In 1970, the Federal Communications Commission passed the Prime Time Access Rule, which directly affected the participation of the three commercial television networks in the production, transmission, and syndication of prime time programs. The result of this decision, as modified over the years since 1970, has shaped the television industry with…

A study was initiated to answer questions concerning television programing during "people's time" in a medium-sized market. "People's time" is defined as local prime time from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. as contrasted with prime or network time and is considered a time when local broadcasters have an opportunity to serve their audience's…

This paper analyzes the state of competition in the pay cable industry. The analysis conceptualizes competition in pay cable and discusses the current structure of the pay cable industry and the competition for subscribers and programming. The competition for audiences that pay cable faces from both pay-per-view services and the video cassette…

With Coca-Cola's selection of a digital, computer-constructed "spokesthing" named Max Headroom, came a dramatic shift toward a reliance on high technology to deliver the advertising message. Headroom was developed in Britain, and made his debut on the Home Box Office television network in 1985. Coca-Cola then bought the rights to…

A study investigated the dimensions of gratifications sought (GS) and gratifications obtained (GO) from two competing network television programs--ABC's "Good Morning America" and NBC's "Today"--in terms of (1) the differences between the dimensional structure of GS and GO for the viewers of each separate program and (2) the…

Even though television scholar Herbert Zettl singlehandedly created the term "television aesthetics" by proclaiming that TV is an art, television studies are still excluded from the respectable divisions and disciplines of knowledge. Television is considered the epitome of mass culture/kitsch, and the very idea of a TV…

A study compared the relative effects and functions of a live versus a televised presentation of a political message. Specifically, the study examined whether (1) the audience for a live political speech differed from the audience for a similar televised speech, (2) a live political speech produced more positive attitude change regarding the…

To understand how children respond to and make use of portrayals of the sexes on television, 192 third and eighth grade students participated in a study to determine what they notice and how important these distinctions are to them. The study obtained children's same/different paired comparisons of eight concepts--me, my mother, an average woman,…

This paper contains partial data from an investigation of adults and television conducted for the Canadian Royal Commission on Violence in the Communications Industry. The first section of the paper offers a discussion of the viewing behaviors of adult Canadians derived from interview data, while the second section examines the "mean world…

The mass media appear to have an influential role in the socialization of children by exposing them to a world far beyond the limits of their immediate experience. Because children must depend on mass media models for learning about adult sexual intimacy, a content analysis of daytime soap operas, to which many children are exposed daily without…

Telephone interviews were conducted with 308 adults in a large eastern metropolitan area as part of a study to discover levels of satisfaction with present television programing; awareness of and exposure to religious broadcasts; motivations for exposure to "The 700 Club," a nationally syndicated religious program; and potential utilization of…

The concept of the agenda setting function of the mass media holds that apart from any influence they may have on voter attitudes or behavior, the mass media apparently influence voters' perceptions of the importance of the issues. The agenda setting function of the mass media is analyzed for significance in this investigation. A panel study of…

This paper, which explores the efforts made by teachers and others in England to promote the study of the media in formal education structures, begins by presenting a brief introductory overview of key historical events in media studies that have affected its identity and evolution. The paper investigates, in particular, post-16 further education…

To investigate the factors behind the overall lack of success of televised public service announcements (PSAs), five Marine recruitment PSAs were studied using 138 college undergraduate students (75% male and 90% freshmen and sophomores). Results indicated the following: in general, the PSA messages were perceived as alienating by the students;…

This paper suggests specific experimental designs, criteria measures, and testing procedures for the empirical study of various field forces operative in the structure of the television picture. The purpose of the paper is twofold: first, to illustrate, through selected videotapes, the various field forces and, second, to provide specific…