Predicting the Adoption of Mobile DTV by Local Television Stations in the United States

Just a few years after local TV stations transitioned from analog to digital transmissions, dozens of stations across the United States have begun to provide live programming via mobile digital television (DTV). An exploratory study of television station managers (adopters and non-adopters of mobile DTV) focused on various perspectives of the technology, adoption motivations, and audience factors. Findings revealed that station owners and management were the ones who primarily determined whether to adopt mobile DTV. In addition, stations that had adopted the technology were more likely than non-adopters to be motivated by a desire to be the first to use mobile DTV.     

Comparison Between Early High-Definition Television Owners and Non-Owners

A national random telephone survey was conducted to profile early high-definition television (HDTV) adopters based on demographics, media use, interpersonal communication, social participation, cosmopoliteness, perceived innovation attributes of new communication technologies, and ownership of communication technologies. Of all respondents, 21% reported owning an HDTV set at home. In the primary logistic regression, Web news reading, religious service attendance, complexity, trialability, and ownership of communication technologies were significant predictors of HDTV adoption.     

VCR attitudes and behaviors by length of ownership

A random sample telephone survey of 579 VCR owners revealed that length of VCR ownership was related to attitudes, behaviors, and communication technology ownership. The longer the VCR presence, the more likely respondents were (a) to express positive altitudes about watching and recording network television; (b) to record television shows; (c) to perform higher level recording behaviors (e.g., recording a program while watching another); (d) to record sports programs, news magazines, and public television shows; and (e) to seek particular tapes at the video store. The results support the contention that VCR adopters are not a monolithic group and that familiarity may cause the newest adopters to reinvent the way they use the VCR.     

Audience Attributes,Media Supplementation,and Likely Online Service Adoption

Despite the explosive potential for revenue growth on the Internet, research suggests that the advertising industry remains perplexed about how to reach consumers in this new medium. Drawing from several bodies of literature including diffusion, motivation, and media substitution theories, this study explores potential predictors for online service adoption. Findings indicate that the cognitive and affective gratification-seeking factors were the strongest predictors of likely online service adoption. By contrast, whereas adopter attributes were moderate predictors, the existing adoption cluster and media use attributes were both weak predictors of likely online service adoption.     

Exploring the Characteristics of DVD Home Theater System Adopters

This study examines the growing DVD home theater phenomenon by mapping the characteristics of DVD home theater adopters and their attitudes toward the new technology, which entered the mass market in 1997 as a competitor to the VCR. It attempts to locate and differentiate DVD adopters based on patterns of media use, utilities from gratification, socialization, and displacement. Based on Q methodology with a sample of 38 American respondents, 3 distinct groups are evident: audiophiles, technophiles, and recreation seekers. Audiophiles use DVD to pursue audio quality, whereas technophiles are the early adopters who are drawn to the new technology and its potential. Recreation seekers use the DVD to satisfy a need for entertainment, enjoyment, and escape. These groups are guided by different goals and gratifications and hence exhibit different patterns of use, diffusion, and displacement, although they all agree that their DVD adoption was motivated by the DVD's technological quantum leap over the VCR.     

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.     

Index to Volume 55, 2011

This article reports a national study of Internet users' usage of cable television Web site features to illustrate the dynamics of cross-media use in electronic media and explore the role of cable television network Web sites in network branding and viewership. Our findings indicate that younger Internet users are much more likely to use television Web sites than older Internet users. Despite the low use of the enhanced features of television Web sites, the increase in the number of Web site feature usage positively predicts viewer loyalty, subscriber loyalty, and to a lesser extent, new subscriber attraction for cable networks.     

Bordering on Empathy: The Effect of Selective Exposure and Border Residency on Immigration Attitudes

Two surveys, including an original survey and a survey containing substantial secondary data, found substantial links between party identity, selective media exposure and attitudes on immigration. Republicans were significantly more likely to segregate themselves to like-minded media and to avoid traditional objective sources like national and local newspapers, local and national broadcast television news. Border-state residency failed to moderate attitudes about immigration; differences were found between local and national media. Finally, Republican support for immigration fell between 2016 and 2018, after the election of President Trump.     

Interactivity on Traditional Media Web Sites

This study compares the radio industry's use of interactivity to that of other traditional media on the Web such as newspapers and television stations, along the dimensions of audience-oriented interactivity and source-oriented interactivity. A content analysis of 112 traditional radio station Web sites, 282 traditional newspaper Web sites, and 128 traditional television station Web sites found that traditional radio station Web sites provided more audience-oriented interactivity compared to other traditional media Web sites, and traditional newspaper Web sites offered the most source-oriented interactivity. A general conclusion of this study is that although traditional radio stations were more likely to transmit live and archived sound than other media, all traditional media Web sites have held back from developing interactivity beyond e-mail, and have limited the transmission of streaming media, as well as archived audio and video content.     

