Broadcast Books

This book is a great resource to get introduced into the information graphics field and to brush up on your skills in order to make clean, concise news graphics. Everything you need to help you understand what the business is all about is explained in a clear, easy-to-understand format. For classrooms, the author helps you structure your lessons wonderfully, and for professionals, she reminds you what to strive for.

This book is great for the young reporter just getting started and as a reference in the newsroom. I especially recommend it to introductory and intermediate graphics programs at journalism schools everywhere!

Confused about how to conceptualize and execute information graphics? For journalists and graphic artists alike, this book is an invaluable resource for how to bring the two crafts together. The author takes care to provide real world examples that are clear and to-the-point and illustrate the topics at hand. This is an invaluable resource for small and medium-sized newsrooms in particular, as well as classrooms or individuals wanting to brush up on the state of the art of news graphics presentation.

This book is clean, simple, easy to understand. It's full of examples from daily graphics to large-scale graphics media thrive on. But, best of all, it gets right to the point of explaining why those graphics work. If you're an expert, you should get a copy as a reminder of what to shoot for and help check your work. If you're a student, you need one.

I just can't get enough of the old time radio programs. There is something to be said about the minds eye which is lost in todays tv shows. The art of radio programs may be long gone but thank god for cd's such as these where you can go back in time any time you may want and listen to some of the best quality radio programs ever made. I would highly reccomend this package to anyone who loves the old radio programs. Enjoy!

Very happy with all the songs. Those that know the songs can easily sing along as well as persons not familiar with but easily learned. Great for a family or other group participation.

The Comedies were very good and entertaining and it was good to hear the old commericals on some of them. The Crime Shows and Space Shows were a bit hard to follow.

We do a lot of traveling and trying to keep your car radio on a station is not easy. However we have become addicted to the Old Time Radio Broadcasts. We have listened to broadcast going back to the 20's, 30's, 40's, and 50's. These CD's are so interesting and entertaining. To be able to listen to Burns and Allen, Jack Benny, and Abbot & Costello is great. Not to overlook the mystery series, The Whistler, The Green Hornet, Boston Blackie. And don't forget the westerns...Try them you'll like them and they do make your trip easier on you.

Not only did I enjoy this book, but I enjoyed the professor as well. The Ultimate Assist is a great way to get a feeling for what goes on behind the scenes in the sports media industry (especially in the NBA). The book provides insightful quotes, interesting graphs and polls, and reflects the true essence of Mr. Fortunato's intelligent and great personality.

I did not like the NBA when I picked up this book, but after
reading this well written document. I found myself respecting its tremendous progress.

Thanks to John Fortunato for putting this together and helping
us understand the behind the scenes NBA world.

It is a MUST READ for basketball fans of all ages.

I cannot speak well enough about the author or his book! Dr. Fortunato has combined both brilliance and enthusiasm into his book, The Ultimate Assist. If anyone has ever been interested in topics ranging anywhere from the NBA to the mass media, this is no doubt the ideal text to own. Dr. Fortunato currently has a Ph.D. in Communication from Rutgers University, and an M.A. in Communication and B.A. from William Paterson University, and has successfully created a fascinating non-fiction work that depicts the NBA as it is today; the Ultimate Assist is a definite page-turner. With fascinating interviews, unlimited knowledge, and the greatest passion, The Ultimate Assist is no doubt a book that everyone should own a copy of.

I found the Ultimate Assist to be very insightfull. Fortunato presents the facts in a very smooth enjoyable way. An excellent read for any N.B.A. fan

...hearing Murrow's "This is London." The first time was while visiting my grandparents. My grandfather took me into the kitchen and closed the door before turning on the radio because my grandmother didn't want to hear it. I was only 10 years old, and I'm sure I didn't understand the full significance of what I heard until much later. Nevertheless, it has stuck with me. It was one of the nights when Murrow was outside and we could hear the air raid siren in the background. (If I stop to think about it for a moment, I can still hear the siren's distinctive wail in my "mind's ear.") Seib's book is a superb addition to the shelves of books about the beginning of World War II because it deals with an aspect of how U.S. involvement came about that I do not recall reading elsewhere. The focus is on Murrow because he was so influential in forming Americans' opinions about the importance of sustaining England as it fought the Nazi menace alone, but the work of other journalists is also cited. (I have a small nit to pick here: the name of The New Yorker writer is Mollie Panter-Downes, not Painter-Downes.) Seib writes well, and his narrative moves quickly and to the point. There are no wasted words. Anyone with an interest in the early days of the war should read this book.

