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1 – 10 of over 129000This paper examines the relationship between television station ownership characteristics and local news and public affairs programming through an expanded analysis of…
Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between television station ownership characteristics and local news and public affairs programming through an expanded analysis of data from the Federal Communication's Commission (FCC's) recent study of Big Four broadcast network affiliates. The results indicate that the FCC's conclusion that network‐owned and operated stations provide more local news and public affairs programming than other affiliates, and that stations with newspaper holdings provide more local news and public affairs programming than stations without newspaper holdings holds up only when these two program types are analyzed in combination. When these two program types are analyzed independently, and when additional explanatory factors are taken into consideration, these ownership characteristics are positively related to news programming, but not to public affairs programming.
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This study aims to examine library programming for active older (“third age”) adults and give suggestions for future improvements. In addition to covering research…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine library programming for active older (“third age”) adults and give suggestions for future improvements. In addition to covering research specific to library programming for these adults, which is limited, this review will also survey the literature on lifelong learning for this population.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper includes a literature review on library programming geared specifically to active, older adults and a survey of literature on lifelong learning for the “third agers”.
Findings
Demographics show that older adults are a growing population, not only in the USA, but worldwide. Many baby boomers have already entered or soon will be entering the “third age”. Most libraries are not providing specific programming to support these older lifelong learners. In the USA, baby boomers have the highest net worth of any generation, and as such, are an important fundraising source. Research indicates that older adults participate in lifelong learning activities and will attend library programs of interest. Topics of interest include hobbies/leisure pursuits, humanities, social/international issues, religion/philosophy, arts, technology and nutrition/health/stress management.
Practical implications
Libraries are missing a prime opportunity to expand services, develop library advocates and fundraise by ignoring the growing population of active older adults. Suggestions are given for how both public and academic libraries can take advantage of these opportunities.
Social implications
Older adults are a rapidly growing population. Providing library programming for this group benefits both older adults and libraries.
Originality/value
There are no known previous comprehensive literature reviews on library programming for older adults. Offering specific programming to this population has benefits for older adults, libraries and their communities.
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Wherever television is a commercial venture which earns a significant percentage of revenues from advertising, it tends to be transformed to better serve the needs of ad…
Abstract
Wherever television is a commercial venture which earns a significant percentage of revenues from advertising, it tends to be transformed to better serve the needs of ad agencies and their clients. One oft raised complaint is that in an attempt to raise ratings and viewership, advertisers insist that shows cater to the “lowest common denominator” of society; as a result, quality programming is often compromised, eliminated, or banished to time periods when viewing is inconvenient. Programme diversity is also undermined. This paper suggests that the strategies of commercial television often restrict high quality programming even if the actual sponsors are committed to quality and diversity. This is done to create an environment which will best serve the majority of sponsors, and thus attract maximum advertising revenues. A history of Voice of Firestone (a long‐lived programme on U.S. Radio and TV) will be used as an example of this tendency. In an era when Europe is becoming more involved with commercial television, the lesson of such examples is especially significant.
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The members of the Baby Boom generation, who comprise a very large, diverse, and outspoken sector of the population, are about to grow older and enter the public library…
Abstract
Purpose
The members of the Baby Boom generation, who comprise a very large, diverse, and outspoken sector of the population, are about to grow older and enter the public library. Are public libraries in the USA ready to accommodate their changing needs? The number of Baby Boomers, soon to be in the older adult category, will be unprecedented. Never before has there been such a sharp increase in the number of older adults. In addition, this group of users will have particular needs of their public libraries. This paper aims to focus on the issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper explores the specific needs that the Baby Boom generation will have of the US public library system by focusing on three specific, albeit interrelated, categories: social, programming, and technological, and offers methods for keeping these vital members of society engaged with their public libraries.
Findings
This paper provides insights into possible solutions for maintaining and enhancing the public library's role as an important cultural center in the community for the aging population.
Originality/value
The paper explores the needs of the Baby Boom generation and what the US public library system can do to serve these needs.
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T. Mezher, M.A. Abdul‐Malak, S. Arnaout and Z. Bassil
Public investment programming is a complex exercise and involves a number of factors. These include social, economical, environmental, technological and political factors…
Abstract
Public investment programming is a complex exercise and involves a number of factors. These include social, economical, environmental, technological and political factors. In addition, each of the factors depends on many subfactors. For example, the economic factor depends on project impact on local and national economy, number of beneficiaries, and opportunity cost of work lost. The Public Projects Programming System (3PS) is mainly a decision support system aimed at helping senior decision makers in the public sector to program the implementation of public investment projects. A multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) approach was used based on the weighted average multi‐criteria analysis (WAMA) model. The structure (database, model base, and user interface) of the 3PS is presented. A case study, in the northern suburbs of Beirut, shows the implementation of the system in a real post conflict reconstruction environment in Lebanon.
