A framework for assessing market entry opportunities for internet‐based TV

Abstract

The advent of the Internet alleviates the access bottleneck to TV distribution channels and softens licensing requirements. This lowers entry barriers to TV markets via the Internet in various forms. This paper takes the German TV sector as an example to analyse the attractiveness of TV markets for new entrants. A sequential framework for entering TV markets is introduced. The skills set of an Internet‐based TV provider for such an entry is examined. Technical feasibility, legal aspects, and potential sources of revenue are considered.

Potential above average profits due to the market's oligopolistic structure, as well as an increased contestability thanks to lower market entry barriers seem to render the German TV market attractive for new entrants. In early 2002, Internet‐based TV still faced severe technical and legal constraints. The analysis suggests that once these constraints have been overcome, the Internet could be an attractive additional distribution channel for some types of television content. While existing revenue sources from the TV sector are expected to be transferable to a certain degree, the value of innovative revenue sources based on online sales cannot yet be determined. This value will depend on the future acceptance of interactivity by the viewer (e. g. Owen 1999).     

Children's wishful identification and parasocial interaction with favorite television characters

Children aged 7 to 12 were interviewed about their favorite TV character. Nearly all boys and about half of the girls selected same‐sex favorites. Regression analyses used perceived character traits (attractiveness, strength, humor, intelligence, social behavior) to predict wishful identification and parasocial interaction with characters. For male characters, wishful identification was predicted by intelligence and (for girls only) humor; parasocial interaction was predicted by intelligence, attractiveness, and (for boys only) strength. In marked contrast, for female characters (chosen only by girls), attractiveness was the only significant predictor. Although girls rated female characters as more intelligent than male characters, this trait apparently was not an important determinant of attraction. Interpretations of the findings and implications for socialization effects are discussed.     

Competition for Viewers and Advertisers in a TV Oligopoly

Abstract

This study considers a model of a TV oligopoly where TV channels transmit advertising and viewers dislike such commercials. It is shown that advertisers make a lower profit the larger the number of TV channels. If TV channels are sufficiently close substitutes, there will be underprovision of advertising relative to social optimum. This study also finds that the more viewers dislike ads, the more likely it is that welfare is increasing in the number of advertising-financed TV channels. A publicly owned TV channel can partly correct market distortions, in some cases, by having a larger amount of advertising than private TV channels. It may even have advertising in cases where advertising is wasteful per se.     

A Qualitative Analysis of the Portrayal of Young People and Psychosis in Australian News Reports

ABSTRACT

News media plays an influential role in shaping society’s understanding of mental illness and can promote perspectives ranging from those that promote help-seeking behaviour to stigmatised associations with attributes such as danger and violence. Stigma has been found to have significant negative impacts on people with psychosis. No existing studies have explored how young people with psychosis are represented in newspapers. Targeting this gap, this study analysed news articles relating to youth psychosis to determine the types of discourses used. We searched the ProQuest Australia and New Zealand Newsstream database (2011-2016) for Australian newspaper articles related to young people and psychosis. Qualitative analysis was used to identify content and these were arranged into key themes. The recurring themes evident in the 27 articles linked youth psychosis to illicit drug use, violence and professional infighting about treatment options, and thus promoted significantly stigmatised perspectives of youth psychosis. Acknowledgement of these stigmatised discourses is important for encouraging responsible media reporting and for understanding the social messages impacting on treatment and help-seeking by young people. We discuss the conflicted role of journalists in presenting information about mental illness and recommend development of a more solutions-focused approach to reporting in this area.     

The impromptu rhetorical situation

ABSTRACT

Courses: Public Speaking, Rhetorical Criticism, Persuasion, Political Communication, and Media Communication.

Objectives: By the end of this activity, students should be able to: explain the key components of Lloyd Bitzer’s rhetorical situation; assess and navigate various conditions affecting various speaking situations; conduct audience analysis as it relates to given speaking situations; and adapt messages to cater to specific rhetorical situations.     

Stylistic variables as related to source credibility: A content analysis approach

The hypothesis was tested that sources rated high in credibility construct messages with more listenability, human interest, vocabulary diversity, realism, and verifiability than sources rated low in credibility. Content analysis techniques applied to messages of high and low credibility sources revealed significant differences in the predicted direction along four of the five factors.     

