Television viewership in the United States is declining, while online streaming is on the rise, but TV will not be disappearing anytime soon.

Statistics show television is slowly losing its viewers with a decline in ratings since 2011, with the biggest drop happening from 2013 to 2014. If that isn't enough to scare TV executives, paid streaming services are gaining users. In 2014 Time reported that 40% of US households subscribed to a streaming service, up from 35% in 2013 and 2.8% of American homes have internet but no television service.


Netflix offers many advantages to TV such as portability, choice of content, at a lower cost but lacks live coverage.

Streaming services offer many advantages to TV which could explain why TV is dipping and streaming is on the rise. Streaming services like Netflix allow users to watch on their desktop, laptop, tablet, gaming console or phone giving them access to shows and movies anywhere that they have internet access. Technologies like Smart TV's that have built-in Netflix apps allow people to easily view Netflix on their televisions at home as well. Even most "regular" televisions today have a spot
for an HDMI cord to be plugged in letting people sync their computer to their big screen TV.

At a starting price of $7.99 a month, Netflix offers a wide selection of shows and movies at the fraction of the price of a cable bill. With a typical monthly cable bill running over $50 dollars a month, cutting the cord and going "broad-band only" could make plenty of sense for people looking to save money.

Netflix also offers the most flexibility to viewers allowing them to choose what to watch when ever they feel. The ability to choose what to watch makes Netflix much more powerful than television. Even with 1,000 channels to choose from, people can still struggle to find something that they want to watch because someone else is making the choice of what goes on the air. With Netflix users have the ability to watch as many episodes as they wish at a time, allowing them to watch a series at their own pace. The no-commercial format of Netflix also keeps users focused on the program and enhances the viewing experience.

Despite all of these advantages, TV still offers live coverage, and new content daily, something Netflix cannot. The ability to broadcast live is still one major advantage to television because it allows for full coverage of breaking news, sporting events, and other events such as awards shows. Coverage of these events extends beyond Netflix's current capabilities.

Studies show that people ages 18-24 is the demographic that TV is losing the most.

Data compiled from the start of  2011 to the end of 2014 shows that each year, young people, specifically people ages 18-24 are watching less and less TV. In 2011, people ages 18-24 averaged watching just over 25 hours of TV a week. Compare that to the 2014 average of about 19 hours and 15 minutes per week, and there is a loss of almost six hours of TV per week, nearly an hour a day.

The data also shows that the biggest drop in TV viewership of young people came in 2014. The monthly average of time spent watching TV for 18-24 year olds dropped significantly from the fourth quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2014. At the same time, the amount of time spent watching online video, and video on smartphones rose from 2013 to 2014.

The loss of these young viewers hurts television stations as they make up a sizable chunk of who advertisers are trying to target. For many advertisers, people ages 18-49 are the ideal target audience because they typically have the most disposable income. As the amount of people in this key demographic watching a program drops, the value of advertising time during that program drops,  and as a result stations lose money.

Despite the drop in total TV viewership, the overall popularity of TV shows is actually higher.

Even though Netflix is taking viewers away from their TVs it is actually increasing the popularity of many TV shows. Research shows that when people start to watch old episodes of ongoing TV shows on Netflix, TV stations actually get a boost in ratings when they air new episodes of these shows. By selling the rights to stream old episodes of on going series stations are actually broadening the fan base of these shows and with Netflix's ability to allow people to catch up quickly, more people tune in to the premiere of new episodes.

Perhaps there is no better example of this effect than with the AMC drama Breaking Bad. Remembered now as one of the most popular drama series in recent memory, Breaking Bad had a slow start. Through the first three seasons, the show struggled to get a million viewers per episode. After the third season, all of the episodes were added to Netflix. This certainly added to the popularity of the show as the season four finale racked up 1.9 million viewers, 23%
more than in season three. The more time that Breaking Bad spent on Netflix, the more popular it became and when the second half of the fifth and final season began, almost 6 million people tuned into the premiere. The number of viewers only increased  during the second half of the final season, reaching a peak of 10.3 million viewers for the series finale.

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Netflix could be shaping the future of television by putting its app in Smart TV's and cable boxes, and also creating its own content.

Today many people do not just own a regular TV, but a Smart TV that has built in apps and internet access. Most of these Smart TV's have the ability to access Netflix just by using the remote control, making it easier than ever to stream Netflix on your big screen. In 2014 Netflix announced that it had made a deal with four different cable companies to put its streaming services in their cable boxes. This gave roughly 1.7 million people the ability to stream Netflix on their TV even if it isn't a Smart TV. Today Netflix is also available to be used in gaming systems like XBox, PlayStation and Wii. As Netflix becomes more accessible to people it can become a larger part of our everyday lives.

Not only is Netflix expanding how it's services can be accessed, it is also expanding its content by creating its own shows. The Netflix original series House of Cards and Orange is the New Black have seen great popularity and success despite the only way to watch being through Netflix. Netflix has also revived some canceled series that had regained popularity through their site. For example Netflix wrote and created their own season of Arrested Development, and two seasons of Trailer Park Boys.

The fact that Netflix releases their original content online and not over the air gives them certain advantages. One major one is that they do not need to censor their content. For example the nudity and strong language of Orange is the New Black would never be able to make it onto network television. Another advantage that Netflix has is that entire seasons are released at once, prompting lots of build up and excitement for the release, and as a result many people will binge watch the new seasons of their favorite shows.

