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Wrap

Text File | 1990-09-07 | 35KB | 707 lines

SEWER SOFTWARE and DR.J present..... PRIME TIME -- TV NETWORK GAME Tired of watching bad TV? Well, now you can do something about...you can make it worse! Yes, you can be the one who makes those marvellously intelligent decisions, killing those great shows with bad ratings and elevating those bad shows with great ratings to heights unknown! Can you give your network those high ratings it demands? Can you keep your programming budget in the black? Well, you better...Network programmers can be canceled as easily as network turkeys! And if you survive this media jungle (and it is a jungle out there!), then you should send in your resume to your nearest television network...you may be able to get them to Prime Time heaven. TURNING ON THE TUBE... Starting the game is the easy part. Load the game according to the instructions included on the Player Reference Card. After the title screen, you'll note the selection screen. Up to 3 people may play Prime Time. If there are less than 3 available (or willing!), the computer program has culled the infinite wisdom of the inimitable King of Programmers, Fred Silverfish, who will pick up the slack. Each player will represent one major TV network and players will have a chance to rename their network during the selection screen. Finally, clicking the START button will get the affair going. (Note the button marked RESTORE will allow you to resume a previously saved game.) TEST PATTERNS... In the crazy world of Prime Time Television, there are 3 major networks... usually known as the American national Television network (ANT), the National Broadcasting System (NBS), and the Superior Broadcasting Company (SBC). One dark and dreary night, the presidents of the 3 networks were at a posh pub watching cable TV and conspiring to fire all the programming executives. After the programmers put their schedules "to bed", they were pink-slipped and put to pasture. This, of course, is why the networks had to hire new programming execs. So here you are...working with the schedule, getting ready for the new season and hoping for the best come next year. Your objective is simple: get the best ratings for your network. When the preliminary schedule is completed, the final "numbers" will appear. After the preliminary schedule is set, each network is given $100,000 per ratings point which is added to the final budget. The player with the highest final budget is the winner! PLAYING WITH THE DIALS... In Prime Time, before play begins, the set schedules you've inherited will be shown on the screen as pages of the TV WISE-GUIDE. Type "N" to turn to the next page, "L" for the last page, or hit the ESCAPE key when finished. Typing "P" will print the whole on-air schedule. See the Players Reference Card for further details. Following the final page of the TV WISE-GUIDE, you'll see the front page of the monthly trader paper, Variety. Make sure you check out the headlines, these trends may have something to do with how your shows are rated. When you are done looking at the Variety page, hit or click ESCAPE, and you'll find the entire list of on-air shows ranked according to their ratings. This Ratings List will also show you how the various programs were rated for the past month. Finally, the Network Scoreboard will pop up. Here you'll see the monthly run-down of who had the highest average monthly ratings, how much each network has in its programming budget coffers, and a running average of network ratings. Prime Time is played from month to month. For example, begin in August, planning the September schedule. In September, you'll work on the October schedule, and so forth until June, when you'll work on the July schedule -- the final "sked" of the network season. Each player gets his or her turn each month to work their programming magic --they get 5 whole minutes to do so! A player's turn ends in 1 of 2 ways. 1. The player puts the schedule to bed by clicking the EXIT door on the Desktop screen, or 2. The player clicks on the telephone and decides to DO LUNCH. At the end of the third player's turn, the monthly Auction for Specials is held, then the whole thing is repeated until the month before when players do their programming for the final month. Note that since the rich get richer and the poor get poorer (ain't we got fun?), the player with the biggest budget gets to go first during each monthly turn. HOW YOU RATE... In the TV biz, it has been said that "You can live with