Marsha Ann Tate, Ph.D.

Author, Educator, and Researcher
Tate Research & Training Services 
Email: marsha@mtateresearch.com


Research Interests | Selected Publications | Selected Presentations

Research Interests

My research and writing activities primarily focus upon topics related to North American history and communications, namely: (1) the development of American summer colonies in Cobourg and Muskoka, Ontario; (2) the role of American business interests in the development of the Lake of the Woods region of Ontario during the late 1800s and early 1900s; (3) the North American media industries; and last but not least (4) information literacy.

Selected Publications

Books, Book Chapters, and Reports

Tate, Marsha Ann. U.S. Capital, Commerce, and Tourism in Ontario. 3 volume series.
Volume 1: Of Iron and Ozone: The History of the American Summer Colony in Cobourg, Ontario. Now available on Amazon (paperback) and Kindle.

In the decades following the U.S. Civil War, Cobourg, Ontario, a community nestled on Lake Ontario’s northern shore, emerged as a foremost North American resort. Cobourg’s historical importance rests not only in the number of summer vacationers it attracted from throughout the United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s, but also their unique character. Counted among Cobourg’s seasonal residents were, among others: a) the wives of Ulysses S. Grant and Jefferson Davis; b) countless veterans of the Union and Confederate Armies; c) high-ranking federal, state, and local government officials; d) wealthy U.S. and Canadian businesspeople; e) actors and musicians; as well as f) working-class families. Of Iron and Ozone traces the development of Cobourg as a resort community, with an emphasis upon the multifaceted socioeconomic relationships that evolved among the varied individuals and families who summered there.

Volume 2: Newport of the North: Lake Muskoka, Ontario. In press.
Volume 3: Business, Politics and the Borderlands: Lake of the Woods, Ontario. In press.

Tate, Marsha Ann. Web Wisdom: How to Evaluate and Create Information Quality on the Web. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2010.

Tammen, James F., with the assistance of Marsha Ann Tate, and Rebecca L. Peplinski. History of the Department of Plant Pathology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 1956 to 1976. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Plant Pathology, 2009.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Alliance Atlantis Communications: The Emergence of a Canadian Contender in the Global Media Milieu.” Ph.D. dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University, 2007.
Using a combination of case study and historical research methodologies, this study examines the development of Toronto, Ontario–based Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. and its predecessor companies within the context of a globalized media environment.

Tate, Marsha Ann. Canadian Television Programming Made for the United States Market: A History with Production and Broadcast Data. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2007.
Canadian Television Programming Made for the United States Market examines factors which led to an independent television production sector in Toronto, Ontario, and the Ontario-based companies that have competed in the U.S. marketplace. Alliance Atlantis Communications is given particular attention as one of Ontario's most successful production companies. Economic and political influences as well as current and future prospects of independent production companies are discussed.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “An East–West Expert Dialogue: Regulation and Telecommunications Market Development in China” [report]. Washington, DC: East–West Center, 2004.

Schement, Jorge R., and Marsha Ann Tate. Rural America in the Digital Age: A Preliminary Assessment of the State of the Information/Telecommunications Infrastructure in Ten Counties of North Dakota and Pennsylvania” [PDF document]. University Park, PA: Institute for Information Policy, College of Communications, School of Information Sciences and Technologies, The Pennsylvania State University, 2003. (Report prepared for the Rural Policy Research Institute–RUPRI). A six page rural policy brief of Rural America in the Digital Age by Dorie Pickle and Sharon Strover of RUPRI's Telecommunications panel is also available.

Journal/Magazine Articles

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Revisiting the Due South Cyberfandom on Its Twentieth Birthday.” In press.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Training Ring Warriors: Boxing’s Contribution to the Allied War Effort during World War I.” In press.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Of Iron and Ozone: The History of the American Summer Colony in Cobourg, Ontario.” Juniata Voices, Vol. 13 (2013).

