The primary purpose of this study was to track changes in the numbers and types of sexual behaviors in prime time network TV programs. A probability sample of eighty-eight hours of programs and promos was analyzed for a wide variety of sexual behaviors (verbal, implied, and physical). Contrary to public perceptions, the results indicated a substantial decrease in the hourly rates of sexual behaviors in the programs from fall 1987 to fall 1991.

This study is the first longitudinal study to address two separate lines of research—sound bite research and news bias research—within a single network TV news study. Presidential and vice presidential campaign stories from Campaign '92 (ninety-nine newscasts) and Campaign '96 (100 newscasts) were analyzed to test the anti-incumbent bias hypothesis. The overall conclusions of this study were that (a) the anti-incumbent bias hypothesis received only minimal support, and (b) in both campaigns, Republicans tended to be negatively bitten more often than Democrats. In this respect, the networks were not equal-opportunity biters.

This study pulls together two separate lines of research — sound bite research and news bias research — within a single Campaign ′92 network TV news study. Presidential and vice presidential campaign stories that appeared on network television were analyzed in terms of categories of biters and types of bites. Results indicated that the twenty-year trend of shrinking sound bites has stopped. Contrary to statements made by some members of the working press, there was no evidence of liberal news bias in the network selection of bites by the candidates themselves. However, the analysis of bites by noncandidates did produce results consistent with a hypothesis of liberal news bias. The Bush-Quayle ticket was negatively bitten almost twice as much as the Clinton-Gore ticket and more than three times as much as the Perot-Stockdale ticket.

A common assumption in the T V industry is that, "Where there's sweeps, there's sure to be sex." This study tested that assumption by conducting a content analysis of sexual behaviors in ABC, Fox, and NBC prime-time programs during the February 2992 sweeps period, when CBS was carrying the Winter Olympics. The random sample consisted of nineteen evenings cfifty-six hours of programs). The three networks carried 12.20 sexual behaviors per hour during the sweeps period, up slightlyfiom 21.99 per hour during a fall 1991 nonsweeps period. An additional 5.04 sexual behaviors per hour were presented in the promos for prime-time programs. Unmarried sex was the predominant type of sex, and disapprovals of unmarried sex were rare. Pregnancy, AIDS, and other STDs were seldom shown or mentioned. Correlations between sexual behaviors and ratings produced either nonsign+cant or negative results. The study concluded that where there are sweeps, there may or may not be more sex, depending on which network one is analyzing. ABC cut its number of sexual behaviors per hour by almost half, while Fox more than doubled its rate per hour.