poor ratings. But not well, and not for long." And how true that is...TV networks make their advertisers. The rates are based on how well a show fares in the ever- powerful ratings. In Prime Time, the nation's viewing habits are documented by the D.C. Nelson Company, and their say, of course, is final! Poorly rated shows get "numbers" around 5.0 or less. Highly rated shows will fly above 28.0. The nelson ratings represent relative numbers of viewers watching a specific show at a specific time. The higher the ratings, therefore the bigger the audience. And the bigger the audience, the more the networks can charge their advertisers for that show. As a rule of thumb, for each rating point, the network earns around $19,000 per 1/2 hour episode. For example, "Murder-1" the hour long detective series may achieve a Nelson rating of 30.0. This means, in one month, "Murder-1" generates $1,140,000 for its network ($19,000 X 30.0 X 2<-four 2 half-hours - $1,140,000). The ratings are calculated through a series of complex routines. Target audiences are looked at; if it has been predetermined that "family shows" are "in" during a certain month, those programs geared towards all ages will do well. Age groups, time slots, show lengths and many other demographics are figured in. One of these factors is the so-called "fickle-factor". Audiences are truly a fickle group. One month they want this, next month they want that. And to make matters worse, you can never really plan for this fickleness due to this inherent transient nature. so don't be surprised if during a particular month, the ratings of a particular show (or shows) either soars or drops for no apparent reason. So, how can one prepare for such events? To be honest, you can't! You just have to hope you've targeted the right audience and then cross your fingers. All programming life, however, is not so dismal. There are some guidelines to follow in the never-ending quest to interpret the ratings. Learn from success. Look at the highly rated programs and try to determine why they are up at such rare air levels. Is it because of its time-slot? Its genre? Shows just before or after it? If you can figure out what makes it succeed, and you have a similar time-slot then you can add the program of your choice. In a similar vein, if a show is a failure, it behooves you to find out what makes it tick so poorly...you don't want to make the same mistake twice! TRENDS AND THE TRADES... You can get a feel for what the public is hankering for (or against) by reading the "Trades" -- the trade paper of the television industry. In Prime Time, the trade paper all good programmers read is Variety, and prior to the start of each programming month, you'll get to see the front page. Three headlines will be featured each month. The headlines may or may not reflect a change in the game (network budgets, show ratings, etc.). If there is an indication of a trend you best pay close attention ("Country Craves Comedies...Sit-Com Ratings Ha-Ha-High!") --these trends may last for several months. SPECIAL SPECIALS... There are 15 "big event" specials in Prime Time which are available for purchase by any of the networks. These shows are expensive, but very frequently produce great ratings. The specials may only be aired during specific months, and are auctioned to the highest bidder prior to the air date. More later... HOW SWEEP IT IS... There are 2 months during the programming season which are more important than any other month. These are the months that comprise "The Sweeps". During these months, the networks pull out all the stops to bring in the highest ratings possible. Why? Well...it all comes down to money (of course!). Advertising rates for the months that follow (up until the next sweeps month) are set during the sweeps, you'll get more per ratings points than the other networks. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer... Who said life in the TV business is fair? PLAY TV... Here's how Prime Time is played. The game begins in one month with you programming for the next month. You have "inherited" a schedule of shows which has already been rated and ranked by the D.C. Nelson Company. So first, you'll want to flip through the pages of the TV WISE-GUIDE (its a good idea to print this out; a hard copy can help you make better decisions earlier), the Variety page, and the list of Ratings and Rankings. Don't expect a particularly balanced schedule --or particularly good ratings...remember you are taking over for a fired programmer! NON-BASIC PROGRAMMING... There