Your CIOS file request: IAMCRNET/09197181.814 hotline item

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Received:  by CIOS Mailer; Friday 19 Sep 1997 18:18:14
Date:          Fri, 19 Sep 97 17:55 -0400
To: "Multiple recipients of IAMCRNET" 
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Reply-to: "IAMCRNET hotline" 
From: Eric.Berthelette@Colorado.EDU
Subject:       TV news commercialization research request
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X-ID:          Eric.Berthelette71844@Colorado.EDU
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I am a doc student helping a colleague with a research project about
local and national TV news coverage of public affairs.  My task is to
trace the development of changing news values from the 1980s to the present. 
During this time period, many observers claim that news programming has
shifted from a role as network loss-leader to ratings and revenue
generator.  Concurrently, it is said that news programming has shifted
away from traditional news values toward marketing and entertainment
values. This trend is said to be accompanied by an increase in
the influence of marketing and image consultants on news broadcasts
and the consolidation of entertainment and news management. 

Changes in TV news have generated considerable commentary and polemic,
but I haven't had much luck finding more empirical data (either
qualitative or quantitative) on the subject, such as names, dates,
specific events, etc.  I plan to put together a timeline of events or list
of telling examples, such as regulatory changes, personnel changes among
news-directors and personnel, case studies, longitudinal content analysis
studies, and industry policy statements and other documentation, which
might provide some indication of this proposed trend in news programming.

Any recommended studies, books, articles, papers, URLs, etc., would be 
greatly appreciated.

Thank you for any assistance you can provide.

Sincerely,
Eric Berthelette
communications doctoral candidate