Tiny TV Stations, Huge Profits

Why should a TV station have a broadcast license? Most people have cable or satellite, and those who don't may stream video content over the web. But some tiny TV stations in big cities are finding that they can make big profits from their FCC-issued broadcast license. The Los Angeles Times reports.

Questions...

•Is this the beginning of the end for television? Why or why not?

•The broadcast spectrum is regulated for the public good. Which use should get priority: TV broadcasters or telecommunications? Why?

•You are manager of a TV station whose new owners are selling your place on the broadcast spectrum. What do you do? What are your options?

New Office Hour

Your Humble Blogger is moving his office hour. Beginning today it will be from 1:30-2:30 in SG315. This will result in fewer conflicts with other campus events.

AGT: New Start Time

Your Humble Blogger has been informed that our America's Got Talent taping on Friday has a new start time: 2 pm. Our out time is still 6 pm. That is good news because it will decrease the waiting around time that typically happens at the beginning of a TV taping. YHB was also told that students can bring friends as long as they are at least 18 years old and are willing to stay for the entire taping.

New Tuesday SI Location

Our Tuesday Supplemental Instruction sessions with Narek will meet for the rest of the semester in SF113. The time continues to be 12:30-1:30.

Going to UCLA?

Your Humble Blogger received the following email today from Dr. Kevin Meza, director of the Transfer Center.

Hello All,

The Transfer Center will be taking students on a campus tour of UCLA on Saturday, March 19 from 9:15am-3:00pm. Sign up in the Transfer Center as soon as possible. There is $10 deposit to secure a seat on the bus, but it will be returned the day of the trip.

Kevin A. Meza, PhD
Transfer Center Coordinator/Counselor

Traveling Data

The Internet is bigger than the United States. Info on the cloud can be anywhere. Is it better from a privacy standpoint to stash your data outside the United States? NPR reports.

Questions...

•What are the advantages of stashing your data on servers outside the U.S.? What are the disadvantages?

•Does it hurt American companies if data stashed overseas is beyond American laws?

•The personal information of 100,000 current and former Glendale College students is obtained by hackers and the data is quickly put on a server overseas. Should we be able to do anything about that?

•What do you think of the proposed law that your information is subject to the laws of your home country?

Ready for Trump Tweets?

This is a Medianote Classic. It was originally presented in September 2015. In Spring 2016, it will be presented to TTh classes only.

Political campaigning is a race for name recognition and connection with various groups of voters. And then motivating those groups of voters to turn out at the polls. It should be no surprise that social media has become a large and growing part of political campaigns. NPR reports.

Questions...

•In Chapter 1, we learn that all media messages are constructions. How are these media messages constructions?

•Is social media particularly effective when there are a lot of candidates to choose from? How?

•How is a campaign tweeting live (or nearly live) from a debate an example of disintermediation?

•How might a campaign adjust its tweets for particular groups of voters?

•How might social media be used in a campaign for GCC student body president?