Only Connect: A Cultural History of Broadcasting in the United States

Front Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
CONTENTS......Page 6
PREFACE......Page 15
CHAPTER 1 Making History......Page 18
The Power of History......Page 21
It Flows Two Ways......Page 22
CONNECTION: SEEING THROUGH THE FIFTIES......Page 23
History = The Past + Historiography......Page 25
Historical Erasures......Page 26
History and Nation......Page 27
Borders and Identities......Page 28
CONNECTION: THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. BRINKLEY......Page 29
Conclusion......Page 33
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 34
CHAPTER 2 Before Broadcasting......Page 35
Social Context: The Progressive Era......Page 36
Progressive Intervention, Popular Resistance......Page 37
The War to End All Wars......Page 39
The Press and Magazines......Page 40
Music, Vaudeville, and Film......Page 42
Sports and Spectacle......Page 43
High and Low in the Culture Wars......Page 44
CONNECTION: THE SCANDAL OF JAZZ......Page 45
From Radiotelegraphy to the Wireless......Page 47
CONNECTION: RADIO HACKERS: HUGO GERNSBACK AND HIRAM PERCY MAXIM......Page 48
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 53
CHAPTER 3 Broadcasting Begins, 1919 to 1926......Page 54
Restrictions and Backlash......Page 55
What Did Women Want?......Page 56
Popular Entertainments......Page 57
Who Are These Americans?......Page 59
RCA: The Radio Corporation of America......Page 60
Early Regulation......Page 61
BREAKOUT BOX: 3.1 WHO OWNED AMERICA’S EARLIEST RADIO STATIONS?......Page 62
Defining “Quality”......Page 63
Radio Conferences......Page 64
Principles and Precedents......Page 65
Early Broadcasters......Page 66
CONNECTION: BERTHA BRAINARD AND NBC......Page 67
The Network Idea......Page 70
CONNECTION: “EVEREADY RED” WENDELL HALL......Page 71
Other Important Early Stations and Programs......Page 74
Social Discourse......Page 75
Utopian Hopes, Dystopian Fears......Page 76
Public Service versus Commercialism......Page 79
Conclusion......Page 80
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 81
CHAPTER 4 The Network Age, 1926 to 1940......Page 82
Depression......Page 83
A New Deal......Page 84
Regulation: Ground Rules, 1927–1934......Page 85
The Radio Act of 1927 and General Order 40......Page 86
BREAKOUT BOX: 4.1 GENERAL PUBLIC INTEREST VS. PROPAGANDA STATIONS......Page 88
The Communications Act of 1934......Page 89
The Romance Hits a Few Bumps......Page 90
Industry: Networks Triumphant......Page 93
CONNECTION: CBS: “WE TRY HARDER”......Page 94
BREAKOUT BOX: 4.2 THE PALEY PLAN......Page 96
The Sponsor’s Medium......Page 101
CONNECTION: J. WALTER THOMPSON, RADIO SHOWMEN TO THE WORLD......Page 103
The American Medium......Page 105
Network Woes......Page 106
Conclusion......Page 108
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 109
CHAPTER 5 Radio for Everyone, 1926 to 1940......Page 110
The Media Milieu......Page 111
Radio Still Goes Hollywood......Page 112
The Afterlife of Vaudeville......Page 113
The Swing Decades......Page 114
The Press-Radio Wars and the Birth of Broadcast News......Page 116
Magazine Chat and Women’s Programs......Page 118
Programming: Popular Radio......Page 119
Radio Representations......Page 120
Radio Forms and Aesthetics......Page 121
BREAKOUT BOX: 5.1 FORMS OF BROADCAST NARRATIVE......Page 122
CONNECTION: COMEDY VARIETY: JACK BENNY AND HIS RADIO FAMILY......Page 123
Dramatic Anthologies and Features......Page 129
CONNECTION: AVANT-GARDE RADIO: THE COLUMBIA WORKSHOP AND NORMAN CORWIN......Page 130
Comedy Series......Page 133
Thriller Dramas......Page 134
Sports......Page 135
Religious Programming......Page 136
Educational and Public Affairs Programming......Page 137
Soaps: Serial Drama for Women......Page 138
BREAKOUT BOX: 5.2 DAYTIME SOAPS ON THE AIR, 1939–40......Page 140
CONNECTION: ALL IRNA’S CHILDREN......Page 142
Daytime Talk......Page 145
Critiques of Mass Culture......Page 148
Conclusion......Page 149
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 150
Embattled Isolationism......Page 151
Who We Are, Why We Fight......Page 153
The Military-Industrial Complex......Page 154
Industry Conceptions of the Audience......Page 156
BREAKOUT BOX: 6.1 BROADCAST RATINGS SYSTEMS......Page 157
The Rise of U.S. Communications Research......Page 159