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European television is on the brink of being transformed by a new breed of commercial stations which garner revenues from advertisements — not merely taxes, governmental…
Abstract
European television is on the brink of being transformed by a new breed of commercial stations which garner revenues from advertisements — not merely taxes, governmental subsidies, and/or legislation which requires viewers to underwrite the programmes they watch. European commercial television, now in its infancy and usually only available to those with cable TV, exhibits all the signs of being an emerging “enfant terrible”. “Annual double‐digit gains in … (TV) advertising in Europe” will continue for the next 20 years, predicts John Eger, a major international media consultant and former senior Vice President of CBS Worldwide Enterprises.
Alberto Bayo-Moriones, Cristina Etayo and Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero
– The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the relationship between the political orientation of television viewers and their perception of television programming quality.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the relationship between the political orientation of television viewers and their perception of television programming quality.
Design/methodology/approach
Information from a sample of 2,843 viewers is used. Ordinary least square models are estimated to test the theoretical hypotheses.
Findings
The results suggest that the ideological position of viewers has a significant bearing on their evaluation of the quality of television channels. They also point to the key role played by news programming in the audience’s general assessment of channels quality.
Research limitations/implications
There are a number of limitations to this research, which are largely related to the data analyzed, since they are cross-sectional and measures based on a single item are used. Future research in this field ought to take the multidimensional nature of the concepts discussed here into greater consideration.
Practical implications
If political orientation colors viewer perception of quality television, it seems worthwhile for television schedulers to have more information about the political-ideological profile of their audience, so as to design a more appealing programming range for their target viewers. Regarding the impact of the perceived quality of news programs on the perceived quality of the whole channel, it would make sense for television managers to invest in news programs not only on the basis of the size of the audience reached, but also as a way to build up a strong brand and to differentiate it from competitors.
Originality/value
There is scarce empirical research on the perceptions of quality media and television by viewers. This paper develops and tests hypotheses that contribute to a better knowledge of the mechanisms that generate the perceptions of consumers about the quality of television channels.
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Christine D’Arpa, Noah Lenstra and Ellen Rubenstein
What does the intersection of food gardening and public librarianship look like? This chapter examines the question through a close analysis of three case studies that…
Abstract
What does the intersection of food gardening and public librarianship look like? This chapter examines the question through a close analysis of three case studies that represent the spread of this phenomenon in the United States and Canada. This is a first step toward identifying areas for further research that will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how food gardening in and around public libraries addresses community-level health disparities. Although it is the case that food gardens and related programming are no strangers to public libraries, this topic has not received sustained attention in the LIS research literature. Public libraries have long been framed as key institutions in increasing consumer health literacy, but a more recent trend has seen them also framed as key institutions in promoting public and community health, particularly through the use of the public library space. This chapter examines food gardens at public libraries with this more expansive understanding of how public libraries address health disparities, by considering how this work occurs through novel partnerships and programs focused on transforming physical space in local communities. At the same time, public interest in food gardens parallels increased awareness of food in society; food and diet as key aspects of health; food justice activism; and a long history of community empowerment in the face of the proliferation of food deserts through myriad activities, including community food gardens. The authors consider how food gardening in public libraries parallels these trends.
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Noah Lenstra and Mia Høj Mathiasson
As a research topic within the field of LIS, programs in public libraries are underexplored, and the question of user fees for programs has not previously been addressed.
Abstract
Purpose
As a research topic within the field of LIS, programs in public libraries are underexplored, and the question of user fees for programs has not previously been addressed.
Design/methodology/approach
This article compares data collected from two individually conducted studies of public library programs in North America and Denmark to enrich our understanding of user fees in relation to programs.
Findings
The comparative analysis shows both similarities and deviations regarding the levying of fees for library programs. While paying a fee to attend a program is rather normal in Denmark, it is more of a fringe idea in North America.
Research limitations/implications
By exploring a previously understudied facet of contemporary public librarianship, this article opens up new avenues for inquiry regarding how the relative accessibility and availability of programs relate to theoretical discussions about programs as public library services.
Practical implications
This article provides library managers with needed information about how to conceptualize the roles of programs as public library services.
Social implications
As programming surges to the fore in contemporary public librarianship, the levying of user fees has social implications in terms of social equity and the public library ethos of free and equal access for all.
Originality/value
This article is the first study of user fees for public library programs, as well as among the first cross-national comparisons of programming as a dimension of public librarianship.
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