From the first notions of 'seeing by electricity' in 1878, through the period of the first demonstration of rudimentary television in 1926 and up to 1940, when war brought the advance of the technology to a temporary halt, the development of television gathered about it a tremendous history. Following the discovery of the photo-conductive effect, numerous schemes for television were suggested but it was in the wake of Baird's early demonstrations that real industrial interest developed and the pace of progress increased. Much research and development work was undertaken in the UK, the US, Germany and France. By 1936 television technology had advanced to the point where high definition broadcasting was realistic. This meticulous and deeply researched book presents a balanced and thorough international history of television from 1878 to 1940, considering the factors - technical, commercial and social - that influenced and led to the establishment of public services in many countries. Highly illustrated throughout, this is a major book in the study of history of science, technology and media.

Research Paradigms, Television, Social Behavior is a unique book that is designed to provide an understanding of television research from both the quantitative and qualitative perspectives. The volume provides a systematic analysis of the various research paradigms used in the study of television, and focuses on the integration of quantitative and qualitative methodologies as a means for understanding the complexities associated with this medium. The book is useful for both undergraduate and graduate students because it presents information in a straightforward and engaging style, as well as provides concrete step-by-step examples of how to conduct major research and evaluation projects involving this medium. The book is also important for seasoned scholars and researchers, as well as professionals in the media industry.

At 7:20 pm on October 3, 1993, a nervous and shaky anchor broke into coverage of a soccer match to tell Russian viewers that their state television was shutting down. In the opening salvos of the parliamentary revolt against Boris Yeltsin's government, a mob had besieged the station's headquarters. A man had just been killed in front of the news director. Moments later, screens all across Russia went blank, leaving audiences in the dark. But in less than an hour, Russia's second state channel went on the air. Millions watched as Sergei Torchinsky anchored thirteen straight hours of coverage, often with the sound of shooting clearly audible in the background. Streams of politicians, trade union leaders, writers, television personalities, and other well-known figures braved gunfire to reach Channel Two's makeshift studios and speak directly to the nation. In one stunning moment, a famous actress extemporaneously pleaded with viewers not to return to the horrors of Stalinism. Boris Yeltsin, who had been glued to his television set like everyone else, later recalled, "For the rest of my life I will remember the anxious but resolute and courageous expression of Liya Akhedzhakova. . . her hoarse, cracking voice remains in my memory."
In that time of crisis, television bound the nation together, a continuing emblem of legitimate authority which lent an image of stability and credibility to Yeltsin's besieged government. "Television saved Russia," the Russian president said. Changing Channels vividly recreates this exciting time, as television both helped and hindered the Russian nation's struggle to create a new democracy. From the moribund, state-controlled television broadcasts at the end of the Soviet Union, through Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost, up to Yeltsin's victory in the most recent Russian presidential elections of 1996, Mickiewicz charts the omnipresent role of television, drawing on interviews, public opinion surveys, research, and the television programming itself. Analyzing the rise of political advertising (sometimes with controversial US participation), the birth of journalists as opinionated television personalities, and the changing news coverage of coups, elections, and wars, she shows both how the gradual development of private, independent stations has begun to make real pluralism possible and how the authoritarian legacy of the Soviet state structure continues to affect Russian television even today. With television in 97% of all Russian households, and the nightly news watched by a viewership matching that for the Super Bowl in the US, the struggle for control over television became the struggle for control over the nation. Mickiewicz illuminates the efforts of those both in and out of power to control the media.
Behind the momentous political changes are the stories of the men and women who chose to resist, test, or submit to the system. Mickiewicz offers brilliant sketches of these individuals: Yegor Ligachev, Gorbachev's second in command, a man of strongly held opinions who, in retirement, still orated loudly, even over tea; Boris Yeltsin, having not even put on his shirt yet, watching the early morning coverage of the attempted coup against Gorbachev; or the new breed of Russian journalists covering the war in Chechnya with footage of bombed out streets and charred corpses for privately owned NTV, despite continuing government intimidation. In vivid interviews, all the key players, including Gorbachev himself, offered Mickiewicz their unique insights and frank personal commentary. Drawing on these interviews and on her extensive research on the interactions of politics, economics, and society, Mickiewicz presents a rich and authoritative analysis of television in Russia. In many ways, Mickiewicz writes, no other country in the world offers television a greater opportunity and a greater role. Changing Channels tells the fascinating story of a truly modern phenomenon: the struggle to create genuine political pluralism, helped and hindered by the barrage of information, advertisements, and media-created personalities that make up modern television.

