   #copyright

Broadcasting

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Media

   Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals which
   transmit programs to an audience. The audience may be the general
   public or a relatively large sub-audience, such as children or young
   adults.

   There are wide variety of broadcasting systems, all of which have
   different capabilities. The smallest broadcasting systems are
   institutional public address systems, which transmit verbal messages
   and music within a school or hospital, and low-powered broadcasting
   systems which transmit radio stations or television stations to a small
   area. National radio and television broadcasters have nationwide
   coverage, using retransmitter towers, satellite systems, and cable
   distribution. Satellite radio and television broadcasters can cover
   even wider areas, such as entire continents, and Internet channels can
   distribute text or streamed music worldwide.

   The sequencing of content in a broadcast is called a schedule. As with
   all technological endeavors, a number of technical terms and slang have
   developed. A list of these terms can be found at list of broadcasting
   terms. Television and radio programs are distributed through radio
   broadcasting or cable, often both simultaneously. By coding signals and
   having decoding equipment in homes, the latter also enables
   subscription-based channels and pay-per-view services.

   The term "broadcast" was coined by early radio engineers from the
   midwestern United States. Broadcasting forms a very large segment of
   the mass media. Broadcasting to a very narrow range of audience is
   called narrowcasting.

   Economically there are a few ways in which stations are able to
   continually broadcast. Each differs in the method by which stations are
   funded:
     * in-kind donations of time and skills by volunteers (common with
       community broadcasters)
     * direct government payments or operation of public broadcasters
     * indirect government payments, such as radio and television licenses
     * grants from foundations or business entities
     * selling advertising or sponsorships
     * public subscription or membership
     * fees charged to all owners of TV sets or radios, regardless of
       whether they intend to receive that program or not (an approach
       used in the UK)

   Broadcasters may rely on a combination of these business models. For
   example, National Public Radio, a non-commercial network within the
   United States, receives grants from the Corporation for Public
   Broadcasting (which in turn receives funding from the U.S. government),
   by public membership, and by selling "extended credits" to
   corporations.

Recorded broadcasts and live broadcasts

   One can distinguish between recorded and live broadcasts. The former
   allows correcting errors, and removing superfluous or undesired
   material, rearranging it, applying slow-motion and repetitions, and
   other techniques to enhance the program. However some live events like
   sports telecasts can include some of the aspects including slow motion
   clips of important goals/hits etc in between the live telecast.

   American radio network broadcasters habitually forbade prerecorded
   broadcasts in the 1930s and 1940s, requiring radio programs played for
   the Eastern and Central time zones to be repeated three hours later for
   the Pacific time zone. This restriction was dropped for special
   occasions, as in the case of the German dirigible airship Hindenburg at
   Lakehurst, New Jersey in 1937. During World War II, prerecorded
   broadcasts from war correspondents were allowed on U.S. radio. In
   addition, American radio programs were recorded for playback by Armed
   Forces Radio stations around the world.

   A disadvantage of recording first is that the public may know the
   outcome of an event from another source, which may be a spoiler. In
   addition, prerecording prevents live announcers from deviating from an
   officially-approved script, as occurred with propaganda broadcasts from
   Germany in the 1940s and with Radio Moscow in the 1980s.

   Many events are advertised as being live, although they are often
   "recorded live" (sometimes this is referred to as "live-to-tape"). This
   is particularly true of performances of musical artists on radio when
   they visit for an in-studio concert performance. This intentional
   blurring of the distinction between live and recorded media is viewed
   with chagrin among many music lovers. Similar situations have sometimes
   appeared in television (" The Cosby Show is recorded in front of a live
   studio audience").

Distribution methods

   A broadcast may be distributed through several physical means. If
   coming directly from the studio at a single radio or tv station, it is
   simply sent through the air chain to the transmitter and thence from
   the antenna on the tower out to the world. Programming may also come
   through a communications satellite, played either live or recorded for
   later transmission. Networks of stations may simulcast the same
   programming at the same time, originally via microwave link, and now
   mostly by satellite.

   Distribution to stations or networks may also be through physical
   media, such as analogue or digital videotape, CD, DVD, and sometimes
   other formats. Usually these are included in another broadcast, such as
   when electronic news gathering returns a story to the station for
   inclusion on a news programme.

   The final leg of broadcast distribution is how the signal gets to the
   listener or viewer. It may come over the air as with a radio station or
   TV station to an antenna and receiver, or may come through cable TV or
   cable radio (or " wireless cable") via the station or directly from a
   network. The Internet may also bring either radio or TV to the
   recipient, especially with multicasting allowing the signal and
   bandwidth to be shared.

   The term "broadcast network" is often used to distinguish networks that
   broadcast an over-the-air television signal that can be received using
   a television antenna from so-called networks that are broadcast only
   via cable or satellite television. The term "broadcast television" can
   refer to the programming of such networks.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcasting"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
