Hitting promotion hard: A network response to channel surfing and new competition

Examination of over 600 on‐air promos carried within or adjacent to situation comedies showed that the promos’ salience impacted the ratings of the promoted program. After controlling for the ratings of the lead‐in to the promoted program, significant associations were found for the method of construction of the promo, the familiarity of the promoted program, the amount of clutter within breaks, the position of the promo within the break, and the rating of the program carrying the promotion. The results suggested a six‐part model for maximizing the effectiveness of on‐air promotion.     

How Promotional Content Changes Ratings: The Impact of Appeals,Humor, and Presentation

This study assessed the impact of content--as opposed to structural--factors on television program ratings, seeking to locate clusters of components that would identify effective on-air promotion and allocate content a better-defined place within theoretic models of media priming. Stepwise multiple regression analyses of 1,547 on-air promos for 155 prime-time programs demonstrated that 5-9% of ratings variance was accounted for by content appeals, humor, and presentation in promos for comedy programs. The influence of content variables was greater for familiar than unfamiliar comedies, and humor and presentation in promos contributed to variance in ratings for mid-rated but not high- or low-rated comedies.     

Alternative perspectives on learning outcomes: challenges for assessment

In discussing the relationship between curriculum and assessment it is commonly argued that assessment should be aligned to curriculum or, alternatively, that they should be congruent with each other. This article explores that relationship in five educational contexts in the UK and in Europe, ranging across school education, workplace learning, vocational education and higher education. Four main themes are highlighted: construct definition, progression, assessment procedures, and system-level accountability. What emerges from the five case studies under review is a multi-layered process of knowledge being constructed in diverse ways at different levels in each context. The article concludes that, rather than thinking in terms of either alignment or congruence, these relationships are better understood in terms of non-linear systems embracing curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.     

Kinematic changes during learning the longswing on high bar

The purpose of this study is to provide evidence of technique changes during learning a sports-specific skill, the looped bar longswing (LLS). Thirteen male participants with no previous high bar experience took part in a training study. Kinematic data were collected using a CODA motion analysis system (200 Hz) during eight weekly testing sessions. Analyses focused on the amplitude of swing and the functional phase (FP) actions, defined by the rapid flexion to extension of the shoulders and extension to flexion of the hips as the performer passed through the lower vertical. Three groups were identified based on the number of sessions it took each participant to perform the LLS (G1: most successful, G2: intermediate, and G3: least successful). All participants were able to significantly increase swing amplitude over the training period (p < 0.05). For each participant the hip FP started significantly: later for G1, earlier for G2, and did not change for G3. Extension actions at the shoulders were dissimilar to those reported for elite gymnasts performing the longswing. The FP of the hips provides a mechanism to distinguish between the learners of different skill levels. The study has provided support for a single-subject design when investigating technique changes during learning.     

The reliability of linear position transducer, force plate and combined measurement of explosive power-time variables during a loaded jump squat in elite athletes

The purpose of this study was to determine the between day reliability of power-time measures calculated with data collected using the linear position transducer or the force plate independently, or a combination of the two technologies. Twenty-five male rugby union players performed three jump squats on two occasions one week apart. Ground reaction forces were measured via a force plate and position data were collected using a linear position transducer. From these data, a number of power-time variables were calculated for each method. The force plate, linear position transducer and a combined method were all found to be a reliable means of measuring peak power (ICC = 0.87-0.95, CV = 3.4%-8.0%). The absolute consistency of power-time measures varied between methods (CV = 8.0%-53.4%). Relative consistency of power-time measures was generally comparable between methods and measures, and for many variables was at an acceptable level (ICC = 0.77-0.94). Although a number of time-dependent power variables can be reliably calculated from data acquired from the three methods investigated, the reliability of a number of these measures is below that which is acceptable for use in research and for practical applications.     

Desired Characteristics of Management and Leadership for Public Library Directors as Expressed in Job Advertisements

ABSTRACT

Advertisements for public library directors can reflect the evolution of the public library environment as libraries adapt to changes related to funding and technology. No study has examined whether the skills and attributes desired of public library directors have changed over time and whether they are associated with the characteristics of management or leadership. Content analysis of public library director job advertisements from 2000–2011 revealed a closer association with management than leadership traits and an omission of characteristics like advocating, fundraising, being politically savvy, and having a vision needed to position the public library as an essential resource to stakeholders.     

Does Synergy Work? An Examination of Cross-Promotion Effects

This experimental study was designed to examine the effectiveness of cross-media program promotion. The results showed that the employment of coordinated television and print program promotions led to higher attention from audiences, improved message recall, higher perceived message credibility, more positive attitudes toward the promotion, more positive attitudes toward the program, and greater viewing intent compared to using repetitive single-source promotions. By incorporating cognitive variables such as attention, memory, and attitudes, this study bridges a gap in the existing literature on broadcast promotion and has the potential to aid networks, media practitioners, and academic researchers to a better understanding of cross-media promotion effects.     

Book Reviews

Classification Made Simple (2nd edn) by Eric J. Hunter Ashgate Publishing Ltd 2002, Price £18.00, 160 pp., paperback, ISBN 0‐7546‐0795‐X Internet Law and Regulation (3rd edn) edited by Graham J.H. Smith Sweet & Maxwell, 2001, £145.00, 778 pp., hardback. ISBN 0‐421705906 Super Searcher, Author, Scribe: Successful Writers Share their Internet Research Secrets by Loraine Page (series editor Reva Basch) CyberAge Books, 2002, $24.95, 225 pp. ISBN: 0910965587