The Broadcast Television Industry is a current, comprehensive review of the dominant distributors of television programming in the United States. The book reviews the history and current practices of both commercial and public television. Separate chapters explore the regulation of television, the operation of local stations and national networks, audience research, the impact of our most pervasive medium, and the future of broadcasting as a means of television distribution in a increasingly competitive environment.

The book is the first look at the particular strengths and weaknesses of broadcast television written during the new age of television: an era that includes cable, home video, and digital satellite as competing distribution systems. It provides a detailed account of television's core industry: broadcast television.