are 3 distinct phases in each Month (or round) of Prime Time. First, the DISPLAY PHASE where you are shown the TV WISE-GUIDE listings, the Variety page, the Network Standings, and the Ratings and Rankings. Next, you go into the PROGRAMMING PHASE where you get to bid on one-of-a-kind shows. Generally speaking, when you are in the PROGRAMMING PHASE, any time a list, of sorts, of shows is displayed, you may obtain detailed information about a show by pointing to its name and either clicking the RIGHT mouse button or pressing the space bar. Please see the PLAYERS REFERENCE CARD for details. YOUR BUDGET... All networks begin with $15 million. This amount is readjusted, as needed, by Variety headlines, so your opening budget may be slightly different. Here's how the budget itself is calculated: The cost on any ON-AIR production is multiplied by 4 (4 weeks to a month = 4 episodes per month). This number is subtracted from the advertising revenues from that show. The AD Revenues are figured by taking the program's Ratings and multiplying it by $18,000, $19,000, or $20,000 (depending on the network's standing in the last sweeps). Finally, this total is multiplied by the number of half-hours of the show. For example, "Nice Work" is a successful 1/2-hour sitcom costing $65,000 per show and drawing a monthly rating of 25.2. This show is on the third place network. ad # of episode 4 weeks rating rates years cost per month | | | | | (25.2 X 18.00) X 1 - (65,000 X 4) = This then, is the basic budget calculation. Other factors will affect your budget including, the cost of SPECIALS, and various events that will be discussed later. SHELF LINERS... Before we go any further, lets describe what the NETWORK SHELF is. The shelf is...well...a shelf! It's a place where you put things temporarily. It is found in the PROGRAMMING ROOM and can hold a maximum of FIVE programs. programs "on the shelf" are not on the air, merely held aside to be used (or cancelled) if needed. The network is charged $10,000 a month for each show on the shelf. If the "Shelf Show" is one currently in development (see "DEVELOP A SHOW") the cost is upped to $30,000 per month. PRAY TV... Buy the antacids -- You're in charge! Each network exec is given 5 minutes to set their schedules for the upcoming month. The network with the most money gets to go first. You'll do your work from your executive office suite...the DESKTOP SCREEN. On your desk you'll see a folder, on the LEFT, reading NETWORK REVIEW, a TELEPHONE CARD FILE and a TELEPHONE. On the wall is a digital clock (that counts down from 5 minutes), and a calendar (telling you which month you are programming for). An EXIT door is on the LEFT and a door to the PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT is on the RIGHT. You'll also notice your current budget listed at the bottom of the screen. While in your office, you may do several things. Just move the arrow to the appropriate icon and press the mouse button (See PLAYERS REFERENCE CARD). When you are all finished buying, adjusting, whatever, you end your turn by either pointing to and selecting the "EXIT" door or hitting and selecting the TELEPHONE: Put the Schedule to "Bed" or "Lets do Lunch" respectively. You must select one of these. Remember, the clock ticks away and for every second over 5 minutes, you'll lose $10,000! Time is money. Let's go over in detail what each selection will do. NOTE: TO MAKE A SELECTION, SEE PLAYER'S REFERENCE CARD. VIEW AND REVIEW... Selecting the NETWORK REVIEW icon from the DESKTOP SCREEN, opens a folder containing 5 items. On the LEFT hand side of the folder, selecting "Network Review" will redisplay the most recent "Who's on First" screen, showing you the average network ratings and budgets. "Show Board" will display the list of on-air programs, their ratings and rankings, and their competition on a day-by-day basis. (With the "Show Board" screen, as with any screen that list PROGRAM NAMES, show demographics may be requested; - more later). "Profit and Loss" will display the number of shows you own that are on-air shows, their product cost and ad revenues. You'll also be provided with the costs involved with "on-the-shelf" shows, shows in development, and the cost of "pushing" shows. The little pink memo page, when selected, recaps the latest front page of Variety. Finally, the "Ratings & Rankings" sheet will produce a list of your on-air shows, their rank amongst All on-air shows, and their current ratings. From this screen, you may elect to PUSH a show. This, of course, is the end