Observation of televised toy commercials during holiday periods in 1977 and 1978 revealed that: 1) more boys than girls appeared in commercials in both years; 2) girls had more passive roles in 1977 commercials; and 3) vehicles and male dolls were primarily aimed at boys, while manipulative toys were aimed at both sexes. (Author/MJL)

Predicts a grim future for independently produced documentaries unless the 1978 Telecommunications Financing Act is adhered to. With proposed budget cutbacks, public television would avoid controversial public affairs programs because they are more expensive to produce and run the risk of offending potential patrons (corporate, foundation, and…

Examines the constitutionality of televising criminal trials without the defendant's consent. Analyzes the circumstances which led to different Supreme Court decisions concerning the effect of televised trials on the image of justice, in the cases of Estes v Texas (1965) and Chandler v Florida (1981). (Author/MJL)

Concludes that Chinese media may one day be indistinguishable from their Western counterparts: promoting consumer goods, fostering television, dampening group discussion and active political interest, and presenting a conception of the world as an area for unresolved social conflict and drama. (PD)

Respondents (N=1,745) were primarily deaf, with an early age of onset. They averaged high levels of newspaper reading and captioned television viewing. Roughly 50% reported watching the Captioned ABS News two or more times per week. Level of education was found to be significantly related to news reading and television viewing behavior. (Author/SB)

Describes the data transmission systems of Teletext and Viewdata, including how such systems function and past experiences with each. Differences between the two systems in cost and interactive abilities are discussed. (BK)

Argues that big-screen television systems are now feasible for use by educational and other organizations. The history of such systems is briefly reviewed, current models are compared, and general guidelines for choosing a system are presented. (BK)

Following a synopsis of some research on television's effects on children, the authors suggest ways parents can prevent family television addiction and use television as a positive force. (SJL)

Shows evidence of media leadership of audience behavior that is consistent with the direction of coverage of a community controversy. (FL)

Discusses techniques used in advertising parity products (products that do not differ from brand to brand) to attract children's attention and advocates consumer education for children to make them aware of advertising claims. (HTH)

Describes several formats used in educational television programs produced by the Open University and discusses a learning package developed by OU to help students develop an awareness of the demands of, and appropriate responses to, different television programs. Five references are listed. (LLS)

Notes the growing interest in instructional television (ITV) since the creation of a special mass media task force by the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC). Describes the AACJC's newly created Instructional Telecommunications Consortium, which is designed to promote liaison between ITV producers and consumers. (JP)

Describes experiment in 1977 in Portugal using television to teach French to university students. (BK)

Describes the role of captioned programs in instructional television for the hearing impaired and notes prerequisite knowledge viewers must possess. Teacher objectives, preparatory or follow-up activities, supplementary materials, and evaluation methods are also presented. (BK)

Relates personal experiences in teaching English, provides an overview of the articles in this journal issue, and reflects on the importance of television and the mass media as aids in English instruction. (GT)