Sports Broadcasting Services and their Providers; What happens?

On April 8, 2020 By David SonIn Brand, Cable, Comcast, Consumer behavior, coronavirus, coverage, Distribution, Media Covergence, Partnerships & Copyright, Sports, TelevisionLeave a comment

One would think because of the Coronavirus pandemic, people would more likely be inside spending time watching T.V. Although this seems logical, because many of these people are becoming unemployed, they are more likely to cut cable to save extra money. The FCC has already issued warnings to distributors and local T.V. stations about renewed contracts.

As this crisis ensues, cable operators and programmers have called a temporary truce to set aside questions regarding refunds on undelivered programming, such as the NBA, NHL, Olympics, and many other big television marketing programs.

Distributors agreed to pay programmers a certain amount of money based on the shows the are supposed to deliver. Many sports media channels are the reason consumers pay big bucks too, so a resolution must be brought up.

“CBS is not going to pay for this season and have no financial recourse at all,” Pilson said. “The networks are not paying for games that aren’t delivered. They may have a formula where certain monies change hands and eventually they’ll get credit for that.”

AS the NCAA basketball tournament has been cancelled, the effect chain goes further than professional sports. The colleges that had a contract with programmers that are now diminished as well with the fees.

Professional sports on the other hand, may have a more difficult time with the contracts they had with distributors. Professional sports like, NBA and MLB don’t have clear provisions on how to demand refunds in case of a unavoidable cause. While there are mentions of natural causes such as tornados, hurricanes, or what have you, there is no specifications for pandemics.

NFL is working on renewing TV rights with their partnerships, like ViacomCBS, NBCUniversal, Disney and Fox. While they are most likely to stick with these distributors until 2022, there are programmers who are on the fringe of stealing a partnership. Companies such as Apple, Google, and Amazon are likely competitors.

These distributors payed a lot of money for these games to be broadcasted. NFL and MLB hold a lot of weight, in being able to not refund the broadcasters fully for what they have paid. Streaming service DAZN has informed leagues that it will not pay rights fees for any games that have been suspended. CBS, ESPN, and NBC all have not demanded refunds or threatened to withhold payment for games yet.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/01/coronavirus-sports-cancellations-set-up-media-fights-over-refunds.html

Hundreds of Journalists Are Being Laid Off When The Public Needs Them Most

On April 1, 2020 By Kirsten BeachIn ads, Brand, Commercials, News Media, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Yes, this is, in fact, another coronavirus article–but unfortunately, it’s imperative to talk about this pandemic and the way we receive information about it.

With the Coronavirus pandemic well underway, the economic state of our country is steadily plummeting it seems. To combat the spread of the virus, our governments (both federal and state) have implemented initiatives to keep people at home and stop them from coming into work where they could potentially contract the virus and further spread it to individuals they encounter. Although in theory, this may sound like a great plan, it has been at the expense of many hardworking peoples’ livelihoods. For people who have to support themselves, their children, and/or their families during this pandemic and have gotten laid off for the sake of the virus’ spread is extremely unfortunate and upsetting.

In this specific case, I am talking about journalists who are now unemployed due to Covid-19. According to CNN,

On Sunday at least 100 people in local newsrooms in the US lost their jobs in March. By Friday, that number shot up to at least 300 people as the impact of coronavirus continues to roil newspapers and digital media companies.

While some companies, like Buzzfeed, are implementing salary reductions instead, this is not the case for many news sources/companies. And the sad, most unfortunate part about these layoffs and restructuring is that they have come at the most inconvenient time–when the public is hungry for information about the pandemic. But because of these layoffs, there are now fewer journalists to provide vital information about it. Traffic is up for many sites and TV ratings have increased as people are stuck at home watching the news, however we lack the adequate resources of journalists to provide us with accurate information on the virus. Unfortunately, all we can do is hope that our country gets back to normal in time.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/27/media/media-layoffs/index.html

The Hottest Parties In The Country Are Now At Your Fingertips And Here’s Why

On March 24, 2020March 24, 2020 By Kirsten BeachIn Consumer behavior, coronavirus, Instagram, Media Covergence, News Media, Online Safety, Social Issue(s), Social Media, UncategorizedLeave a comment

With the spread of the coronavirus causing quarantine to be in full effect, all social gatherings of any and all sorts have been put to a halt. With this, many night-life seeking individuals have felt deprived of fun, entertainment, and a means to socialize, but on Friday, March 21st, this problem found a solution.

