Target: Prime Time: Advocacy Groups and the Struggle Over Entertainment Television (Communication and Society)

Offering the first book-length exploration of network television's relations with advocacy groups, Kathryn C. Montgomery presents a comprehensive picture of the impact of organized pressure on prime-time TV. She vividly describes, for example, how the Catholic Church campaigned against Maude's abortion on the TV show, Maude; how outraged actors mobilized a national protest against the portrayal of blacks in the TV miniseries, Beulah Land; and how the Moral Majority waged a sophisticated campaign to "clean up TV," by threatening to boycott advertisers. Exposing the inner workings of network television as no other book has done, Montgomery's study demonstrates how behind-the-scenes struggles have shaped the images, messages, and values that enter people's homes every night. The book also raises critical questions about television's role in our society and its responsibility to the American public. Television Is The Most Powerful And Pervasive Storyteller Of Our Time. The Stories It Tells--and, Equally Important, The Stories It Fails To Tell--have A Marked Impact On How Viewers See The World Around Them. Is It Any Wonder Then That Television Has Become The Focal Point Of Bitter Struggle, With Numerous Advocacy Groups--from The Naacp To The National Gay Task Force To The Moral Majority--battling With Network Executives Over The Content Of Prime Time Shows? Target : Prime Time Is The First Book To Explore Network Television's Dealings With Political Advocacy Groups, Offering A Comprehensive Picture Of The Impact Of Organized Pressure On Prime Time Tv. Montgomery Describes, For Instance, How The Catholic Church Campaign Against Maude's Abortion Caused The Withdrawal Of Almost Every Sponsor As Well As The Blackout Of The Program By 40 Affiliates; How The Moral Majority, Adopting The Tactics Originally Developed By Liberal Groups, Waged Its Own Clean Up Tv Campaign By Threatening To Boycott Advertisers (the Soft Underbelly Of The Television Industry); And How The Concerns Of A Few Outraged Actors Mushroomed Into A National Protest Against The Portrayal Of Blacks In The Tv Miniseries Beulah Land. Of Course, As The Author Shows, Some Groups Have Worked Very Closely With The Industry, Providing Input On Such Issues As The Image Of Gays, The Consumption Of Alcohol, And The Use Of Birth Control. Based On Over Six Years Of Research In Hollywood, New York, And Washington--including Interviews With Network Executives, Producers, Writers, Advocacy Group Leaders, And Government Officials--target : Prime Time Exposes The Inner Workings Of Network Television As No Other Book Before. It Shows How Behind-the-scenes Struggles Profoundly Affect The Stream Of Images, Messages, And Values That Enter People's Homes Every Night, And It Raises Critical Questions About The Role Of The Electronic Media In American Society. Prime Time As Political Territory -- Television Under Siege -- And Then Came Maude -- Managing Advocacy Groups -- Invisibility And Influence -- He Who Pays The Piper -- Battle Over Beulah Land -- Cleaning Up Tv -- The Hollywood Lobbyists -- Packaging Controversy -- From Ferment To Feedback. Kathryn C. Montgomery. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. [225]-262. Offering the first book-length exploration of network television's relations with advocacy groups, Kathryn C. Montgomery presents a comprehensive picture of the impact of organized pressure on prime-time TV. She vividly describes, for example, how the Catholic Church campaigned against Maude's abortion on the TV show, Maude; how outraged actors mobilized a national protest against the portrayal of blacks in the TV miniseries, Beulah Land; and how the Moral Majority waged a sophisticated campaign to "clean up TV," by threatening to boycott advertisers.Exposing the inner workings of network television as no other book has done, Montgomery's study demonstrates how behind-the-scenes struggles have shaped the images, messages, and values that enter people's homes every night. The book also raises critical questions about television's role in our society and its responsibility to the American public. Offering the first booklength exploration of network television's relations with advocacy groups, Kathryn C. Montgomery presents a comprehensive picture of the impact of organized pressure on prime-time TV. Exposing the inner workings of network television as no other book has done, Montgomery's study demonstrates how behind-the-scenes struggles have shaped the images, messages, and values that enter people's homes every night. It also raises critical questions about television's role in our society and its responsibility to the American public Offering an booklength exploration of network television's relations with advocacy groups, Kathryn C. Montgomery presents a picture of the impact of organized pressure on prime-time TV.