Tate, Marsha Ann. “The Urban Brethren of the Broom: Curling in Nineteenth Century America.” Journal of Sport History (JSH) 38, no. 1 (Spring 2011): 53–73. Full text of article available via Project Muse.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Sojourns to Cobourg: When Pittsburghers Summered in Ontario.” Western Pennsylvania History 94, no. 3 (Summer 2011):36–47.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Dealing with Orphans.” Playback, August 17, 2009, p. 14.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Canadian Copyright Battleground.” Playback, August 3, 2009, p. 40.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Canada 2025.” Playback, February 16, 2009.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Studios Keep Pace with Digital Revolution.” Playback, August 4, 2008.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “FILMPORT Enters Global Studio War.” Playback, April 28, 2008.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Meet Goldman Sachs.” Playback, January 7, 2008.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Venturing into the Blogosphere.” Playback, November 12, 2007.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Cobourg, Ontario: Canada's Mason–Dixon Community” [PDF document]. Cobourg and District Historical Society Historical Review, September 2005.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Looking for Laura Secord on the Web: Using a Famous Figure from the War of 1812 as a Model for Evaluating Historical Web Sites.” The History Teacher 38, no. 2 (February 2005): 225–240. Full text of article available via JSTOR.
This essay explores the cyberspace repository of information about the Canadian historical figure Laura Secord in an attempt to answer the following questions: (1) How is Laura Secord's journey depicted on Web pages/sites? (2) How are the Web-based depictions of Laura Secord similar/different from accounts found in print sources? and (3) In what, if any, other aspects do the Web-based resources related to Laura Secord differ from their print counterparts?

Tate, Marsha Ann, and Valerie A. Allen.Integrating Distinctively Canadian Elements into Television Drama: A Formula for Success or Failure?The Canadian Journal of Communication 28, no. 1 (2003): 67–84.
The production of indigenous Canadian television drama, despite cultural importance ascribed to the genre, has been continually beset by funding and other problems. This situation prompted Canadian producers to concentrate upon the production of so–called industrial dramas that attempt to minimize or completely mask their Canadian origins and are designed primarily for the export market. There has been exceptions–North of 60, Black Harbour, Due South. These identifiably Canadian dramas garnered significant numbers of viewers at home as well as foreign audiences. Based upon a case study of Due South, we suggest that distinctive Canadian elements need not be viewed as detriments to a show's success but rather be regarded as potential assets that can help a program distinguish itself from its competitors.

Newspaper/Newsletter Articles

Tate, Marsha Ann. Meet the Manufacturer of the Grange Fair’s Distinctive Green Tents.” Bellefonte Gazette, August 22, 2008, p. 17.

Online Publications/Resources

Catalogs

Tate, Marsha Ann, compiler. The Grange Fair Museum Catalog, August 2010.

Tate, Marsha Ann, compiler. Screening the St. Lawrence Seaway: A Catalog of Audiovisual Works Related to the Seaway and Its Environs, prepared in conjunction with “Screening the St. Lawrence Seaway,” a presentation given at the Pennsylvania Canadian Studies Consortium 2009 Meeting, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, March 21, 2009.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Resources for Research, Writing, and Citation [Web page], 2009–2010.

Tate, Marsha Ann. Web Wisdom: How to Evaluate and Create Information Quality on the Web (2nd edition) Companion Web Site, 2009–to date.

Tate, Marsha Ann. The American Summer Colonies at Cobourg and Lake Muskoka Ontario [Web site], 2005–to date.

Tate, Marsha Ann. Canadian Media Industries Research Project Portal [Web site], 2005–to date.

Bibliographies and Chronologies

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Rural Telecommunications Bibliography” [PDF document]. Last updated November 22, 2010.

Tate, Marsha Ann, comp. “A Selected Bibliography of Sources Related to Cobourg, Lake Muskoka, and Lake of the Woods, Ontario and Their U.S. Visitors” [PDF document]. May 2007–to date.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Selected Agricultural-related Museums and Historical Sites in Pennsylvania and the Surrounding Region” [Web resource], 2008–2010.

Tate, Marsha Ann. Pennsylvania and Penn State's Agricultural Heritage: A Chronology [Web resource], 2008–2010.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Canadian Film and Television Industries: A Bibliography” [PDF document]. Last updated August 2, 2007.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Resources for Research, Writing, and Citation” [Web page], 2007–2010.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Web-based Resources for Rural Research” [Web page], 2007–to date.

