The Federal Communications Commission is considering a plan that would allow cable-television to use parts of the broadcast spectrum that has been reserved for educational programing. Cable companies say it is wasteful to reserve limited broadcasting for educational programing if not enough colleges use the frequencies allotted. (MLW)

Examines patterns of television viewing and viewing motivations for the "PTL Club" in light of the recent PTL scandal. Extracts the ritualized user and a modified version (curious consumer) of the instrumental user only. Discusses implications for the future of religious television. (SR)

Explores the effects of live television coverage of the space shuttle Challenger disaster on school children. Finds that children tended to react according to gender stereotypes of impersonal regret versus personal involvement and respond with either a cognitive orientation or a social and emotional orientation. (MS)

Provides a microeconomic analysis of United States (U.S.) television program export prices. Finds that U.S. producers, acting like a dominant firm, are responsible for establishing the general level of foreign program prices in each national market. (MS)

Content-analyzes prime time television to determine the frequency of certain contexts in which prosocial activity is portrayed. Finds that prime time television continues to portray a great deal of prosocial content presented in prosocial contexts. (RS)

Examines the relationship in adolescents between exposure to various types of television programs and measures of achievement. Supports a differential viewing hypothesis and a displacement of time hypothesis as explanations for the relationship. Indicates no adverse academic achievement affect from television viewing until viewing exceeds 10 hours…

Examines hemispheric differences in cortical arousal as a function of positive and negative emotional television scenes. Finds that (1) the processing of emotional content is hemispherically asymmetric; and (2) negative material produced greater cortical arousal in the right hemisphere and positive material greater arousal in the left. (MS)

Discusses the possible uses for television in the classroom, including student programs, tutorials, and remedial resourcing. Describes instructional television applications such as satellite systems, microwave systems, distance education, and subleased access to commercial or wireless cable systems. Provides a directory of Catholic Television…

A content analysis was conducted of the 12 prime-time television programs most preferred by children and adolescents to determine verbal statements about sexual issues. On average, 29% of interactions on an individual episode referred to sexual issues. Results are discussed concerning adolescents' uses of this input. (SLD)

Discusses the results of a survey designed to explore the reactions of junior high school students to Channel One. A survey was administered to two Midwest suburban junior high schools. The results showed that 66% of those surveyed learned something from the broadcasts. (Contains 13 references.) (JLB)

Examines the way one local television station covered the Persian Gulf War. Links coverage to the media routines of television newswork, showing how they act as coherent frames supportive of Gulf policy. Finds that the conflict frame placed anti-war protest in opposition to patriotism, and the control frame dealt with protest as a threat to social…

Discusses television technology and its effectiveness in educational settings. Highlights include beliefs about television; beliefs about television in education, including interactive and noninteractive viewing; the role of teachers and differences in learning; beliefs about television in distance education; and the VideoClass System developed at…

Examined children's monitoring of TV programs for visual content and processing of program content through language. Narration enhanced visual attention and comprehension. Auditory comprehension did not depend on looking. Auditory attention did not differ with the presence or absence of narration. (BC)

Describes the Education Network of Maine, an interactive television system which uses one-way video and two-way audio to provide an interactive connection between the seven campuses of the University of Maine. Highlights ways of personalizing distance learning instruction, strategies for increasing student-teacher interaction, and the value of…

Assesses the role of television in mediating cultural change by examining how local television news simultaneously depresses the legitimacy of old-fashioned racism and stimulates the production of modern racism. Suggests that this occurs unintentionally, partly in seeking to overcome old-fashioned racism and in responding to the viewing tastes of…