Rerun Nation

by Derek Kompare

Rerun Nation is a fascinating approach to television history and theory through the ubiquitous yet overlooked phenomenon of reruns. Kompare covers both historical and conceptual ground, weaving together a refresher course in the history of television with a critical analysis of how reruns have shaped the cultural, economic, and legal terrains of American television. Given the expanding use of past media texts not only in the United States, but also in virtually every media-rich society, this book addresses a critical facet of everyday life.

264 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

Reviews

[Athena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kompare convincingly argues that American television as we know it has been constituted through reruns and syndication. These practices are not "natural" to television; they took years to gain acceptability because the industry was convinced that television's popularity relied on its "liveness." The best chapter here traces how the rerun was instrumental in rendering television a key element of a national pop cultural heritage.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking forward to this one someday.

[Gladys Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've recommended this book to the syndication team at Nielsen Media Research.