Broadcasting, Cable, the Internet and Beyond: An Introduction to Modern Electronic Media, 5/e
Joseph R. Dominick,
University of Georgia Fritz Messere,
State University of New York - Oswego Barry L. Sherman,
Deceased
ISBN: 0072493836 Copyright year: 2004
Book Preface
The fifth edition of Broadcasting, Cable, the
Internet, and Beyond is the first edition to appear
after the unfortunate death of Barry L.
Sherman. Barry was a coauthor, colleague,
and friend and it is fitting that this edition
of the book is dedicated to his memory. He was a
dedicated scholar who genuinely enjoyed the classroom
and took great pride in his teaching. His contributions
to the profession were immeasurable and
we are pleased that this book allows at least part of
his teaching legacy to live on. The authors hope that
this edition lives up to Barry’s high standards.
Other, less-personal events, of course, have also
had an impact on this edition. Both the recent war in
Iraq and before that the terrorist attacks of September
11 have changed the mood of the country and have
demonstrated the importance of the electronic media
during a crisis. The economic downturn has forced
media companies to downsize and cut costs. The failure
of many dotcoms has taken some of the bloom
off the optimism that surrounded the Internet. Moreover,
the trend toward convergence between “new”
media and “old” media companies is being rethought
in the disastrous aftermath of the AOL Time Warner
merger. And, against all this background, advances in
electronic media technology continue to emerge. Personal
video recorders, satellite radio, file-sharing pro-grams
on the Internet, and interactive TV are just
some of the things that have had an effect on the field
since the last edition of the book.
These developments and others are reflected
throughout this new edition.
New Additions
The opening history chapters have been updated to
include the industry trend toward consolidation,
the increasing popularity of streaming audio and
video, and the trend toward digital audio and video.
Chapter 3 (“Audio and Video Technology”) contains
a discussion of several new advances including
DVDs, MP3, digital TV and radio, desktop
video, and streaming media. In every case, we have
tried to explain how these technologies work without
becoming overly technical.
Part Two (“How It Is”) contains new information
on consolidation in the radio industry, the transition
to digital TV, the growing popularity of interactive
TV, peer-to-peer file-sharing on the Internet, streaming
video, DBS, and the growing importance of the
World Wide Web as a source of news.
Part Three (“How It’s Done”) introduces new
material on such programming trends as voice
tracking in radio, conventuring in TV news, news-on-
demand, and global news networks. In addition,
Chapter 9 (“TV Programming”) has an expanded
discussion of the world of TV program
syndication.
The biggest change in Part Four (“How It’s
Controlled”) is a reorganized Chapter 10 (“Rules
and Regulations”). This chapter also includes an
update on the continuing impact of the Telecommunications
Act of 1996, the latest developments in
the legal battles concerning file sharing on the
Internet, and the new rules on drug advertising on
TV. Chapter 11 (“Self-Regulation and Ethics”) has
updated information on the V-chip and a discussion
about the ever-changing standards of what’s acceptable
in TV and radio.
Part Five (“What It Does”) contains several new
items. There’s a section in Chapter 12 (“Ratings and
Audience Feedback”) on the personal Peoplemeter.
Chapter 13 (“Effects”) has been expanded to include
a discussion of the impact of violent video games
and an expanded section dealing with the social impact
of the Internet. Chapter 14 (“The International
Scene”) discusses China’s difficulties in regulating
the Internet.
Boxed Inserts
The fifth edition continues the use of thematically
organized boxed inserts in every chapter to present
extended examples of topics mentioned in the text
or interesting snapshots of industry leaders. Dozens
of new boxes have been added. For example:
Has PBS become too commercial? A new box
in Chapter 5 (“Broadcast and Cable TV Today”)
looks at the impact of corporate underwriting
on public TV.
A new Issues box in Chapter 9 (“TV Programming”)
examines the unprecedented media coverage
of the war in Iraq.
A new box in Chapter 9 (“TV Programming”)
profiles the late Roone Arledge and analyzes
his impact on TV sports and broadcast news.
Chapter 10 (“Rules and Regulations”) contains
a new box describing the growing importance
of direct-to-consumer drug advertising on TV
(such as Dorothy Hamill and Vioxx) and why it
may be controversial.
A box in Chapter 11 (“Self-Regulation and
Ethics”) examines the debate sparked when TV
news anchors started wearing flag lapel pins.
The growing influence of Al-Jazeera, the Qatari
news channel, is examined in a new box in
Chapter 14 (“The International Scene”).
Web Support
As with the fourth edition, each chapter of the book
is supported by an interactive website that students
can use to supplement the material found in the
text. The site has been updated and includes a
study guide, practice tests, chapter summaries,
key terms, and links to other relevant sites. For
more information, see the McGraw-Hill website at
http://www.mhhe.com/dominick5
Familiar Items
The fifth edition continues to use the same organizational
structure that was introduced in the fourth
edition.
Part One (“Foundations”) examines the history
of the electronic media and introduces audio
and video technology.
Part Two (“How It Is”) is an overview of the
electronic media: radio, television, cable, and
the Internet. Each of the three chapters in this
section follows a common organization. Each
surveys the structure of the media, looks at
economic and social forces that influence their
operation, examines current issues, and closes
by looking at career options.
Part Three (“How It’s Done”) opens with a
chapter that describes business aspects of each
medium. Subsequent chapters concentrate on
programming and how broadcasters and cable-casters
select content that appeals to an audience
that advertisers find attractive.
Part Four (“How It’s Controlled”) looks at the
regulatory process. The first chapter in this
section discusses the rationale behind regulation,
examines the FCC and other forces that
shape electronic media regulation, and reviews
the key federal and local laws that influence the
day-to-day operations in the industry. The next
chapter looks at self-regulation and examines
how industry practices and ethics influence
what the audience sees and hears.
The final section, Part Five (“What It Does”)
focuses on the audience. The first chapter in
this section explains how ratings are determined
while the following chapter examines
the social impact of the electronic media. The
book concludes with a look at the audiences in
other countries. The last chapter in this section
surveys international electronic media.
Moreover, every chapter has been updated and
revised to reflect changes to this dynamic area.
Charts and tables contain the most-recent data.
As has been our goal in the previous editions,
we continue our attempt to create a book that is
concise but still contains sufficient depth of coverage.
Again, as before, we have tried to maintain a
conversational writing style that students will find
interesting. Finally, we reiterate our hope that the
fifth edition fulfills the goal we first set when the
first edition appeared: to produce a textbook that
is informative and that captures some of the excitement,
exhilaration, and immediacy that go with
this industry.
Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge the efforts of those in
the industry who helped with this edition: Dana Segal
of Westwood One; Lou Borrelli at AOL Time Warner;
WRVO’s John Krauss; Scott Jameson at WSEN-FM;
Cathy Devine of M-Street Publications; and Ildiko
Novak and Lee Abrams at XM Satellite Radio.
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