1. State briefly what the problem is by identifying the key symptoms what you can see, e.g. an open conflict, a breakdown in communication, a client complaint, etc
2. Using at least two frames analyze the problem, i.e. applying the ideas/models/concepts from at least two frames explain what is going on, and identify what are plausible root causes generating the problem
3. Propose a workable/realistic solution using one or more frames (and the ideas/models/theories therein) to justify your recommendations. Be precise in explaining what should be done and why. For example if the aim is to improve communication you need to tell us how this needs to be achieved in practice and why that way you suggest is appropriate and relevant using the theories/models/concept studied to support your plan.

TVN Case Study by Name of Author: Mangham, I Name of Publisher: Harper & Row

TVN is an independent television company holding the franchise for broadcasting to a large section of the population in the north of England. It was awarded its franchise after the previous holders had been deemed by the Independent Broadcasting Authority not to have supplied an adequate service. In particular the previous franchise holder - Instant Appeal Entertainment Corporation - had failed to provide the required number of programs with local interest and had, with the exception of the period immediately prior to the award of the franchise, resolutely filled the screens at both local and national level with chat shows and entertainment spectaculars. Under the terms of the franchise, TVN was mandated to rectify these failings; they were required to create programs of local interest and supply to the network a balanced diet for viewers. Their franchise comes up for renewal in five years' time.

The senior management group - with whom we shall be particularly concerned in this case study consists of a number of people from the old franchise holder, Instant Appeal, and a number brought in from other companies (including one from the BBC). The new managing director, Neville Cottingham, a thrusting executive in his mid-thirties, has no experience in television, having been recruited by the chairman of TVN to 'give the company some commercial flair'. The chairman also has little experience in television. Cottingham has brought with him as confidant and industrial relations director one of his colleagues, Tom Beverley, from his days at Snowdon Manufacturing. They have been in position for a couple of years, the previous managing director having left to rejoin Instant Appeal in its film division. The sales director, Tom Skidby, in his late fifties, man and boy with Instant Appeal, was one of the original bidders for the franchise and is on the board of TVN, as is Eric Walkington, a man of similar age, again an original signatory for the franchise and currently finance director. Walkington is also an Instant Appeal man, as is the director of programs, Tony Dancer, who was acting managing director for a period immediately prior to the advent of Neville Cottingham. Dancer is a tall, spare individual with over 20 years experience as a maker of distinctive television films and a considerable reputation as a scheduler and commissioner of productions. He too has a seat on the board and, as director of programs, a considerable number of links both formal and informal with the watchdog of the industry - the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

The Problem

The Basic Situation

TVN under its previous management which, of course, included Dancer, had a reputation for producing international packages - blockbusting megastar programs full of glitter and show business bazzaz, costing scores of thousands of pounds and selling around the world. Its turnover, although large by industry standards, was but a small part of the business of Instant Appeal, and its profits, which were proportionately large, accrued to the parent company. Little of it was returned to TVN in the form of investment, but, on the other hand, little was demanded of TVN in terms of cost control or efficient management. The new company stands alone and both the chairman and Neville Cottingham are determined to render it efficient and effective. To them this means controlling costs and ensuring that TVN enjoys a 'good reputation' with its audiences, with its advertisers, with its employees, with the City and not least with the IBA. This year it is on line to make substantial profits, partly as a result of Dancer's shrewd selection of programmes (which brings in the advertising) and partly as a result of the efforts of the chairman and the managing director to control costs. The industry as a whole, and particularly the independent sector of it, has a reputation for high spending. Since the government takes a slice of the profits by way of levy, many employees have come to regard money spent on programmes (and upon their own contributions to them) as in some sense not real - money which otherwise would go to the Exchequer. TVN's association with Instant Appeal- the glamorous world of show business - has reinforced this tendency to treat funds with relatively little concern. Throughout TVN, at all levels, the culture of Instant Appeal still prevails. This is particularly true of the Programme Department (controlled by Tony Dancer) which spends millions of pounds annually. Productions regularly run over budget - sometimes by as much as 200 or 300% - and there is a suspicion that very little control is exercised over any programme maker by Dancer or any of his staff, although the overall budget is more often met than not. The culture of the department is such that any attempt at control would be labelled 'interference with creative freedom' and much resented. Dancer himself epitomizes this approach and resolutely refuses to discuss the affairs of what he takes to be his area of responsibility with Cottingham or with anyone else. He bases his refusal on the nature of his appointment (ratified by the IBA and requiring the incumbent of such a position to be a suitable person and not subject to direction by others) and upon the fact that Neville Cottingham, having little experience of television, is not in a position to say what should or should not be done.

Cottingham regards the cavalier approach to expenditure as little short of 'immoral'. In areas that he can control - largely those of direct operations such as engineering or publicity - he has succeeded in reducing costs and in streamlining the operations of the company. Together with his industrial relations director, Tom Beverley, he has confronted the unions over the question of manning and special payments and, after a strike which closed the studios for some weeks (and caused considerable annoyance to the programme makers), he succeeded in imposing some industrial relations discipline on the floor. He has also instituted regular communication meetings with staff at all levels and is, with the notable exceptions of the unions and the programme makers, regarded as 'good news' by a considerable number of those employed at TVN. It is, however, clear to many that his dictat does not extend to the programme department. It is equally clear that he and Dancer are personally antagonistic.

