Author Description

The Business of Children's Entertainment covers the development of children both as media audience and as consumers of material culture. It looks at the evolution of their popular culture as defined by media events and also investigates the link between consumer goods and the media. The book is divided into seven chapters that include case studies of several children's programs such as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Smurfs, and ThunderCats, in addition to short historical overviews of Nickelodeon and Disney. These case studies provide the reader with examples of the interconnected relationship between the toy industry and the media industry, and also illustrate how licensed characters have been developed in all areas of children's media. This commercialism is inexorably intertwined with strong economic forces that have shaped - and continue to shape - media and entertainment. By bringing the economic framework of children's entertainment to the foreground, Dr. Pecora creates a novel approach to her examination of the commercialization of children's media. Although the focus of the book is the children's entertainment industry, it serves to explain many concepts and issues common to all media. Professionals in the field of media studies, including mass communication scholars and media sociologists, will find this book useful and informative, as will children's media advocates. The text is also a valuable supplement for courses in media management and media economics.