Cable, Broadband, & Interactive Digital Media

Course Web Sites:
General Public Site (http://excellent.com.utk.edu/~bates/b470home.html)
http://online.utk.edu/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_58857_1&frame=top (must be registered student enrolled in class to access)

Broadcasting 470, Spring 2003
12:40- 1:55 p.m., TR, COM 317

Instructor:

Benjamin J. Bates, Ph.D.
Office hours: TR 2:30 - 5 p.m. & by appointment
333 Communications Bldg.
ph: 974-4291 ; fax: 974-2814 ; e-mail: bjbates@utk.edu ; url: http://excellent.com.utk.edu/~bates

Catalog Description:

History and structure of cable television industry and other broadband delivery systems (DBS, Internet, etc). Development of digital broadcasting, interactive television, and other broadband media systems and digital technologies. Regulatory, policy, programming, and management issues arising from new media and digital technologies.

Real Course Description & Goals:

This course will examine a wide range of new and emerging telecommunications technologies, with a focus on developing wideband telecommunications systems. We will consider the historical and future impacts of these technologies on existing and emerging industries, the policy and economics driving the implementation of these technologies, and their adoption and use by consumers. It is hoped and expected that students will come out of this course with:

an understanding and appreciation for new technologies and their impact on media and society
an understanding of how historic social, political, and economic forces shape the introduction and impact of new technologies
an ability to critically examine the potential impact of new technologies and/or technological policy

Course Requirements:

Attendance and Discussion (10%):

While attendance is not strictly required, it is expected that students will come to class prepared, and will contribute to the lectures and discussions. This includes reports and paper presentations (5%).

Net Assignments: (15%):

A series of assignments will be given to encourage exploration of, and use of, the Internet and the World Wide Web. Details on assignments will be handed out in class and placed on the class listserve.

Tests (40%):

There will be two tests given in class, each worth 20% of the final grade. The tests will combine multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions.

Technology Reports or Term Paper (35%):

Undergraduate students have the option of writing a research oriented term paper, or completing two more focused technology reports. Undergraduate students may work in small groups. Groups will have higher expectations commensurate with group size. Graduate students must do the term paper (Option C or D).

Technology Reports:

Students opting for Technology Reports must report, and gain approval of, their topics and choices, by 13 Feb 2003.

Comm Tech Book Report (10%)

Individual students will select (with professor's approval) some book looking at the social, political, or economic impact of some form of cable or new technologies. The book may be fiction or non-fiction. The student will write a review of the book (3-5 pages), focusing on the implications of the technology, and post the review to the class listserv. Reviews must be completed by the end of the scheduled exam period .

Technology Update (25%)

Students will select some current or emerging information technology (with the instructor's approval), and research the current status of the technology and its adoption. Students will write and post to the class listserv/website a report on the technology (around 10 pages), and give a short presentation in class. Students must include both Web-based and traditional academic sources. At least a third of the sources should be current (i.e., latest info on the subject). These differ from the paper options in that they are more a report of a technology than an analysis of the impact of technology. Students may work in small groups (2-5 students), with commensurate shift in expectations. All technology updates must be finished by 21 April 2003 so that they may be made available on the official course website & presented to the class.

Term Paper (35%):

A substantial paper (15-25 pages) examining and analyzing some scholarly or practical question related to cable or emerging technologies. This is a major research paper, with expectations that you will undertake an independent and original analysis of some topic. There are four basic options:

Option A:

A report on some existing application of cable or emerging technology. Provide a historical overview of that service or usage, a detailed consideration of the current applications and market, and critically analyze the future potential for that firm or service.
examples: use of video-conferencing by UT, DBS, viability of interactive TV or Internet shopping malls

Option B:

An in-depth analysis of a specific technology or application of technology. This should provide a historical overview of the development of the technology, a report on the current level of development and use, and a critical analysis of its future potential (in general).
examples: future of HDTV, development of Information Superhighway, video dialtone, digital radio

Option C:

An examination and analysis of the social, political, or economic impact of cable or other emerging technology. This paper should set forth a thesis, and provide an extensive review of the relevant literature, and should include a thorough development of an argument in support of your thesis.
examples: impact of HDTV and satellites on movie theaters, the impact of new technologies on political change in Eastern Europe, effect of C-SPAN on politics in US.

Option D.

An examination and analysis of how social, political, or economic factors have shaped the development of some aspect of cable or new technologies. This paper should set forth a thesis, and provide an extensive review of the relevant literature, and should include a thorough development of an argument in support of your thesis.
examples: impact of break-up of AT&T on videotext; economics and HDTV; impact of new legislation

The broad range of potential topics and perspectives is designed to allow students to pursue their own interests in this class. In addition, undergraduate students may approach the paper or the tech report as an individual or a small group project (book reports must be done individually). If you work in a group, the quality expectations will be commensurably higher, although the page requirements may not be. Graduate students must do either option C or D of the term paper, and must work alone. There are also higher expectations for graduate student papers.

