TEL 320

Telecommunications Program Analysis

Final Project Information

TEL 320 Schedule

For the Final Project Assignment you will work in groups of 3 to 4 students.  This project constitutes a majority (30%) of your grade outside of the exams and should be at least 15 pages - 8 to 10 pages of content and 5 to 7 pages of graphs and figures (Most will be around 20 pages). You should apply many of the skills, key ideas, and analysis strategies covered during the course.  Choosing from several scenarios, you will propose a venture that captures the imaginations and loyalty of viewers/listeners and hopefully revenue as well.  Among the scenarios you may choose from are these:

1. Write, produce and distribute a new first-run syndicated TV program.
2. Start up a new cable network-advertiser supported, premium, or pay-per-view.
3. Carry out a total format change for an existing radio station in a medium or large market.
4. Start up your own Internet content provider service.
5. Market an idea for an innovative cross platform media campaign.

Your goal is to insure that your new and/or improved program service will become a leader in its field.  To assists in this venture, consider the following questions:

• Is there a demonstrated need or interest in the new program service?  What have you learned about the target audience(s) and the market(s) in which the service will be introduced?
• What competition will your new service face?
• What is the "concept," and how will it be realized?
• Can you acquire (or produce) the content in a cost-effective way?
• What are the production start-up costs?  What are the costs for distribution and market entry?
• How will you publicize it?
• How will revenue be generated (E.g. advertiser support, user fees).  After its launch, how will you evaluate the audience for the program or service?
• What are the potential legal and/or regulatory concerns?

Key Elements of the project:

• Describe the context for the situation you are facing: the format to be changed (what kind currently? why change?), the program to be replaced, the niche to fill, etc...  Discuss anything about your media outlet that may be relevant and informative.
• Describe in some detail the market in which you are (or will be) operating.  You can either describe a real market (Lexington) or a fictitious one (give it demographic characteristics, employment, and lifestyle patterns that are plausible for the region).
• Discuss the current media competition, in addition to any newcomers that may potentially compete with you.
• Identify the target or core audiences for your proposed programming change.  How do they currently spend their time and other resources on media?  To which advertisers or other clients are these target/core audiences valuable?  Consideration of their demographic and lifestyle patterns is important in this regard.  What size of audience is needed for the program to succeed.
• Describe the creative concept(s) for the new program, format, Web site, schedule, etc...  How is it different and similar to previous programs?  Provide a prototype of the programming change -- e.g., a network program schedule, playlists, "hot clocks," a script/outline/storyboard, multimedia design, user services, etc...
• Any distribution concerns?
• Estimate the cost of executing this plan.  I do not expect a budget - just a rough idea of what it would cost and how you would manage expenses.
• Describe the "positioning" strategy.  How will your target audience find you?  What image, perceptions an demotions do you hope to emphasize?  How do you plan to "reward" your audience?
• What types of research would you utilize for this plan?  How would you determine if your innovations were a success?
• Forecast the factors that may affect the success of your program change.

Other questions will arise before you are done.  Basically, this assignment involves a routine business plan, the creative concepts of programming, and audience/marketing forces as well.  You have a chance to pursue a vision for a specific kind of media product, so I encourage you to be creative and insightful.  However, you are also responsible for economic feasibility.

Format and Expectations:

• Project is due: Thursday, December 7th
• The text should be  8 - 10 double-spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch margins.  It should also include a title page and works cited (references).  Tables, figures, etc... should be clear, concise and an integral part of your project and should be 5 - 7 pages.
• Your project should be presented as an "executive summary" and should creatively present your ideas.  Thus, it is more than a research paper - try to sell your idea to me.
• Web sites and other Internet materials must be limited to half of your total number of references.

Grading Criteria:

Completion of this project will involve you in some of the strategical and tactical thinking that media professionals engage in. Therefore, you must show an understanding of programming concepts, audience research application, and industry issues that are central to the scenario you chose.  The project should be well organized, augured effectively, with clear writing and grammar, and show some creative insights and analytical thinking skills. 

Plagiarism: DON'T DO IT!

First Step: A proposal

On October 26th, a 2 - 3 page typed proposal is due.  Describe your idea for the project, the form it will take, and why you think it is a good project.