Table of Contents

Anthony Smith: Introduction
PART 1. ORIGINS AND INSTITUTIONS
1: Albert Abrahamson: The Invention of Television
2: William Boddy: The Beginnings of American Television
3: Anthony Smith: Television as a Public Service Medium
PART 2. FORMS AND GENRES
4: Richard Paterson: Drama and Entertainment
5: William Boddy: Non-Fiction Television
6: Steven Barnett: Sport
7: Daniel Dayan and Elihu Katz: Political Ceremony and Instant History
PART 3. TELEVISION AND SOCIETY
8: Susan Briggs: Television in the Home and Family
9: Colin Shaw: Taste, Decency, and Standards
10: Philip Schlesinger: Terrorism
PART 4
11: Les Brown: The American Networks
12: Marc Raboy: Canada
13: Hidetoshi Kato: Japan
14: Douglas Boyd: The Arab World
15: Dietrich Berwanger: The Third World
16: Pradip N. Thomas: South Asia
17: Elizabeth Jacka and Leley Johnson: Australia
18: Trine Syvertsen and Eli Skogerb: Scandinavia, Netherlands, Belgium
19: Charles Okigbo: Africa
20: Zhao Bin: China
21: Sylvio Waisband: Latin America
Richard Paterson and Anthony Smith: Epilogue: The Future
Further Reading
Television Museums and Archives

About the Author

Anthony Smith is President of Magdalen College, Oxford. Richard Paterson is Head of the Information and Education Division at the British Film Institute.

Reviews

the authoritative work on the subject Hester Lacy/The Independent on Sunday/26/9/99

the authoritative work on the subject Hester Lacy/The Independent on Sunday/26/9/99

Serious observers of the sociology of television will appreciate the breadth and depth of this history. It contains articles by various specalists and is grouped into several thematic sections: the invention, marketing, and early uses of TV; specific forms and genres (entertainment, sports, news/talk, political events, etc.); TV and society (addressing everything from the family to terrorism); and, finally, international TV. Intriguing issues are raised, particularly concerning the influence of this medium on contemporary society and vice versa. Other topics include government regulations, censorship, and the mechanics of the industry, to name a few. Each perspective is closely analyzed, and points are supported with historical details, technical data, and thoughtful conclusions. For academic libraries and public libraries with large media collections.‘Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, N.J.