A study was undertaken to develop a body of knowledge which might bridge the communications gap between the more formal communications establishment and the eclectic alternative television movement. Information was gathered mainly through personal experience, and by survey and interviews. The analysis was carried out during the period from late…

The operation of the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation is almost exclusively based upon "instructional television" programing and production. The corporation operates one of the two Swedish television channels and is state-sponsored; thus, its failure to develop high quality programing is particularly distressing. Reasons for dull and…

The Children's Television Workshop (CTW), responsible for the programs "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company", conducted extensive research into the systematic use of television to promote the social, emotional, and intellectual growth of young children. Working without precedents in the field of formative research…

The Adult Learning Program Service (ALPS) is proposed by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It is an effort to involve public television in providing needed educational services to adults who have never completed high school but who have at least a sixth-grade reading level capability. STRIVE is the first in a series of projects. Its…

Investigated the extent to which three personological variables (age, level of education, and attitude towards television) affect the amount learned from a documentary by adults over 50 years of age. The results indicated that education was the most reliable and important predictor of retention: as education increased, so did retention. (Author/RP)

Reviews a study of 167 British secondary school students which evaluated a course developed to improve television literacy by focusing on skills related to recall and drawing inferences from and making judgements about programs. Pretests and posttests given to groups divided by ability levels are described and results are analyzed. (Author/LRW)

Two studies conducted at the University of London tested children's comprehension when viewing a continuous television program and compared their comprehension of stories read on television and by a classroom teacher, to discover whether comprehension is improved by appropriate teaching, and to obtain children's views on television and…

Children Now is an independent children's advocacy group that promotes solutions to problems facing American children, with particular attention to the needs of those who are poor or at risk. The group provides policy expertise and up-to-date information on the status of children. Children Now's Children and the Media Program works to improve the…

This issue of the Canadian journal "Transition," in French and English language versions, examines the impact of television viewing and programming on family life. Major articles in this issue are: (1) "Virtual Unreality: Television, Families and Communities in the Nineties" (Alan Mirabelli), describes the isolating influence…

This pamphlet presents the results of a series of focus groups comprised of Native American children and adolescents regarding their perceptions of race and class in the media. The results indicated that although some youth were concerned most about the absence of their group in the media, others were primarily concerned about stereotyped…

News media hold significant power and responsibility in focusing public attention on child-related issues. This document summarizes a study of news coverage of children in national media in 1994 and reports on the follow-up conducted in 1998. The follow-up study was based on a sample of national news coverage collected throughout November 1998…

Describes a study of the effects of violence on elementary students which used the television program Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and found increased aggression which parents should be concerned about. Offers suggestions for parents and teachers, including taking action against violent programming, utilizing technology which bans unwanted…

Describes a study conducted in the United Kingdom that assessed recall and comprehension scores of elementary and secondary school children following the viewing of two prime-time science television programs. Predictor variables including age, sex, linguistic fluency, prior television viewing, and reading habits were investigated. (Contains 13…

Describes study that was designed to measure the social and spatial television viewing behavior of selected families in Kwara State, Nigeria. Topics discussed include values attached to television viewing, and the social effects of television on educational planning, moral reformation, policy making, and the adoption of innovations in society.…

Reports on a study of a BBC children's television program, "Corners," that was conducted to determine how suitable the program was for its intended audience. Three age groups of children (6-, 7-, and 11-year-olds) were compared, and child development factors and future production decisions are discussed. (10 references) (LRW)