Works Originally Prepared for Graduate Communications Courses at The Pennsylvania State University

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Canada, Culture & Broadcasting: An Examination of the Cultural Components of Canada's Broadcasting Policies.” Essay originally prepared for Communications 501 (Proseminar), fall 2000.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “An Historical Analysis of Foreign Ownership Restrictions in the Canadian Telecommunications Sector.” Paper originally prepared for Communications 581, fall 2001.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “An Economic History and Analysis of Canadian-produced Television Programming Sold to American Networks/Stations.” Paper originally prepared for Communications 497D, spring 2001.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Intellectual Property Issues Associated with Video Streaming: An Analysis of iCraveTV.” Paper originally prepared for Communications 582, spring 2000.

Tate, Marsha Ann, and Valerie Allen.Duesers: A Case Study of the Due South Cyberfandom.” Independent research study originally posted in 2000 as an HTML document. Also available in PDF format.

Selected Presentations

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Of Iron and Ozone: History of the American Summer Colony in Cobourg, Ontario.” Bookend Seminar Series presentation given at Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA, October 2012.

 

Tate, Marsha Ann. “I am Sir, Your Obedient Servant: U.S. Consular Activities in Port Hope and Rat Portage, Ontario, During the Late 1800s and Early 1900s.” Paper presented at the 2011 Biennial Conference of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS), Ottawa, ON, November 2011.
This paper analyses the activities of the U.S. consular office in Port Hope, Ontario, between 1882 and 1892. The paper begins with an overview of the U.S. Consular Service and the organizational structure of the Service’s offices and personnel in Canada during the time period under consideration, together with a brief review of Canadian–U.S. trade. Against this backdrop, the paper’s second section presents an analysis of official correspondence associated with the Port Hope Consular office. The analysis specifically addresses the following questions: (1) What were the primary official functions of the consular officers at Port Hope? (2) How much freedom were the officers given by their superiors in Washington, DC, to make decisions on their own? (3) What types of formal interactions did the officers have with their colleagues and superiors in Canada and in Washington, DC? and finally, (4) What types of formal interactions did the officials have with their Canadian hosts (e.g., local residents, government officials)? This examination of consular correspondence not only affords unique insights into the daily activities of the consular personnel and their rapport with colleagues and clientele alike, but also insights into the Ontario community where they worked and lived. The analysis suggests that while the consular offices provided useful services and information to their clientele, jurisdictional, personal, and various other disputes limited their overall effectiveness.

 

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Web Wisdom: Practical Tools and Techniques for Evaluating Internet–based Information.” In-service presentation given to the faculty members of the South Hills Business School, State College, PA, May 13, 2011.

 

Tate, Marsha Ann. “After the War: The Emergence of Cobourg, Ontario, as a Summer Resort Destination for Civil War Veterans during the Late Nineteenth Century. Presentation given at the Pennsylvania Canadian Studies Consortium, 2011 Meeting, East Stroudsburg University, April 2011.
Following the U.S. Civil War, Cobourg, Ontario, emerged as a fashionable summer resort especially favored by veterans of both the Union and Confederate Armies. Added to this unusual cross–border contingent of former military adversaries, who ranged in rank from private to general, were sundry active duty and retired military personnel from the British Army. Using an array of archival and secondary sources, together with photographs from the period, this presentation examines the unique factors that contributed to Cobourg’s popularity as a summer vacation destination for a diverse array of enlisted and retired armed forces personnel during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The presentation  also highlights selected notable military figures who regularly visited or established summer residences in Cobourg and its environs. This presentation and the larger research initiative from which it is derived, provides unique insights into the social relationships that existed among military families from both the northern and southern United States in the decades following the Civil War.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “The Frisbie Family of Orwell Township: A 19th Century Saga of Bradford County and Beyond.” Presentation given at the Bradford County Historical Society, Towanda, PA, October 15, 2010.
After settling in Orwell Township in 1800, Levi Frisbie and his family became actively involved in the business, educational, and political life of Bradford County. Likewise, throughout the nineteenth century, various family members also gained notoriety in government and industry beyond Bradford County. This presentation traces the development of the Frisbie family's business and political influence at home and abroad during this period, as illustrated via the careers of Eaton Frisbie, a two term mayor of Elmira, New York, who was also actively engaged in various coal and railroad–railroad ventures in the northeastern United States; and G. Clayton Frisbie, a U.S. Consular Agent at Rat Portage, Ontario, who was similarly engaged in sundry ventures in Canada and the western United States. The presentation concludes with a discussion of the major factors that contributed to the diminishment of the family's influence in the early 1900s.

