The Children's Television Community / Edition 1

by J. Alison Bryant

Overview

The Children’s Television Community presents a cutting-edge analysis of the children’s television community—the organizations, major players, and approaches to programming—and gives an overview of the history, current state, and future of children’s programming. Leading children’s television professionals and distinguished academicians come together in this volume to take a distinctive behind-the-scenes look at how children’s television is created, programmed, and sold. This thought-provoking work emphasizes the various actors whose creative, financial, political, and critical input go into children’s television, and addresses advocacy for children’s television from multiple approaches.

By blending these diverse perspectives, editor J. Alison Bryant offers readers a comprehensive picture of children’s television. Highlights include:
* a community level approach to understanding children’s television;
* perspectives from colleagues in various aspects of the media industry; and
* an eye-opening analysis of how decision-making affects what children are exposed to through television.

The Children’s Television Community is highly informative for educators, industry professionals, and practitioners in media, developmental psychology, and education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805849974
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/07/2006
Series:	Routledge Communication Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

J. Alison Bryant

Table of Contents

Contents: Preface. Part I: Understanding the Children's Television Community. D. Mitroff, R.H. Stephenson, The Television Tug-of-War: A Brief History of Children’s Television Programming in the United States. J.A. Bryant, Understanding the Children’s Television Community From an Organizational Network Perspective. A. Alexander, J. Owers, The Economics of Children’s Television. Part II: Producing Children's Television. R. London, Producing Children’s Television. S.M. Fisch, Peeking Behind the Screen: Varied Approaches to the Production of Educational Television. H. Stipp, The Role of Academic Advisors in Creating Children’s Television Programs: The NBC Experience. Part III: Programming & Selling Children's Television. L. Simensky, Programming Children’s Television: The PBS Model. T. Kalagian, Programming Children’s Television: The Cable Model. J. Tashjian, J.C. Naidoo, Licensing and Merchandising in Children’s Television and Media. S.C. Rockwell, Networked Kids: The Digital Future of Children’s Video Distribution. Part IV: Monitoring Children's Television. D. Kunkel, Kids' Media Policy Goes Digital: Current Developments in Children’s Television Regulation. K.C. Montgomery, Advocating Children’s Television. D.W. Kleeman, Advocates for Excellence: Engaging the Industry. R.H. Stephenson, S. Banet-Weiser, Super-Sized Kids: Obesity, Children, Moral Panic, and the Media.

Editorial Reviews

"Bryant's book brings an exciting new way to consider the discipline of children's television. Each essay offers up insights, both contemporary and historical, on the confluences that define children's television in the United States. Through this book that brings together the community of academics and professionals, the ties between organizations, policy making, and the economics of the industry become clear. It belongs on everyone's shelf."
—Norma Pecora
Ohio University

"Most books about children's television – even edited volumes such as this – offer a single, uniform perspective on the medium, the industry, and the place of television in children's lives. What is most impressive about this book is the diversity of its contributors. They aren't people who simply study children's television (though this is not a simple thing to do), but also people who produce it, who market it, who evaluate it, and who advocate for it.

The various perspectives of the authors are truly fascinating. Through them, we clearly see the powerful roles played by historical events, economic incentives, technological breakthroughs, and political pressures in shaping what American children watch today.

Readers are afforded the rare insider's view of the step-by-step process of making a children's TV series; the closed-door negotiations behind government regulations; and the machinations involved with acquiring licenses to produce TV tie-ins.

This book includes some chapters that are consistent with my views on children's television, and others with which I would vehemently disagree. This is good. The high emotions and strong debates that rage in the realm of children's television (including whether and how it should be regulated and whether and how children are affected by it) are clearly evident in these pages. In reading Bryant's book, one feels as though one has been exposed to the full spectrum of views – and that there are no simple or absolute solutions to the challenges facing the children's television community."
—Amy B. Jordan
University of Pennsylvania

"This excellent collection joins the growing literature on children and television...highly recommended." --CHOICE

From the Publisher