Broadcast Television Programs Research Articles

Image Activity Characteristics in Broadcast Television

Real-time processing of video waveforms has been implemented for the purpose of analyzing image dynamics. A digital preprocessor yields data sets that describe the difference between selected fields of an input video signal in both the spatial and temporal domains. Further reduction and analysis of the acquired data can provide several measures of image activity such as the frame-to-frame correlation, the frame-difference signal (FDS), and statistics of scene lengths. The results of a series of measurements of the dynamics of typical broadcast television programs are presented. It is demonstrated that image activity is separable into two distinct classes, one caused by image and camera movement, and the other by scene switches.

International satellite controversy

F rom the beginning of satellite communications, almost a decade ago, it was universally recognized that the new technology could be used to broadcast television programs. Although this possibility has not yet been realized, technical progress has been rapid and experiments with some forms of satellite broadcasting are now being mounted. None involves direct broadcasting from satellite to home receivers, but this form, though economically more problematical, is just over the technological horizon. For several years, the international community has been grappling in several different forums with the technical and political problems of direct broadcasting. The current focus of this work is in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which is particularly concerned with issues involving the content of television programs that might be broadcast via satellite. Many countries have long voiced the fear that the new satellite technology will bring them programs they do not want--because they contain propaganda, material that is culturally offensive or trivia. Some of these countries have advanced proposals for regulating direct-broadcast programs. Their proposals have raised the counterconcem that regulation will severely curtail the free flow of information. The issue came to a head in August, 1972, when the Soviet Union submitted to the United Nations (UN) General A s sembly a draft international convention calling for a regime of strict control over satelfite broadcasting. In the following months, this proposal was debated heatedly; in November, 1972, the General Assembly voted to refer the matter to its outer space committee. The resolution recited both the potential benefits of satellite broadcasting and the need to respect the sovereignty of states in its use, and it requested the outer space committee " to elaborate principles governing the use by States of artificial earth satellites for direct television broadcasting with a view to concluding an international agreement or agreements." The United States east the only vote against this resolution. Concurrently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific

Effects of a prosocial televised example on children's helping

The possibility that regularly broadcast entertainment television programs can facilitate prosocial behavior in children was investigated. Thirty first-grade children, 15 boys and 15 girls, were individually exposed to one of three half-hour television programs: a program from the Lassie series which included a dramatic example of a boy helping a dog, a program from the Lassie series devoid of such an example, or a program from the family situation comedy series, the Brady Bunch. The effects of the programming were assessed by presenting each child with a situation that required him to choose between continuing to play a game for self-gain and helping puppies in distress. Children exposed to the Lassie program with the helping scene helped for significantly more time than those exposed to either of the other programs.

Assessment of Memory for Remote Events

Two retrospective tests are described for the assessment of remote memory for past events. Both tests ask about former television programs broadcast for a single season from 1957 to 1972. One test asks about the plots of programs, and the other asks for judgments about their temporal order. The usefulness of such tests for experimental and clinical studies of memory is discussed.

Progress Report—Theater Television<!--<xref ref-type="other" rid="fn1-10.5594_J16511">*</xref>-->

In connection with a theater television demonstration of an instantaneous theater television projection system, a chronological record of the early development and current progress of theater television is presented. References are made to both instantaneous projection and the kinescope-photography methods. The demonstration consisted of the projection by theater television of lantern slides for the paper, live action, and film reproduction fed from the anteroom of the auditorium together with broadcast television programs received by radio transmission and telephone circuits from a near-by television station.

Film in Television: Television Production as Viewed by a Motion Picture Producer

The 2 following papers and subsequent discussion took place at a meeting of the Atlantic Coast Section of the Society in New York on March 22, 1944. The subject was limited to the use of film in television programs broadcast for reception in homes, as an alternative to the production of programs of this type directly from live talent. Discussion was directed along 3 lines, i. e., the effect on technical phases of picture quality such as definition and focus, possibilities in artistic effects, and economic aspects. It was emphasized that the views expressed were personal opinions and did not necessarily represent the policies of any company or organization. Discussion section follows the second paper—page 85.