result of a managerial decision. An effort is made to increase a show's ratings by extensively advertising and promoting that show. PUSHING does not always work, but when it does, the results can be dramatic. Speaking of dramatic, the cost to PUSH a show for one month equals the cost of one episode of a show. To PUSH a show, place the arrow by the show's name and hit the button. A show is PUSHED when its name is highlighted. Remember, a show stays PUSHED until it is UNPUSHED (again, point to the show and press the button). Only 7 shows may be PUSHED at one time. Pressing the ESC key or moving the pointer to DONE and pressing the button, gets you out of any screen. Pointing to EXIT and hitting the button closes the NETWORK REVIEW folder and puts you back to the Desktop. LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE WALKING... There are 5 studios in Prime Time with which you do business. All the TV shows are produced by 1 of the 5. All studios have a selection of programs that you may produce. They are various lengths, various genres, and target audiences. When a show is purchased, the studio places it "On Your Shelf". From there, you may do whatever you want with it. To GO SERIES SHOPPING, select the PHONE INDEX FILE from your desktop. The file will open showing the names of the 5 studios. Move the arrow to the studio you wish to deal with and press the button. That selected studio will then provide you with a list of shows it has for sale. you'll see the SHOW NAME, Length, and COST PER EPISODE. To get some more information about a particular show follow the instructions on your PLAYER REFERENCE CARD, and a window will open telling you the GENRE (the type of show), the TARGET AUDIENCE (preteen, teen, adult, all ages) and the amount of VIOLENCE and SEX (1-3 "V's" or "S's"). If you think a certain program is your cup of tea (or glass of scotch), then point to the NAME and press the button. You'll be asked if you wish to purchase that show. YES puts it on your shelf. While at any studio, you also have the opportunity to DEVELOP A SHOW. By selecting DEVELOP from any studio, you get a chance to exercise your creativity as well as your juggling prowess. If you really want an hour- long sitcom and none are available, or you don't like the demographics (target audience, violence, sex, etc.), here's your chance to roll your own. HOW TO DEVELOP A SHOW... It takes time and money to develop a show, and if you're running low on both, you better look for other things to do. You'll also need an empty space on your shelf. After selecting the DEVELOP option, you'll need to name your show. Type in any name that suits your fancy. Then select a genre from one of the following: Comedy Action/Adventure Drama Movie Game Show Sports Program News/Documentary Variety Show Next, select a length from 30 minutes to 2 hours. You'll then be asked to select the targets and demographics; and finally, type in a short description of the show (the "blurb"). The RETURN (or ENTER) key will enter all information. Finally, select SAVE to actually CREATE the show; RESTORE erases what you've just entered and you can start all over; ESC puts you back into the studio screen as if nothing had happened. Once a show is in development (checking the INFO will say so) it will sit on your shelf and cost you $30,000 per month. Development time varies and may entail several months. But once a show is "ready" the on-shelf costs drop to $10,000 per month. So is it really worth it to develop your own shows? After all, development can cost you from $30,000 to $210,000. Well it does have its advantages. First off, you can create the type of show you want. If lots of sex seems to be "selling" and Variety tells you that Game Shows are popular...here's your chance...create a sexy game show! You'll also find that "home grown" TV series are a bit cheaper per episode than "canned" studio purchases; after all, there was no middleman. COLLUDING CLUES... A headline may pop-up on the Variety page suggesting that a studio and a network may be colluding. If the network is your network, you'll be asked if you do, indeed, wish to collude with a certain studio. If you answer YES all shows purchased by you from that studio will be 15-25% less. If Another Player wishes to shop at that studio you have the option to say NO and lock the player out, or CHARGE that player a certain amount of money EXTRA per show. OFF THE RACKS -- ON THE SHELF... From your desktop, you can enter the PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT by pointing to