Summary: This program examines the evolution of the magazine industry over the course of the 20th century. General-interest magazines like Life and Look once provided a national forum that helped Americans explore their common interests. After World War II, the tremendous impact of television on audience-share caused the magazine industry to focus instead on developing niche publications aimed at...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: Although advances in telecommunications and computer technology have changed the way news is covered and written, the role of the journalist-to gather the facts and report the news in a way that will engage a mass audience-has remained the same. In this program, staff members of The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Miami Herald, the Rocky Mountain News, and The Denver Post talk about...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: In 1927, Herbert Hoover made TV history by appearing in one of America's first experimental broadcasts; 33 years later, the televising of the Kennedy-Nixon debates changed the face of political history forever. This program covers the progress of broadcast TV, from experimental novelty, to its emergence as a mass media powerhouse, and on to its current state as an industry with declining...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: Book publishing is both the oldest and the smallest of the mass media industries. With commentary by the president of Allyn & Bacon, a regional manager of Barnes & Noble, and the owner of the large, independent Tattered Cover Book Store, this program provides a detailed look at how trade and educational/reference books are made, sold, and marketed. Also discussed is the perception of book...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: In spite of competition by other media, movies have remained a perennial favorite of American viewing audiences. But what is it like to make them? This program analyzes the film industry from a variety of technical, financial, legal, and business perspectives. Topics explored include marketing and merchandising, financial influences on content, special effects and Hollywood action movies, the...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: How do you juggle journalistic ideals with bottom-line concerns? Each day both local and national TV news operations attempt to report on the day's events in a way that will maximize viewers and advertising dollars. But what is the downside of this tortured calculus? In this program, a wide assortment of news professionals and scholars cast a critical eye on the practices, content, and impact...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: This program details the history of this dynamic medium from its modest beginnings. In 1949, cable meant television for locations that had very poor reception or were inaccessible to broadcast signals. By the mid-1970s, cable service began to expand rapidly due to the easing of government restrictions and the use of satellite transmissions. Fiber optics, new cable-ready TVs, and an explosion of...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: In 1923 more than 500 American cities had two or more competing daily newspapers, but in the 90s that number dwindled to a mere 36. This program spotlights the cross-town rivalry between The Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News, offering insight into some of the benefits and drawbacks of competition for the same readership. In addition, it provides an engaging overview of America's oldest...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: Many technology and mass media pundits have predicted the demise of radio, but radio's mystique and extraordinary ability to adapt have repeatedly proved them wrong. In this program, the business side of public and commercial radio broadcasting is explored in depth by industry insiders. Host Ray Suarez and others from NPR's "Talk of the Nation" discuss how content is created and how their show...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: How does a new artist attract the attention of a recording company? How do recording companies find new talent? Can a big-name label make a run-of-the-mill CD into a platinum seller? In this program, top industry executives and other experts answer these and other questions, such as how much performers can expect to make in royalties, how SoundScan has revealed the true top 100, and how MTV has...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005