An overview of radio's impact on American culture in the first half of the twentieth century.

The Shadow. Fibber McGee and Molly. Amos 'n' Andy. When we think back on the golden age of radio, we think of the shows. In Radio Voices, Michele Hilmes looks at the way radio programming influenced and was influenced by the United States of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, tracing the history of the medium from its earliest years through the advent of television.

Hilmes places the development of radio within the context of the turmoils of the 1920s: immigration and urbanization, the rise of mass consumer culture, and the changing boundaries of the public and private spheres. Early practices and structures -- the role of the announcer, the emergence of program forms from vaudeville, minstrel shows, and the concert stage -- are examined.

Central to Radio Voices is a discussion of programs and their relations to popular understandings of race, ethnicity, and gender in the United States of this era. Hilmes explores Amos 'n' Andy and its negotiations of racial tensions and The Rise of the Goldbergs and its concern with ethnic assimilation. She reflects upon the daytime serials -- the first soap operas -- arguing that these much-disparaged programs provided a space in which women could discuss conflicted issues of gender. Hilmes also explores industry practices, considering the role of advertising agencies and their areas of conflict and cooperation with the emerging networks as well as the impact of World War II on the "mission" of radio.

Radio Voices places the first truly national medium of the United States in its social context, providing an entertaining account of the interplay betweenprogramming and popular culture.

"Ralph Engelman's history of the growth of public radio and television in America is timely, compelling, and instructive. Very useful for citizens who take seriously the need for public use of the public airwaves, which we need to remember, the people own but do not control." --Ralph Nader, Director, The Center for the Study of Responsive Law "There is no cynicism or stridency in Ralph Engelman's definitive history of public broadcasting's failure to fulfill its promise, only documentation of the immense problems endemic to government and corporate sponsored mass media. For models of hope, this volume acknowledges the civic discourse that has thrived in the margins of public broadcasting--in the independent community and in the homespun programming of the public access movement." --Dee Dee Halleck, Cofounder, Paper Tiger Television & Deep Dish TV "Public Radio and Television in America by Ralph Engelman effectively navigates the complex, controversial, and often maddening history of public broadcasting as a political and cultural force. Always more important than its audience size in America, public broadcasting's promise and problems, as well as its heroes and villains, are treated effectively and well in this solid and critical analysis. The book is compact, yet sufficiently substantive and blessedly well written and well documented." --Everette E. Dennis, Executive Director, Freedom Forum Media Studies Center, editor, Media Studies Journal "Ralph Engelman's Public Radio and Television in America is a chilling description of how noncommercial broadcasting is the tragic victim of conservative corporate politics that have spent most of this century trying to cripple and kill it." --Ben H. Bagdikian, former Dean, Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California,

New Patterns in Global Television focuses upon the development of television industries in some of the countries outside the traditionally dominant centres. It challenges the view that `cultural imperialism' from powerful metropolitan centres dictates the supply of television programmes and services in the world. Specialist researchers provide the first comprehensive overview of TV production in dynamic `peripheral' regions such as Latin America, India, the Middle East, Greater China, and, in the English-speaking world, Canada and Australia.

What is meant by an 'independent' television and press, and what affirmative role should any government have in the regulation of television? How do competing interest groups use media regulation to their advantage? What impact does television have on democratic values and the process of democracy itself? Television, the Public Sphere, and the National Identity focuses on these and other questions in a broad reinterpretation of television's role and influence on democratic societies in a time of increased globalization of the media. Monroe E. Price's lively and wide-ranging study is unique in developing a theory which covers media developments in both the United States and Europe, including the states of the post-Soviet transition (Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union). Examining the relationship between television and these societies, Price asks how the globalization of television affects the medium's impact on these nations and, indeed, on the survival of the nation state itself. The book also looks at the justifications and abuses that have arisen in television's regulation, and predicts the future role of TV in society.