the PROGRAMMING DOOR and pushing the button. In the Programming Room, you'll see 2 rows of film CANs, and the SHELF (upper left of the screen). The CANS contain the on-air shows and the thicker (wider) the can, the longer the show. The CANS are arranged in order according to the days they are aired. There are several things you can do in the Programming Room. You can CANCEL a show by placing the HAND over the file CAN (check info to make sure it's the right show!), press the button to pick it up, then move the CAN over to the trash can in the bottom right. Press the button again, and your show is destroyed. Once a show is cancelled, it is gone forever (at least from the current game!). A little less drastic is to place a show ON THE SHELF. Just follow the above instructions but place the can on the shelf--not the trash can. Remember, there is a charge of $10,000 per show per month for shows sitting on the shelf. Likewise, you can move a show from the shelf on the air. To PUT A SHOW ON THE AIR, simply follow the above instructions. You can only put a show into the schedule if there is room. If, for instance, you just cancelled a 1/2 hour show and there is only a one hour show on the shelf, you'll have to either MOVE SHOWS AROUND or leave the Programming Room, go to a studio, buy a 1/2 hour show, go back to programming and place it on the air. There is a temporary slot to the LEFT of the trash can. When MOVING SHOWS AROUND, you may temporarily place them there. NOTE: this is NOT a shelf space. Nay show left there when you leave the Programming Room is automatically CANCELLED! Before you leave the Programming Room, be sure there are no HOLES IN YOUR SCHEDULE. You will not be permitted to end your turn if there is an unscheduled block in your on-air schedule. At the bottom of the Programming Room screen, you'll see 2 boxes labelled EXIT and UNDO. Placing the hand on UNDO and pushing the button resets the schedule to how it was before you began. EXIT returns you to your desk. NIGHTY NIGH!... As mentioned earlier, when you're finished juggling your shows, or shopping, or creating, you END your turn by either PUTTING YOUR SCHEDULE TO BED or DOING LUNCH. If you point to the EXIT door and press the button, you have just PUT YOUR SCHEDULE TO BED. That's it. You're done for this month and the next programmer goes to work. Pointing to the TELEPHONE and pushing the button says that you want to DO LUNCH. Lets DO LUNCH also ends your turn and puts the schedule to bed... but there is more. You get to gamble a bit, taking a "Power Lunch" with an important person. Half of the time, nothing happens (except having a good lunch!). The other half of the time, however, you'll either make thousands extra or lose thousands of dollars. THE AUCTION... When all 3 networks have PUT THEIR SCHEDULES TO BED, the specials that will air in the upcoming month are auctioned off to the highest bidder. The AUCTION SCREEN will show you the name of the SPECIAL to be auctioned, and a TIME LINE. When the LINE first disappears the AUCTION begins (the first line gives players a change to grab their respective controllers assigned at the beginning of the game). Look at the PLAYER'S REFERENCE CARD to see how to increase or decrease your bid. The numbers listed on the screen are in THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. Players may bid with ALL of their programming budget. When the TIME LINE vanishes a second time, the bids are set and the special is awarded to the highest bidder. FOR YOU, A LOAN... It can happen. You may run out of money. But in TV land, there's always someone who'll give you an extra $15 million smackers. You may only borrow money when you've lost it all. The amount you borrowed will be subtracted fROm your final score. OFF THE AIR... When you've set the schedules and all the ratings are in, the game ENDS. The player with the HIGHEST AVERAGE RATINGS scores $300,000 per ratings point. This total is added to the final budget figure. $200,000 per point goes to network number two; and the third network gets $100,000 per point. The winner of Prime Time is the player with the HIGHEST ADJUSTED BUDGET. FINE TUNING... So that's about it. That is how Prime Time is played. Here are a few suggestions to close with: - Play the game a few times just to get used to accessing the various menus and routines. Get a feel for moving from one screen to the next, and back again. Remember, time is money. Knowing what you want to do before you do it will keep you from going over the 5 minute limit and losing $10,000 a