Equal time: Origins of section 18 of the radio act of 1927

This study examined the effects of television network affiliation switches that took place in the Miami market in January, 1989. Results indicate viewer loyalty to local news, especially early local news, although not necessarily to local stations, and probably little to network news. Network affiliation results in primetime audiences significantly larger than those of independent stations. The findings demonstrate that structural variables are stable and predictable indicators of audience behavior.     

Diversity of body types in network television programming: A content analysis

This study uses content analysis to examine the diversity of men and women's body types on primetime network television programs and afternoon soap operas in order to compare male and female portrayals and to determine if the portrayals of both genders reflect the real population. The results show females are portrayed in a smaller range of body types and are more slender than males; heavier body types are less likely to be in romantic situations, wear revealing clothing, and are older than thin body types; and television body types are generally thinner than the real population.     

Depictions of Gender on Primetime Television: A Quantitative Content Analysis

To document current portrayals of women and men on primetime television, a quantitative content analysis was conducted. A 1-week composite of primetime television programming across 9 broadcast and cable networks was randomly sampled, yielding 89 programs and 1,254 characters. Consistent with prior findings, women were significantly underrepresented on primetime TV when compared with men. Analyses examined representations of gender in the realms of occupation, aggression, sexualization, and stereotypically masculine and feminine attributes, with comparisons drawn across different age groups. Contrary to popular belief, these findings suggest that the current state of primetime television does not represent a “golden age” for women. Although it appears that some gender stereotypes have declined when compared to previous decades, others (e.g., dominant men, sexually provocative women) have persisted. Implications are discussed in terms of cultivation and social cognitive theories.     

Sex in primetime television: An analysis of content trends,context categories,and sampling considerations

This study provides a replication and extension of previous content analyses of sex in primetime television, following a five‐year period of increased consumer activism directed through advertiser influence on programming content. It also addressed the issue of sample size in analyses designed to track such trends. Results indicated distinct differences from trends reported in previous studies, with a substantial decrease in the quantity as well as changes in the quality of sexual behavior and references between the 1988–89 and 1993–94 television seasons. Although a minimum of one intact or constructed week of programming has been considered essential for such studies, comparative analyses of full and half‐sample data provided evidence that overall trends can be accurately mapped using a reasonably selected stratified subsample of a constructed week of programming.     

Underground comix as television criticism

Underground “comix” use a comic book format to comment, often with blatant sexual scenes and profanity, on American society. The author traces the history of comix, exemplifies their criticism of television, and compares comix' methods and influence to more usual critical outlets and to television itself.     

Sex,Love, and Risk-n-Responsibility: A Content Analysis of Entertainment Television

This study documents the extent of sexual content, including sexual health content, in scenes with and without expressions of love on network and cable television popular with emerging adults. Sexual talk and/or behavior was found in 20% of all television scenes coded across 53.5 hours of programming. One third of these scenes featured sex alongside expressions of love. An additional 10% of scenes suggested love but not sex. Coded as a separate category, 25% of analyzed scenes contained a passing joke or pun referencing sexual organs, making these nonspecific, comedic one-liners the predominant reference to sex in this sample. Beyond jokes, most of the sexual or loving talk in this sample consisted of expressing a romantic interest in someone; sex- and love-related behaviors largely consisted of kissing or flirting. Very few scenes specifically referenced sexual intercourse. Sexual health messages were also rare. The majority of scenes mentioning any health consequence (7% of analyzed scenes) concerned emotional heartache. One scene mentioned sexually transmitted infections; 12 of the nearly 2,600 scenes coded mentioned condoms or contraceptives. It is thus a challenging proposition to build upon existing sexual depictions on television to promote safe sex practices within sexual and loving contexts.     

Sex in Adolescent Programming: A Content Analysis

ABSTRACT

This study examined the amount and types of sexual content in adolescent programs popular with tweens (teen scene; 8 to 11 years old) and young adolescents (12 to 15 years old). Adolescent programming, as a whole, does not have an excessive amount of sexual content, but young adolescent programs have significant numbers of specific sexual behaviors (kissing, hugging, intimate touching, sexual suggestiveness, homosexual references, and implied heterosexual intercourse). There are few messages about sexual risk and responsibility. Most main characters in young adolescent programs were sexually active and not virgins. Compared to U.S. teens, sexual activity on television is underrepresented on teen scene programs and overrepresented on young adolescent programs.     

