Raymond Williams Concept Of Flow In The 1970's

Upon analysis of a small fragment of the NBC schedule, 7:30-8:30PM on a Wednesday, the evolution of Raymond Williams’ classic concept of flow in the 1970s is evident. His traditional concept is no longer sufficient to explain modern network broadcasting, largely due to the complex circumstances of advertiser supported broadcast networks in the post-network era of fragmented audiences. This evolution maintains the basic structure of Williams’ concept of flow with the addition of clear demographic fragmentation into specific assumed audience segments within the schedule. Now NBC employs a flow that synthesizes its predecessors, a flow which emphasizes demographics and catering to audience tastes more than traditional flow, while still attempting
These thematic flows, contained with the advertisements and program episodes, function to frame the audiences positively, as adventurous, intelligent and discerning; a flattering audience projection, which functions to encourage viewers to frequent their network and buy the goods and services advertised.
To begin, Raymond Williams, defines flow as the planned sequencing of televisual texts “in which the true series is... the sequence transformed by the inclusion of another kind of sequence” (91), that the true process of flow is the “series of differently related units in which … the real internal organization is something other than the declared organization” (93), and that the purpose of flow is to “encourage the continual viewing of a channel” (94), particularly in in competitive environments. Thompson suggests that “television’s flow has shifted emphasis to brand identity and catering to audience taste” (281), while admitting that “the concept is still important as a structuring mechanism and branding strategy”
Chicago P.D. (XXVII) Powerless (XLI) Saturday Night Live (LII), Today (XVLIII), and Local 4 News (XXVIII) are all included in this flow to promote viewing throughout the night, with Chicago P.D. and Local 4 News ads, and throughout the week with Powerless, Today, Saturday Night Live ads. A strategy of Williams’ traditional flow is also evident in the recap present at the end of Jeopardy and the beginning of Blindspot, an adventure-packed thirty second clip filling the viewer in on the most exciting moments of the season thus far. Williams’ explains that this strategy utilizes bizarre or violent opening scenes so that “the interest around must be strong enough to initiate the expectation of a sequence” (93) and, thus, the audience continues watching even after the program that they actively sought out is