second. Use the hard-copy print-out feature sparingly, as this may take up some valuable time. Use the "TV WISE GUIDE" frequently as a way to learn about the programs both unsold on the air (or shelf). - Don't hold on to too many shows. There may be 5 spots available on the network shelf, but remember the cost involved of shelving a series (as opposed to simply cancelling the show). - Developing a show may be a good idea--but try not to do it too late into the game; it may not be "ready" in time and all it did was cost you $30,000 a month. On the other hand, if you notice a trend developing in viewing habits, don't waste time to jump on the preverbial bandwagon...it may be too late! - After playing Prime Time a few times, you'll start to get a "feel" for what succeeds when and some programming decisions will be easier. - Trust your intuition. OK--it may not be scientific, but gut feelings can mean the difference between success and failure. When Kovner cracks SBC and ANT programmer Fred Silverman was once asked to describe his ability to select and program so many hit shows, he commented that "he's just an 'average' guy with an average family. I trusted my instincts. Being an average guy, what I like, the country likes." HOLLYWOOD 'N' GRAPEVINE All the latest inside dope from TV's biggest dope. By Roan Embarrass. DATELINE HOLLYWOOD... We've had lots and lots of breakfast cereals, in the past, based on cartoon characters. Look for BRAND N foods' to produce new snacks named after behind-the-scenes TV folk. First up will be the Brand N' POP TARTIKOFF... Tom Silly may be lured away from television and into dinner theater. Insiders tell me he's already inked a deal to star with Burt Wrap, Hank Hogan, and Arnold Schwartzenfinkleneigerstein in "Little Women"...Power struggles on the set of DILLAS? The new show about a big pickle-farming family may have to be canned for a while. Seems start Patrick Toughie was upset when he found out his character BILLY BOB FLYWING was killed-off then reincarnated as a shower. That didn't bother him as much as the fact that the shower is located in the BATE'S MOTEL...In an effort to increase ratings, ANT recently hired special effects whiz Mel Hartenclamp to jazz up its nightly new broadcast. What's that thing going out of Peter Danton's head? HOW I'VE HEARD EVERYTHING DEPARTMENT... Could famous tennis start John Makearow and his wife, Couch Patatum, be flipping their preverbial wigs. Marinara (a very reliable sauce) reports that jaunty John plans to build a resort spa on Venus. "He originally wanted to build near Austria," report Marinara. "But he had a run-in with the Rhine judge"...Are "jiggle shows" on the way back? Reports have it that there will be a new variety series featuring warms dancing in vats of Jell-O...After months of speculation, it seems that band leader Doc Servingsome will be severing ties on the late night "GOODNIGHT" show. I'm told he was always at odds with Johnny Guresome, the show's perennial host, and never really cared for Johnny's sidekick, "that fat dog-food head". AND FINALLY... Just in is a rumor that public TV may be going out of business next year. PTV prez, Frag Gimlunk, has been quoted as saying, "We might not have any alternative. We're quickly running out of people to bore." RUSSIAN TELEVISION YOU BETTER LIKE IT ... OR ELSE! by Phesty Noglitz If you have a satellite dish and you happen to twiddle your knobs in just the right fashion, you'll be able to pick up television transmissions from Moscow. And what fun they are! Much more fun than automobile transmissions. After sitting through more than 2 weeks of scheduled broadcast, I've put together a small list of the best of the big Red Eye. Note first off that the American series "The Untouchables" was originally scheduled to be seen. But the President yanked it at the last minute. They didn't want the general public to see all those flashy new cars. Sunday night means variety shows on Soviet TV. Most non-bloodshot eyes are peeled to the RED SULLIVANICH SHOW. Here viewers can watch all the latest opera acts, baggybabushka comics, and be treated to teams of Soviet tractor-tire changers. Monday night is devoted to heavy-hitting dramas about professional people: doctors, lawyers, teachers and barnacle scrapers. You'll find sit-coms on Tuesdays and Thursday (there are no broadcast on Wednesdays. They blame it on the CIA). The most popular sit-com is called NINTY-SEVEN'S COMPANY, about a funny Russian Family in 97 all living together in an eight-by-ten apartment. Also popular is