Enabling people to communicate could and should become a fourth function for television. Such a development is likely in the post-industrial world. (Author)

Criticizes past research on redundancy in television learning for its inconsistent definitions and ambiguous examples. Four areas of concern are considered: the meaning and use of the term; the nature of signs (iconic or digital) used in audio and visual communication; the subjectivity of interpretation; and differences in meaning between separate…

Addressing the issues of the application of the First Amendment and deregulation, this paper examines the judicial and legislative precedents for cable television regulation and the current industry status. The paper then addresses the questions: (1) Should and could a different regulatory approach be taken? (2) What types of models might best be…

In preparing election debate offerings for the public, the news departments of six local television stations in New York State--the ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates in Syracuse, the CBS and ABC affiliates in Buffalo, and the ABC affiliate in Rochester--were often more concerned with format decisions, hinging on "what will fit" within a…

The viewer's perception of television pictures is different from the perception of pictures generated by other visual media. The research findings on the subject reveal that there are four major areas under which the study of television picture perception can be grouped. The "light through" as opposed to the "light on" theory…

A study tested the utility of the viewing intention application of the transfer discrepancy model--a model attempting not only to identify the key program attributes that alter beliefs, but also to identify those that transfer this belief change into changes in viewer behavior. To promote cross-population examination, the study focused on network…

Identifies the significance of the long-running debate among religious broadcasting professionals and religion practitioners regarding the size of the audience for religious television. (MS)

Argues that critics are caught in the dialectical tension between "technology" and "art" in television research. Examines how this dialectic informs and constrains examination of television. Presents "rhetorical aesthetics" to support the claim that critics should draw inferences from practical consideration of…

Suggests that the fact that every country has its own system of cultural values and beliefs that decides the popularity of television programs, which plays a decisive role in influencing the types of shows imported from the United States. (DF)

Reviews research and data regarding the effects of television violence on viewers, especially children. (GC)

A ten-year study of television viewing and content found that middle level students watch more television than any other age group. They are exposed to violence, sex, use of drugs, and sex role socialization in many programs. Schools can help students become discriminating consumers of television. (MLF)

Replies to Paul Hirsch's rejoinder to Gerbner et al's findings on cultivation analysis. (See EJ 240 175-177.) Addresses the use of the National Opinion Research Center/ General Social Surveys. Concludes that Hirsch's appraisal of cultivation theory and his reasons for rejecting the concepts of mainstreaming and resonance are unwarranted and…

Examines the statistical evidence presented by George Gerbner and his colleagues to support the assertion that television viewing cultivates distorted perceptions of the world. Points out discrepancies in the items, samples, and coding categories employed and concludes that the cultivation hypothesis lacks empirical support. (JMF)

Examines the television networks' new bargaining strategy of network bidding for feature films before their theatrical release. Contrasts the markets for regularly scheduled programing and theatrical movies to show that the change in strategy is a logical extension of the networks' tightly controlled market for regular series programing. (JMF)

Looks at the ways in which the relationship between women and work was characterized during the late 1940s in "Woman Speaks," a combination newsreel/television show in Chicago. Expands upon the work of other historians and critics who have examined the representations of gender in early television marketing ploys and variety/situation…