You should approach the professor with a topic proposal or a book to review and a technology to report on by 13 Feb 2003. At this time you should also indicate whether you are interested in working solo, or in a group. You can change topic or focus after this point, but you will need to notify and talk with the professor if you do so.

You are encouraged to think about turning the paper in early. Every effort will be made to grade papers and return them quickly. If you turn them in early enough, you will have an opportunity to revise and resubmit the paper by the final deadline of 30 April 2003, at 5 p.m. Only the last grade on the paper will be used in the calculation of the course grade.

You will also be expected to make a short presentation of your technology update or your paper's findings and/or conclusions at one of the class meetings. Early term paper presentations will be treated as works in progress (that is, students are not required to have a completed paper at the time of presentation if they are presenting prior to 30 April 2003.)

The presentation will count for 5% of the final grade.

General Requirements and Notices:

All materials to be turned in for this class must be typed, or printed on at least a NLQ computer printer. They should be double-spaced, with normal font sizes and margins. Short assignments may be sent via e-mail.
Papers and longer assignments will be accepted online, as attachments in either Microsoft Word or RTF formats. If you do submit only, make sure you get a confirmation of receipt.
No extensions on the technical reports or the term paper will be given. Students with extremely valid excuses may be given an opportunity to make up tests and other assignments. The instructor is the final arbiter of excuses and their acceptability. You must contact the professor as soon as you are aware of any problems or conflicts.
While students are encouraged to study and work together, it is also expected that all work turned in will be original and individual-- plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a score of 0 on the plagiarized work and/or notification of appropriate authorities. If you still have any doubts as to what plagiarism is, consult your various handbooks and guides, or ask the instructor.
The instructor is willing to work with students with special needs, and make any necessary special arrangements possible to facilitate their learning experience in this class. However, those individuals will need to consult with the instructor about their needs as soon as possible.
The instructor reserves the right to modify the course schedule and requirements. Any changes will be announced during class meetings and on the official class website (under announcements).

Readings:

These books may be ordered from the professor's website, and are available at various campus bookstores.

Patrick R. Parsons & Robert M. Frieden. (1998). The Cable and Satellite Television Industries. Boston: Allyn and Bacon

Bucy, Erik P. (2002). Living in the Information Age: A New Media Reader. Wadsworth.

NCTA. (2002). Cable and Telecommunications Industry Overview 2002 – Mid-Year. Available as free download at http://ncta.com/pdf_files/Mid'02Overview.pdf

Swann, Philip. TV dot Com: The Future of Interactive Television. TV Books Inc.

Technology Updates as posted

Tentative Course Schedule

The readings assigned for each class session should be completed prior to that session. Times, topics, and readings are subject to change. Changes will be announced in class and on the class listserv.

Session	Topic	Readings
14 Jan	Introduction to Class & General Housekeeping Matters
16 Jan	New Technologies and Society: Overview	B: 1; PF: 1
21 Jan	New Technologies and Society: Theories and Perspectives	B: 2
23 Jan	Electronic Communication: Technological Basics and History	CW: 2, 3
28 Jan	From Telephony to Telecomms/Computers and Digital Signals Internet Assignment 1: Signing up for the on-line course	B: 5, CW: 4
30 Jan	Broadcast Roots: Early Broadband?	PF: 2, 3, 4
4 Feb	From CATV to Cable to Broadband	Cable History Timeline Bates & Chambers
6 Feb	Cable System Design & Operations	NCTA
11 Feb	Cable Programming & Advertising	PF 5
13 Feb	Cable Markets & Mgmt Internet Assignment 2: Usenets, Rings, and Websites Topic Ideas due	PF: 6
18 Feb	Cable & Broadband Basics – The Future	PF: 8
20 Feb	Cable's Multichannel Competition
25 Feb	Catch-up & Review
27 Feb	Exam # 1
4 Mar	The Digital Age - Multiplying and Converging Nets	B: 10, 11; CW: 5-7
6 Mar	The Web as Media
11 Mar	The Future of Broadband Telecomm
13 Mar	Broadcasting Goes Digital & Interactive Internet Assignment 3: Site Reviews	B: 4; S: 1, 5
25 Mar	Interactive TV: Impacting Uses	S: 2, 4, 8
27 Mar	Interactive TV: Content Impacts	B: 6; S: 3, 6, 9
1 April	Convergence & Competition Going Glocal (Combination of Global & Local)	B: 7
3 April	Shaping the Future Through Policy Internet Assignment 4: Finding research materials	B: 14, 15; PF: 7; S: 10
8 April	Social and Cultural Consequences I	B: 8, 9; PF: 9
10 April	Social and Cultural Consequences II	B: 12, 13
15 April	Catch-up & Review
17 April	Exam # 2
22 April	Technology Update Presentations
24 April	Technology Update Presentations
29 April	Paper Presentations Term Paper Due (30 April)
8 May	12:30 - 2:30 p.m. : Presentations Book Review Due