Making professional development more social: A systematic review of librarians' professional development through social media

To maintain relevancy with the ever-increasing competencies required of them, librarians on the job have frequently turned to professional development (PD) opportunities. One outlet that could potentially address barriers librarians face when accessing PD is social media, which can help librarians communicate across distances, are used at low to no cost, and can be accessed asynchronously as needed. Drawing from 25 studies conducted in 21 countries, this systematic literature review explored the empirical themes evident in the current research on librarians' adoption of social media for PD purposes. This review found (1) there is considerable potential in adopting social media for PD across contexts; (2) studies focused on the affordances provided by social media in areas where there is limited infrastructure, support, and resources for PD; (3) in congruence with prior research pertaining to the Technology Acceptance Model, librarians who felt more tech-savvy were more likely to adopt social media for PD; and (4) social media was viewed as democratic in creating a platform where diverse voices could participate. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for practitioners and recommendations for future research directions.     

Are Social Media Ubiquitous in Academic Libraries? A Longitudinal Study of Adoption and Usage Patterns

A debate has emerged in library literature concerning the advantages and disadvantages of adopting social media applications in academic libraries. This research examines the ubiquity of social media through a longitudinal study of the adoption rates and usage patterns of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr at academic libraries in the Canadian province of Ontario from April 2010 to April 2012. The findings from this study indicate that large discrepancies exist in adoption rates across libraries, with two-thirds of Ontario academic libraries maintaining at least one social media application during the period of examination. Unexpectedly, Twitter and Facebook were equally popular social media tools during the study period. Despite its low adoption rate and usage, YouTube was by far the most effective means of reaching patrons. We conclude by examining the implications of engaging with patrons via social media in ways that are effective, engaging, and meaningful.     

Communication Forms as Predictors of Issue Knowledge in Presidential Campaigns: A Meta-Analytic Assessment

Theory and past research argue for the importance of understanding the effect of various campaign communication forms (e.g., newspapers, television news, radio, debates, candidate advertising, and personal discussions) on levels of issue knowledge (IK). This study used a meta-analytic approach to examine how well these forms predict IK. The aggregate analysis indicates that any of these forms can affect IK but that the different forms are not equally successful. Findings also indicate that the level of campaign interest moderates the effect of reading newspapers and watching television news and that those who watch debates in years with incumbents are less likely to learn. In addition, studies of newspapers are less likely to find significant effects in recent years, even though the issue content of newspapers has increased. The findings also suggest that television news is more likely to influence IK when levels of issue content are greater. These data indicate that measures of media use and IK can systematically influence the study results. Several conclusions are drawn from the research in the hopes of moving toward a theoretical model of communication forms and the attainment of IK.     

The adoption of centralized customer service systems: A survey of local governments

This study examines the adoption of centralized customer service systems in local governments in the United States. Survey data is used to show the relationship between different factors of E-Government adoption and the implementation of this information technology (IT). The results of this study show that the adoption of a centralized customer service system was related to the form of government that the local government had and being located in a central city. The results also indicated that the sophistication of the local government's website was related to the adoption of a centralized customer service system. The results of this study did not support the claim that larger cities are more likely to be adopters of this type of IT. Other results indicate that only 15% of local governments have adopted this IT. These information systems are well-integrated with existing online communication methods such as email and the internet. The information from this IT is commonly used by local governments for performance management and budget development.     

Adoption of Internet resource-based value-added processes by faculty in LIS education

In response to the proliferation of digital information accessible over networks, significant changes have taken place in library and information science (LIS) education during the last decade. To understand the changes, the study examined LIS faculty members' innovative behavior toward the end of the decade by applying a model of adoption that purports that material resources, experiential resources, value attributed to the innovation, and communication with adopters influence adoption of an innovation. The particular innovation examined was a complex, digital information-related innovation. It was termed collectively as Internet resource-based value-added processes and included the following set of processes that add value to Internet resources: (1) selection of Internet resources, (2) organization of Internet resources, (3) Internet reference services, (4) interface design in digital libraries, and (5) user analysis in digital libraries. Survey results indicated that the value LIS faculty attached to the innovation was the most influential variable in their decisions in favor of early adoption. However, communication between early adopters and late adopters in LIS education was found to be weak and not influential in the late adopters' decisions.     