CONNECTION: FATHER COUGHLIN AND THE MASSES......Page 160
Radio Goes to War......Page 164
CONNECTION: AMERICAN IDENTITY AND THE RADIO FEATURE......Page 166
Government-Industry Cooperation......Page 171
BREAKOUT BOX: 6.2 THE OFFICE OF WAR INFORMATION......Page 172
CONNECTION: THE PUBLIC WOMAN: THE STORY OF MARY MARLIN......Page 174
Pitching America Overseas......Page 176
The Rise of Network News......Page 179
ABC Enters the Scene......Page 182
Spectrum Struggles......Page 183
Conclusion......Page 184
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 185
Social Context: Returning to Normalcy......Page 186
Labor Unrest and the Rise of Corporate Liberalism......Page 187
The Race Issue Redux......Page 188
A New Deal at the Movies......Page 189
Books......Page 191
Radio......Page 192
CONNECTION: DJS, BLACK RADIO, AND THE RISE OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL......Page 194
Regulation: Television’s Golden Age......Page 196
The Blue Book......Page 197
The Big Chill......Page 198
BREAKOUT BOX: 7.1 VHF VS. UHF: INTERMIXTURE AND DEINTERMIXTURE......Page 200
Programming: The Politics and Poetics of Live TV......Page 202
BREAKOUT BOX: 7.2 LOCAL STATIONS’ SOURCES OF PROGRAMMING IN THE 1950S......Page 204
Avant-Garde TV: The Live Anthology Drama Goes Visual......Page 205
BREAKOUT BOX: 7.3 ANTHOLOGY DRAMAS ON THE AIR, 1953 AND 1958......Page 207
The Rise of Filmed Series......Page 208
CONNECTION: THE BIRTH OF THE SITCOM......Page 210
News......Page 213
Daytime......Page 214
Syndication......Page 215
CONNECTION: COLD WAR TV: I LED 3 LIVES......Page 216
‘‘TV Is Bad for Kids,’’ Phase I......Page 219
‘‘TV Needs to Control Itself’’......Page 220
Conclusion......Page 221
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 222
Social Context: The Way we Weren’t......Page 224
The Civil Rights Movement......Page 226
The Trouble with Teens......Page 228
Media Context: Living with TV......Page 229
CONNECTION: PAYOLA AND THE RISE OF FORMAT RADIO......Page 230
Industry: The Classic Network System Emerges......Page 232
Network Finesse......Page 233
The Classic Network System......Page 234
BREAKOUT BOX: 8.1 THE CLASSIC NETWORK SYSTEM: ADJUSTMENTS......Page 235
TV Reforms......Page 236
The ‘‘Whorehouse Era’’......Page 237
TV and Violence, Phase II......Page 238
Slouching Toward Public TV......Page 239
Programming for Prosperity: American TV......Page 240
CONNECTION: MOVIE OF THE WEEK FILMS ON TV......Page 241
Drama......Page 244
BREAKOUT BOX: 8.2 TOP 20 RATED PROGRAMS, 1955 AND 1965......Page 245
CONNECTION: ‘‘JUST THE FACTS, PLEASE, MA’AM’’......Page 247
Music and Variety Shows......Page 249
Sports......Page 251
Soaps and Serials......Page 252
Saturday Morning World......Page 253
CONNECTION: THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING......Page 254
The Measured Audience......Page 258
Critical Mass......Page 259
Is TV Art?......Page 260
Conclusion......Page 261
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 262
Race: Again, with a Vengeance......Page 263
“One, Two, Three, Four, We Don’t Want Your ****ing War!”......Page 264
Peace, Love, and All That......Page 265
Deep Social Change......Page 266
The Underground Press......Page 269
Radio......Page 270
Movies......Page 272
Industry: The Classic Network System and Its Discontents......Page 273
BREAKOUT BOX: 9.1 TYPES OF STATIONS, 1960–1980......Page 274
Agents of Change......Page 276
Cable......Page 277
CONNECTION: AT LAST, PUBLIC TELEVISION......Page 278
Regulation: Breaking the Bottleneck......Page 281
Fin/Syn and PTAR......Page 282
Untying Cable......Page 283
Fairness Doctrine......Page 284
CONNECTION: SORRY, WE ARE EXPERIENCING RACIAL DIFFICULTIES......Page 285
Programming: The Age of Relevance......Page 288
CONNECTION: GENERATIONAL POLITICS AND THE AMERICAN TV FAMILY......Page 289
Smothered?......Page 290
Dragnet and Double Meanings......Page 291
Out in the Open......Page 292
“Real” Americans?......Page 294
BREAKOUT BOX: 9.3 TOP-RATED SHOWS, 1965 AND 1975......Page 297
Violence Redux......Page 299
Citizen Activism......Page 300
Conclusion......Page 301
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 302
Social Context: Crisis of Confidence......Page 303
The Satellite Revolution......Page 304
McPaper......Page 305
Movies......Page 306