Although TV is slowly losing its viewers to online streaming services, television will not be dying anytime soon. And while it is impossible to know exactly what the future of television actually holds, it would be a safe bet that Netflix will have a major impact on it.

The video game industry is based on what's new and improved, even if thats not what we want.

I cannot tell you the first time I played a video game, or even the first time I saw a video game, but what I can say with certainty was that I was very young when I was introduced to video games.  I can recall being very young (under 5) when my parents bought an original PlayStation for my older sister. After a couple years I began to use the system more than my sister. Out of my collection of about 10 different games, my favorite was Crash Bandicoot. It is a simple game, very similar to the popular Super Mario series. It is a platformer style where you jump on enemies and collect items. It was a simple game to learn for a young child, and I played it for years. However, all good things come to an end, and my PlayStation days came to a close when my parents gave me a GameCube for Christmas when I was about 7 or 8. As soon as the GameCube was hooked up to the TV, the PlayStation was forgotten. With better graphics, newer games and a new controller design, I was in love with my new GameCube the first

time I hit the power button. This simple, almost mundane, story, one I do not think about often, demonstrates exactly how video games are a multibillion-dollar industry.

Consumers are forced to buy new consoles when their old ones become obsolete.

            Just like many other technical industries, video games are all about what’s new, or what’s next. Just like me when I was younger, people are always looking for the next console. New consoles typically have better graphics, capability for more advanced games, new features (like internet access), and possibly different controls. These improvements are one way how companies like Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft can keep people buying their next generation of consoles. Just like the new iPhone that comes out each year, when people compare their old system to the new one, they feel the need to upgrade.

            Another way to force people to buy the new console is to stop production of games for the old model. When a new console is released all new games are made for this system, and not the old one. This is how companies bring in more people to buy their new system. Even if you decide that the new and improved graphics of the new system are not worth $300, if there are new games that you want to play, you will have no choice but to buy the new system along with the games. This is the key. No true gamer is content with the collection of games he or she has. Each game can only be played so many times before it becomes boring. Eventually gamers are forced to buy the new system for the games if not for the system itself.

"What games can this system play?" is the most important question for consumers, and producers.

Blockbuster games made up 46% of sales in 2012, similar to prior years. This fact is why many popular games are not just a singularity, but are turned into a series of games. There is security in the names of these hit video games for developers. If people enjoy a game, they are likely to buy the sequel.

 These big-hit games are not just security for the developers of the game, but for the creators of the console that it is played on as well. Many games are under contract to only be made for a specific console. For example the popular Halo series can only be played on the Xbox, the God of War series is exclusive to PlayStation, and the ever-popular Pokemon series can only be played on Nintendo devices. Which games can be played on which system is possibly the most important factor for consumers to consider before purchasing a system. Consoles are expensive; most people cannot afford to just buy them all and the three major console producers (Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft) know this. This is why the three major producers of consoles try to get the best games for their system, and if possible, have them only available on their system. Nintendo has been rather successful with this, having many popular series of games like Pokemon, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Smash Brothers, and according to business insider, they also have three of the top five grossing video games designed for a console of all time.

            When a new gaming system is released or a new game comes out, most of us are probably not thinking about all of the work that has gone on behind the scenes like rights to get a certain game on a particular console. However these are important factors that go into what systems we buy. Remember back to when I received a GameCube for Christmas as a young boy. The only reason why I wanted a GameCube at all was because I had played Super Smash Bros. Melee at a friend’s house. Super Smash Bros. Melee is a game that is exclusive to the GameCube. So without any other knowledge of the GameCube I immediately knew that I wanted it simply for that one game. Later on I upgraded my GameCube and got a Wii. I knew that all of my GameCube games would still work on the Wii, plus I would then be able to play the cool new Wii games.  This is what these companies want us to do: get hooked on a game or two, then stick with this brand for life in order to keep playing newer versions of the game.

Pg. 184, Review Question 6.

Protesters flood Brooklyn Bridge after grand jury does not indict police officer involved in E. Garner death

When searching for strong explanatory photographs, this photo from a protest in New York City caught my eye. The main subject of the photo is obviously the protesters that have packed into the Brooklyn Bridge, however there is much more to the picture than that.

The photographer is close enough to the crowd so we can read some of the signs and other objects held by the protesters. One visible sign reads "BLACK LIVES MATTER". While other protesters hold coffins that represent others who have died in confrontations with police in the city. The boroughs where the confrontations took place are written on the front of the coffins. Two that we can see read "BRONX", while another says "BROOKLYN". These signs and coffins, in addition to the time that this photograph was published give a strong indication that the crowd is protesting the way African Americans are treated by police in America.

Beyond the protesters however, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge with the skyscrapers of Manhattan in the background tell the viewer where the protest is taking place. Also with close attention to detail, one would notice that the protesters are bundled up, showing that it is cold out, and this is most likely taking place sometime in the winter. This is accurate as the picture was taken in December of 2014.

Test Post

As it stands I am a broadcast journalism and a computer science double major. I do not plan on finishing my career on this track so I have to make a decision this semester on which one to stick with. However it would be cool to do something that combines the two industries, such as working on web development for a newspaper. However overall, I like to keep my options open so I never know where I'll end up!