On Friday night, the world mourning the loss of loved ones, freedom, and access to the world due to the coronavirus were able to let loose, unwind, and partake in the biggest social gathering around the world without the fear of spreading or contracting the virus.

According to the NY Times,

Over 4,000 people were in attendance, including headliners like Jennifer Lopez, Drake, Naomi Campbell, Diddy, Mary J. Blige, DJ Khaled, T.I., Queen Latifah and Tracee Ellis Ross.

There was no charge at the door, no security, no drink minimum and you could attend in your pajamas from the comfort of your own home.

This party, (you guessed it) was online and available to anyone who had access to an Instagram account. The party was called ‘Homeschoolin’ and could be found on DJ Nice’s Instagram live–where he held hour-long jam sessions from his home in Los Angeles (playing all of the hits, new and old, but you never heard the same song twice with his mixes.)

With the tragedy of the coronavirus negatively impacting our world and changing the ways in which we navigate our lives, partying on social media apps–that are designed to allow people to spend time together without having to see one another in person, has both eliminated the risk of spreading the virus and brought an abundance of joy to those who have not been able to leave their homes amongst the pandemic.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/arts/d-nice-instagram.html?auth=login-facebook&searchResultPosition=4

Accessibility of Online Learning

On March 19, 2020 By Aidan PlunkettIn coronavirus, Distribution, Diversity, Education, Media Covergence, News Media, Political, Regulation, Social Issue(s)Leave a comment

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been major shutdowns across the country and around the world at large for many businesses, schools and universities. These shutdowns have let to demand and necessity for online learning resources. Many upper-level education institutes and organizations have made the decision to move to online learning indefinitely. As a student at Temple University, we moved to online learning for the rest of the semester in mid-March. My mother is a math teacher at a high school in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and they have made the decision to move to online learning indefinitely.

This makes me begin to think about many things…

A decade ago, switching to online learning or mandating that students learn via online resources would not have been possible. Technological advancement and globalization have led to an increase in technological capabilities and increase in the number of people who have access to technology and the internet. That same globalization is what has enabled the spread of the COVID-19 virus around the world.

The spread of this virus has therefore created a demand and necessity for online learning resources and accessibility. The media has portrayed the COVID-19 virus as extremely bad, yet last year the flu had 350 Million cases and over 20 thousand deaths in the United States alone. Has the over-scaring tactic of the media facilitated the demand for online learning? Obviously we need to be cautious, and I understand the idea of ‘flattening the curve’, but I can’t help but wonder who’s profiting most while many people suffer.

I wrote this article because I recently learned about Community Learning Center, an adult literacy nonprofit organization in Philadelphia that provides low-income adults with free education classes and services. While large institutions like Temple can provide the technology or resources for students to participate in online learning, smaller, nonprofit organizations like CLC don’t have the funding or resources to equip all of their students with the necessary technology to participate adequately in online learning, if at all. However, the potential of online learning capabilities being accessible to everyone poses benefits for many people across many levels of education.

Coronavirus Anxiety Causes Grocery Frenzy And Empty Shelves

On March 16, 2020March 16, 2020 By Kirsten BeachIn Brand, Consumer behavior, coronavirus, Marketing, Media Covergence, National coverage, News Media, UncategorizedLeave a comment

With the number of coronavirus cases growing by the day, anxieties have risen to new heights–causing people to take drastic measures.

As President Trump declared a national emergency last Friday, hordes of shoppers rushed to various grocery stores across the country–filling their carts completely and emptying shelves to prepare for the unknowns surrounding the coronavirus.

For many stores (such as Target and Walmart), hand soap, sanitizer, toilet paper, and other necessities like tampons and cold and flu medicine were completely sold out. People flooded stores trying to obtain some of these items only to find that they were completely cleared from shelves by other anxious shoppers around the country. Stores were not only being cleared of their resources, but they were also overwhelmed with long lines of stressed customers waiting to check out their large quantities of groceries.

