America’s First Network TV Censor (2010). Pondillo, Robert. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press. pp. 254.

Federal Communications Commission regulation of sexual and other content has been limited, confusing, and often without resolution. Against this backdrop, one may argue that self-regulation within broadcast organizations is worthy of careful examination. Robert Pondillo is an associate professor of electronic media communication at Middle Tennessee State University. As a film writer and director, he recognized the value of analyzing the papers of Stockton Helffrich, NBC’s first manager of censorship. Pondillo utilized the papers, interviews, and other primary sources to paint a picture of how early censorship developed within one organizational context.  He has interpreted this through a cultural and historical lens and argues that this period influenced future media.  [Read more...]