Children’s Television |

The History, Politics, and Economics of America’s Only TV Channel for Kids

http://nyupress.org/books/9780814736524/

Nickelodeon is the highest rated daytime channel in the country, and its cultural influence has grown at an astounding pace. Why are Nickelodeon shows so popular? How are they developed and marketed? And where do they fit in the economic picture of the children’s media industry? Nickelodeon Nation, the first major study of the only TV channel just for children, investigates these questions.

Intended for a wide range of readers and illustrated thorughout, the essays in Nickelodeon Nation are grouped into four sections: economics and marketing; the production process; programs and politics; and viewers. Continue reading “Nickelodeon Nation”

Television Regulation before the V-Chip

https://www.dukeupress.edu/saturday-morning-censors

Many parents, politicians, and activists agree that there’s too much violence and not enough education on children’s television. Current solutions range from the legislative (the Children’s Television Act of 1990) to the technological (the V-chip). Saturday Morning Censors examines the history of adults’ attempts to safeguard children from the violence, sexism, racism, and commercialism on television since the 1950s. By focusing on what censorship and regulation are and how they work—rather than on whether they should exist—Heather Hendershot shows how adults use these processes to reinforce their own ideas about childhood innocence. Continue reading “Saturday Morning Censors”