Every day millions of Americans tune in to a newscast on one of their local television stations to learn what is new in their community. In fact, more people watch local news than network news, but surprisingly little is known about the early days of television when stations across the country searched for ways to do news in the new medium. In Broadcasting the Local News, Lynn Boyd Hinds, a former Pittsburgh broadcaster, introduces us to one station--KDKA-TV--which literally invented television news in Pittsburgh.

Television came to Pittsburgh in 1949 when WDTV (the forerunner of KDKA-TV) went on the air. Whereas many television stations in the United States began reading news on the air only to comply with FCC requirements, WDTV treated news seriously from day one with its first regular program, a local news show called "Pitt Parade." Today KDKA is still highly regarded among journalists for its news programming.

Although television news may seem familiar to us, it was anything but familiar to the men and women of early television. Hinds shows how they borrowed liberally from newspapers, radio, motion picture newsreels, theater, and even magazines to create, by trial and error, suitable ways to present the news. Rather than instantly replacing radio, television news moved slowly from the "rip and read" radio-style format, which simply duplicated what came over the wire services and was in the newspapers, to the conventions of local newscasts we take for granted today--live remotes, lead and feature stories, sports and weather, all brought together by an in-studio anchor.

Pittsburghers will recognize many familiar names in Hinds's account--Bill Burns, Paul Long, Florence Sando, Eleanor Schano, and others--veterans of Pittsburgh broadcasting whom Hinds has interviewed for this book. The story they tell is the story of dozens of other stations across the country. In the process, they tell us much about the early history of television in America.

This book examines a critical point in US broadcasting in the late 1920s and early 1930s - the only period in which a strong opposition emerged to network-dominated, advertising-supported media such as radio. Although the opposition failed to secure airwaves for non-profit broadcasters, its critique of the formation and structure of early broadcasting anticipated much of today's most compelling media criticism.

'Searingly honest... gripping... fascinating and hugely entertaining.'- Sunday Times 'Moving and frank ... A story of a childhood defined by loneliness, the absence of a father and the grim experience of a Quaker boarding school. It is also one of the most perceptive accounts of Britain in the 1970s.'- Misha Glenny 'A crisp, unself-pitying memoir of a 'trainwreck' youth ... I've always likes Webb on the radio. But I like him much more after reading this book. He offers precisely the kind of brisk honesty and considered analysis he expects from his interviewees. Our politicians should all read it, and step up their game.' -Telegraph ......................................................................................................................................................... Justin Webb's childhood in the 1970s was far from ordinary. Between his mother's un-diagnosed psychological problems, and his step-father's untreated ones, life at home was dysfunctional at best. But with gun-wielding school masters and sub-standard living conditions, Quaker boarding school wasn't much better. Candid, unsparing and darkly funny, Justin Webb's memoir is as much a portrait of a troubled era as it is the story of a dysfunctional childhood, shaping the urbane and successful radio presenter we know and love now. ........................................................................................................................................ 'I thoroughly enjoyed Justin Webb's bonkers childhood. He captures the middle class of the age with a tenacity only possible in one of its victims.' -Jeremy Paxman

The crucial decade for the development of the domestic wireless was 1924-34. At the beginning of the period most receivers in Britain were crystal sets, but by the end nearly all sets were on the mains, using valves and mostly with superhet circuits-broadly the same as those in use today. This book describes the broadcasting trends and receiver developments in Europe and America, and includes a detailed account of wireless development in Britain. The vital changes in radio valves are described, and the book concludes with a fascinating account of the rise and fall of home construction of wireless receivers from kits of parts. In the early years it was a nationwide activity. By the end of the decade it had virtually died out. Sets had become too complex for the amateur and commercially produced sets were almost as cheap as construction kits. The author has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject. Much of the information comes from his private collection of papers and early magazines, complete with their advertisements - material that is not generally available in public collections. The crucial decade is likely to prove the definitive work on the subject. It is essential reading for those interested in the history of wireless and the development of its technology.

