The comparative “look‐up” ability of script readers on television

The authors present a detailed analysis of the major factors (sales price, net broadcast revenue, average daily audience size, program expenses vs. station profitability, and sales price) which help define a station's economic value. One major conclusion is that higher program expenditures appear to correlate with higher station profits (and economic value). Mr. Blau is a doctoral candidate in mass communications at Indiana University, while Drs. Johnson and Ksobiech are associate and assistant professors, respectively, in that university's department of telecommunications. The study was conducted with the support of grants from the NAB and an Indiana University Faculty, Grant‐in‐Aid. Naturally, the opinions and other content do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of those institutions, and no official endorsement should be inferred.     

Special‐purpose television

The current advances in FM radio broadcasting's financial status are to a great extent due to the “additional” income brought in by various multiplexed services: storecasting, transitcasting, even special programming that is designed to inform medical practitioners of new techniques. At present, the allocation structure and transmission standards of television do not permit the use of subsidiary service multiplexing. However, if such a development were possible, its effect upon the structure of television broadcasting would be tremendous.     

A cross‐cultural analysis of children's television use

This study compared uses of U.S. television by foreign children residing in the U.S. and their American counterparts in light of theories of acculturation, cultivation, and uses and gratifications. Compared with U.S. children, foreign children: used television more for learning purposes, were relatively more interested in television programs, spent more time watching television, identified more frequently with television characters, and expressed stronger beliefs in the social reality portrayed by television.     

Public service television at the digital crossroads ‐the case of Austria

Abstract

The present article examines the impact of new digital technologies, services and markets on changes to television in Austria from a media‐economics perspective. This article started form the assumption that the process of transformation towards digital distribution modes would make questions about the role and legitimacy of public service television in Austria more prominent than ever before. Since the technical development of digitisation steps up competition in the programming, advertising and viewer markets, the continued existence of public service broadcasting in Austria is at risk. Already facing strong competition from private cross‐border analogue television, private digital services promise increased competition for the ORF, will take away advertising volume and accelerate the cost spiral for rights. The ORF will have to face these challenges as the regulator has assigned it the role of a chief enabler of digital television in the market segments for satellite and terrestrial transmission. This article argues that programme universality as leading principle for public service broadcasting faces a legitimacy crisis as digital competitors may better target minority demands in fragmented audience environments. It remains to be seen how far the ORF is able to being both distinctive and attractive to its target audiences, so to ensure its position into the next millennium. Affordability and reliability of technology comes as another critical success factor. For the time being, the continuous confusion about lasting, stable and interoperable receivers in viewer homes is the main cause for the poor development of digital TV in Austria. This is aggravated by excessive prices and the current difficulty in seeing any added value in new digital content. To conclude, much hope is put into the Digitale Plattform Austria, a working group of experts to produce a coherent and evaluable digitisation concept, that will take up these challenges in a competent way.     

How families select television programs: A mass‐observational study

Mass observation and survey data reveal how family position and family communication patterns influence the selection of television programs under naturalistic conditions at home.     

Evaluating carrascolendas: A television series for Mexican‐American children

Readers with young children may have noticed the occasional Spanish language vignettes appearing from time to time on Sesame Street, the popular public television program for pre‐schoolers. The following article describes the development and audience impact of a program designed to reach a Spanish‐American audience in a Texas city. The study is presented primarily as a guide for other programmers desiring to evaluate audience effects of such content. This article is a summary of a longer report done under an Office of Education subcontract to the Center for Communication Research at the University of Texas. Dr. Williams is Director of the Center and professor in the school of communications, while Diana Natalicio is now an assistant professor of linguistics at the University of Texas at El Paso after having completed her doctorate in linguistics at the Austin campus in 1970.     

Household‐level demand for cable television: A probit analysis.

The authors explore demand for cable services in individual households and find that the quality of over‐the‐air reception, interest in nonprogramming entertainment services, and service quality directly affect that demand. The study also explores demographic and behavioral differences in demand for basic and pay services and outlines their implications for cable systems operators.     

Single versus multiple‐system cable television

The senior author is an assistant professor of radio‐television at Indiana University, where Robert Blau is working toward a PhD. The article which follows is based on research done originally for an Indiana cable company for which the authors served as consultants.     

A graphic look at GPO depository distribution: 1975–1993

The American Library Association Government Documents Round Table in the early 1980s prepared statistics guidelines for government documents collections. These guidelines suggested that a collection's federal publications be counted and reported in the same manner as similar materials that are nongovernmental. This paper demonstrates how statistics might be maintained on federal publications acquisitions and holdings to describe trends in GPO depository distribution. Such data included in annual reports may be graphically displayed for comparison over a number of years to show how trends in GPO depository distribution have affected budget and space needs.     

