The United Kingdom Children’s Laureate: The Story So Far

Britain’s Children’s Laureate Scheme has now been running for 14 years. This article asks Quentin Blake, Anne Fine, Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson, Anthony Browne, Michael Rosen and Julia Donaldson for their views on their own experience of taking up this post. It concludes with a discussion of the recurring issues raised by these Laureates along with a look at possible future developments.     

Sex does not matter: gender bias and gender differences in peer assessments of contributions to group work

This paper considers the possibility of gender bias in peer ratings for contributions to team assignments, as measured by an online self-and-peer assessment tool. The research was conducted to determine whether peer assessment led to reliable and fair marking outcomes. The methodology of Falchikov and Magin was followed in order to test their finding that gender has no discernable impact on peer ratings. Data from over 1500 participants at two universities enrolled in four different degree programmes were analysed. The research indicates an absence of gender bias in six case studies. The research also found that women received significantly higher ratings than men.     

Television History

SATURDAY MIGHT: A BACKSTAGE HISTORY OF SATURDAY MIGHT LIVE by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad (New York: Beech Tree Books/Morrow, 1986—$17.95)

THE SOAP OPERA ENCYCLOPEDIA by Christopher Schemering (New York: Ballantine Books, 1985—$8.95, paper)

WARNER BROS. TELEVISION: EVERY SHOW OF THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES EPISODE-BYEPISODE by Lynn Woolley, et al. (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1985—$25.95)

THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN BANDSTAND by Michael Shore with Dick Clark (New York: Ballantine Books, 1985—$12.95, paper)

A COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO TV MEMORABILIA by Anthony Slide (Wallace-Homestead Book Co., 580 Waters Edge, Lombard, IL 60148—$13.95, paper)     

Has lead‐in lost its punch? An analysis of primetime inheritance effects: Comparing 1992 with 2002

Abstract

Recognizing the recent dramatic increase in the number of channels available to the typical American household coinciding with an equally dramatic decrease in audience ratings for the major broadcast networks, there was reason to hypothesize that, in recent years, lead‐in or inheritance effects have diminished. However, an analysis of prime time ratings comparing 1992 with 2002 for ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox showed no support for this notion, suggesting that, despite the recent upheavals in the television industry, lead‐in has not lost its punch.     

Religious broadcasting: 1920–1965, a bibliography

The following bibliography is the first installment of an extensive bibliography of books, pamphlets, theses, dissertations, documents, addresses, unpublished mimeographed and other miscellaneous materials, and periodical articles on religious broadcasting. The years covered are from the dawn of American broadcasting up to the present. Of particular importance is the first section on “Sources of Bibliographical Information” on this subject.

Because of the length of the entire bibliography, only the sections on sources, theses and dissertations, books and pamphlets, and unpublished and miscellaneous materials will be published in this issue of the Journal. The section on periodical articles will be published in a forthcoming issue. It is also intended to update the entire bibliography from time to time.

The importance of religious broadcasting is well‐recognized by anyone who has ever completed the programming section of an FCC application form, or has ever examined the body of law that has ranged from the Scott and Schuler cases of yesterday to the Maclntyre case of today. Those readers who find this bibliography of interest might also wish to read FCC Commissioner Lee Loevinger's “Broadcasting and Religious Liberty” in the Winter 1964–65 issue of the Journal of Broadcasting.

The major portion of this bibliography was compiled as a part of the author's Ph.D. dissertation, completed in 1965 in the Department of Speech of Michigan State University. Co‐chairmen of the guidance committee were Drs. Kenneth G. Hance of the Speech Department and Walter B. Emery of the Department of TV‐Radio. It has been updated and corrected to July 1965. Dr. Dick is Associate Professor of Speech and General Manager of KSDA at La Sierra College in Riverside, California.