This Business of Television (Hardcover)

by Howard J. Blumenthal (Author), Oliver R. Goodenough (Author), Howard Blumenthal (Author) "In the United States, a broadcast network is a branded collection of 100 to 200 local television (or radio) stations that promote and exhibit the..." (more)
Key Phrases: upfront buying season, upfront market, many cable networks, New York, Los Angeles, First Amendment (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
•Practical and comprehensive—the only book of its kind •Revised edition focuses on the changing world market for television

Broad in scope and rich in detail, This Business of Television has been the essential sourcebook for producers, writers, broadcasters, network executives, and other television professionals since the first edition was published in 1991. And as the television business continues to evolve This Business of Television evolves along with it. This comprehensive guide to the legal, economic, and production aspects of the industry has been completely revised and restructured to reflect the rapid changes in television today, both domestically and internationally, A user’s guide to television contracts, plus directories of associations, governmental agencies, and producers and distributors, make this book an invaluable resource for anyone involved with—or simply interested in—the business of television.

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

Product Details

• Hardcover: 592 pages
• Publisher: Billboard Books; 3 Rev Upd edition (March 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823077632
• ISBN-13: 978-0823077632
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,011 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 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."

17 of 19 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 15 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.