Review by Choice Review
Once landmark legislation passed in the mid-1960s to secure the most basic civil rights for African Americans, the attention of the black community mobilized to secure further gains. Two related concerns among African Americans had to do with their chronic lack of access to mass media outlets and their stereotypical representations in most mainstream radio shows, movies, and television episodes and series. With the rapid proliferation of cable television by the 1970s, black, inner-city communities voiced optimism about the new opportunities that niche programming and narrowcasting offered. Media scholar Kiuchi (Michigan State Univ.) examines the efforts of black community activists in Detroit and Boston to gain fuller and fairer access to cable media stations. He traces the behind-the-scenes campaigning and cooperative partnerships forged among community activists, local politicians, and cable providers. The two case studies highlight the accomplishments of grassroots programming that was tailored to the needs of customers and viewers. Kiuchi argues that most of the locally oriented programming ultimately succeeded in providing a sense of agency and ownership of its message, a feat that mainstream media could never claim. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates, graduates, researchers. B. Miller University of Cincinnati-Clermont
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
