Like other industries, television has its own version of the used-car dealership or second-hand store: off-network syndication. Since researchers who study television have rarely investigated the market for these programs, a study examined program and marketplace characteristics to determine which contributes most to the successful syndication of…

The portrayal of reading, writing, and other selected behaviors on prime-time network television was examined in this two-part study. First, an interest inventory was administered to a sample of 301 elementary students (i.e., grades 1-5) in South Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania to determine their favorite television shows, books, and school…

Considers how definitions of teaching and learning have informed educational broadcasters' rationales for their work and how these are manifested in the textual strategies of specific programs. A theoretical framework for accounting for the ways educational television seeks to implicate its viewers in the learning process is then developed. (RP)

Noting that one of the greatest criticisms of television is the lack of television criticism itself, this paper proposes a multidimensional approach to the subject, based on current forms of criticism and theory. The 10 forms of criticism or theory discussed in the paper are (1) rhetorical criticism, (2) dramatic criticism, (3) literary criticism,…

Examines two issues: whether different modes of presentation used by communication media require their own unique brand of literacy, and whether the consequences of one kind of literacy, e.g., television literacy and all of its skill components, may affect those of another kind. (MBR)

Research on children and media has generally focused on the negative impact of media on developing minds. However, a theoretical framework is proposed for thinking about the role of television for American children from a developmental perspective. Instead of focusing on television's effects, television viewing can be examined as is any other…

Conflicting findings on television's impact on reading achievement suggest a need for more sophisticated measurements and methodologies in media research. D. L. Moldenhauer and W. H. Miller's survey of 78 seventh grade students showed no relationship between television viewing and reading skills. These findings were similar to those of J. T.…

Ways in which instructional design specifications for television production may be extended into a more precise domain, where forms of representation may be cataloged and culturally defined, are suggested in this study. Differences between film and television are discussed, and a distinction is made between format codes (i.e., culturally and…

Reactions of 50 2-year-old and 46 4-year-old Japanese children to selected experimental television programs were examined in two studies. The child was placed with his or her mother in a room where the experimental program was shown on one television and a fast-moving animation without sound was shown on a second television as a distractor. The…

This review of recent empirical research on the effects of television on children and teenagers begins by examining the results of two surveys which were conducted to determine the opinions of experts in the field. A brief statement of the findings indicates that experts generally agree that television harms formal scholastic achievement while…

Examines various technological and artistic developments in the area of television production via their potential effects on viewers' comprehension and appreciation of televised programs. Developments in television equipment are reviewed, special effects and computer graphics are discussed, and future predictions and suggestions are presented. (47…

Discusses questions of central importance to researchers interested in educational computing, namely long-range, cumulative effects of computer use; cumulative effects on cognition, emotion, and behavior; identification, conceptualization, and study of computers' capabilities carrying the most educational promise; transfer of learning; and…

Examines major issues and problems for research on television and its effects on children through a critical discussion of Cullingford's book, "Children and Television," which focuses on ways in which children learn and what they learn from television. (MBR)

This report analyzes the number of women working in the following six decision making jobs in prime time television: (1) executive producer; (2) supervising producer; (3) producer; (4) co-producer; (5) writer; and (6) director. The women who hold these positions are able to influence the portrayal of women on television as well as to improve the…

Points out that the world of television activates, cultivates, and alters the gender schemata that children bring to the viewing situation. Finds that viewing can also promote creation of new schemata or modification of existing ones. (Author/RWB)