Only connect : a cultural history of broadcasting in the United States

ONLY CONNECT is a comprehensive history of American broadcasting from its earliest days in radio, through the rise of television, to the current era of digital media and the Internet. It presents broadcasting as a vital component of American cultural identity, placing the development of U.S. radio, television, and new media in the context of social and cultural change. Each chapter opens with a discussion of the historical period, thoroughly traces the development of media policy, the growth of media industries, and the history of U.S. broadcast programming, and closes with a look at the major ways that radio and television have been understood and discussed throughout American history. Front Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 6 PREFACE......Page 15 CHAPTER 1 Making History......Page 18 The Power of History......Page 21 It Flows Two Ways......Page 22 CONNECTION: SEEING THROUGH THE FIFTIES......Page 23 History = The Past + Historiography......Page 25 Historical Erasures......Page 26 History and Nation......Page 27 Borders and Identities......Page 28 CONNECTION: THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. BRINKLEY......Page 29 Conclusion......Page 33 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 34 CHAPTER 2 Before Broadcasting......Page 35 Social Context: The Progressive Era......Page 36 Progressive Intervention, Popular Resistance......Page 37 The War to End All Wars......Page 39 The Press and Magazines......Page 40 Music, Vaudeville, and Film......Page 42 Sports and Spectacle......Page 43 High and Low in the Culture Wars......Page 44 CONNECTION: THE SCANDAL OF JAZZ......Page 45 From Radiotelegraphy to the Wireless......Page 47 CONNECTION: RADIO HACKERS: HUGO GERNSBACK AND HIRAM PERCY MAXIM......Page 48 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 53 CHAPTER 3 Broadcasting Begins, 1919 to 1926......Page 54 Restrictions and Backlash......Page 55 What Did Women Want?......Page 56 Popular Entertainments......Page 57 Who Are These Americans?......Page 59 RCA: The Radio Corporation of America......Page 60 Early Regulation......Page 61 BREAKOUT BOX: 3.1 WHO OWNED AMERICA’S EARLIEST RADIO STATIONS?......Page 62 Defining “Quality”......Page 63 Radio Conferences......Page 64 Principles and Precedents......Page 65 Early Broadcasters......Page 66 CONNECTION: BERTHA BRAINARD AND NBC......Page 67 The Network Idea......Page 70 CONNECTION: “EVEREADY RED” WENDELL HALL......Page 71 Other Important Early Stations and Programs......Page 74 Social Discourse......Page 75 Utopian Hopes, Dystopian Fears......Page 76 Public Service versus Commercialism......Page 79 Conclusion......Page 80 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 81 CHAPTER 4 The Network Age, 1926 to 1940......Page 82 Depression......Page 83 A New Deal......Page 84 Regulation: Ground Rules, 1927–1934......Page 85 The Radio Act of 1927 and General Order 40......Page 86 BREAKOUT BOX: 4.1 GENERAL PUBLIC INTEREST VS. PROPAGANDA STATIONS......Page 88 The Communications Act of 1934......Page 89 The Romance Hits a Few Bumps......Page 90 Industry: Networks Triumphant......Page 93 CONNECTION: CBS: “WE TRY HARDER”......Page 94 BREAKOUT BOX: 4.2 THE PALEY PLAN......Page 96 The Sponsor’s Medium......Page 101 CONNECTION: J. WALTER THOMPSON, RADIO SHOWMEN TO THE WORLD......Page 103 The American Medium......Page 105 Network Woes......Page 106 Conclusion......Page 108 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 