University of North Alabama

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Communication and Theatre


Course Syllabus

Communication 328: Credit Hours: Course Description: Placement: Class Schedule: Faculty: Textbook: Objectives: Teaching Methods: Student Grades: Important Dates: Reading Assignments by Lesson Topics: Project:

Program Research [and Decision Making] 3 semester hours An introduction to the research methods and findings used to evaluate telecommunication programs. The application of research in decisions on the use and placement of programs will be emphasized. Prerequisites: COM 240 and 316. Spring 2005 MWF, 8:00 -- 8:50 am Avon Edward Foote, Ph.D. Associate Professor Room 108 Office: (256) 765-4489 E-mail: aefoote@una.edu FAX: (256) 765-4839 Office Hours: Monday 10-1, Tuesday 12-2, Wednesday 10-1, Thursday 3:15-4:15, Friday 10-11. And by appointment if necessary Eastman, Susan and Ferguson, Douglas, Broadcast/Cable/Web Programming, 6th edition  Wadsworth, 2002. The student is expected to complete the following objectives: To know the history of industry and academic electronic media audience research from 1925 to 2002. To be able to identify and define the most-often utilized techniques of evaluation research. To be able to compute the basic units of measurement used in ratings research. To be able to list the advantages and disadvantages of different sampling techniques used in evaluation research. To be able to list the primary decision-making criteria for radio. To be able to list the primary decision-making criteria for television and cable. To be able to list the primary decision-making criteria for television and cable. To be able to list the primary decision-making criteria for the internet. Assigned readings in text, lectures, reading from Broadcasting and Cable for annual NAPTE Convention and other industry coverage, guest speakers, class discussion, programming research project, and festival attendance. The following are methods by which the course objectives will be evaluated: Two exams will count 20% each. 30% of grade will come from program project. Lindsey Festival attendance and reporting will count 20%. Four reports from Broadcasting and Cable count 10%. A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, F=<60 Attendance: Required by University policy. After four weeks of absences your grade will be become an "F" as announced in University literature. Grade will be lowered for excessive absences over three. Because of the importance of being on-time and meeting deadlines, tardiness will be noted on the roll and will affect the grade if it becomes a problem for an individual student. January 17 --- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day February 18 --- University closed for Winter break March 4 --- Middle of term March 25 --- University closed March 28 to April 3 --- Spring Holidays April 22-24 --- Lindsey/UNA Film Festival April 22 --- Last day to drop a class May 5 --- Study Day May 6 to 12 --- Semester Exams Electronic Media Programming Challenge, Chapter 1. History of Academic Research in Electronic Media, no reading. History of Commercial Ratings Research, no reading. Exam 1 on February 23 Ratings Research Process, Chapter 2. Key Terms and Calculations, Chapter 2. Ratings for syndication, Chapter 3, Exam 2 on March 23. Broadcast Television Decisions, Chapter 4. Programming Public Television, Chapter 7. Cable Decisions, Chapter 8. Way of the Web, Chapter 10. Project Presentations. Students will program the prime-time schedule for one Huntsville market television station for one week during the most recent past sweeps. The details of the programming project will be announced in class. All programming decisions will be backed up with appropriate research support and practical programming guidelines developed and verified through industry case studies. The final grade will depend on written project decisions, written documentation and class presentation. Written final project is due April 19. The last two weeks of class will devoted to student presentations of final projects. The project grade will replace a final exam.

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