“Soon after the 9 a.m. opening on Friday of the Trader Joe’s in Hoboken, N.J., a line of nervous customers stretched along the block in the rain, waiting to pick through the mostly bare shelves inside. There was no chicken available, nor garbanzo beans, coffee or chips. The store was restocking regularly, but many of its registers were unstaffed” (NY Times).

Unfortunately, this grocery store frenzy has gotten so bad to the point where stores are beginning to ration products and put limits on how much a customer may buy. Even online grocery shopping resources have been affected by the coronavirus panic–making it that much harder to obtain groceries in a timely manner if using those grocery shopping sites.

I wonder how much longer this panic will last, and if we will ever be able to buy more toilet paper.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/nyregion/coronavirus-panic-buying.html

Tucker Carlson Warns of Coronavirus as Fox Attacks Media Coverage

On March 11, 2020 By David SonIn Censorship, coverage, Fake News, Media Covergence, National coverage, News Media, Political, Social Issue(s)Leave a comment

Tucker Carlson of Fox News has expressed his concerns over the Coronavirus. Even though his colleagues at Fox have downplayed the media’s coverage of the virus, Carlson has other words to say. On monday night, Carlson seemed to disapprove of President Trump’s message regarding the virus. “People you trust, people you probably voted for, have spent weeks minimizing what is clearly a very serious problem,” Carlson said. “it’s just partisan politics,’ the say. ‘Calm down. In the end this was just like the flu and people die from that every year. Coronavirus will pass.”

Meanwhile on Fox, Carlson’s colleague, Trish Regan was dismissing coronavirus than nothing more than an attempt to impeach Trump. Also, Sean Hannity claims that the media is using the coronavirus as a weapon against Trump. This is not a surprise for Fox is a very right winged news broadcasting channel that will support anything the President has to say. Rush Limbaugh even claims the democrats are using this virus scare to stop Trump rallies.

CNN on monday has begin calling this virus a pandemic. It is a big decision to begin calling it a pandemic because of the severity that implies. CNN chief medical correspondent, Sanya Gupta says, “While we know it sounds alarming, it should not cause panic.” By calling it a pandemic, Gupta is not trying to scare more people, but simply provide the correct information.

Many other media outlet companies have already begun taking precautions on this pandemic. The Washington Post, Vice Media, A+E Networks, New York Times, and more have all begun taking precautionary steps during this time. All companies have begun encouraging the employees to work from home. It seems as if every new company is focused on the actual matter at hand, while Fox shows stubbornness to the facts.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/10/media/tucker-carlson-coronavirus-warning-reliable-sources/index.html

Coronavirus Abroad: ITV forecasts 10% drop in ad revenues

On March 10, 2020 By lilybarnabyIn ads, News Media, UncategorizedLeave a comment

ITV is a free to air public broadcasting network which serves the UK and acts as a trend leader in the market. Since the beginning of the spread of Coronavirus, or COVID-19, ITV has seen a significant decrease in advertising expenditures from travel-related companies. The company is forecasting a 10% decrease in ad revenue from travel companies, including airlines, travel agencies, and hotel companies. This slump will affect the overall projection for a 2% growth in revenue that ITV had previously predicted.

Additionally, shares in ITV dropped by 8.5%, a seven month low for the company. While the long term effects of the virus are unknown, many professionals project significant effects on the economy, as seen in this case. This does not mean the impacts will be long lasting or permanent, however, many industries may suffer by the loss of profit.

ITV is not the only company or area of the media industry facing the effects of the virus to say the least. Major impacts are expected from the postponement of the new James Bond film. Advertising campaigns surrounding to film as well as associated box office and pre-sale revenue will be delayed. This may inspire a trend throughout Hollywood and international film communities in an effort to follow the suggestion of many professionals to lessen large scale gatherings.

While the world watches to see how this virus will effect life from daily health to the world economy, the most important thing we can do is to prevent spread on a local level. Mass hysteria will only do harm on not only the individual level, but economic and international level.

