States that in an attempt to better understand the attributes of the "average" viewer, an analysis of data characterizing television nonviewers and extreme viewers was performed. Identifies a set of demographic variables as the strongest predictor of nonviewers and the combination of family-related and lifestyle/social activity-related…

Discusses three commonly believed myths about the relationships between television and language development: television displaces reading; television viewing negatively affects reading; and television inhibits language development. Discusses television as an instructional tool. Notes several ways that television can enhance literacy curricula. (SR)

Examines images of World War II invoked in two live, international music concerts (one rock, one classical) celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall. Argues that Western television's choice of imagery represented the Wall's demise as a marker of the end of the Cold War rather than a vanishing monument of Germany's conflicted struggle with Holocaust…

Proposes that television is an inherently disintegrative technology that involves a certain self-hypnosis by the viewer. Argues that the image as a totalizing field has the authority of the real behind it, which dictates something to the viewer to structure unconscious perception. Elaborates how this dictation from without is inscribed into the…

Discusses changes that are needed in the perceptual, cognitive, and aesthetic principles governing the medium of television to compensate for the high-quality, filmlike picture produced by high definition television (HDTV), or improved definition television (IDTV). Topics discussed include changes in visual perception, cognitive processes and…

Analyzes the content of more than 1000 commercials sampled from ABC, CBS, and NBC. Finds that nostalgia was used by means of theme, copy or music about 10 percent of the time and that nostalgic references to family activities or to "olden days" were most likely to be used with food and beverage commercials. (PRA)

Finds support for the general notion of construct accessibility and its effect on judgments can help account for the influence of television viewing on social reality estimates. Shows that subjects who watch comparatively more television not only overestimate frequency or probability but also give faster responses to various types of cultivation…

Each of the world's major cities is known in the movie world as the exemplar of a specific mood, atmosphere, or spirit and the natural setting for particular kinds of movie stories. Paris, London, New York, and Chicago have their respective types of picture. Los Angeles has such an urban personality in imagination. Those distinctive story lines…

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is the first Open University in Asia and established in 1974 on the model of UKOU. AIOU uses different media for the delivery of instruction. It has a well established Institute of Educational Technology which has radio and TV production facilities and advance level of work in computer technology. AOU offers…

The transition from kindergarten to Grade 1 is marked by a sudden decrease in children's play time (Brostrom, 2005; Hartmann & Rollett, 1994). This study sought to examine 69 Montreal-area Grade 1 children's beliefs about out of school play, as well as their parents' (N = 56) perceptions of their play. Findings indicate that parents value play…

This ethnographic study explored the ways in which media, particularly television, connected with English language and literacy practices among Sudanese refugees in Michigan. Three families with young children participated in this study. Data collection included participant observation, interviews, and collection of artifacts over 18 months, with…

Among the prescriptions for improving children's school readiness is a call for television to lead the way through the provision of ready-to-learn programing and services for the nation's preschoolers. No single element of a national ready-to-learn service will have a greater impact on its effectiveness than the programing it airs. Three…

A study was conducted to compare the relative importance of several different variables from different theoretical perspectives in explaining how children understood the advertising on commercial television. Sixty-seven first and third grade students were interviewed individually to assess their current stage of logical operations and role taking,…

A number of relevant issues surround the arguments of both opponents and proponents of the Federal Trade Commission's proposals to ban or control certain advertising during children's television programs. Groups against regulatory action point out that parents, not children, are the consumers and have a right to free choice in their purchases.…

A summary of 18 months' investigation into the potential uses of telecommunications in the public interest is presented. Areas investigated include public TV and radio, cable TV, television translaters, instructional fixed television service, satellite communications and interconnections. Public hearings were held in eight cities and more than 100…