?There can be no political sovereignty without culture sovereignty.? So argued the CBC in 1985 in its evidence to the Caplan/Sauvageau Task Force on Broadcasting Policy. Richard Collins challenges this assumption. He argues in this study of nationalism and Canadian television policy that Canada's political sovereignty depends much less on Canadian content in television than has generally been accepted. His analysis focuses on television drama, at the centre of television policy in the 1980s.

Collins questions the conventional image of Canada as a weak national entity undermined by its population's predilection for foreign television. Rather, he argues, Canada is held together, not by a shared repertoire of symbols, a national culture, but by other social forces, notably political institutions.

Collins maintains that important advantages actually and potentially flow from Canada's wear national symbolic culture. Rethinking the relationships between television and society in Canada may yield a more successful broadcasting policy, more popular television programming, and a better understanding of the links between culture and the body politic.

As the European Community moves closer to political unity, the Canadian case may become more relevant to Europe, which, Collins suggests, already fears the ?Canadianization? of its television. He maintains that a European multilingual society, without a shared culture or common European audio-visual sphere and with viewers watching foreign television, can survive successfully as a political entity ? just as Canada has.

If you're not a tree lover now, this pocket-sized gem -- dedicated to the idea that every species of tree has a story and every individual tree has a history -- will make you one. Produced in consultation with the City's Parks and Recreation department and the New York Tree Trust, this book is a reference to the stories of New York City's trees, complete with photographs, tree silhouettes, leaf and fruit morphologies, and charming and informative explanatory texts. It is divided into four sections: "The Best Places to See Trees," full of insider's tips and helpful maps; "New York City's Great Trees," a directory of the oldest, strangest, most beautiful trees; "The Tree Guide," arranged for ease of identification by leaf shape and size; and, finally, "Sources and Resources" for future investigation.With over 700 beautiful color photographs, drawings, and detailed maps, this is the ultimate field guide to the trees of the Big Apple and the metropolitan region.

"For now - the 1980s - television is still in its prime time, and hearing the first intimations of mortality." And what will follow TV? More TV, TV that is different and yet not all that different. In this evocative book, Edwin Diamond points out that what we see on television today closely reflects our culture and society and politics and will continue to do so. Because the country is not changing as fast as the technology, Diamond's study of television in its "prime time" is also a glimpse of much of the content of the TV of the future, whether it comes to us over the air, by cable, or by satellite. Among other topics, Sign Off covers sex on television, the TV preachers of the "electronic church," the way television handled the Iranian hostage crisis, "Full Disclosure" as seen (or not seen) in the media's handling of Nelson Rockefeller s death and Ted Kennedy's reputed "womanizing," "Disco News" and Ted Turner's continuous news, the Three Mile Island reportage, the reign of the young and the white and the male on commercial television, and the twin myths of television's omnipotence and its liberalism. Although today's network-dominated, "free" television with limited channels will be superseded by cable and satellite transmissions with two-way, viewer-responsive features and add-on computer capabilities that will offer, usually for a fee, 60 to 100 channels precisely aimed at special-interest audiences, the content of TV will not be altered so much as the kinds of in-home services available. Edwin Diamond relates television to what is happening in other media, as might be expected from a writer who has spent his professional life working on newspapers and magazines in addition to being a commentator on (and about) television. He is Senior Lecturer in Political Science at MIT and was recently Associate Editor for the New York Daily News Tonight edition. Diamond was Senior Editor at Newsweek, a contributing editor of New York and Esquire, and a regular commentator on the Washington Post-Newsweek television stations. He is author of The Tin Kazoo and Good News, Bad News, both published in paperback by The MIT Press.