Article Link: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/05/itv-forecasts-10-drop-in-advertising-revenues-due-to-coronavirus

We’re Putting Your Many Misconceptions About The Coronavirus To Rest, And Here’s Why:

On March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 By Kirsten BeachIn China, Consumer behavior, Diversity, Media Covergence, News Media, UncategorizedLeave a comment

With the Coronavirus being heavily discussed in the media and amongst individuals in our present society, it’s natural for many to be fearful of the virus and its potential threats. In saying that, however, it is evident that much of the world’s fear of the virus stems from misconceptions and misinformation that the media has put out into the world.

For this reason, I find it important to debunk the biggest misconceptions about the virus to lessen the amount of fear one may have when thinking about its said severity and its spread throughout different countries.

To start, many believe that contracting the Coronavirus means you will automatically find yourself on your death bed–which in fact, isn’t the case at all. In an article with Business Insider, two pathologists sat down to discuss popular misconceptions about the virus and said:

“Based on the data that is coming out, it seems to be a mild type of viral infection. There’s a 2% fatality rate and about 18% to 20% that may be in, kind of in the critical condition range…And those 2% who die are the sickest. They’re in the hospital already. So even those in the hospital have probably a 98% chance of surviving.”

Another misconception that many people seem to believe as fact is that wearing a mask will protect you from contracting the virus. The thing about these masks that many do not know is that the typical doctors mask that you see the majority of the population wearing is oftentimes not worn properly which decreases its effectiveness entirely. In addition to that, there are more effective masks that healthcare workers wear which are called the N95 masks, and although these masks are meant to filter particles that are airborne with 95% efficacy, they are meant for people who are actually sick, rather than people who are fearful of becoming sick. So, instead of going out and purchasing a mask, washing your hands for at least 20 seconds and avoiding touching areas of your face and mouth are much more effective practices when it comes to decreasing your chances of contracting the virus.

Lastly, one of the biggest misconceptions about the Coronavirus is that it is the most dangerous virus–which is not the case. Although the media has made it out to be a very frightening/deadly virus, it is much like the flu and as I mentioned before, only kills about 2% of people infected, which is much less than that of the flu. In fact, pathologists Stephen Morse and Syra Madad expressed that there are many more recoveries than there are fatalities.

“I think the official count is now 6,000 recoveries. But, you know, one of the funny things is that we don’t usually report recoveries when someone is discharged from the hospital. So all those recoveries, probably there are many more on the way as well.”

So, next time you hear something about the Coronavirus, ask yourself, “Is this fact, or is this merely a misconception that is making me more fearful than I should be?”

Sources: https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-myths-debunked-wuhan-china-2020-2

Clearview of Your Personal Life

On February 26, 2020 By David SonIn Artificial Intelligence, Brand, Data, Media Covergence, News Media, Regulation, Social Issue(s), TechnologyLeave a comment

Hoan Ton-That an Australian techie and onetime model is inventing technology that would end the ability to walk down the street anonymously. Providing this technology to local cops in Florida, F.B.I. and Department of Homeland Security

In this article by Kashmir Hill, a company called Clearview by Hoan Ton-That can disclose any personal information of you. His company has created an app where anyone can take a picture of a person and upload it. The app will then retrieve all the online data of that person using facial recognition. The database for this facial recognition can be anything a person has ever posted online, including Facebook, YouTube, and even Venmo. This technology goes beyond anything any of the Silicon Valley giants or United States government has ever created.

Federal and state law enforcement officers have used this app to help solve cases of shoplifting, identity theft, credit card fraud, murder, and child sexual exploitation cases.

This technology is often frowned upon though, because of its invasion of privacy. Google’s chairman in 2011 said this piece of technology was the only thing they refrained from because it could end up harming society more than it is helping. San Francisco has barred police from using this technology.

This company has made ways through law enforcement. More than 600 law enforcement companies have used this technology without publicly announcing that they have been using it. Clearview is also refraining from disclosing this list of companies who are using it.

This technology goes beyond identifying criminals. The computer code has been analyzed by The New York Times and it has been discovered that this technology is being linked with augmented-reality glasses. Users could identify anyone through wearing these pair of glasses. This would be including an activist in a protest, an attractive classmate, anyone. This would not only reveal their name, but also where they live! It can reveal a lot of information about that person, even what they did and who they know.

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