This Business of Television [Hardcover]

Howard Blumenthal (Author), Oliver Goodenough (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0823077047 | ISBN-13: 978-0823077045 | Publication Date: May 1, 1998 | Edition: 2 Har/Dskt

Broad in scope and rich in detail, This Business of Television is an invaluable sourcebook for producers, writers, broadcasters, network executives, and other television professionals. The essential reference for anyone working in the television or video industries, it is a comprehensive guide to the inner workings of the business, examining how television programming is financed, produced, and distributed; how FCC regulations and federal law shape the form and content of broadcast, cable, and satellite television; and how producers, networks, cable companies, and local stations work together to create or acquire programming.

This Business of Television includes 50 chapters and three useful appendices: legal documents and forms; concise boilerplate contract forms for the most common business transactions in television; and a list of useful industry contacts and addresses. The legal documents and the ready-to-use contract forms are included on an enclosed disc, so they can be easily accessed for home use.

Part 1 covers distribution; Parts 2 and 3 explain FCC and federal regulations, as well as legal concepts such as copyright, the right of privacy, libel and slander, and the protection of society; Part 4 discusses program production and financing; Part 5 examines audience measurement and advertising; Part 6 explains contract basis, legal entities, and tax issues; and Part 7 offers an overview of the television industries in countries around the world.

All of the chapters have been revised and completely updated in this second edition, in addition to brand new chapters on religious television, home shopping, satellite TV, and the every more important international marketplace.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Howard J. Blumenthal has produced several hundred hours of programming, including game shows, talk shows, dramas, and children's programming. He is also the author of more than twenty books, including the CD Listener's Guide series, published by Billboard Books. He lives in Newtown, PA. Oliver R. Goodenough has been in legal practice for more than twenty-five years, specializing in entertainment and communications law, as well as business and corporate law. A professor at the Vermont Law School, he lives in Woodstock, VT. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 688 pages
• Publisher: Billboard Books; 2 Har/Dskt edition (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823077047
• ISBN-13: 978-0823077045
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #464,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > Law > Media & the Law

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Imagine the Future, Study the Past, November 3, 2000

By 

Julia Bassett (Norwich, VT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Business of Television (Hardcover)

This Business of Television is a landmark volume in our practice (entertainment industry economic forecasting) for three reasons.

Reason # 3: it is incredible that guys of this stature would take the time to compile such an essential and complete perspective of the television business. Goodenough, a seasoned entertainment lawyer, law professor, and a scholar pioneering the study of law and evolutionary biology, brings the structure and rigor, while Blumenthal, a prolific TV, multimedia, and online entertainment producer and businessman brings the been-there-done-that street savvy.

Reason # 2: it is, after all, the business that pays for the content (the subscriber, pay-per-view, advertising, syndication, and the latest, e-commerce revenue models) and the content that drives the migration to new technology (streaming media webcasting and video-on-demand, interactive TV, and wireless). The clear understanding of the financial systems supporting television and video entertainment offered by Oliver and Howard in this book facilitates the modeling of future monetary transactions.

Reason # 1: video programming spread from broadcast to cable and then to satellite in one generation. The last decade found it spreading to the PC via CD-ROM, DVD, and broadband Internet. In the future it will be found on our cell phones, wristwatches, car seat backs, and refrigerators. There will be innovations in business arrangements along the way, but those who cannot converse in the basic economics will be doomed.

This segues into a jacket quote by Morty Morton, former producer of the Late Show with David Letterman, who remarked, "This Business of Television has gotten me through years of moderate success in the TV business. I'm now ready to burn the damn thing and open a restaurant."

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stolen 3 times... This book is hot!!!, April 4, 2002

By 

Ronald R. Hebert (Syracuse, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Business of Television (Hardcover)

This book is so hot that it's been stolen from my office library 3 times. I'm on my 4th purchase of this book. I felt like I could have an intellegent conversation about any aspect of the television business after using this book. It is my main resource for getting quick answers that are easy to understand. This is required reading for those getting started and a great resource for those that have been in the industry a while. It also includes a computer disk containing forms such as U.S. Copyright registration and others found in the book that you can import to your word processor.

Ron Hebert
Producer
2002 Emmy Awards - Pacific Southwest Chapter

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is gold!, August 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: This Business of Television (Hardcover)

Our start-up entertainment company has used the first edition as our essential reference book. We have not found anything else like it. We are excited about ordering the second edition.