This book traces the development of the broadcasting system in Canada from the inception of television in 1952 to the passing of the Broadcast Act of 1968, focusing on the policy decisions made by governments and broadcasting authorities and the circumstances under which they were made. Several public investigations of the system and its performance took place during television's first sixteen years in Canada and their aims and outcomes form an important part of the story. The book deals with the relationships between the CBC, the private broadcasters, government, and the regulatory authority, and also with events that affected the perceptions of politicians and the public - the French network strike in 1959, the Preview Commentary affair of the same year, and the controversies surrounding the CBC program 'This Hour Has Seven Days' in 1965-6. Among those who figure prominently are A. Davidson Dunton and Alphonse Ouimet of the CBC; T.J. Allard and Don Jamieson of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters; Robert Fowler, chairman of two public inquiries into broadcasting; Andrew Stewart, chairman of the Board of Broadcast Governors; and Graham Spry, organizer of the Canadian Broadcasting League. The government officials involved include Prime Ministers Louis St Laurent, John Diefenbaker, and Lester B. Pearson, and ministers J.J. McCann, Goerge Nowlan, Jack Pickersgill, Maurice Lamontagne, and Judy LaMarsh. Frank Peers has unearthed a remarkable quantity of new material - from government documents, CBC records, interviews with key figures, and the records and manuscripts of a number of principals - and woven it into a fascinating and authoritative account of the state's involvement in broadcasting during these troubled and changeful years.

Radio, the oldest form of electronic broadcasting, has thus far lagged behind TV in the push to go digital, but efforts have been underway for over twenty years in Europe to create digital platforms for radio. Drawing on extensive cross-national research, this volume offers the first comprehensive review of European digital radio, with details on the technologies, policies, and strategies to bring radio into the digital era--and highlights the successes and failures in implementation. An accessible introduction for students and professionals, this volume presents digital radio broadcasting in both a European and global context.

Within small markets for television like Jamaica, where sustaining a show on air is affected by financial and other challenges, remaining on air for a long time becomes a key marker of a television programme's success. Still on Air documents the historical, production and broadcast experiences of some of Jamaica's long-running television shows. Based on interviews with over one hundred television professionals as well as archival searches of television-related content spanning over fifty years, the book provides details on over three hundred programmes produced and aired on free-to-air television stations in the island. Yvette J. Rowe and Livingston A. White present a framework of seven factors for producing television for small markets and suggest ways in which local television producers can create successful television programmes in limited-resource environments. After exploring other shows with potential for being long-running productions, the authors end discuss trends in television production as well as some possibilities and recommendations that have implications for how television shows are produced in the future. Still on Air is an important work as it chronicles an aspect of the Jamaican television industry that has never before been given such detailed attention. The experiences are applicable to television producers working in small media markets and the authors offer insight on what is required to produce television programming that is culturally sensitive, affordable and responsive to television audiences.

Internships have all but became a requirement when starting out in the fields of entertainment and broadcasting. Students need these internships not only to get their foot in the door, but to gain valuable experience that gives them an advantage when going for that first job in the industry. Intern Insider helps students navigate the often daunting task of finding an internship, and equips readers to use the experience learned to begin a strong career in the entertainment world. As both a professional broadcaster and college professor, author Tammy Trujillo approaches the topic of internships from both sides: what the student and intern site hope to gain. She provides various valuable perspectives throughout the book, including student assessments on their internship experiences, case studies of those who have turned their internships into careers, and interviews with internship site coordinators. Her breadth of knowledge and experience make for a ground-level book both informative and useful. In the competitive landscape of today's entertainment and broadcasting worlds, Intern Insider provides students with all the tools they need to make the most of their internships and jumpstart their careers! Also visit http://www.interninsider-thebook.com/

Pushing Daisies was one of the most successful network television shows in recent history. This collection of 10 essays addresses the quirky, off-beat elements that made the show a popular success, as well as fodder for scholarly inquiry. Divided into three main sections, the essays address the themes of difference, placement of the series within a larger philosophical context and the role of gender on the show. A consideration of Pushing Daisies' unique style and aesthetics is a consistent source of interest across these international and interdisciplinary scholarly critiques.