109 CHAPTER 5 Radio for Everyone, 1926 to 1940......Page 110 The Media Milieu......Page 111 Radio Still Goes Hollywood......Page 112 The Afterlife of Vaudeville......Page 113 The Swing Decades......Page 114 The Press-Radio Wars and the Birth of Broadcast News......Page 116 Magazine Chat and Women’s Programs......Page 118 Programming: Popular Radio......Page 119 Radio Representations......Page 120 Radio Forms and Aesthetics......Page 121 BREAKOUT BOX: 5.1 FORMS OF BROADCAST NARRATIVE......Page 122 CONNECTION: COMEDY VARIETY: JACK BENNY AND HIS RADIO FAMILY......Page 123 Dramatic Anthologies and Features......Page 129 CONNECTION: AVANT-GARDE RADIO: THE COLUMBIA WORKSHOP AND NORMAN CORWIN......Page 130 Comedy Series......Page 133 Thriller Dramas......Page 134 Sports......Page 135 Religious Programming......Page 136 Educational and Public Affairs Programming......Page 137 Soaps: Serial Drama for Women......Page 138 BREAKOUT BOX: 5.2 DAYTIME SOAPS ON THE AIR, 1939–40......Page 140 CONNECTION: ALL IRNA’S CHILDREN......Page 142 Daytime Talk......Page 145 Critiques of Mass Culture......Page 148 Conclusion......Page 149 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 150 Embattled Isolationism......Page 151 Who We Are, Why We Fight......Page 153 The Military-Industrial Complex......Page 154 Industry Conceptions of the Audience......Page 156 BREAKOUT BOX: 6.1 BROADCAST RATINGS SYSTEMS......Page 157 The Rise of U.S. Communications Research......Page 159 CONNECTION: FATHER COUGHLIN AND THE MASSES......Page 160 Radio Goes to War......Page 164 CONNECTION: AMERICAN IDENTITY AND THE RADIO FEATURE......Page 166 Government-Industry Cooperation......Page 171 BREAKOUT BOX: 6.2 THE OFFICE OF WAR INFORMATION......Page 172 CONNECTION: THE PUBLIC WOMAN: THE STORY OF MARY MARLIN......Page 174 Pitching America Overseas......Page 176 The Rise of Network News......Page 179 ABC Enters the Scene......Page 182 Spectrum Struggles......Page 183 Conclusion......Page 184 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 185 Social Context: Returning to Normalcy......Page 186 Labor Unrest and the Rise of Corporate Liberalism......Page 187 The Race Issue Redux......Page 188 A New Deal at the Movies......Page 189 Books......Page 191 Radio......Page 192 CONNECTION: DJS, BLACK RADIO, AND THE RISE OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL......Page 194 Regulation: Television’s Golden Age......Page 196 The Blue Book......Page 197 The Big Chill......Page 198 BREAKOUT BOX: 7.1 VHF VS. UHF: INTERMIXTURE AND DEINTERMIXTURE......Page 200 Programming: The Politics and Poetics of Live TV......Page 202 BREAKOUT BOX: 7.2 LOCAL STATIONS’ SOURCES OF PROGRAMMING IN THE 1950S......Page 204 Avant-Garde TV: The Live Anthology Drama Goes Visual......Page 205 BREAKOUT BOX: 7.3 ANTHOLOGY DRAMAS ON THE AIR, 1953 AND 1958......Page 207 The Rise of Filmed Series......Page 208 CONNECTION: THE BIRTH OF THE SITCOM......Page 210 News......Page 213 Daytime......Page 214 Syndication......Page 215 CONNECTION: COLD WAR TV: I LED 3 LIVES......Page 216 ‘‘TV Is Bad for Kids,’’ Phase I......Page 219 ‘‘TV Needs to Control Itself’’......Page 220 Conclusion......Page 221 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 222 Social Context: The Way we Weren’t......Page 224 The Civil Rights Movement......Page 226 The Trouble with Teens......Page 228 Media Context: Living with TV......Page 229 CONNECTION: PAYOLA AND THE RISE OF FORMAT RADIO......Page 230 Industry: The Classic Network System Emerges......Page 232 Network