A study of women's compliance‐gaining behaviors in violent and non‐violent relationships

Recent research by communication scholars has investigated the dynamics of abusive spousal relationships (Chandler, 1986; Infante, Chandler, & Rudd, 1989; Infante, Chandler‐Sabourin, Rudd, & Shannon, 1990; Rancer & Niemasz, 1988; Rudd, Burant, & Beatty, 1994; Sabourin, Infante, & Rudd, 1993). Infante and his colleagues have suggested that those involved in violent relationships communicate differently with their partners than those involved in nonviolent relationships. Based on this prior research, it seems important for communication scholars to further investigate the communication behaviors of individuals involved in violent relationships. This current study seeks to advance the family violence research by comparing the types of compliance‐gaining strategies that battered and non‐battered women report using during their disputes.     

European public service television and the cultural‐educational logic: A comparative analysis of children's and youth programming

One of the most recurrent themes in studies on European television trends, is that the policies of liberalization and deregulation have caused the industry to follow a more market‐oriented or crass commercial logic. New technologies and policies have led to an explosion in the number of commercial channels; new financial, organizational and programming strategies; increasing pressure from advertising and multinationals; and a decreasing role of the state in production and distribution.

This paper looks at how such pressures have affected the policies of European public service broadcasters (PSBs), by concentrating on their traditional commitment to education in an analysis of children's and youth programmes as an index of this change.     

Attitudes and parental factors as intervening variables in the television violence‐aggression relation

This study examines the relationship of cognitive and parental factors affecting adolescents viewing of television violence. Participants in the study were 422 adolescents and 298 of their parents who were surveyed for their viewing behaviors, perceptions of violent portrayals, and aggressive behavioral tendencies. Regression analysis indicated that attitude was the strongest predictor of aggression. The more adolescents reported liking television violence, the more aggressive were their intentions. Results suggested that while exposure to violence and parental factors both play a part in mediating subsequent aggression, viewing violence is less important than liking violence.     

Gender differences in television use: An exploration of the instrumental‐expressive dichotomy

This study applied an interpersonal approach to understand gender differences in television use. Research shows that males are socialized to be instrumental in communication while females are socialized to be expressive, or focused on relationships. We expected this instrumental‐expressive dichotomy to emerge in television use. In two studies we found limited support that males had an instrumental viewing style, with goal‐directed reasons for watching and intentional, concentrated, and selective use of television. Females had a relationship‐oriented approach to television similar to the expressive orientation. These findings are linked to prior research on the uses of television.     

Electronic monitoring of in‐home television RCD usage

This study electronically‐monitored in‐home RCD activity. The frequency of channel changing and other RCD behaviors were recorded and discrepancies between self‐reported and actual RCD use are examined. This is one of a few academic studies of RCDs that does not rely on a survey (respondent recall) or on observation, but rather records actual behaviors in the participants’ home. This study also examines viewers’ uses of RCDs within the framework of selective exposure.

Slightly over 374 hours of television viewing by 44 participants yielded 13,680 channel switches. It was found that viewers made an average of 36.6 channel changes per hour. In other words, they watched channels for an average of one minute and 38 seconds between switches. Further analyses revealed an audience of “rapid‐fire”; channel grazers as 80% of the switches took place after a channel was on for less than five seconds.     

Chuc Nichim,the washing of the flowers — a look at traditional preservation practices

Abstract

The ceremonies ofthe Maya people of Chiapas, Mexico, combine Catholic symbolism and ancient ritual. The clothes belonging to the effigies of saints, as well as other textiles, are taken out of storage, washed, dried and incensed in preparation for the saint's feast day. One such feast, Chuc Nichim, is described in detail, and the conservation implications of the rituals are discussed.     

Adequacy of coverage by still picture and film services: A study by the radio‐television news directors association

More than ever before, broadcasting stations are concerned with public service programming. Extremely relevant to this problem is the question of adequacy of news coverage. The Radio‐Television News Directors Association has initiated a series of studies into one of the major interest areas of the television news director, that of still pictures and news film. The first of these studies, dealing with the supply in various content categories of still pictures and motion picture films of news events, is reported below.     

The cronkite‐ford interview at the 1980 republican national convention: A therapeutic analogue

Ford's politically dangerous openness in his interview with Cronkite during the GOP convention is difficult to explain. This study argues that the interview is better understood as interpersonal than as political communication; a therapeutic analogue better explains it than does traditional political analysis.