Timko, Robert, and Marsha Ann Tate, co–chairs.Paul Gross's Passchendaele: Documenting and Communicating the Canadian Rite of Passage to Modern-day Audiences.” Plenary session presented at the 2010 Middle Atlantic and New England Council for Canadian Studies Biennial Conference on Canadian Studies, Providence, RI, October 2, 2010.
The 2008 Paul Gross film Passchendaele presents an artifact by which to examine how the struggles of the Canadian armed forces in World War I helped forge a new understanding of Canadian identity. The film not only brings together life on the battlefield and life on the home front, it also raises important questions about moral ambiguities and hard choices which are potentially unpopular on several levels. Meanwhile, the film’s companion book, website, and other associated resources take individuals deeper into these personal and political conflicts via letters, photographs, and newspaper clippings. Taken together, these resources afford a new generation of Canadians and other people throughout the world an opportunity to hear Canada’s coming–of–age story in the words of the men and women who personally experienced the event. Indeed, Passchendaele more than the other battle is where not only the Canadian soldier, but also the Canadian people as a whole became blooded. It is the moment in history where Canadians took measure of themselves as a distinct people and a distinct nation. It is the moment in which English–Canadians understood that they were British no longer. Against this backdrop, individuals who were involved in the production of the film and/or its associated educational resources addressed the following questions: (1) How are teachers bringing the story of Passchendaele to their classes and their students? (2) Which of the associated educational initiatives seem to be most effective in helping a new generation of Canadians grasp the fundamental meaning of Passchendaele? Which seem to be less successful? (3) Does the film set the stage for more histories, for more authenticating narratives, to be presented to the audiences of Canada and the world? (4) To what extent can we see the film as a document which authenticates the Canadian identity? (5) If it is the meaning of the story of Passchendaele we wish to understand, if it is the meaning that we wish to pass on to the next generation, to what extent is historical accuracy in each detail something that counts? (6) Does the film romanticize or mythologize the role that the Canadian soldier played in the development of a new sense of nationhood or does it instead afford an opportunity to value the role that a sense of duty and commitment to a moral ideal play in the formation of the character and conduct of the Canadian people as members of both a national and global community?

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Bracing Breezes and Winsome Waterways: An Exploration of Ontario's Nineteenth Century Spas, Springs, and Resorts.” Paper presented at the 2010 Pennsylvania Canadian Studies Consortium Annual Meeting and Conference, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, March 20, 2010.
During the mid-to-late 1800s and early 1900s, a multitude of spas, springs, and resorts throughout North America catered to an eclectic clientele, ranging from individuals looking for relief from varied ailments to families seeking sanctuary from the summertime heat and humidity of their hometowns. Using period photographs and promotional materials, this presentation provides an overview of the historical development of spas, springs, and resorts within the province of Ontario (i.e., within Ontario's boundaries as defined by the Canada (Ontario Boundary Act), 1889) during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The presentation is an outgrowth of an ongoing research project that examines: (1) the individuals and businesses who developed and promoted Ontario's spas, springs, and resorts; (2) the demographic characteristics of the sites' visitors; and (3) the social and economic relationships that emerged among the sites' promoters, visitors, and permanent inhabitants.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Cutting in on the Campaign: U.S. and Canadian Nationals' 'Incursions' into Their Neighboring Country's Federal Elections.” Paper presented at the 2009 biennial meeting of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS), San Diego, CA, November 2009.
Over the years, nations throughout the world have developed a variety of legal mechanisms to prevent foreign interference in their domestic elections. However, despite these assorted mechanisms, foreign nationals, whether by accident or by design, still occasionally end up in the midst of another country's electoral affairs. Given their multifaceted linkages, Canada and the United States are especially prone to cross–border election interference, as evidenced by several incidents that transpired during recent federal election campaigns in both countries. These incidents are the focus of the present inquiry. The study begins with a review of current Canadian and U.S. statutory and regulatory provisions related to foreign intervention in federal election campaigns. Thereafter, two case studies are presented. The first study focuses upon well-known filmmaker and U.S. national Michael Moore's participation in Canada's 2008 federal election campaign. The second case study examines several interventions by Canadian nationals in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. Both case studies address the following questions: (a) What was the nature of the incidents? (b) What parties were involved in the incidents? (c) What were the parties' apparent motivations for intervening in the campaigns? and finally, (d) Did Canadian or U.S. government authorities pursue formal charges or impose other sanctions against the parties involved? Drawing upon the evidence gleaned from the case studies, the effectiveness of current Canadian and U.S. policy regimes in regulating the activities detailed in the studies is assessed. Based upon this assessment, several recommended policy modifications are outlined that may help strengthen existing safeguards vis-à-vis extraterritorial electioneering. This examination of recent cross-border electoral incursions provides insights into the extent and character of this longstanding phenomenon within a contemporary context.