Messages About Sex on Israeli Television: Comparing Local and Foreign Programming

A content analysis of 584 prime-time programs examines messages about sex on Israeli television, comparing local and foreign shows. A 2-week composite sample from 7 commercial broadcast, cable, and satellite channels is analyzed. Results show that sexual content is highly prevalent, with a significantly higher frequency in foreign than local shows. Less than 20% of programs with sexual content address sexual health and risks; foreign shows again exceed local ones. Few differences emerge between local and foreign content in the contextual presentation of sex. Findings are discussed in light of theory, research, and implications for audience effects, policy, and education.     

Unapologetic women, "Comic Men" and feminine spectatorship in David E. Kelley's Ally McBeal

–This essay examines how the narrative structure of the Fox primetime television hit Ally McBeal opens the text to a feminist reading. Despite critics' charges to the contrary, I argue that producer/screenwriter David E. Kelley's teleplays construct a preferred feminine spectator position that appropriates dominant male gazes in three ways: the feminine setting of the law firm, the refusal of women characters to yield to the male gaze, and the “comic spectacle of maleness.” Ally McBeal's preferred feminine spectatorship stance is articulated through comic strategies in which gender ideals are questioned through mockery, thus opening a safe space for viewers to reject dominant patriarchal meanings and to experience a feminist epistemology.     

Sex and Sexuality in Entertainment Media Popular With Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents

Media may serve as important sexual socialization agents for lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) adolescents who often have limited interpersonal resources from which to garner sexual information. A content analysis was conducted on a sample of television programs, films, magazines, and music popular with LGB youth to quantify the sexual messages LGB youth encounter in the media. Results suggest that heterosexuality is overrepresented and LGB sexualities are underrepresented in media popular with LGB adolescents. When depicted, LGB sexual talk was often talk about stereotypes or insults/jokes related to sexuality and rarely about relationships or sex. LGB sexual behaviors were nearly nonexistent. LGB sexual talk seems to be increasing in entertainment television, but LGB sexual behaviors have remained relatively rare over time. Findings are discussed in terms of the possible effects of exposure on LGB youth relying on media for information about sex and sexuality during sexual socialization.     

Forum: Canonical correlation: Response to Wimmer

Although there has been concern about sex and violence on television since the 1950s, little is known about the determinants of public opinion concerning the regulatory response to “inappropriate” television content. Here the Annenberg National Health Communication Survey (ANHCS) is used to predict support for fining television stations for violent and sexual content from a set of precursor demographic, attitudinal, political affiliation, and television exposure variables. The results show that support for fining television stations is primarily a result of the beliefs that sex and violence on television causes sex and violence in teenagers.     

One medium: Two critics,two views

This study analyzed the mean shares of network primetime series aired from 1963 to 1985. It was found that the network that counterprograms the situation in which competing networks are blunting each other with programs of the same type has done well, although counterprogramming with movies may have some limitations. The network that blunts another network's program by offering a program of a similar type, though, has tended to do poorly whenever the third network countered with a program of a different type. The data suggest that programmers would be wise to counterprogram situations in which the competing networks are blunting each other and avoid placing themselves in blunting situations.     

Background and training of television directors employed at small local stations

Traditional analyses have treated TV violence as a homogenous entity disregarding the nature and context of the violent acts. A new coding scheme was designed to examine the amount of violence portrayed on TV; the degree to which it is obtrusive; and the messages it conveys. The final, 37 item coding scheme is sensitive to features of televised messages whether in fiction, or in non‐fiction. It included contextual themes concerning intensity (seriousness, realism, way of dramatization), and attractiveness (justification, glamorization, efficacy) of TV violence. The coding scheme was applied to an analysis of a program sample which consisted of all genres (N = 259) presented on Finnish network television during one week. The analysis showed that television violence does not exist as a homogenous entity, since portrayals of violence vary in amount, intensity, and attractiveness.     

