The joint comments of 12 organizations concerned about the current state of children's television programming are presented in this paper. The commentors' requests for action, which are specified in detail, are divided among the following legislative provisions: (1) the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should make clear that for purposes of…

Three principal conclusions were reached by a study of the potential for cable television at Stanford University in connection with its use in the surrounding community: (1) Stanford residents should have an opportunity to receive cable television services soon; (2) beyond residential cable service, a broadband cable system offers Stanford many…

Results of a series of panel discussions designed to assess community information needs indicate that needs are greatest for educational television programs related to career fields, employment opportunities, industrial surveys of the local area, and employer education, combined with college-based programs to prepare people for vocational and…

The world's appetite for the development of more television programs is constantly on the rise. Yet the manner in which television programs are produced for international viewers is still casual and often careless. Neither the message nor the way in which the medium shapes the message take into account the basic cultural barriers that cause…

This paper provides a framework for developing an approach to understanding soap opera's appeal as a direct function of both the genre's form and of its fans' viewing behavior. The paper suggests that while this analysis is largely critical, other studies from both critical and social scientific approaches can be based upon the framework and…

This paper questions some of the assumptions that permeate the current literature about soap operas and television, examining particularly the model according to which soap operas are the expression of an "essential" and universal feminine nature. The paper suggests the pertinence of a crosscultural approach to the study of melodrama as…

The manual describes a variety of media approaches in the United States, Hong Kong, India, and Pakistan to changing attitudes toward the disabled. Four principles of media communications are stressed: (1) children's television is an important vehicle for changing attitudes; (2) it is vital to know the audience; (3) active participation by the…

Unlike the criticism of the literary arts and the spoken word, rhetoric, television criticism is in its infancy. The styles suggested for television criticism have primarily been drawn from modern drama, literature and semiotics. Today, television critics of the scholarly sort are looking at a variety of styles to see if they can tell their…

This issue of a quarterly publication of the Council of Europe covers aspects of the history, technology, policies, and impact of telecommunications in Europe, with an emphasis on European television. The following articles are included: (1) "Man and the World of Telecommunications" (Piet Stoffelen); (2) "The European Communications…

This paper places research findings within a social learning framework to demonstrate that television influences the development of sex typing in children. First, the presence of sex-typed content in television programming and advertising is documented. Then, the nature of children's attention to and comprehension of televised messages is…

A study examined whether a relationship exists between childhood viewing habits and adult viewing behaviors. Questionnaires on childhood and adult viewing behaviors were completed by 557 students in a basic public speaking course, 86 residents of a university family housing unit, 74 vocational students, and 23 members of the local Jaycees…

To determine the extent of Black participation during the network's convention broadcasts a study investigated how many Blacks were selected as news sources in live interviews conducted by ABC, CBS, and NBC during the 1984 Democratic Convention, the status of each Black source as compared to that of Whites who were interviewed, and how many…

Formative evaluation is discussed as it relates to educational television (ETV). Formative evaluation, used to improve a project during its development, is especially valuable in the production of television programs. Methods useful in the formative evaluation of ETV are: (1) try-out studies; (2) learner verification and revision; (3)…

This discussion and critique of television programs used in two courses--D102 (vandalism) and M101 (mathematics)--at the British Open University suggests that the television presentation of real life-like raw material can facilitate the comprehension of abstract material inasmuch as it provides concrete illustrations, and provides an opportunity…

Describing community cable as television's best chance at zeroing in on the needs and interests of a specific local audience, as well as a fertile environment for breeding a new variety of children's television, this handbook discusses the potential of and issues and factors involved in local programming. Topics addressed are why community cable…