Week 9 EOC: Network, how market research shaped the network

Fay Dunaway's character in the movie Network used market research to shape the broadcast network in many ways. When they put the news anchor Howard Beale on the air and he told everyone to shout out their windows, she called other cities that the network had affiliates airing the show in to see if the people were actually shouting. She checked the ratings of the show every morning to find out their share. She talked about their share constantly. The share represented the amount of people that were watching the show out of the total number of people with their televisions on. She checked the affiliate stations to see their ratings also. By constantly checking the ratings on the shows she is producing, it is allowing her to see how many people are tuning in. This is researching her market. She also used the political, economical, and social data to research what people were feeling about the environment in the country. She uses this secondary data to determine what kind of shows are going to be popular. The show with the bank robbery she decided would be popular because it is so different and reflects the attitudes of the American people. She used her research to decide that the people wanted something "angry" instead of the usual happy sitcom that was being put on the air in the 1970's. They also used market research to decide that Beale should be kept on the air and given his own show. Market research shaped the voice of the network and the kind of people that tuned in.