the comedy about a grandmother leading the Russian Revolution. HANNAH AND HER RESISTERS stars MOSCOVITE film star Ali "Qickdraw" McGrawski. If you like dramas and soaps, then tune in Friday night. Chernobyl is very popular. Larryavich Hagamamich plays a power hungry power magnate. He wheels and deals with nuclear power after lunch and with gas after dinner. KAY OF THE KGB is a fabulous detective show about a super sleuth who solves all crimes and drinks Vodka by the case. The show has a scheduled run of 2 months (the producers don't expect the star's liver to last longer than that). Saturday night is perhaps Russia's most popular TV night. This is the night of the game show. IVAN'S GOT A SECRET is the most watched. Also well received are THE MARCH GAME and FAMILY FEUDSKI. All in all, Russian television bodes well for all Soviet couch cabbages (as they are called). next year promises to be even more exciting when BOLSHOI BLOOPERS premieres. REVIEW by Cincinnati Armory "PRIME TIME" I think this must be a first, a television comedy based on a computer game. The game of PRIME TIME was absolutely brilliant. Clever, witty, hysterically funny, and generally nifty. It was easy to see why some enterprising programming exec would want to adapt it to the little screen. Something went wrong with the translation, however. I would suspect that Fred Silverfish, the producer is only playing with forty-seven (he's a pinochle addict). First off, he hired a Latvian ex- convict with migraine headaches and acne to write the series. The lead roles are played by such hams, their collar buttons are cloves. The script has so many holes, you might think you were on the freeway. Conie Von Nent was hired to do the show's music. The Mayor should give him the off-key to the city. I've heard better music coming from a leaking tire. The series is directed by Silverfish's fifth ex-wife, Daisy Rotilla. She captains the show with the light subtle touch of a nervous surgeon with a dull, rusty scalpel. Long live PRIME TIME! But "Prime Time's gotta go! PLAYER REFERENCE CARD ATARI 520/1040 ST LOADING THE GAMES Turn off the computer, insert the disk into drive A. Turn the computer back on and "Prime Time" will load automatically. GENERAL SELECTRIC.... After the title sequence, the selection screen appears. Using the mouse, highlight a choice with the LEFT button. Press the RIGHT button to set the selection. Remember, there are always 3 networks in the "Prime Time". This screen will allow you to select the device you'll use during the SPECIAL AUCTION. Look at the blocks marked JOYSTICK, MOUSE, and KEYBOARD. Point and click the LEFT then RIGHT mouse buttons to toggle the words HUMAN/COMPUTER to decide which networks you'd like the computer to play (or which device you'd like to use). To label each network: ANT, NBS, and SBC, or whatever initials you choose, clicking within a block will put a cursor on the network letters allowing you to type in any 3 letters you choose. Point the mouse on START, click the LEFT button to select the START feature, then press the RIGHT button to start "Prime Time". "THREE BEES"... "Prime Time" is essentially divided into 3 parts: 1) THE DISPLAY SCREEN - where you see the: -> TV WISE GUIDE -> Ratings and Rankings -> Variety Page To operate, use the mouse to point and the LEFT button to click on the "NEXT/LAST/PRINT/DONE" menu at the bottom of the screen. 2) THE DESKTOP SCREEN - where you do all your work: To operate, use the LEFT button to select, grab and move objects around. The RIGHT button opens the "demographic" window that gives you necessary data each show's audience. When you point and click on the digital clock you'll be offered several options; just point and click to activate any of these following options: -> "PAUSE GAME" - stops all play temporarily until you click "resume". -> "SAVE/LOAD GAME" - to "SAVE" any current position on any formatted disk (make sure you have a formatted disk!). You may "SAVE" up to 10 positions per disk. Just point and click one of the numbered buttons on the window. To "LOAD" a saved game the button with "SAVED POSITIONS" will be highlighted. 3) THE AUCTION SCREEN - where you will do your bidding. To operate, move the "Red Countdown Line" 2 times for each auctioned show. The first time is really to "get ready", where each player gets a hold of their appropriate bidding device. The KEYBOARD PLAYER should push the stick UP to increase and DOWN to decrease bids. The MOUSE PLAYER should push the RIGHT button to increase and the LEFT button to decrease the bids.