This Business of Television
The Standard Guide to the Television Industry
Revised & Updated 3rd Edition
By Howard J. Blumenthal and Oliver R. Goodenough Billboard Books, New York: 2006
ISBN: 0-8230-7763-2
Reviewed by Auggie Moore - March 17, 2006
This Business of Television has long been the gold standard when it comes to reference books on the business side of television. Now fully revised and updated, the third edition of this valuable guide is a 'must read' for anyone connected with the Television industry, from writers and producers to Televangelist, advertisers, and network executives. It is also a book that will fascinate anyone with a general interest in television from the average couch potato to the college student interested in media studies. Written by Howard J. Blumenthal and Oliver R. Goodenough and subtitled The Standard Guide to the Television Industry, this book is up-to-date, relevant, and serves as a comprehensive overview of the Television industry and how it works.
The text is organized into eleven main parts:
Distribution
Regulation of Distribution
Audience Measurement and Advertising
The Programming Business
Big Media
A Broader Definition of Television
Programming and Program Development
Regulation of Programing
Production
Legal and Business Affairs
Television Outside the U.S.
In all there are fifty-four chapters in this book and it contains an appendix filled with sample contract forms and related material covering a range of situations from a submission release letter to a location release. Several handy checklists are also included that will help ensure that you have covered all your bases.
This Business of Television provides an unprecedented, behind the scenes look at how the television industry operates. In this book you'll learn how television networks are structured, how the FCC regulates and licences television broadcasts, how audience shares are measured, the development and history of branding, how news shows are programed, and so much more. This book also provides general, 'biographical' sketches of both large and medium sized media outlets including NBC Universal, Time Warner, FOX, Comcast, Gannett, and Paxson Communications. It also provides a survey of the various forms of television, including Public and Religious Television, Home Shopping networks, as well as insights in new technologies, distribution methods, and media that is currently affecting the Television industry. Programming is covered in detail, as is production, detailing aspects ranging from planning to financing. General legal matters are discussed, including tax issues, and an overview of foreign television markets is also covered.
This is by far the most comprehensive book on the Television industry that I've ever come across, and it will be a boon to writers as the 'insider' information provided in this book will give you insights that will not only help you write more marketable material, but it will also help you understand how the industry works and why it is necessary to jump through so many hoops when submitting your work, and for the fortunate, while your work is in production. This Business of Television is an excellent guide to the business side of Television, and it is one that I highly recommend.