Detailed Information on Problems

The head of engineering, Frank Selby, recruited from another independent TV company and sympathetic towards Cottingham's aims, is not alone in seeing the complexity of issues facing the managing director: 'He is faced with the problem of getting things right fast. Very fast. And he doesn't know the industry well. Lots of neat management techniques, but essentially he is a stranger to what goes on. A breath of fresh air, highly energetic but, no doubt about it, on a collision course with Dancer and those of his men who indulge their fantasies at the company's expense. Trouble is, they have bloody good fantasies. They turn out good programmes, but at a cost. Tony Dancer is a smart operator. I've a very healthy regard for him. He's probably the most able programme director I've worked with, and when I say able I mean in all sorts of ways. He's got a very good head on him. He is able to negotiate on behalf of the company on all sorts of complex matters to do with networking and so on and he's got tons of courage, and if he feels he must do something, he'll pursue it and pursue it and pursue it. Very much his own man, though, and when you put him alongside Neville, a chap with a hell of a track record elsewhere, tremendous rate of achievement, then there is going to be argument, conflict at a level which is higher than the healthy one which ought to exist. Because they both want to do their own bloody thing. A trial of strength.'

Tom Beverley, the industrial relations director, sees things in a similar fashion: 'We've got a number of characters around here who really do have their own individual styles, classically Tony Dancer, very powerful personality, like Neville Cottingham in many senses, got a tremendous ego, very selfish, power conscious, but a completely different way of operating from Neville which he freely acknowledges - boasts about it. He likes to accumulate as much information as he can possibly get and give away as little as he possibly can. Information is power to him. He'll tell people what they need to know and then tell them what to do. That's Tony's style. The creative bit, based on instinct and feel if it's right, do it and pick up the pieces afterwards or ignore them. Neville would be mortified to hear it and would deny it, but he and Tony are similar in some characteristics, both driven by an urge to have their ideas accepted, but Tony's way of operating is anathema to Neville who is much more open. There are continual clashes between the pair of them and will continue to be and I fear for the result of that because sooner or later there's bound to be a parting of the ways. Who goes and where and when is another matter. The tragedy is that we need both of them to stay.'

Dancer recognizes the issue and reacts to it characteristically: 'It's not up to me to hold people's hands. Neville's a big boy now. If he does not like what I am doing it's up to him to do something about it, not down to me to be running in and out of his office telling him every little thing that's going on. If 1 am employed as the bloody programme controller, that's what I will do - control the bloody programmes. I'm given an overall budget, I'm told 1 have to get it right by the company and if they don't think I've got it right they can get rid of me. Don't play games. Either they want me to do the bloody job or they want Neville to do it for me. Can't both do it, particularly when one of us knows less than bugger all about it.'

Matters are brought to a head during a meeting of the Programme Committee. This group has been brought together at the instigation of Neville to bring about better coordination between the programme makers and those who supply the services. It has met on two previous occasions and has a reputation for being the arena in which Tony and Neville offer mock combat to each other. Neville, as perceived by Tony, seeking to 'pry' into programme matters and Tony, as perceived by Neville, determined to exclude all from contact with what he takes to be 'his patch'. The company is offering to the network a new late night programme which is reputed to be 'adult', 'frank' or 'downright offensive' according to one's sensitivities. No one other than the lawyers and the programme makers have seen any of the recorded episodes, but rumour is rife and has been picked up by the newspapers. Neville quotes from one of them:

'I gather from this that, quote "Slamm makes the Daily Star and the Sun* look tame", unquote; that it quote "is taking on everyone, the Queen, the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, the Opposition, the Judges, the Churches, the Unions ...", unquote.'

Tony twirling his pencil and lying back in his chair smiles and then begins to laugh quietly.

Neville says: 'I don't know what it is that you find amusing in all of this, Tony. I was asked about Slamm the other day by the Chairman and I had to tell him I knew nothing about it other than it was over budget.'

Tony replies: 'It's not down to him to know about it. Nor you for that matter.'

Neville adds: 'Oh, so I have to learn about what TVN is doing from reading the newspaper, do I? Do I? How the hell am I expected to cope with questions when I don't know the first thing about what is going on? It sounds as though we are in for a rough ride on this one if the leaks are anything to go on: "It is understood that the IBA has censored material which it took to be antisemitic."

Tony: 'Untrue. Nothing antisemitic about it.' Neville: 'No censorship then?'

Tony: 'Didn't say that. They took it to be antisemitic. It wasn't. Just a joke about pencil sharpeners: They insisted it come out.'

Neville: 'What else had to come out, Tony?'

Tony: 'Look, where is this leading us, Neville? It's my job to deal with the IBA and I'm doing it. Why don't we discuss something important like why it is when I hire freelance producers they can't find a bloody desk to sit down at? Why it is that getting a tablet with a working internet connection around here is like extracting a bloody tooth?'

Neville: 'I want to talk about programmes, Tony. As managing director I am responsible for this company . . .'

Tony: 'And I am responsible for its programmes. If you want to talk about them, how about talking about the awards we picked up last month? Two, better than any other independent. Or the ratings, let's talk about the ratings. Three in the top seven last month, that brings in the advertisers, doesn't it? Let's talk about that ... .'

Neville: 'What about Slamm, Tony, will that get an award? Will that be in the ratings?' Tony: 'Don't know. Like all programmes it's a risk and I'm paid to take them.'

Neville: 'And I'm paid to know about them.'

'All you need to know you can get from The Sunday Times.'

* Sensationalist English Tabloids