Finesse......Page 233 The Classic Network System......Page 234 BREAKOUT BOX: 8.1 THE CLASSIC NETWORK SYSTEM: ADJUSTMENTS......Page 235 TV Reforms......Page 236 The ‘‘Whorehouse Era’’......Page 237 TV and Violence, Phase II......Page 238 Slouching Toward Public TV......Page 239 Programming for Prosperity: American TV......Page 240 CONNECTION: MOVIE OF THE WEEK FILMS ON TV......Page 241 Drama......Page 244 BREAKOUT BOX: 8.2 TOP 20 RATED PROGRAMS, 1955 AND 1965......Page 245 CONNECTION: ‘‘JUST THE FACTS, PLEASE, MA’AM’’......Page 247 Music and Variety Shows......Page 249 Sports......Page 251 Soaps and Serials......Page 252 Saturday Morning World......Page 253 CONNECTION: THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING......Page 254 The Measured Audience......Page 258 Critical Mass......Page 259 Is TV Art?......Page 260 Conclusion......Page 261 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 262 Race: Again, with a Vengeance......Page 263 “One, Two, Three, Four, We Don’t Want Your ****ing War!”......Page 264 Peace, Love, and All That......Page 265 Deep Social Change......Page 266 The Underground Press......Page 269 Radio......Page 270 Movies......Page 272 Industry: The Classic Network System and Its Discontents......Page 273 BREAKOUT BOX: 9.1 TYPES OF STATIONS, 1960–1980......Page 274 Agents of Change......Page 276 Cable......Page 277 CONNECTION: AT LAST, PUBLIC TELEVISION......Page 278 Regulation: Breaking the Bottleneck......Page 281 Fin/Syn and PTAR......Page 282 Untying Cable......Page 283 Fairness Doctrine......Page 284 CONNECTION: SORRY, WE ARE EXPERIENCING RACIAL DIFFICULTIES......Page 285 Programming: The Age of Relevance......Page 288 CONNECTION: GENERATIONAL POLITICS AND THE AMERICAN TV FAMILY......Page 289 Smothered?......Page 290 Dragnet and Double Meanings......Page 291 Out in the Open......Page 292 “Real” Americans?......Page 294 BREAKOUT BOX: 9.3 TOP-RATED SHOWS, 1965 AND 1975......Page 297 Violence Redux......Page 299 Citizen Activism......Page 300 Conclusion......Page 301 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 302 Social Context: Crisis of Confidence......Page 303 The Satellite Revolution......Page 304 McPaper......Page 305 Movies......Page 306 Deregulation, Breakup, and Merger......Page 307 CONNECTION: MARK FOWLER’S TOASTER......Page 308 BREAKOUT BOX: 10.1 FOWLER’S RULES......Page 310 57 Channels and Nothing On?......Page 313 Pay Cable......Page 314 BREAKOUT BOX: 10.2 TYPES OF CABLE CHANNELS......Page 315 Nichification......Page 316 Public Service, Public Access......Page 318 Public Television......Page 320 The End of an Era......Page 321 Expanding Programs......Page 323 CONNECTION: THE CULTURE OF SERIALITY AND REPETITION......Page 324 The New Dramas......Page 328 CONNECTION: THE MANY QUALITIES OF FRED SILVERMAN......Page 330 Nighttime News......Page 338 Sports......Page 339 Late Night......Page 340 Social Discourse......Page 341 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 344 Domestic Distress......Page 345 Social Context: Extremes and Contradictions......Page 346 Incendiary Mix......Page 347 Globalization......Page 348 The Deregulated Decade......Page 349 Fairness Doctrine......Page 350 What Next?......Page 351 Media Context: The Age of Synergy......Page 352 BREAKOUT BOX: 11.1 MEDIA MERGER TIMELINE 1986–1995......Page 353 Video......Page 355 Print......Page 356 Audio......Page 357 Advertising......Page 359 Global Markets......Page 360 Industry: Nothing Succeeds Like Excess......Page 363 Upstarts: Fox, UPN, WB......Page 364 