The difference between reporting the news and leading the country has never been clear, and Edward R. Murrow was a master at both.

While reading this book on his broadcasting from London during the early days of the war, don't forget his broadcast that ended the career of Joseph McCarthy. Murrow understood that his reporting influenced American public opinion.

There are those who rail against his sense of ethics in combining reporting the news with what you might call propaganda. Perahps he should be judged instead by the result. He helped prepare the US for a war that we could probably not avoid.

This is the story of a strange time, and what one key player did.

BROADCASTS FROM THE BLITZ: HOW EDWARD R MURROW HELPED LEAD AMERICA INTO WAR is for any who would understand early broadcast journalism's effect on war and peace. Murrow's 'This is London' opening brought the blitz home to Americans who would've otherwise been distanced by war events: he told why Americans wouldn't be able to avoid involvement, and he prepared the country with his moment-by-moment broadcasts of events. His agenda was to bring America into the war - and more than any politician, he alone helped prepare the American public for such involvement. This far-reaching story will interest a wide audience, from students of broadcast journalism to those interested in military history and social issues alike. Highly recommended indeed.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book reveals the true nature of the nearly tectonic shift in the landscape of content being caused by digital technology. Even as the editor of Digital TV magazine, I have not read a book that examines, in such a penetrating manner, and with such a dazzling collection of expert voices, the depth of this dramatic change and what it now means. Further, it reveals the implications for the future of creating and distributing content in the digital age. This book is a must for anyone who cares about navigating the new world of digital content.

This is a "must buy" for anyone interested in the digital revolution that is changing the way we communicate. It explains how camcorders, Avids, and computers have changed video, movie-making, web streaming, and how to become part of it. "Digital content" is really what video, TV and movies have become. You can re-use your video and audio in many different ways to better serve clients or create original programming. The book explains what's going on very clearly. Digital video is really computer data, so it's cheaper and easier to work with than "regular" video. And the image is better! You can produce any type of show for less money than ever before, and you can do more things with your video; stream it on the web, put it on a DVD disc, project it as a movie, or re-use clips for other programs. Audio and sound techniques are also included.
"Creating Digital Content" starts off with a funny story by Firesign Theatre's Peter Bergman that makes you realize how much digital video and software has changed the way movies and TV are made. Then there's a really interesting section on what "digital" really means, which is the most concise definition I've ever read. Really helpful is the fact that they go into specifics about the best equipment available... over 25 chapters all about computers, Avids, camcorders, memory, etc. which can be used to make HDTV, corporate video, interactive TV and yes, feature films! Whether you're at a local TV station, a production house, a university A/V department, or you're an "A" list DGA feature film director, these are the NEW tools that you must be familiar with and ready to use.
You'll understand how computers, software and camcorders have become the new ways to make TV, streaming video, and big budget movies. Plus amazing interviews with the giants in the field, such as George Lucas and James Cameron.
I highly recommend "Creating Digital Cinema". It's an invaluable resource for anyone seriously interested in video, TV, streaming, and movies, and at the same it's a great read.

For a subject rife with hype and confusion, the editors bring together articles that are by turns surprising, authoritative and laugh-out-loud funny. For industries with notoriously short attention spans, the book reveals the lessons learned from decades of failure and success in Interactive TV and digital TV and gives roadmaps to the future.

This book, written by several of data broadcast specification authors, is The Definitive Work on the ATSC Data Broadcast specification.

If you are an implementer of data broadcasting, you need exactly two things: a copy of the specification and a copy of this book.

I highly recommend this book to all those who develop or maintain data broadcasting systems.

The good point is that it is not at all a replication of the specification (though a true copy of the A/90 spec is added as an appendix). The concepts are clear, progressive and sufficiently illustrated.

Chapter 3 alone tells you most you need to know about MPEG-2 Systems standard. I gained extra insight from it even after I had studied the original 13818-1 spec.

