This paper begins by identifying and discussing six attributes or characteristics of television interviews, which include the function of the interview, i.e., information or entertainment; the context within which it is presented in the program; the number of interviews and interviewees; the duration of the interview and the degree of its formality; and the kinds of people that appear in television interviews. Several television program formats common in many countries which involve some form of interviewing are then defined and described: (1) game shows; (2) variety shows; (3) talk shows; (4) feature interviews; (5) documentaries; (6) current affairs; and (7) news. Next, four categories of characteristics that can be systematically used to compare different interviews are discussed, i.e., identity, verbal, nonverbal, and situational codes. Each of these categories is further broken down to provide added means for analysis and understanding of television interviewing, e.g., demographic characteristics, questioning techniques, special codes, and location of the interview. The viability of the analytic scheme is then demonstrated via its application to programming in the United States, Great Britain, West Germany, and Israel. Substantial differences found in the types of interviews used in the four countries are cited, and it is suggested that these differences may be due to such factors as the pattern of media ownership, political pressures, and national character. Analyses of data on various facets of news interviewing in the four countries are presented in six tables. (CGD)