Rerun Nation: How Repeats Invented American Television

by Derek Kompare

Overview

Rerun Nation is a fascinating approach to television history and theory through the ubiquitous yet overlooked phenomenon of reruns. Kompare covers both historical and conceptual ground, weaving together a refresher course in the history of television with a critical analysis of how reruns have shaped the cultural, economic, and legal terrains of American television. Given the expanding use of past media texts not only in the United States, but also in virtually every media-rich society, this book addresses a critical facet of everyday life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135877811
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/13/2006
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	476 KB

About the Author

Derek Kompare is Assistant Professor of Cinema-Television at Southern Methodist University. He has published several articles on television history and genre, including his work on Nick at Nite, The Osbournes, and the "television heritage" of the 1970s.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
1. Industrializing Culture: The Regime of Repetition in the United States, 1790-1920
2. Transcribed Adventures: Radio and the Recording
3. ® : Film on Early Television
4. Familiarity Breeds Content: Reconfiguring Television in the 1960s and 1970s
5. Our Television Heritage: Reconceiving Past Television
6. Old Wine in New Bottles: Broadcast Rerun Syndication since the 1980s
7. TV Land: Cable and Satellite as Boutique Television
8. Acquisitive Repetition: Home Video and the Television Heritage
CONCLUSION
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Editorial Reviews

"In this compelling contribution to the field, Kompare argues that repetition, rather than liveness or presentness, is 'the primary structuring factor of commercial television in the United States.'"— Sharon Sharp, Film Quarterly

2006 SCMS Kovacs Book Award: Honorable Mention

 

 

From the Publisher