I found this book to be a great resource for the engineering and design fundamentals that relate to the question "how is all that data formatted and organized in digital television broadcasting?" The MPEG-2 Systems Standard is one of the foundations of digital television. If you're interested in how MPEG-2 really works at the system level, you'll find this book an excellent resource. The chapter on MPEG Transport by itself is worth the price of the book, but it also does a great job explaining another arcane MPEG-2 Standard, Digital Storage Media Command and Control (DSM-CC). It turns out DSM-CC is very useful in data broadcasting, but if you were to pick up the IEC standard itself and try to make sense of it, you'd find it very challenging.

Even though broadcasters have not started transmitting data along with digital television, this book sets the framework for understanding how it will be done. It's written by those experts in the field who actually designed the standard, so you know the information is accurate.

I can only imagine how hard it must be to work in the news. News reporters have talk to people when they are at the lowest points in their life, but Jody Dean points out that if a person is willing to look, there is evidence of the hand of God at work in every story. We might like to see big grand evidences of the goodness of God, but God understands things differently than what we do. I highly recommend reading this book if you are wondering where God is when something bad has happened.

Emmy Award-winning journalist Jody Dean has worked in broadcast news long enough to dispute the notion that "the devil is in the details" of the events of our day. God is in the details, he counters, including those details that often lie hidden in plain view on the nightly newscasts. "We're used to looking for the huge," he writes about newscasters and viewers alike. "But tiny things can have more weight than we can imagine. I think a lot of the stories we cover are like that...We miss the 'still small voice' when we focus on the thunderstorm."

Yes, he admits, most of what you see on television news is negative or sensational or depressing. That's what makes it the news --- the anomalies, the disasters, the tragedies. But Dean believes observant viewers --- those who have eyes to see and ears to hear --- can discover God in the same stories that others have labeled negative.

Few would disagree, for instance, that the abduction and murder of a child makes for a horrific story, the kind that causes your heart to hurt like nothing else can and tempts you to swear off television news forever. Even seasoned reporters found themselves at a loss for words in 1999 when young Amber Hagerman's body was found near Arlington, Texas. "We've just got to give this one to God," a fellow journalist said to Dean at the funeral. As senseless and heartbreaking as the girl's murder was, her death proved not to be in vain. The tragedy resulted in the institution of the now-nationwide Amber Alert System, which immediately notifies law enforcement agencies, broadcasts outlets, and motorists (via electronic highway signs) whenever a child is reported missing or abducted. God was indeed a part of the story, and the lives of countless children have been saved as a result.

Throughout the book, Dean shows God at work in the details of many of the major stories he has covered in his 30 years as a Dallas-area broadcast journalist --- stories of such magnitude as the Oklahoma City bombing and the breakup of the space shuttle Columbia in the skies over Texas, and of such poignancy as human-interest pieces on an inner city soup kitchen and a man whose ministry to others is played out in the role of Santa Claus.

Among the most compelling is his account of the 1999 shootings during a midweek service at Wedgewood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. During his murderous spree, Larry Gene Ashbrook killed seven people and injured seven others before turning the gun on himself. In an interview with the pastor following the tragedy, Dean asked about the seven who died. Pastor Al Meredith immediately corrected him. "There were eight who died," he said, including Ashbrook in the tally and thereby speaking volumes about grace, compassion and forgiveness.

In each chapter, Dean's writing reveals his skill as a storyteller --- an often overlooked talent shared by the best journalists in the country, whether in print or on the air. One of his best tales is the must-read account of a woman named Rose whose story never appeared in or on the air in her lifetime, at least not in so much detail that it would have brought unwanted publicity to her "hole-in-the-wall" burger joint. It's stories like this one that prove Dean can handle human-interest pieces as masterfully as he handles hard news.

If you're a news junkie like I am, you're bound to love this book, if for no other reason than it gives us an arsenal of ammunition to defend an addiction that others cannot comprehend. Fortunately for Dean and Revell, FINDING GOD IN THE EVENING NEWS should appeal as well to the general Christian public --- a public that has become increasingly disenchanted with the media and disturbed by their negative excesses. By showing God at work in the stories he has covered, Dean offers viewers a reason to tune in and discover God for themselves.

