Television Economics
Units: 6
The goal of this class is to provide students with the solid economic and structural fundamentals of the U.S. television industry from real life development and production paradigms to business and marketplace fundamentals (with a bit of practical theory thrown in for good measure).
Course Objectives:
- To critically examine and master the main economic models for commercial television production and distribution in the U.S.
- To become comfortable with the business complexities that regularly confront television creative and production executives.
- To learn about the life cycles of ancillary products and how they affect the potential profitability and risk of the principal programs they are based on, including financing arrangements, the advertising market and syndication.
- To understand how "backend" participation formulas actually play out in the real world and affect decisions to produce and/or distribute content.
- To appreciate and become familiar with the day-to-day financial realities of TV development and production.