The Big Picture: Frank Beacham

Frank Beacham is a New York City-based writer and producer. Visit his Web site at www.frankbeacham.com. E-mail: frank@frankbeacham.com.

It’s a New Game for Television News

by Frank Beacham, 7.23.2008

Though technology has vastly improved, human excellence has been decimated through pay cuts, layoffs and downsizing. Though there is more so-called “news” programming, its quality has generally hit bottom. more

NBC, Microsoft Raise The ‘Broadcast Flag’

by Frank Beacham, 6.25.2008

In a remarkable case of viewer “gotcha,” NBC and Microsoft were recently caught red-handed playing footloose with the broadcast flag. more

Ah, Back to Antennas Again!

by Frank Beacham, 5.28.2008

Does anyone actually believe that hordes of Americans will climb onto their rooftops—just as in the 1950s—to install an antenna in order to receive their local DTV stations? more

The Replicating Nature of ‘News’ in Cyberspace

by Frank Beacham, 5.14.2008

There are fewer people reporting genuine, long form hard news stories today than anytime in the past 25 years. more

Could It Be the End Of TV News?

by Frank Beacham, 4.14.2008

One of the great mysteries to me in these final months of the DTV transition is why call letter television stations continue to allow their news departments to operate in such an abysmal way. more

The Expensive Afterlife of Digital Movies

by Frank Beacham, 1.23.2008

Surprise, surprise! Now after the shift to digital filmmaking is almost complete, we discover that archiving film for the future is more expensive than expected. more

Trapped in an Endless Commercial

by Frank Beacham, 11.21.2007

In the spring of 1987, I was privileged to attend a 10-week series of lectures at UCLA by Sylvester “Pat” Weaver, a remarkable broadcast pioneer who served as president of NBC between 1953 and 1956. more

The Dark Side Of Apple’s iPhone

by Frank Beacham, 7.25.2007

The controversy involves a very real threat to “net neutrality.” It was spawned from a remarkable statement made by a top executive at AT&T, the telco that has exclusive network rights to the iPhone. more

World Events Provide Window To Turbulence in Big Media

by Frank Beacham, 2.21.2007

Open your eyes and ears. Observe. Think. Note that we're experiencing rapid changes in how we learn about world events. more

The New Video Crafts For Multimedia

by Frank Beacham, 11.15.2006

In the film industry, new technology has traditionally come at a snail's pace. Because of this, filmmakers have had time and tradition for perfecting their craft. more

Crossing the Line to On-screen Confusion

by Frank Beacham, 9.20.2006

Every video--whether an industrial, educational, commercial, documentary, or dramatic production--is designed tell a story. How the videographer selects the individual images and pieces them together in an edited sequence determines whether the story is effectively told or leaves the audience confused. more

2005: The Year TV Broke Out of the Box

by Frank Beacham, 1.25.2006

At the beginning of 2006, we are at an exciting juncture in the history of television. Even as the old aristocracy attempts to cling to what was, the emerging new technology won't be tamed, controlled, or mandated by Congress. more

Where's the Big DTV Sound?

by Frank Beacham, 11.23.2005

During a dinner at the recent AES show in New York City, I listened as a highly respected audio expert ridiculed the sad state of television sound. more

Hurricane Katrina Energizes TV News

by Frank Beacham, 10.19.2005

Live 8, the return of the space shuttle, and the London subway bombing each had an enormous impact on television technology in the summer of 2005. Then, Katrina paid a visit to the Gulf Coast. more

Seeing the Forest Beyond the Trees

by Frank Beacham, 9.21.2005

To fully understand the broad implications of any new technology, it's important to see the forest--not just the trees. That's common sense, one might think, until it comes down to trying to separate the forest from the tree people. more

Finally, FCC May Turn to Real 'Indecency'

by Frank Beacham, 7.20.2005

It's hard to imagine a greater "indecency" on broadcast television than faking the news or tricking viewers into believing commercials are genuine informational programs. more

Antenna Myths: Who's Really Watching Free TV?

by Frank Beacham, 6.22.2005

Reports from Capitol Hill say the toughest unresolved issue in legislating a hard deadline for the end of analog TV is what to do about the "disenfranchised." more

Grand Compromise Could Resolve DTV Transition

by Frank Beacham, 4.18.2005

When we were all much younger, the Grand Alliance was created to hammer out technical standards. Now, a Grand Compromise is needed to bring finality to what has become an endless journey through political quicksand. more

Broadcasting Comes To a Crossroads

by Frank Beacham, 3.28.2005

On panel after panel at the McGraw-Hill Media Summit, there was hardly a mention of over-the-air television. more

2005: The Year of HDTV

by Frank Beacham, 2.16.2005

If you're not an HD program provider, you're not going to be a successful survivor in the digital era. more