Call for proposals:
Panel: Childrenâ??s television channels in a a global context
Society for Cinema and Media Studies, 2010 Conference
(Los Angeles, USA, March 17-21, 2010)
Organizer: Katalin Lustyik (Ithaca College, US, (klustyik /at/ ithaca.edu))
Thematic childrenâ??s television channels ls constitute one of the
fastest growing and most dynamic sectors of the global media industry
today. For children, they offer a highly individualized viewing
experience often available 24 hours as day, seven days a week. In the
last decade, the amount of thematic channels worldwide has not only
skyrocketed but they have become increasingly diversified based on
their primary goals, funding mechanisms, branding activity, target
audiences, geographical reach, content and use of digital platforms.
There are age-specific (Baby TV, NickJr) and gender-specific
(Jetix/ Disney DX) channels, publicly funded channels (CBBC in the
UK,
Kinderkanal in Germany), national channels heavily influenced by the
government (China Central TV's children's channel), regional channels
(Minimax in Eastern Europe, Al Jazeera Children Channel in the Middle
East) and globally available channels owned by transnational media
corporations (Cartoon Network), many of them available on multiple
platforms. This panel will explore the historical, cultural and
politico-economic forces that have shaped the development of
childrenâ??s thematic channels as well as the he ways audiences,
policy- makers, program-makers and advertisers have related to
them in
different parts of the world. Papers can be informed by a variety of
orientations and are welcome from a broad range of academic
researchers and practitioners using a variety of theoretical and
methodological approaches including, but not limited to: media
studies, childhood studies, globalization studies, psychology,
education, sociology, anthropology and marketing.
Please send abstracts (max. 300 words) with brief biographical
information to (klustyik /at/ ithaca.edu) by August 15.
Katalin Lustyik, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Television-Radio
Roy H. Park School of Communications
Ithaca College, USA
E-mail: (klustyik /at/ ithaca.edu)