Satellites

On October 4, 1957, the soviet union launched Sputnik 1, the first communications satellite. Sputnik 1 was a 23-inch, 184-pound ball of metal that contained a radio receiver and transmitter, using what is today the Citizens Band, or radio frequency, and it signaled not only the beginning of instantaneous global communications but it was an important milestone in the cold war. It was the soviets launch of Sputnik that led U.S. president John F. Kennedy to declare four years later that, the United States would be the first country to put a man on the moon, by the end of the 1960s. Communications satellites have upgraded communication networks in at least two ways. First they have substantial communications capacity. This means more information, communications, or media content can be distributed. Second, because they are positioned high above earth satellites can permit ground-based to communicate with parties in remote corners of the globe. A signal can be sent from one location on earth, bounced off the satellite, and relayed to a distant location that also has a line of sight with the satellite. Satellites have played an important role for the military and we are seeing satellite imagery being used increasingly in services like Google maps in which people can see an amazingly high-resolution satellite photographs of neighborhoods.

Sources: Pavlik, J. V., & McIntosh, S. (2011). Converging media: a new introduction to mass communication (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

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Text content blog #1

Chapter five in our text book is Visual Media: Movies and Television. I found the Movie Industry Business Model to be one of the more interesting sections in this particular chapter, more specifically product placement. The motion picture industry today is much different than it was fifty years ago but with some of the main concepts still in progress in terms of generating revenue. Product place is something that sticks out now as back then, there was no such concept of it. I find this to be rather riveting in the sense of killing two birds with one stone. The basic gist or concept of product placement is that it is a form/ type of advertisement where major brand name goods are placed and or displayed in the movie that otherwise would be un noticeable. For example, in the raunchy comedy blockbuster movie of last sumer Ted, the beer Bud Light is proudly displayed during various party scenes through out the moive. Ted, the talking teddy bear in the film can be seen drinking from a glass bottle in one take and all through out the living room that distinguishable light blue Bud Light can is shown in the living room. This not only generates revenue for Anheuser  Busch company from people buying their beer from seeing their product in Ted but its beneficial for both the movie and the beer company. Bud Light gets free advertisement in the sense that they do not nor did not have to pay for their beer to be shown in the movie and the movie itself grossed millions and millions of dollars thus, hinting at the fact killing two birds with one stone by Bud Light getting free advertising and Ted be a mega hit/ grossing film.http://www.fxguide.com/wp-content/uploads//2012/07/Ted_beer.jpg
http://www.wearyourbeer.com/images/Bud_Light_Can_Slant_White_Shirt_POP.jpg


Work Cited
Pavlik, J. V., & McIntosh, S. (2011). Visual Media: Movies and Television. Converging media: a new introduction to mass communication (2nd ed., pp. 148-151). New York: Oxford University Press.