. Fox
     

310. 
     4. MTV acquired a virtual music-television monopoly by ____.
     

311. 
     a. paying record companies for music-video rights b. making deals with cable operators c. launching other networks like VH1 and MTV2 d. all of the above
     

312. 
     5. Which of the following is NOT a premium channel?
     

313. 
     a. HBO b. Fox c. Cinemax d. Showtime
     
314. 
     
     
315. 
     Summary 4 Read the summary of the section of Chapter 6 titled "Ownership and business issues in cable" and answer the multiple choice questions that follow.
     

316. 
     Ownership and business issues in cable Cable, DBS, and implications for democracy
     
317. 
     Most cable systems in the United States are controlled by multiple-system operators (MSOs), large corporations that own many cable systems. With increasing numbers of mergers and consolidations, the cable industry is moving towards an oligopoly.
     
318. 
     
     
319. 
     Comcast and AOL Time Warner: The major players
     
320. 
     For a great part of the past two decades, TCI and Time Warner Cable led in the acquisition of smaller cable firms. The leading MSO in the United States is Comcast, which merged with AT&T in 2001, which had bought out TCI in 1998 and MediaOne in 2000. Time Warner Cable is the second-largest MSO, as well as a division of the world's largest media company, Time Warner. In 1995, Time Warner acquired Turner Broadcasting, and in 2000 Time Warner and America Online merged. In addition to reaching a larger subscriber base, Time Warner provides several programming services. Time Warner owns or holds interest in the WB network, Cinemax, HBO, Comedy Central, and CNN.
     
321. 
     
     
322. 
     There are three other major MSOs: Charter Communications, Cox Communications, and Adelphia (which filed for bankruptcy in 2002). In the future, this trend towards fewer, larger MSOs may become a problem for consumers and programming producers alike. With the convergence of Internet, cable, and phone services, companies are in line to create monopolies, controlling prices and content.
     
     The business of cable
     
323. 
     Since 1970, the number of small cable systems has almost quadrupled and the services offered have greatly increased. Since 1980, basic cable rates have risen from an average of $7 per month to more than $40. In contrast, premium-services fees have remained fairly steady. By 2004, the profits pulled in from cable rivaled those of broadcasters. Just like the movie industry, cable employs people in the production, distribution, and exhibition fields. Production includes those responsible for content on a national and local level. The distribution branch includes the services that transmit programming through satellite or cables. The exhibition branch refers to the offices of small cable systems on a local level, which monitor the presentation of cable services.
     
324. 
     
     
325. 
     Alternative voices
     
326. 
     In response to rising rates and decreased choices, some smaller communities have begun offering competing publicly owned cable systems, operated through local utility companies. By building these systems, smaller communities lower rates for users and allow them access to newer technology that larger cable operators may not make available for years. In 1989, Glasgow, Kentucky, became the first community to build a municipal cable system. Today, around a quarter of the United States' municipal utilities plan to offer cable and high-speed Internet services, challenging the private cable providers to provide better service and rates.
     
327. 
     When cable first appeared, there was the hope that it would offer competition to broadcast networks and more freedom for audiences. Initially this was true, and outlets like public access channels gave people a voice on television. But by the late 1990s, cable and DBS services had more or less returned to the broadcast model, wherein audiences have little input in determining what they see. The development of the Internet and the increasing convergence of media may again put power in the hands of the users. These new technologies have the power to both bring us together in cyberspace and isolate us from one another as we become free from traditional participation in work and school. As communication technologies progress, it is likely that more questions will be raised.
     

328. 1. What does MSO stand for?

     
     
329. 
     
     
330. 
     a. multiservice organization b. multiple-systems operations c. municipal-system organization d. multiple-system operator
     

331. 
     2. Communities have begun creating publicly owned cable systems in an effort to ____.
     

332. 
     a. lower prices b. increase service c. foster competition d. all of the above
     

333. 
     3. The largest MSO in the United States is ____.
     

334. 
     a. Time Warner b. AOL c. Comcast d. Charter Communications

     4. Time Warner merged with ____ in 2000.

     
     

335. 
     a. Turner Broadcasting b. AOL c. MediaOne d. DirecTV

     5. Which of the following is NOT a concern about the future of cable?

     
     

336. 
     a. media companies forming oligopolies b. the convergence of media c. less available programming d. no provision for audience input
     
337. 
     
     
338. 
     (http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/mediaculture/pages/bcs-main.asp ?v= chapter&s=06000&n=00020&i=06020.04&o=|00040|00020 |00030|&ns=0)
     

339. 
     III. Text reviewing
     

340. 
     Review the sections "Technology and the development of cable", "Cable threatens broadcasting", "Cable comes of age", "Ownership and business issues in cable" in your textbook. When you are ready, write a brief paragraph-length response to each of the questions that follow.
     

1. 
   Why was CATV developed, and what advantages did it hold over broadcast television?
   
2. 
   What was the FCC's response to cable's early development and why?
   
3. 
   How did the Telecommunications Act of 1996 change the shape of the cable industry?
   
4. 
   Why are some municipalities building their own cable systems?
   

341. 
     IV. Focus Questions (1)
     
342. 
     
     

1. 
   How does the cable layout shown here differ from traditional broadcast setups?
   
2. 
   What functions do each part of the system ‒ headend, trunk and feeder cables, and drop cable ‒ serve?
   
   
   

1. 
   What advantages does a cable system have over a broadcast system?
   
2. 
   What is the function of the headend?
   

1. 
   Look at the Top 20 cable networks by subscription. What does this tell you about audiences?
   
2. 
   This list is a prime example of narrowcasting. How has narrowcasting affected broadcasting's mass audience?
   

1. 
   Assuming that these channels are all part of basic cable programming, how much do audiences influence the rankings shown on this chart?
   
2. 
   Review the types of channels that appear in this graphic. How might increasing Internet usage result in a different list in the future?