Welcome to the resource center for Television & American Culture by Jason Mittell (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010). The book was released in February 2009, and is available for order on Amazon.
This website serves as a community resource for readers, students, and instructors using the book. The Recent News section features links to updated happenings in the world of television, categorized by chapter to supplement the book. Teaching Resources features links to courses using the book, and opportunities to share pedagogical strategies. The Videos pages shares relevant online video that relates to the contents of the book. And Errata is a place to share corrections and clarifications.
I invite people to participate in this community in a range of ways. Please comment on any item posted here. Feel free to submit links to add to the Recent News sections by using delicious to share links – you can follow this feed of links in an RSS reader, and if you see a newsstory worth sharing, tag it with tvamcult and it will be shared here. There is a Facebook Group for the book that you are welcome to join. You can also email the author to make suggestions, provide syllabus links, or offer any other feedback.
Brief Table of Contents:
Introduction: Why Television? 1 (see online preview)
SECTION 1: TELEVISION INSTITUTIONS 15
Chapter 1: Exchanging Programming 17
Chapter 2: Exchanging Audiences 54
Chapter 3: Serving the Public Interest 99
Chapter 4: Televised Citizenship 126
SECTION 2: TELEVISION MEANINGS 159
Chapter 5: Making Meaning 161
Chapter 6: Telling Television Stories 213
Chapter 7: Screening America 269
Chapter 8: Representing Identity 305
SECTION 3: TELEVISION PRACTICES 355
Chapter 9: Viewing Television 357
Chapter 10: Television for Children 383
Chapter 11: Television’s Transforming Technologies 403
Conclusion: American Television in a Global Context 438
Television and American Culture 
Where I can buy ebook version?
Hello,
Is an Instructor’s copy available?
Thank you,
Peter Seely
As far as I know, there is no eBook version. Faculty/instructors can request an examination or desk copy from Oxford UP via the publisher’s website at http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/he/subject/Communication/FilmTelevisionStudies/TelevisionStudies/?view=usa&ci=9780195306675
Hi! I’m writing about American Television Regulation and comparing it to the UK for my Dissertation. Does your book mention anything about Regulating US TV? Is there a chapter in your book that may help me at all?
Thanks!
Jade Anderson
Jade,
Chapter 3 is all about American television regulation, so you might find it helpful as an overview – there’s also a list of Further Reading that will point to more detailed & comprehensive sources on the topic. Good luck!
Dear Mr. Mittel,
My name is Chris and I’m from Italy.
I’m going to write my graduation thesis about the broadcasting system in the US, so I wonder if You could help me by recommend some books talking about the structure ov the TV in your Country. I would like to make a comparison between the italian and the US broadcasting: what about the working of syndication?, what about the cable/analogic transmission?, how does the cable TV work and how is it regulated?
I hope I was clear in my request and to have a little help.
Thanks for your attention.
I guess I’d recommend my book that this site is promoting! There is suggestions for further reading in each chapter, so if anything else needs clarification, that’s the best place to start. Good luck!
Dear Jason
Here Is a question for which I cannot find an answer and you just maybe the right person to ask. I live in England and understand that the regulations may differ over here.
Is it an infringement of copyright to photograph an image on the television and sell the image?
I do not know how old your website is and you may very well have finished your book by now. Good luck with it.
I wish you well
Marie-Louise Walsh