This is the first look at the particular strengths and weaknesses of broadcast television written during the new age of television: an era that includes cable, home video, and digital satellite systems as competing distribution systems.The Broadcast Television Industry is a current, comprehensive review of the dominant distributor of television programming in the United States. The book reviews the history and current practices of both commercial and public television. Separate chapters explore the regulation of television, the operation of local stations and national networks, audience research, the impact of our most pervasive medium, and the future of broadcasting as a means of television distribution in an increasingly competitive environment. Broadcast and cable television managers and employees.Part of the Allyn & Bacon Series in Mass Communication

The world of cable and satellite delivered television is constantly evolving and changing with new technology. These new technologies, especially the transition to digital distribution, are altering the world of television. The momentous results of these changes can be seen in the convergence of communications markets and services. This is the only book on the market that successfully captures the scope and detail of these developments. It examines the convergence and competition of emerging television industries both domestically and internationally. This book's clarity and comprehensibility make it accessible to readers without a background in these areas. Also, current employees in the industry will benefit from the broad based topics of the industry that are explored in this book. These topics include chapters on history, technology, industry structure, industry programming and services, daily operations, law and policy, international activities, and social issues. Also included is a detailed discussion of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, as well as other legal issues that are crucial to a clear understanding of the industry. Ultimately this book is a detailed review of where cable and satellite has come from, what it is like today, where it is headed and why, and how it relates to other media. Industry gurus and novices alike. Part of the Allyn & Bacon Series inMass Communication.

Although there are different opinions about where cable television actually began, a great deal of the ingenuity that developed cable into today's multibillion dollar industry came from Pennsylvania. In this state, with its mountainous geography, the need for an unusual means of obtaining a television signal gave birth to the community antenna television system that was the forerunner of the cable we know today. This volume traces the history of cable television through biographical sketches of those who were instrumental in bringing this technology to rural Pennsylvania. Enumerating technical as well as financial obstacles, each chapter focuses on the life of a cable pioneer. The contributions of such men as John Walson, Bob Tarleton, George Gardner and Ralph Roberts are discussed and their relationships to each other examined. Information drawn from interviews with these men or people who knew them brings history to life. Topics include the roots of cable television, problems of early cable systems and the advent of HBO and its consequences. An appendix offers a commemorative history of the Pennsylvania Cable Network, a joint project of several men discussed herein.