The current tension in the writing of histories has been between the defense of "textbook" histories--i.e., the conventional approach which focuses on great events, great individuals, and great collectivities--and progressive--i.e., populist or alternative histories which focus on ordinary people. A new form has been engineered by…

The growth in competition for revenues, along with the advent of cable, independent television and video cassette recorders (VCR), may signify a change in the market structure of local television news. To explain if and how this change may be occurring, an explanation of economic theory as well as evidence from "Broadcast and Cable…

Critics contend American public television has failed to realize the potential envisioned by the Carnegie Commission on Educational Television. Using Ernest Bormann's theory of fantasy theme analysis as a framework to examine public TV reveals that American public television has been unable to develop a coherent rhetorical vision or a clear…

A study examined the agenda setting and policy decision-making strategies utilized by independent public television producers to incorporate an independent production service into public broadcasting reauthorization legislation during the 100th Congress (1987-1988). Public policy analysis techniques from a political science perspective and…

To examine the agenda-building process in local television news, a study collected data in the newsroom of a network-affiliate television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, during a four-week period. Assignment editors and producers were observed as they selected from among the information subsidies they received in the mail (including news…

Designed to indicate the reasons behind viewer program preferences, this report presents results of a survey which asked 1,576 television viewers (monitors) to evaluate programs they liked, did not like, and/or new programs. Tables summarize the findings for why programs were chosen, their technical quality, content realism, overall quality, and…

A study was conducted to determine the extent of television viewer interest in watching a 60-minute network evening newscast each weeknight. Data were collected through telephone interviews with 203 residents of a single county served primarily by New York City stations. Respondents reported their viewing of network nightly news programs, the…

This handbook offers guidance to public broadcasting managers on computer acquisition and development activities. Based on a 1981 survey of planned and current computer uses conducted by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Information Clearinghouse, computer systems in public radio and television broadcasting stations are listed by…

A study was conducted to explore whether Fishman and Roslow's concept of adjacent listening could be adapted to studying television viewing behavior and used as an indicator of audience interest and information-seeking behavior. A second hypothesis was that different types of news programs might be preferred by groups reporting primary reliance on…

This study of journalist, public, and legislator responses to televised sessions of the Florida legislature is part of a symposium on legislative and judicial communications. (CH)

This article is a case study of how a small community utilizes CATV for instructional purposes. The need for the system, the programing and the technical set-up are described. (Author)

A look at the media production facilities at Louis Lumiere College of Secondary Education, Marly-le-Roi, France. (HB)

A look at how the Danville, Illinois, Public School District uses a local CATV system to distribute instructional television programs. (HB)

A discussion of how the Glassboro, New Jersey, Public Schools, use closed circuit television throughout the school district. (HB)

This study measured audience perceptions during the course of a prerecorded segment of the television series "Emergency" and compared audience responses with the occurrence of specific production variables: subject movement, camera movement, cutting rate, image size, and so on. Audience-response equipment, capable of recording ratings…