'This innovative and clearly written handbook does exactly what it claims on the cover, providing students with accessible and authoritative knowledge of the essential topics in Radio Studies... Chignell writes about radio with an engaging mixture of scholarly detachment and private passion' - The Radio Journal 'There is a need for a straightforward, wide-ranging, and up-to-date introduction to ways to study radio and other new audio-based media. Hugh Chignell's new book certainly fits the bill, and admirably takes the reader from initial ideas through to additional readings which explore the core issues in greater depth. It is crisply and engagingly written, draws upon a very good range of scholarship, and provides many useful contemporary examples... Students will find it an essential aid to their studies, and it may even go someway to ensuring that the study of radio is as important in the academy as its visual cousins' - Viewfinder 'This book is a useful starting point for radio students and staff, packed with citations and pithy comment from the author. It is a rich resource book for academic radio study at all levels' - Janey Gordon, University of Bedfordshire The SAGE Key Concepts series provides students with accessible and authoritative knowledge of the essential topics in a variety of disciplines. Cross-referenced throughout, the format encourages critical evaluation through understanding. Written by experienced and respected academics, the books are indispensible study aids and guides to comprehension. Key Concepts in Radio Studies: " Provides a comprehensive, easy-to-use introduction to the field " Grounds theory with global examples " Takes it further with recommended reading " Covers the central ideas and practices from production and media studies " Situates radio studies within its historical context and contemporary auditory culture

"This is not another turgid guide to digital editing, writing for radio and the structure of a newsroom team. It is an ambitious and accessible study that combines a succinct narrative history of radio journalism with an analysis of its power in the public sphere. It describes the development of British audio broadcasting before locating it in an international context and contemplating the contours of the convergent future. Such ambition is often the prelude to failure. Instead, Starkey and Crisell have written a precious introduction to the theory, practice and purposes of radio journalism that will be very useful to serious students of the subject... This is a very good book." - THE (Times Higher Education) Radio Journalism introduduces key themes in journalism studies to explore what makes radio reporting distinctive and lay out the claims for radio's critical importance in the news landscape. With their extensive experience in radio production and academica, authors Guy Starkey and Andrew Crisell take readers on a tour through the past, present and future of radio broadcasting, from the infancy of the BBC in the 1920s up to the prospect of rolling news delivered to mobile telephones. Grounding each chapter in a survey of scholarly writing on the radio, they explore the connections between politics, policy and practice, inviting critical reflection on who radio professionals are, what they do and why. Putting theory and practice into dialogue, this book is the perfect bridge between unreflective production manuals and generalised media theory texts. Witty and engaging, Radio Journalism provides an essential framework for understanding the continuing relevance of radio journalism as a profession, set of practices and arena for critical debate.

Uncommon answers to common questions about TV
'Is TV dumbing us down?', 'what is a precinct drama?', 'why does all TV look the same?', 'has TV changed politics?', 'who regulates TV', 'is TV finished?' Viewers and students of TV have a healthy curiosity about the medium and ask all sorts of general questions about it, but you have to look hard to find the answers. 'TV FAQs' does what it says on the cover: it answers just about everything you've always wanted to know about Television, in witty and highly informative form and is written by a leading TV writer, thinker, educator and long-term producer.
Starting with commonly asked questions - factual, technical, ethical, content-based, controversial, plain cheeky - 'TV FAQ' crisply answers them and outlines comprehensive and often novel arguments replying to the issues raised and the concerns that motivate them. Each entry contains examples, ranging from a detailed deconstruction of an episode of 'NYPD Blue', to the way that audience statistics are produced, and how television gains (and sometimes forfeits) our trust. Answers can be read down, across - with links between entries - or dipped into as required.
'TV FAQ' will make you a fully informed and knowledgable, entertained and argumentative TV expert.

In November 2007, Channel 4 will be twenty-five years old. Today, such TV events as the 'Big Brother/Jade Goody Affair' have put the channel itself at the centre of public debate. Yet during its foundation years on British screens, Channel 4 was seen as more controversial and dangerous than this. Published for Channel 4's 25th anniversary, this book explores the channel's most important foundation period, under its inspirational first Chief Executive, Jeremy Isaacs. Charged by Parliament to be innovative, experimental, and educational, the new channel had to attract audiences and make a space for new voices. Did it fulfill its brief? It also assesses the legacy of the channel and asks: has it changed the nature of British television, and has the enfant terrible grown up, or is it still a youthful rebel?Dorothy Hobson had unique access to Channel 4 and the team involved in developing it, the ITV companies and fledgling independent producers over its foundation years. Accessibly written, her book uses the words and stories of those involved, and vividly reviews the new channel's successes, problems, adversities, as well as audiences' and press responses to television's new baby and its programmes.