Jurassic Park? The Big Three Survive......Page 368 Cable......Page 369 CONNECTION: ESPN = ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS EMPIRE......Page 371 BREAKOUT BOX: 11.3 CHANNELS OWNED BY THE THREE LARGEST MSOS......Page 375 The New Auteurs......Page 376 Dramedy......Page 377 CONNECTION: THE RETURN OF UNRULY WOMEN......Page 379 Trash TV......Page 385 BREAKOUT BOX: 11.4 DAYTIME TALK SHOWS OF THE 1980S AND 90S......Page 388 CONNECTION: CABLE TV AND SATELLITES: THE LOCAL AND THE GLOBAL......Page 391 Social Discourse: The Net Effect......Page 394 Conclusion......Page 396 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 397 Social Context: Falling Down......Page 398 9/11......Page 399 A New World Order?......Page 400 Basics......Page 401 Enter the Web......Page 403 BREAKOUT BOX: 12.1 GOVERNING THE INTERNET......Page 404 Regulation: The Telecommunications Act of 1996......Page 405 CONNECTION: MEDIA OWNERSHIP DEBATES......Page 409 The Problem......Page 410 Is More More? Or Less?......Page 411 Skewing the News?......Page 412 Diversity and Localism......Page 413 Is Ownership All?......Page 414 Intellectual Property in the Digital Age......Page 415 BREAKOUT BOX: 12.2 COPYRIGHT TERM IN THE NEW MILENNIUM......Page 417 Regulating Global Convergence......Page 418 Industry Convergence......Page 419 BREAKOUT BOX: 12.3 MEDIA MERGERS 1996–2005......Page 420 Converging Pressures on Network TV......Page 421 Public Broadcasting......Page 425 Cable......Page 427 BREAKOUT BOX: 12.4 TOP-RATED CABLE CHANNELS AND OWNERS......Page 428 Hollywood in the Digital Era......Page 429 Radio......Page 430 Satellite TV and Radio......Page 431 Music......Page 432 A Global Public Sphere? International Broadcasting Post–9/11......Page 433 CONNECTION: THE RISE OF AL-JAZEERA......Page 436 Conclusion......Page 439 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 440 CHAPTER 13 Convergence Culture in the New Millennium—1995–2010......Page 441 Blurring Boundaries......Page 442 CONNECTION: THE TRIUMPH OF REALITY TV......Page 444 Transmedia and Hyperdiegesis......Page 447 The New Youth Generation......Page 450 Más Television Latina......Page 452 CONNECTION: THE BEAUTY OF UGLY BETTY......Page 454 Agitating for Inclusion......Page 457 Out onto Prime Time......Page 458 CONNECTION: SINGLE WOMEN AND “FAMILY” MEN......Page 460 Global Culture in a Digital Era......Page 464 CONNECTION: INDIA GOES GLOBAL AND LOCAL......Page 465 Social Discourse: The Decline of Mass Culture......Page 469 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 474 Democracy and Technology......Page 475 Obama Net......Page 476 CONNECTION: GEEKS SUPREME......Page 477 The Outlook......Page 480 BREAKOUT BOX: 14.2 A BRITISH TOP-50 LIST OF AMERICAN SHOWS, 2009......Page 484 The Persistence—and Excellence—of Television......Page 482 CONNECTION: THE BEST OF THE BEST?......Page 483 Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 488 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 489 INDEX......Page 494

this Textbook Presents A Cultural History Of Television And Radio Broadcasting In The United States. Each Chapter Begins With An Overview Of The Social Tensions Of The Period And Includes An In-depth Case Study Regarding A Particular Issue, Event, Or Influential Figure In Broadcasting. Topics Include, For Example, The Development Of Commercial Radio Networks, Radio Coverage Of Wwii, Violence On Television, The Telecommunications Act Of 1996, Deregulation, And Internet Audio.

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