The Big Picture: Frank Beacham

Frank Beacham is a New York City-based writer and producer. Visit his Web site at www.beacham.com. E-mail: frank@beacham.com

Crossing the Line to On-screen Confusion
The maxim "every picture tells a story" usually comes under challenge whenever an amateur videographer works without understanding the basic language of the moving picture medium.

2005: The Year TV Broke Out of the Box
At the beginning of 2006, we are at an exciting juncture in the history of television. Even as the old aristocracy attempts to cling to what was, the emerging new technology won't be tamed, controlled, or mandated by Congress.

Where's the Big DTV Sound?
During a dinner at the recent AES show in New York City, I listened as a highly respected audio expert ridiculed the sad state of television sound.

Hurricane Katrina Energizes TV News
Live 8, the return of the space shuttle, and the London subway bombing each had an enormous impact on television technology in the summer of 2005. Then, Katrina paid a visit to the Gulf Coast.

Seeing the Forest Beyond the Trees
To fully understand the broad implications of any new technology, it's important to see the forest--not just the trees. That's common sense, one might think, until it comes down to trying to separate the forest from the tree people.

Finally, FCC May Turn to Real 'Indecency'
It's hard to imagine a greater "indecency" on broadcast television than faking the news or tricking viewers into believing commercials are genuine informational programs.

Antenna Myths: Who's Really Watching Free TV?
Reports from Capitol Hill say the toughest unresolved issue in legislating a hard deadline for the end of analog TV is what to do about the "disenfranchised."

Grand Compromise Could Resolve DTV Transition
When we were all much younger, the Grand Alliance was created to hammer out technical standards. Now, a Grand Compromise is needed to bring finality to what has become an endless journey through political quicksand.

Broadcasting Comes To a Crossroads
On panel after panel at the McGraw-Hill Media Summit, there was hardly a mention of over-the-air television.

2005: The Year of HDTV
If you're not an HD program provider, you're not going to be a successful survivor in the digital era.

Can We Restore Media Diversity?
There is no more important an issue on the agenda this new year than restoring the diversity of electronic media in the United States.

TV News Suffers An Identity Crisis
October provided an unusually visible stress test for television news.

The Age of Innuendo
Rather than seeking truth through objectivity, news and information programs--indeed, entire networks--seek to attract an audience through a distinctive point of view.

Newest Reporter Tools Get Better & Quicker
There are some new tools that can aid in reducing the grunt work and assure bulletproof accuracy of quotes from fast-breaking events

Dumbing Down the Kids
For too many, apparently, it's just another day parked in front of the TV set - the nation's most popular baby sitter.

Infoganda: The Real Indecency in Broadcast
In a publicist-driven culture where it's an art form to blur the line between truth and fiction, local TV news is becoming a powerful enabler.

The Death of Live Television
The fervor by politicians this election year to rid America's airwaves of "indecency" is not only a threat to the constitutional rights of performers but a dangerous threat to over-the-air broadcasters.

A Big 'What If' for Local Broadcast Stations
What if a court overturns "must carry" and simultaneously the broadcast networks move away from the affiliate system to become exclusive content producers for pay television? Under these twin circumstances, how would your television station prosper in the future?

A Toast to Larry Thorpe
It was during the Thanksgiving holiday that Larry Thorpe, one of the major figures in modern television technology, decided at age 63 to leave Sony.

Analog: The Fat Lady Refuses to Sing!
Having missed the last couple of AES audio shows, it was good to spend some time catching up on the latest buzz in New York City. In fact, I enjoyed these passionate, creative audio folks so much I stayed an extra day just to muck around and hear their stories.

For Those Living in Fear, Broadcasters Offer Comfort
Justified or not, many Americans are living in fear. Since Sept. 11, 2001, too many of us, especially in urban areas, jump at the sound of every explosion or wailing siren. Suddenly, there's the fearful need of reassurance from some authoritative source that all is well in the community.

