Television in America

Commtext Series

by George Comstock

This new, substantially revised edition of a classic text on television features updated statistics, issues and topics, including descriptions and analysis of emerging technologies. The author synthesizes three decades of empirical research, theory and speculative extrapolation to examine the political, social and economic forces shaping television. There is explicit historical coverage of the development of the three major programming genres - entertainment, news and sports - and of television as a whole in terms of distinctive major technological developments, competitive forces, audience behaviour, and programming.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1980

About the author

Dr. George A. Comstock is a social psychologist and expert on the social effects of mass media. Currently, he is a Professor at the School of Public Communication in the Television-Radio-Film Department of Syracuse University. Previously, he was a science advisor and senior research coordinator of U.S. Surgeon General's Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behavior.