Journalism

David Halberstam The Powers That Be (New York: Knopf, 1979—$15.00)

Salme Harju Steinberg Reformer in the Marketplace: Edward W. Bok and The Ladies' Home Journal (Baton Rouge, La.: Lousiana State University Press, 1979—$12.95)

John C. Merrill and Ralph L. Lowenstein Media, messages, and Men (New York: Longman, 1979—$7.95, paper)

Frederick Shook and Dan Lattimore The Broadcast News Process (Morton Publishing Co., 2700 East Bates Ave., Denver, Colorado 802l0—price not given, paper)

Donald Kirsch Financial and Economic Journalism: Analysis, Interpretation and Reporting (New York: New York University Press, 1979—$15.00 for the hardback text; $7.95 for the paperback documentary supplement)

Charles Brooks, ed. Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year: 1979 Edition (Gretna, La.: Pelican Publishing Co., 1979—$11.95/5.95)     

Ingredients for great sex: Discussing sexual preferences and intimacy

Course: This activity is intended for a course on romantic relationships, communication between intimate partners, or a special topics class where partner communication about sex may be discussed.

Objective: The objective is to provide students a non-threatening environment to articulate their conceptualization of sexual pleasure, and to practice communication about sexual pleasure and preferences. Students will also examine challenges and opportunities for communication about sexual pleasure.     

Stability in the popularity of television programs among children and adolescents

This study analyzed changes in the popularity (ratings) of television programs over the duration of a television season. Results indicated that popularity was quite stable and increased as the season wore on, especially among younger viewers.     

The thrust of the mob and the media

Children from ages 4 to 9 watched segments from Sesame Street and answered questions about television reality. Factor analysis produced three reality dimensions: (a) Sesame Street really exists, (b) television characters can see and hear us, and (c) what you see is inside the television set. For preschoolers, age was the most important variable in regard to television reality. There were other background variables for older children: Children from working‐class backgrounds were more apt to believe that television characters can see and hear us and that they reside inside the television set than their middle‐ and upper‐class age peers.     

Telecommunications

Robert Lee Chartrand and James W. Norentz, Jr., eds. Information Technology Serving, Society (Oxford and New York: Pergamon Press, 1979—E12.50/$25.00)

Rosario Joseph Tosiello, The Birth and Early Years of the Bell Telephone System: 1376-1880 (New York: Aicno Press, 1979—$32.00)

James E. Brittain, ed. Turning Points in American Electrical History (New York: Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Press [dist. by John Wiley], 1977– $20.00, paper)

Harry L. Van Trees, ed. Satellite Communications (New York: IEEE/John Wiley, 1979—$27.00, paper with a hardback edition available)

Dave Ingram's Oscar: The Ham Radio Satellites (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa: Tab Books, 1979—$8.95/4.95)

Clayton Hallmark's How to Repair Old-Time Radios (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.: Tab Books, 1979—$12.95/7.95)

Telecommunications Law Reform (American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1150 17th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 —price not given, paper)     

film history

Kevin Brownlow The War, the West and the Wilderness (New York; Alfred A. Knopf, 1979 – $27.50, hardcover).

Marshall Deutelbaum, "Image" on the Art and Evolution of the Film (New York: Dover Publications, 1979 – $8.95 in paper).

American Theatres of Today, Volumes I and II, by R.W. Sexton and B.F. Betts (New Yorks Architectural Book Publishing Inc., 1927 and 1930 – reprinted at $35.00 in one volume, 360 pages, hardcover).

Picture Palace Architecture in Australia by Ross Thorne (South Melbourne: Sun Books, 1976 – $9.95 in paper from Vestal).

Temples of Illusion by Roger Brett($14.95, paper).

Carol Herselle Krinsky Rockefeller Center (New York: Oxford University Press, 1978 – $17.50 hardcover/ $9.95 paper)

Richard Taylor Film Propaganda: Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany (London: Croom Helm/ New York: Barnes & Nonle, 1979—$25.00)

William Kittredge and Steren M. Krauzer, eds. Stories into Film (New York: Harper & RowP2olophon Books, 1979—price not given, paper)

Richard Dyer Stars (London: British Film Institute, 1979—E2.25, or about $5.00, paper)