Unlike the linear, serial process of reading books, learning to "read" television is a parallel process in which multiple pieces of information are simultaneously received. Perceiving images, only one aspect of understanding television, requires the concurrent processing of information that is compounded within a symbol system. The…

In 1984-85, the Mobil Corporation provided the New York City Board of Education with a grant for developing an instructional project related to the Public Broadcasting System series, "The Living Planet." This series explored the concepts of the balance of nature and the adaptations of various life forms to our changing planet. The Living…

This study was conducted to document and identify operational problems of college- and university-affiliated cable television stations in order to present data on problems and concerns that a college should consider before starting a cable-affiliated station. Research questions centered around four areas: organization, budget, personnel, and…

The purpose of this paper is to present a developed, methodological approach for the study of cable television stations affiliated with higher education institutions, and also to present significant findings detailing the operational problems of higher education-affiliated cable television stations. Based on a literature search which identified…

This 2-year study was conducted to investigate the nature of religious television, its viewers, and its effect on mainline or other local churches. Four specific areas were addressed: the nature of the viewing audience, the content of religious television, the appeals and satisfactions (uses and functions) of religious programs, and behavioral…

This critique of "A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy," a television program produced by CBS following completion of the White House restoration project to show the changes made, begins by discussing the relationships of the President and Mrs. Kennedy with the media, and the First Lady's involvement in the restoration…

The purposes of this survey of television viewers were to investigate their personal experiences with crime and perceived competence to deal with it, and to study their perceptions of the likelihood of crime and fears of personal victimization. Members of a London Panel maintained by the Independent Broadcasting Authority's Research Department for…

This paper examines a proposal for a possible second Norwegian television channel (TV 2) which has attracted interest from all parts of Norwegian society. Some major dimensions that pertain to the TV 2 issue are set forth and discussed, including: (1) whether or not a new channel should be established; (2) whether it would be a commercial or…

This paper addresses questions about the processes involved when viewers "make sense" out of the diverse visual and aural signs of a television program and then render that sense in a spoken account. A pilot study was conducted to explore the manner in which modes of viewing, and talk about viewing, include or exclude recognition of…

This paper addresses the question of whether video recorders and cable television, which are both primarily entertainment media, are in functional competition with one another. Some initial answers are provided based on the results of an extensive two-year research project conducted in the Federal Republic of Germany. This study found that: (1)…

Cable television's local access option may be a way for colleges and universities to expand their media offerings. For example, some institutions are using cable capabilities to broadcast direct and inservice instruction or to provide hands-on training for broadcast students. A small private liberal arts college in Iowa successfully uses cable…

The five major articles in this journal issue focus on television criticism as an academic field. An introduction, entitled "The 'Scholar's Anthology': Televisual Studies" (Bruce Gronbeck), is followed by articles discussing the following topics: (1) the discourses of television quiz programs (John Fiske), (2) the dialectic of feminine…

This document consists of 26 miscellaneous conference papers that consider various aspects of telecommunications policy, as follows: (1) "New Communications Systems and Services" (Baer); (2) "Regulatory Incentive Mechanisms and Political Action" (Baron); (3) "Efficiency Issues in Competitive Allocation of the Broadcast…

A study compared the two television series, "The Lone Ranger" and "The Equalizer" to see whether the protagonists conform to the American archetype of the justice hero--defined as the hero who deals with crime in society. A formula analysis of the two television texts reveals that both heroes are male, scrupulous, independent,…

As a result of the overwhelming amount of print and electronic advertisements which compete for consumer attention, advertisers must find effective methods to get through the ad clutter and capture their audience's interest. Several tactics can accomplish this strategy, including the tactic of breaking or reversing audience expectations or…