Invisible Stars: A Social History of Women in American Broadcasting (Media, Communication, and Culture in America) [Hardcover]

Donna L. Halper (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

...an exemplary job at chronicling women's roles... This book should be required in every broadcast history class.... -- Journalism History, Spring 2002

...tells story of women in broadcasting as part of the larger social history...making it that much more valuable. -- Communication Booknotes Quarterly

From the Publisher

Awarded the American Political Science Association's Ralph J. Bunche Award

Product Details

• Hardcover: 331 pages
• Publisher: M E Sharpe Inc (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765605813
• ISBN-13: 978-0765605818
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,605,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Donna L. Halper is a former radio announcer and music director, as well as a broadcasting consultant. An experienced media historian, she is the author of five books and many articles. Currently an assistant professor at Lesley University in Cambridge MA, Ms. Halper is also known for discovering the rock group Rush.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Book!, December 24, 2001

By 

Lawrence J. Epstein ""Author of The Haunt... (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Invisible Stars: A Social History of Women in American Broadcasting (Media, Communication, and Culture in America) (Hardcover)

Donna Halper really knows her stuff, and she knows how to tell it in an interesting way. Everyone interested in how media affects us and society will be grateful for reading this. The struggles women had (and have) provide a significant glimpse into a world that is vital for us to understand. Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Relative of an "Invisible" star, February 5, 2011

By 

Sally - See all my reviews

This review is from: Invisible Stars: A Social History of Women in American Broadcasting (Media, Communication, and Culture in America) (Hardcover)

Fascinating. My mother was Jane Tiffany Wagner......one of the "stars". She continued on after the war years with NBC as producer of the radio show called "Home Is What You Make It".
The members of our family were guests many Sundays on the Mary Margaret McBride morning radio shows. Footnote: My mother was not a fan of Kate Smith. Found her to be a "diva".
My mother never shared, never discussed, the world of men around her and their reaction to her leading roles in broadcasting. Too bad.
Read pages online. Gripping content. My sons and their families read with gusto. I just bought the book

5.0 out of 5 stars Women in broadcasting, July 13, 2001

By 

Ted Kneebone (Aberdeen, SD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Invisible Stars: A Social History of Women in American Broadcasting (Media, Communication, and Culture in America) (Hardcover)

If I had been a shaker and a mover in some area of broadcasting, it might have beem hard for me to read Donna Halper's new book, "Invisible Stars"--without feeling some embarrassment. Her story is the story of women who succeeded in American broadcasting, many of whom succeed in spite of the fact of their gender. It seems that back in the 1920s when radio was considered a toy, women were quite welcome to announce, sing or play an instrument, become program directors, and even in rare cases, own a radio station. But when radio began to be commercially profitable, when more and more people had radios, when networks came into being, then women were not so welcome, especially in the ranks of management. By the decades, Halper takes us through the history of how women made their mark, or were denied even the opportunity of trying to do that. The struggle of women for recognition and equality in radio and television reads something like the struggle for the same things by black people and other minorities. One of the mysteries that Halper brings to our attention is the developments before, during, and after World War II. Before the War, women's place was in the home, being the dutiful wife, keeping house, cooking the meals, taking care of the kids. During the War, women were encouraged to take jobs in war manufacturing plants, AND to do all the traditional stuff. When, after the War, the men came back and wanted their jobs back, women were expected to go back to the kitchen and nursery. And the same thing happened in broadcasting. The sad thing is that even though some women in radio and television have made important gains, much of the picture of broadcasting in the 2000s is not much different from what it was in the 1950s. Halper has done an excellent job of research, witness her extensive bibliography, in this well-written account of women in American broadcasting. Let Halper have the last word: "Perhaps one day soon, the pioneering women of radio and television will be given the same respect for their accomplishments that society has accorded their male counterparts. I hope this book will contribute to the process and keep women of broadcasting from remaining invisible stars."