Looking Back to TV's Future
The vote was a stunning 400 to 21 -- one of most overwhelming rebukes by the U.S. House of Representatives of a regulatory policy in the history of American broadcasting. Though the bloody fight over media ownership is far from over -- the fat lady has yet to sing -- few would argue all is well in TV land. Fact is, there's trouble, big trouble, in River City.

Media Ownership Surprise: The People Respond!
The public outrage over the FCC's action came in at hurricane force.

The 'Digital Transition' Becomes the 'IT Transition'
Underlying all the noise about information technology (IT) at NAB2003 is a quiet subtext that renders the phrase "digital transition" obsolete and signals huge changes ahead in the business of over-the-air broadcasting.

Film Stakes Out a Future in Digital Television
One of the genuine successes in today's otherwise sluggish professional video industry has come in high-end acquisition, where 24p HD video technology is challenging 35mm film as the preferred medium for making primetime television programming.

Of a Certain Age
As one who grew up watching Johnny Carson regularly, I found myself gradually tuning out. The programming became so irrelevant to me that I never thought about it enough to even question why.

Viewers' Voice Is Missing In the DTV Mess
Thomson Multimedia has just added a new feature - a built-in DVD player - to four widescreen models in its upcoming line of premium RCA Scenium digital television sets ... The electronics manufacturer is finally hip to a stark reality: If you're going to charge several thousand dollars for a stunning new digital display for a home theater, you'd better enable it with something to watch.

The Slow Death of VHS
Attendees to the PC Expo tradeshow this summer in New York City were invited to bring for sacrifice an old VHS tape to "celebrate the VCR's impending retirement."

Some Assembly Required
One of the oddities of writing a column for TV Technology is the firm belief held by all of your friends that you must surely possess magical abilities when it comes to helping them select, install or fix their home television set-up.

A Transition for Betacam
As if we haven't had enough milestones lately, the news that Sony is ending production of analog Betacam was one of those periodic reminders from out-of-the-blue that all technology is ephemeral, no matter how much it may have changed the world.

"What is Diversity Anyway?"
There was a time – about 35 years ago – when you could drive a car across the United States and, by simply listening to your car radio, get a genuine sense of the personality of each town you visited.

Desktop TV Gets Another Boost at Macworld
It was last January when Apple Computer introduced the first simple and affordable personal DVD mastering system.

More Fear and Loathing in DTV Land
In my memory, the first great public crack in the DTV wall of illusion came in early 1998 at Sony's pre-NAB press conference in New York City.

It's Subscriptions, Stupid!
If you want to sum up the new AOL Time Warner media company in a single word, CEO Gerald Levin suggests that word is: SUBSCRIPTIONS.

Peering Into the Future of Streaming Media
Rapid-fire developments in streaming media have come so fast in the past 5 years that those who follow the nascent industry find themselves in a constant time warp.

Desktop Television Gets Big Boost
Two significant developments early this year foretell the future of television.

DTV's Cuckoo Nest and the Public Interest
Getting a firm grasp on DTV in the days before NAB2001 is a bit like trying to stab a mound of Jell-O with a fork. When you think you've got it, the darn thing slips away again.

A Gutsy Kennard Faces Down Broadcasters
Bill Kennard is not what you’d call a great orator. He lacks the inspiring delivery and populist charisma that are hallmarks of a winning political figure.

The (Re)Selling of Interactive TV
Observe the electronics industry long enough and you might note an interesting phenomenon: Failed high-tech products rarely die; they are just reintroduced ... again and again and again.

The Streaming Media Gold Rush
Streaming media is hot. So hot that more than 10,500 bodies could barely move through the packed aisles of exhibitors at the Streaming Media East 2000 tradeshow in New York City this summer.

Brainstorming the Next Generation of Local TV
We get mail. Some is thought-provoking, like the e-mail we got recently from Paul E. Donohue, news director at WETM-TV in Elmira, N.Y.