Summary:
An analysis of the Web site for the Fox Broadcasting Company, in which it describes how Fox has changed in the twenty years since their debut to suit the needs of their target audience.
FOX Broadcasting Company
According to the Media Education Foundation the average American watches four hours and thirty-nine minutes of television a day? With the remote in hand how does someone choose what they are going to watch for those four plus hours? As technology advanced in the last twenty years our channel selection increased from the four basic network channels to the one hundred and eighty channels that are offered on dish network. How does a station that has been around since the beginning of television compare to those that are fresh and new? "Married With Children," "Alf," and "America's Most Wanted" in the late 1980's made FOX possible. The reruns for these shows might be seen at three o'clock Tuesday mornings, but they will not take the place of "Survivor" any time soon. FOX has changed dramatically since its broadcasting debut to suit the needs of their target audience.
When FOX first started as a basic cable station it had three other competitors. These three are PBS, NBC, and ABC. It was simple for FOX to do well early, all these other stations focused more on the educational view rather than the entertainment. While FOX viewed the comedy in television with "Married with Children" at ten o'clock, PBS was focused on a show possibly about mummies, and the other two were competing against each other in proving that they had the best local news team. Even though today we would like to think that the world we live in is family oriented, family was more prominent then than now. Most of the United States had the same schedule, the mother of the household cleaned all day until the father and children came home, and then she started cooking supper for everyone. While the mother cooked, the father watched television, and the children did their homework in their rooms. After supper everyone gathered around the television set except for the one who was stuck with doing the dishes that night. They watched television together for an hour, the children went upstairs to bed, and the parents stayed up a little longer for a late night television program. Although this program was prominent in the 1980's, today it is non-existent with the extensive hours of after school activities, odd work hours, and friends. The viewers lives changed and FOX had to change with it in order to compete against the others.
As simplicity and convenience becomes more ideal in our society we begin to see the internet becoming popular. A business man sitting at a table searching the web while waiting for his order at the nearest café is usual in this century. For FOX, the internet is a cheap and successful way to draw new audiences in. One thing that this website does succeed in is it makes the internet easier for those that are computer illiterate by how the website is setup . For example if someone is looking for clips, last episode main events, or any other information about the new hit show, "So You Think You Can Dance," they have three opportunities to double-click on the correct website. There is a small link that is accessible in which has the title and what time it will be on. Next to the smaller link is a large, brightly colored picture of a thin, beautiful woman with the title above her that also has the double-click option, and the last chance which, is the most prominent, depicts a mini-television set that has music in the background that is choreographed with the dancing clips from episodes past. Along with "So You Think You Can Dance," the shows "Nany 911," "Prison Break," and also Major League Baseball have up to three easy accessible links that can be clicked on.
How does FOX know what shows are popular enough to have multiple links? It is not a secret. Reality shows are in. The answer is rather simple when there are a message board and polls on the site that gives instant feedback from the viewers to the corporation. A few of the knock-out reality show that are being broadcast today are, "Littlest Groom," which tapes a midget and his wife in their day-to-day lives together, "The OC," a show about the rich teenagers in California, and if those women don't dazzle the viewer,"The Simple Life," true life with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. Of course other shows are aired, such as the much-loved cartoon-humored shows "King of the Hill," "The Simpsons," and "Family Guy" that provide entertainment on the week days. Last but not least, sports are also big in the FOX network. Monday Night Football is one phrase that everyone is familiar with in the United States. Along with the men in tight football gear for the women's personal interests they put cheerleaders on the big screen as well as they spin and soar in the air for the men. Nights like these prompt family reunions, cocktail weinies, and a refrigerator full of alcohol.
One of FOX's priorities is to bring people together. They include a message board on their website for complete strangers to converse about a show they broadcast. Most of the shows are appealing to all age groups influencing those to sit around and eat popcorn together while watching these shows. There is also a link which tells parents about a V-chip that controls what their children are watching by the television ratings on each show. These ratings promote communication in the household and restriction of what knowledge the child is acquiring from the television shows.
Although FOX is not an educational television network, it does prompt a good imagination in children. "Pokemon," with its fairy tale, mystical, creatures encourage this,"GI Joe," the super hero army man who is not afraid of anything is also a contributor. The most popular television program for the girls is the hit series "Bratz," the dolls that took the place of Barbie now have their own show. On the FOX link for kids, they have games and hours of interactive fun to occupy these youngsters for hours. The creators of this website also used bold color schemes and movement to catch the child's attention.
Movement and color also set off the homepage. With the setup of the site, it is recognizable who FOX's target audience is, people who want to be entertained. Also coinciding with the entertainment value, the instant noise punctures the interest of the viewer to scroll down and figure out where the noise is coming from. While curiosity captures most people, they acquire more interest in the website as they start clicking on the links.
The last things that is viewed on the homepage are little links that are not as important as the hit television shows, the sponsor space for Burger King, or the newest messages on the community message boards. One of these links is the news. When clicking on this link, it is as if the most controversial, drama-filled articles are first. The more mellow articles are on the bottom and the last box on the page is the market while viewing the page. The way this link alone is setup proves the point that FOX is for pure entertainment, which is what their viewers want..
In the last twenty years, this whole network has changed, not just the television shows that are being broadcasted. The network has become more eye-appealing with its drama-filled reality view. Even the Monday Night Football games have changed since all the new technologically advanced cameras came into human hands with zoom lenses and instant replay action. All of these changes came from the demand of a different target audience. This new target audience needs more movement, sex, and color to entertain them. What would be more appealing? The hairy puppet Alf, or Paris Hilton on the farm in shorts and a cowboy hat?
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