(no subject)

[shadowkat]

Watching Breaking Bad - second season at the moment. Today while watching Pioneers of Television : The Western - realized why I despised Bonanza, and my mother who lived Westerns was never that into Bonanza - it was written and created by a misogynist - who stated that he didn't want any women characters, that there were too many Westerns and tv shows about mothers and wives, and he wanted one about father's and son's only with no women cluttering things up. Women characters never survived. (Jeeze.) Also found out that The Wild Wild West was canceled not because of ratings, but the US State Senate told CBS that they should cancel it for violence. It was too violent for audiences. (Ironic that, particularly since five years earlier, Senator Bird in a rousing speech in the Senate, convinced CBS to save Gunsmoke - his favorite Western.) The Government has less influence over television now than it did back in the 1960s, which is sort of interesting.

Oh, Harry Groener is on Breaking Bad. And he's incredibly gaunt. He looks ill. And almost unrecognizable.

Comments

[owenthurman.livejournal.com]

I just watched S1 of Breaking Bad myself.

The Government has less influence over television now than it did back in the 1960s, which is sort of interesting.

It's not less influence; it's just different. There's a lot more focus on money and which giant companies get to produce and charge for content over publicly regulated cables. A lot of pressure to carry or not carry specific news networks exists, too. But there's less bluenose culture warrior influence. Still, I bet Breaking Bad worried some suits who feared for their jobs. The president's drug policy office still gets to spread millions and millions to networks that back its agenda.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

No, I don't think that is true. Having worked closely with people who do work for networks and in the biz? It's actually more complicated than that.

AMC is a cable channel not a broadcast channel. That's what has changed. Cable isn't regulated. PBS - Public Broadcasting System is to a degree, but not to the same degree that CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, CW are. If the viewer can see the show for free (without paying for cable or subscribing) then it tends to be more regulated. If we pay for it - the government isn't really that involved.

Private industry isn't that regulated by the government regardless of what the Tea Party believes. Sure they feel regulated - but having worked for both public and private industry, I can tell you there are distinctions.

Are there regulations? Sure. But not to the same degree. I doubt anyone worried about Breaking Bad - considering WEEDS had already been done on Showtime and was far riskier. Also both premiered on cable channels that less than 2 million people watch regularly. It's not the same thing as ABC or CBS. Or even CNN for that matter.

So, I think you'd lose that bet for Breaking Bad.

That said? Programs are still being regulated. The History Channel for example pulled The Kennedy's from it's lineup due to political pressure. And Skins on MTV is readdressing it's approach and the PTC (Parent advocacy group) is lobbying to pull down ads for it. One man wrote a letter to the MTA complaining about the ads for Skins on the subway - he was offended by the teenage boy and teenage girl passionately kissing, with their tongues visible in the picture.

So it's not the government pushing for regulation so much, as individual and very vocal lobbying groups, the majority of which tend to be right-wing and libertarian, ironically enough.