Enhancing the adoption of digital public services: Evidence from a large-scale field experiment

Governments increasingly digitalize the provision of their public services, but these efforts fail to generate expected social benefits if the services remain underutilized. We use a large-scale field experiment to provide causal evidence on how a concrete policy instrument, nudging, can be used to address such underutilization by a group of slow adopters. Our experiment is conducted in a real-world setting with actual citizens and makes use of informative and social influence nudges. We find that such behavioral interventions enhance the adoption of an online government service among the slow adopters. The effects are statistically highly significant and quantitatively large. The most effective experimental treatment doubles the adoption rate.     

Social media adoption in the police: Barriers and strategies

Public organizations often face numerous barriers when it comes to adopting and using social media to communicate and engage with the broader public. This research aims to better understand how barriers to social media adoption can be tackled by zooming in on one specific type of organization: the police. Our research answers the following question: to what effect do police forces manage barriers to the adoption of social media with social media policies? Firstly, by systematically reviewing previous studies using a typology of barriers to ICT adoption, this study identifies the types of barriers that the police are often faced with. Secondly, by qualitatively analyzing two frontrunner cases, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, this study analyzes how social media policies address and can help overcome these barriers. The empirical analysis indicates that in addressing barriers to social media adoption, a combination of exploration and exploitation is needed to address both structural and cultural barriers to social media adoption. We argue that this fits an approach of the ‘perpetual beta’: ongoing technological innovation requires organization capacity to continuously adapt to socio-technical change.     

A comparison of political,cultural, and economic indicators of access to information in Arab and non-Arab states

As more and more countries adopt access-to-information (ATI) laws to advance economic development and democratic self-governance, efforts are under way to foster ATI movements in the Arab world. While one nation in that region already has adopted the legislation, the likelihood of adoption in other Arab states is unknown. This comparative study analyzed 12 quantitative indicators measuring political, cultural, and economic factors associated with access to information. Results indicate that Arab countries, as a whole, contrast sharply in nearly all areas with non-Arab countries that have ATI laws and are consistent with non-Arab countries that do not have ATI laws. However, the study also found that the most recent ATI law adopters had weaker political, cultural, and economic enabling environments for government information access, which may portend a global phenomenon that will continue and could explain the interest in adopting the legislation in the Arab world. Findings also suggest that while a handful of Arab countries might have the wealth to effectively implement ATI laws, political and cultural conditions may be substantial obstacles for greater government transparency. Other results regarding the use of quantitative indicators of ATI adoption, particularly structural pluralism, are discussed.     

The Economics of French Cable Systems as Reflected in Media Policy

The French media are protected by a wide range of legislative and regulatory measures. The intricacies of French media policy--determined by objectives often not imminent to media--are reflected in the development of the French cable systems. Planned as a secondary utilization market for film and television productions increasing the demand for new French works, the development of French cable systems has been ailing economically for a long time. This study sets out to analyze the driving forces of media policy as to cable systems and their economic effects, leading to a long-term evaluation of the efficiency of French cable policy.     

FROM FEAR OF TELEVISION TO FEAR FOR TELEVISION

New media technologies are often met with political and public ambivalence, as they are perceived to threaten established activities, values and institutions, as well as bring progress and improve political, cultural and social life. Taking the Norwegian history of television as an empirical case study, this article relates to an international research agenda focusing on the cultural political debates in the early phases of broadcast media. The article is structured according to five key conjunctures where significant new media and technologies were introduced with corresponding political debates: the introduction of television (1940s–1950s), of colour television (1960s–1970s), of satellite, cable and commercial television (1980s), of digital distribution (1990s–2000s) and the expansion of television to new platforms (2000s). The article addresses the key arguments and dividing lines in these political debates, as well as the change in the perception of television when the medium is no longer new, but has become an integrated part of people's everyday life.     

Regulatory Changes and Impacts on Media Management in the United States: A Look at Early Research

The increasing consolidation of radio and television stations in the United States as a result of changing regulatory policies is having a direct impact on the role of the media manager. This article reviews the regulatory changes that have taken place regarding media ownership, and how it brought about changes in management practices. A summary of 2 research studies undertaken to examine the impact of regulatory changes on media management of radio and television stations is presented. Managers of radio clusters (at least 3 stations) and television duopolies were surveyed to ascertain how consolidation was affecting the way stations are managed. The data and findings in this article are discussed in terms of broader implications for media management outside the United States in an era of increasing globalization.