Media Study Guide

Media 180 Fall 2013

Study Guide for Final Exam—12/18/(W)--11:30-1:00 pm, in the lecture hall

The entire exam will be drawn from the following material:

Part One: One-page essays:
1. Describe the principal program types on radio broadcasting in the 1930s and 1940s. In what ways did some of these programs reflect and perhaps reinforce prevailing prejudices? Cite specific examples from such programs as Amos ‘n’ Andy and the name changes of such performers Benjamin Kubelsky, Nathan Birnbaum, and Margarita Cansino to support your answer.

2. Providing specific examples of teleplays, explain the nature of the anthology television dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. Discuss at least four specific factors that contributed to the demise of this program type in favor of quiz shows and episodic series. What does the demise of this format suggest about program limitations and the influence of advertisers in commercial broadcast television?

3. Drawing upon lecture, class discussion, and assigned reading, explain how the Hollywood studio system of the 1930s and 1940s operated. Explain three developments that contributed to the demise of this system in the decade following the Second World War.

4. Explain the key elements of New York Times v. Sullivan (1964). What were the legal issues involved, and what was the U.S. Supreme Court’s rationale for its ruling? As a result, what does a public official have to establish in order to win a libel suit?

5. What does copyright law entail? For how long are copyrighted works protected? What are three “fair use” factors that the courts consider when balancing the constitutional rights of free speech and copyright ownership? Give two examples of cases involving alleged copyright infringement in which the U.S. Supreme Court has sought to balance these rights.

Part II: Short essays (1/4-1/2 page each):
1. To what does “covering” a song refer? Explain how this practice was abused during the rise of rock ‘n’ roll music.

2. Explain AT&T’s early role in radio broadcasting. Make specific reference to the way WEAF operated.

3. Explain the principal regulatory responsibilities of the Federal Communications Commission.

4. Explain two key developments in the 1980s that contributed to the rise of contemporary political talk radio. Citing two examples, explain the political leanings of the hosts on the most successful of these programs.

5. Explain how cable differs from broadcast television. How did cable television develop? What were its advantages over broadcast television? How did it first help and then hinder the business of broadcasting?

6. What is the World Wide Web? Explain its origins and the principles upon which it is based? Explain its relationship to the Internet

7. What are the advantages of a “distributed” Internet network system over one that is centralized?

8. How did the 1925 case, Gitlow v. New York, affect the interpretation of the First Amendment?

9. What did the “Pentagon Papers” case entail? Explain the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling this case?

10. Explain the U.S. Supreme Court’s three-part definition of obscenity in Miller v. California (1973). What are the possible problems that may arise with applying this definition?