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The first portion of this handbook considers the positive aspects of television (the news, entertainment, and educational programming); presents negative criticism regarding programming quality, the use of violence, and the influence of commercials; and discusses the available options and alternatives for improving and using television to its fullest. The major portion of the handbook outlines a unit of study based on ten short films about television that cover the following areas: the history of television, television production and new technology, the grammar of television, live network production, news reporting, the production of commercials, commercials as art forms and vehicles for study, and experimental television. Intended as a visual beginning for examining the areas of television, the unit contains a description and photograph of each film, a brief dictionary of video terms, a number of cartoons about the television industry, a chronological list of milestones in the history of television, and resources on the television industry that include two annotated bibliographies (one of films and one of books) and lists of current magazine articles, periodical publications, and organizational resources. (MAI)