Deregulation, Breakup, and Merger......Page 307
CONNECTION: MARK FOWLER’S TOASTER......Page 308
BREAKOUT BOX: 10.1 FOWLER’S RULES......Page 310
57 Channels and Nothing On?......Page 313
Pay Cable......Page 314
BREAKOUT BOX: 10.2 TYPES OF CABLE CHANNELS......Page 315
Nichification......Page 316
Public Service, Public Access......Page 318
Public Television......Page 320
The End of an Era......Page 321
Expanding Programs......Page 323
CONNECTION: THE CULTURE OF SERIALITY AND REPETITION......Page 324
The New Dramas......Page 328
CONNECTION: THE MANY QUALITIES OF FRED SILVERMAN......Page 330
Nighttime News......Page 338
Sports......Page 339
Late Night......Page 340
Social Discourse......Page 341
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 344
Domestic Distress......Page 345
Social Context: Extremes and Contradictions......Page 346
Incendiary Mix......Page 347
Globalization......Page 348
The Deregulated Decade......Page 349
Fairness Doctrine......Page 350
What Next?......Page 351
Media Context: The Age of Synergy......Page 352
BREAKOUT BOX: 11.1 MEDIA MERGER TIMELINE 1986–1995......Page 353
Video......Page 355
Print......Page 356
Audio......Page 357
Advertising......Page 359
Global Markets......Page 360
Industry: Nothing Succeeds Like Excess......Page 363
Upstarts: Fox, UPN, WB......Page 364
Jurassic Park? The Big Three Survive......Page 368
Cable......Page 369
CONNECTION: ESPN = ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS EMPIRE......Page 371
BREAKOUT BOX: 11.3 CHANNELS OWNED BY THE THREE LARGEST MSOS......Page 375
The New Auteurs......Page 376
Dramedy......Page 377
CONNECTION: THE RETURN OF UNRULY WOMEN......Page 379
Trash TV......Page 385
BREAKOUT BOX: 11.4 DAYTIME TALK SHOWS OF THE 1980S AND 90S......Page 388
CONNECTION: CABLE TV AND SATELLITES: THE LOCAL AND THE GLOBAL......Page 391
Social Discourse: The Net Effect......Page 394
Conclusion......Page 396
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 397
Social Context: Falling Down......Page 398
9/11......Page 399
A New World Order?......Page 400
Basics......Page 401
Enter the Web......Page 403
BREAKOUT BOX: 12.1 GOVERNING THE INTERNET......Page 404
Regulation: The Telecommunications Act of 1996......Page 405
CONNECTION: MEDIA OWNERSHIP DEBATES......Page 409
The Problem......Page 410
Is More More? Or Less?......Page 411
Skewing the News?......Page 412
Diversity and Localism......Page 413
Is Ownership All?......Page 414
Intellectual Property in the Digital Age......Page 415
BREAKOUT BOX: 12.2 COPYRIGHT TERM IN THE NEW MILENNIUM......Page 417
Regulating Global Convergence......Page 418
Industry Convergence......Page 419
BREAKOUT BOX: 12.3 MEDIA MERGERS 1996–2005......Page 420
Converging Pressures on Network TV......Page 421
Public Broadcasting......Page 425
Cable......Page 427
BREAKOUT BOX: 12.4 TOP-RATED CABLE CHANNELS AND OWNERS......Page 428
Hollywood in the Digital Era......Page 429
Radio......Page 430
Satellite TV and Radio......Page 431
Music......Page 432
A Global Public Sphere? International Broadcasting Post–9/11......Page 433
CONNECTION: THE RISE OF AL-JAZEERA......Page 436
Conclusion......Page 439
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 440
CHAPTER 13 Convergence Culture in the New Millennium—1995–2010......Page 441
Blurring Boundaries......Page 442
CONNECTION: THE TRIUMPH OF REALITY TV......Page 444
Transmedia and Hyperdiegesis......Page 447
The New Youth Generation......Page 450
Más Television Latina......Page 452
CONNECTION: THE BEAUTY OF UGLY BETTY......Page 454
Agitating for Inclusion......Page 457
Out onto Prime Time......Page 458
CONNECTION: SINGLE WOMEN AND “FAMILY” MEN......Page 460
Global Culture in a Digital Era......Page 464
CONNECTION: INDIA GOES GLOBAL AND LOCAL......Page 465
Social Discourse: The Decline of Mass Culture......Page 469
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 474
Democracy and Technology......Page 475
Obama Net......Page 476
CONNECTION: GEEKS SUPREME......Page 477
The Outlook......Page 480
BREAKOUT BOX: 14.2 A BRITISH TOP-50 LIST OF AMERICAN SHOWS, 2009......Page 484
The Persistence—and Excellence—of Television......Page 482
CONNECTION: THE BEST OF THE BEST?......Page 483
Further Reading/Listening/Viewing......Page 488
BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 489
INDEX......Page 494