图书馆开通短信服务的设想方案

从短信量发展及读者对短信的需求分析着手,提出图书馆开通短信服务的设想方案,并对其各项效益进行分析。     

Rhetorical strategies of continuity and change in the music of popular artists over time

This essay analyzes certain aspects of the music of Bruce Springsteen to determine the impact of rhetorical strategies of continuity and change on musical artists’ appeal over time. Three general observations emerged from this analysis. First, Bruce Springsteen's musical stories and styles have undergone several disjunctive shifts during the course of his career. In making these shifts, Springsteen has remained true to himself as a maturing adult without sacrificing listener appeal. Second, musical score strongly impacts the ultimate message conveyed depending on whether it emotionally reinforces or contradicts the lyrical message. Finally, other musical performers should be mindful of the effect of their rhetorical choices regarding (a) the intensity and release patterns they use within a musical score and (b) why, when, and where they might allow their stories or styles to shift, and what effect those shifts are likely to have on the integrated messages they are attempting to communicate.     

An experimental study of certain physiological,introspective and rating‐scale techniques for the measurement of stage fright

After a review of the research on compliance‐gaining strategies, it was decided that deductive approaches toward the development of a taxonomy of compliance‐gaining strategies are limited because of epistemological and methodological problems. Instead of a deductive approach, the paper proposes that an inductively‐derived taxonomy is a more valid and reliable classification scheme of compliance‐gaining strategies. The paper therefore attempts to ascertain the representational validity of a particular inductively‐derived taxonomy of compliance‐gaining strategies. The assessment of the representational validity was accomplished by comparing proposed properties of the taxonomy with a multidimensional scaling representation of subjects’ perceptions of persuasive messages. The comparison indicated that the taxonomy had a high degree of representational validity. Finally, it was suggested that future research should focus on the dynamics of the properties of compliance‐gaining strategies.     

Attitude and credibility in the prediction of attitude change: A regression approach

This study attempted to determine the amount of variance in attitude intensity that could be expected to be accounted for by prior attitude and credibility. Prior attitude intensity, importance, and involvement along wth source competence, sociability, composure, extroversion, and character were used as ‐predictors. Multiple regression analysis revealed that between 61 and 66 per cent of the variance in attitude intensity can be accounted for by five of these variance in attitude intensity can be accounted for by five of these predictors (except prior attitude involvement, source composure, source character). Some of the predictors appear to account for variance through curvilinear relationships to attitude change.     

The media–terrorism symbiosis: a case study of Mumbai attacks, 2008

There has been a long-standing debate among scholars, policy-makers, politicians and journalists about the relationship between terrorism and the news media for whom terrorism is usually a newsworthy story. A primary focus of the debate is to investigate the media–terrorism symbiotic relationship. This paper explores this relationship through a qualitative, thematic analysis of how British TV news channels covered a major terrorist incident after the 9/11 – Mumbai attacks 2008. It examines the interpretive theme of ‘awe, terror and chaos’, and how it is selected, prioritized and developed in the presentation of the events which spread over a period of more than 72 hours. Additionally, it considers the kind of political and organizational factors that might shape or modify the editorial decision-making processes and ideological assumptions that may lie behind such coverage. Ultimately, the study maintains that British TV news outlets play an important role in mediating terrorist messages and focus primarily on images of terror and violence during the coverage of Mumbai attacks. While there are key differences between public and commercial TV news in the style and presentation of coverage, with the former being more careful in approach, the news channels concentrate on televising death and injury and the propagation of chaos and confusion in the affected city.     

New media–new voices: satirical representations of Nigeria’s socio-politics in Ogas at the top

New media are increasingly providing spaces and opportunities for media houses and activist groups engaged in socio-political reform in Africa. In Nigeria, social media are becoming platforms for communicating messages of resistance against oppressive political and exploitative economic power structures. This study analyzed Ogas at the top (OATT), an online puppetry series by Buni TV, as a way of examining new platforms and message content in Nigeria’s rapidly changing media sphere. Relying on semiotics and critical discourse analysis perspectives, the study analyzed select episodes of the series, to gauge how producers constructed powerful visual and linguistic messages to boldly satirize social injustices perpetrated by Nigeria’s political elites.     

The Value of Fiction as Management Training

ABSTRACT

Reading fiction can teach sophisticated management skills. The difference between paraliterary fiction that focuses on escaping reality and literary fiction that analyzes reality is important. All reading can help improve basic literacy including increased comprehension and reading speed. Intermediate skills provide the manager with specific lessons on how to manage. Advanced skills, obtained from reading literary fiction, include empathy, the ability to interpret and create sophisticated texts, and an increased possibility of recognizing the “truth” in any environment. Traditional business publications offer more direct training but often overlook the complexities that the experienced manager will encounter and overemphasize the possibilities for success.

Column Editor’s Note This JLA column will consider issues of education and training for management positions in libraries and other information organizations from the perspectives of both the provider and the recipient. The column will appear in odd-numbered issues of the journal and focus on management education/training at various stages of the individual's career including the effectiveness of these efforts, their content, and the specific challenges of teaching and learning within the field of librarianship. The column will address both theoretical and practical concerns. Prospective authors are invited to submit articles for this column to the editor at aa3805@wayne.edu.     

