From Library Journal
This is not a compendium of TV trivia but rather a serious work intended "to be the reference work of first record, the beginning point for anyone interested in exploring and understanding the significance of television in our time." Under the auspices of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, some 300 contributors have addressed a variety of issues and topics. Entries range in length from one to several pages and include suggestions for further reading. Crisp black-and-white photographs, such as studio publicity stills and headshots of individual personalities, are sprinkled throughout the double-column text. Although there are entries on individual television programs complete with cast lists, these are offered only for programs considered to be of particular significance?typical of a certain program genre, controversial because of subject matter, the first of its kind, etc. More commonly, the essays cover broader topics (e.g., the history of a network or organization and subjects like censorship of tabloid television). Notable individuals, from performers to producers to inventors, are also profiled. The focus may be on television in English-speaking countries, but the scope has been widened to include articles surveying the medium in more than a few other countries. From "Absolutely Fabulous" to "Vladimir Zworykin," this is a gold mine of information for those toiling in the fields of communications, popular culture, and related subjects.?Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
*Starred Review* When the first edition of this encyclopedia was published in 1997, it was greeted by highly favorable reviews. Now, only seven years later, the second edition, again published under the auspices of the Museum of Broadcast Communications and continuing under the editorship of Newcomb, a professor at the University of Georgia, offers a significant amount of new material as well as substantial revision and updating. Providing both historical coverage and contemporary perspectives, the encyclopedia encompasses a broad spectrum of issues and topics related to the television industry.
Expanded to four volumes from the original three, this edition contains more than 1,160 entries, almost 180 of which are new. In addition, the editor indicates that approximately 500 articles have been updated and more than half of the 750 black-and-white photographs were not in the previous edition. Ranging in length from 1,000 to 7,000 words, entries are signed and include bibliographical references. The impact of technological advances on broadcasting is reflected by new articles such as Broadband, Digital video recorder, and Streaming video, while the rising influence of cable television is evidenced by the addition of more entries on specific cable networks, such as Animal Planet, Bravo, and Lifetime. Although the primary emphasis continues to be on television in major English-speaking countries, international coverage has been expanded by the inclusion of articles on countries such as Cuba, Hungary, and Turkey. Many programs overlooked by the previous edition have been added, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Jeopardy!, and 20/20, as have a number of programs introduced during the last decade, such as Ellen, The Sopranos, and survivor. Among the individuals added are Katie Couric, Michael Landon, and Regis Philbin. Underscoring the significant role that television plays in our perceptions of political and historical events are new articles like 2000 presidential election coverage and Princess Diana: Death and funeral coverage. Although information on television coverage of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent war in Iraq has been added to several articles, separate entries offering more in-depth treatment of these two events would have been preferable.
Volume 4 includes a section identifying the more than 300 contributors and an index to the set, which, unfortunately, cites only page numbers and not volume numbers. An alphabetical list of all the articles in the encyclopedia appears at the beginning of each volume, but the set would benefit from a classified table of contents. More problematic is the issue of inconsistent currency. For instance, the articles on Frazier and friends are both new, but while the friends entry indicates that the series ended in May 2004, the article on Frazier, which ended at the same time, does not reflect the series' conclusion.
Scholarly but accessible, this excellent encyclopedia is the most comprehensive and up-to-date compendium on television broadcasting. Most academic and large public libraries will want to add this new edition because of its significantly expanded content. Moreover, it is essential for any library that supports a journalism program. Libraries that do not own the first edition and cannot afford to purchase this one can access the articles from the earlier version through the museum's Web site [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/index.html]. Marie Ellis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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