This is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read. Jody Dean is a member of my Church and Sunday School class. I have not personally met the man; but I can tell you by watching him from a distance that he is one of the most humble and caring men you would ever meet. I heard him state at a Sunday school luncheon that he was not sure if one person would buy his book. Well I bought it on 10/1/04, and could not put it down. A fantastic easy read, with fascinating stories. Great job Jody. When is your next book coming out?

These women paved the way for all women in media today and forever chaged the landscape of what we hear and see. They have influenced our culture and served as inspiring role models for women. Their stories of perserverence and triumph should make us all grateful for the wonderful women who came before us to open the doors of diversity in all career areas.

This book tells the inspiring tales of some of the most remarkable women of our time who would not be discouraged when told that they could not make it in a man's world.

Women have come a long way in many fields, in part, because of the efforts of many of these 50 courageous women. This is a wonderful book, fascinating backgrounds and photos of our most beloved pioneers. It would also make a lovely gift for any young woman starting out who doesn't even realize the opportunites she has now because of those who went before and blazed the trail. Congratulations, beautifully done!

Jacqueline Marcell, Author, "Elder Rage, or Take My Father... Please!" and Host of the "Coping wWth Caregiving" Internet Radio Program

The parallels to CBS are right on. The US government is being controlled by god-fearing men and a supreme court with their own god. What about my god? What ever happened to the separation of church and state? A must read!!!

This novel is an eye opener of our superficial "godverment".I found it incredibly compelling to take a walk through the author's mind as he unveils such ruthlessness and hypocracy! A must read,to know the truth and have the truth set you free of doubts,confusion and disappointments!

"Minutemen News" is the most perceptive political (and television) satire I have read in years. Like George Orwell in "1984", Berry invents his own language to warn about the hypocrisy of a bureaucratic "godvernment", and a lapdog media. Some of the terms he uses include "liberty harassment" and "libertyism", bias against people who believe in and practice free will. But the best part of the novel is Berry's running joke of a "He said/She said" U.S. Senate Confirmation Hearing, where Supreme Court Nominee "David Chang" is accused of "double-entendre harassment" by his former employee, "Nikki Darling".

This collection of the late Richard Salant's letters and memoirs shows that the former CBS News president -- with his strong sense of justice, fairness and intelligence -- deserves to be just as much a legend to the public as the men and women who worked for him.

Throughout the Vietnam and Watergate era of the 60s and 70s, the lawyer-turned-news executive was credited with standing up for his news people in conflicts with the government and business interests. In this volume of memoirs, organized very well by Susan and Bill Buzenberg, readers also see that he was just as tough with his own staff when it came to issues of balance and accuracy.

Readers will also be intrigued by Salant's explanation of why he approved "60 Minutes" several years after it was proposed; his written battle of wits with Charles Crutchfield, the conservative chief executive of a CBS Television affiliate;
why he didn't like music on CBS news shows; and why he felt himself a stranger in strange lands during his post-CBS years at NBC and the National News Council.

This book will be enjoyed by those interested in the issues behind newsgathering. And even though the business has changed markedly (to many, for the worse) since Salant's days, the Salant memoirs show the intelligence, thought and love of humanity he brought to his work -- qualities that are always needed in the exercise of news judgement.

It's been a quarter century after Dick Salant's left the stage of broadcast journalism. But thanks to this excellent book, his wisdom and intellect can benefit generations of young journalists.

I had to read this book for a Media Ethics class and I must say that it was one of my favourite books! Salant teaches readers about the workings of a newsroom and the struggle to do what is right with the news through funny annecdotes and interesting stories. Any aspiring journalist MUST read this, and anyone just looking for a good biography would do well to read this. (Actually, EVERYONE should read this as journalism and the media are a strong presence in all our lives, and this is a fun way to learn more about it.)

The Buzenbergs have captured the essence of a unique man of principle. Using Salant's voluminous archives, this book is a fascinating trip through an era that established high standards in broadcast journalism. The book raises issues and questions which are at the heart of today's journalism. Household names Cronkite, Rather, Brokaw, Jennings, Sevareid are the characters in the tale of how the premiere broadcast news organization came to be - what and who held it together - and the inside view of a corporation struggling with its identity. The players were giants in a land that has more recently turned into a universe of pygmies. You don't have to be a news junkie to enjoy and learn from this book - you just have to ask yourself: "if I see one more Monica Lewinsky story"...I won't take it anymore! Good reading.

Peter Herford