Brian E. C. Schottlaender: Politics and Philosophy of Bibliographic Control,A Conversation

ABSTRACT

This study examines the recent trend towards the provision of subject access to imaginative literature, particularly fiction. Results of the research include: (1) an enumeration of theoretical problems associated with the provision of multi-dimensional subject access to imaginative literature; (2) an investigation of literary criticism's relevance to the subject analysis of works of imaginative literature; (3) an analysis of the denotative and connotative topical elements constituting works of imaginative literature; and (4) an evaluation of the non-standard practice of formulating access points from criticism.     

Social perception and message awareness as correlates of person‐centered regulative messages

This study reports the extent to which four social and message perception abilities predict the use of person‐centered messages in regulative influence situations: construct differentiation, number of prosocial influence goals, awareness of message effects, and positive outcome predictions. Undergraduate students completed several message tasks along with the Role Category Questionnaire to measure interpersonal cognitive complexity. Construct differentiation and the message analysis variables accounted for 45% of the variance in person‐centered regulative messages. Each of the message knowledge and goal variables was a significant predictor of person‐centered regulative messages. Person‐centered regulative messages were more likely to be produced by people with highly differentiated construct systems, people who had prosocial influence goals, and people who had knowledge of and confidence about the effects their messages would have on their message recipients.     

The Media in General

Millerson, Gerald. Effective TV Production (1976, 192 pp., $8.95, paper)

Robinson, J.F., and P.H. Beards. Using Videotape (1976, 163 pp., $7.95)

A. Arthur Englander and Paul Petzold's Filming for Television (New York: Hastings House, 1976—$19.50)

Dwight V. Swain's Film Scriptwriting: A Practical Manual (New York: Hastings House, 1976—$14.50/7.50)

Walter Herdeg's Film and TV Graphics 2: An International Survey of the Art of Film Animation (Zurich: The Graphis Press [New York: Hastings House], 1976—$28.00)     

Text Mining and Subject Analysis for Fiction; or,Using Machine Learning and Information Extraction to Assign Subject Headings to Dime Novels

Abstract

This article describes multiple experiments in text mining at Northern Illinois University that were undertaken to improve the efficiency and accuracy of cataloging. It focuses narrowly on subject analysis of dime novels, a format of inexpensive fiction that was popular in the United States between 1860 and 1915. NIU holds more than 55,000 dime novels in its collections, which it is in the process of comprehensively digitizing. Classification, keyword extraction, named-entity recognition, clustering, and topic modeling are discussed as means of assigning subject headings to improve their discoverability by researchers and to increase the productivity of digitization workflows.     

Media Production

Michael Murray's The Videotape Book: A Basic Guide to Portable TV Production (New York: Taplinger, 1975—$9.95),

Rudy Bretz's Handbook for Producing Educational and Public-Access Programs for Cable Television (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Educational Technology Publications, 1976— price not given, paper)

Paul Yerbic's Les Animations Simples Pour la Vidéo Éducative (Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique, Les Cahiers de Direct, 19 Avenue de Messine, 75008 Paris, France—25 French francs, paper)

Marlin Skiles' Music Scoring for TV & Motion Pictures (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.: TAB Books, 1976—$12.95)

Arthur Wimer and Dale Brix's Workbook for Radio and TV News Editing and Writing (Dubuque, Iowa: Wm C. Brown, 1975—$7.95, paper).

Judith L. Burken's Introduction to Reporting (Dubuque, Iowa: C. Brown, 1976—price not given, paper).     

From Admiration to Devotion? The Longitudinal Relation between Adolescents’ Involvement with and Viewing Frequency of Reality TV

ABSTRACT

Research indicates that reality TV viewing frequency and involvement with reality TV are linked. However, previous studies employed cross-sectional designs and were carried out among college students and general adult population, but not among the most frequent consumers of reality TV: adolescents. To better understand the causal link between this demographic segment’s reality TV viewing and involvement, we conducted a longitudinal study among 392 adolescents (ages 15 to 17). Frequency of reality TV viewing increased narrative engagement, parasocial interaction, emotional empathy, merging with the characters, wishful identification, perceived realism, and enjoyment of reality TV six months later. No reverse effects on viewing existed.     

Real or fake? Resources for teaching college students how to identify fake news

Abstract

Fake news has captured the world’s attention. Educational survey research has highlighted the difficulties students and adults have in determining how to identify valid sources. Psychology can help us to understand why it is difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. The authors describe how to identify fake news from digital sources and ways faculty and librarians can teach information literacy skills using the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework, websites, LibGuides, worksheets, and other resources shared in the extensive appendix.