Tate, Marsha Ann, and Sheila S. Sager. The Political Economy of Technological Infrastructure in Rural North America.” Paper presented at the 2009 biennial meeting of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS), San Diego, CA, November 2009.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Screening the St. Lawrence Seaway” [PowerPoint presentation saved as a PDF document]. Presentation given at the Pennsylvania Canadian Studies Consortium 2009 Meeting, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, March 21, 2009.
In recognition of the Seaway's fiftieth anniversary in 2009, this presentation presents findings of a survey of fictional and non-fictional audiovisual depictions of the St. Lawrence Seaway System and its environs produced between 1898 and 2008. The overall goal of the survey was to gain insights into the number and nature of the audiovisual works devoted either fully or in part to the St. Lawrence Seaway System and its surrounding area created over the past 110 years.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Solitudes, Synergies, and Sustainability: The National and International Footprint of Quebec-based Media Companies.” Paper presented at the ACSUS-in-Canada Colloquium, Quebec and Canada: 400 years of Challenges, Quebec City, Quebec, November 2008.
Quebec's media industries do not exist in isolation. On the contrary, they are invariably intertwined with a myriad array of media enterprises and systems spanning Canada and beyond. Although Quebec-based media companies have long maintained a perceptible presence outside of Quebec, relatively little research has been devoted to the nature and extent of the companies' footprints beyond their home province. Consequently, this paper examines these footprints using a two-step approach. First, Quebec 's media industries are collectively situated within the larger Canadian and international media milieus. Thereafter, a detailed case study analysis of three individual Quebec-based media companies with known holdings outside of Quebec, namely, Astral Media, Quebecor, and Transcontinental. The analysis specifically addresses the following questions: (1) What types of media holdings does each company own/manage? (2) Are the various holdings of each company owned solely by the company or in partnership with other companies? (3) What percentage of each company's sales and earnings are derived from Quebec versus non-Quebec sources? and finally, (4) Who are each company's major domestic and foreign competitors? The insights derived from this study enhance our understanding of the complex relationships that exist among Quebec's media industries and their Canadian and international brethren in today's globalized media environment.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Our Men in Canada: The Formal and Informal Functions of U.S. Consular Offices and Agents in Ontario during the Early 1900s.” Paper presented at the Biennial Conference of the Middle Atlantic and New England Council for Canadian Studies (MANECCS), Arlington, VA, October 2008.
This paper analyses the activities of U.S. consular offices in two Ontario towns, namely, Peterborough and Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), during the first decade of the twentieth century. The paper is divided into two sections. The first section presents brief historical sketches of Peterborough and Rat Portage, together with a discussion of the United States' rationale for establishing consular offices in the respective communities. Drawing upon U.S. Department of State records, along with a variety of other archival sources, the second section of the paper analyzes the consular offices' activities between the years 1900 and 1910. The analysis specifically addresses the following questions: (1) What precise activities did the consular agents perform in their official capacity? (2) How much freedom were the agents given by their superiors in Washington, DC, to make decisions on their own? (3) What types of formal and informal interactions did the agents have with their superiors in Washington, DC ? (4) What types of formal and informal interactions did the agents have with their Canadian hosts (e.g., local residents, government officials)? and finally, (5) What impact, if any, did national and international events have upon the day-to-day activities of the consul offices? This in-depth examination of the Peterborough and Rat Portage consular offices provides new insights into the significant yet often overlooked historical contributions of these offices to the overall United States–Canadian relationship.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “The Tenuous Venture: Situating Toronto's Independent Television Production Sector within a Globalized Media Milieu.” Paper presented at the 2007 biennial meeting of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS), Toronto, ON, November 2007.
Toronto's independent television production sector operates within a multidimensional domestic, continental, and global cultural, economic, political, and technological environment. Moreover, Toronto-based independent production companies must compete with Hollywood's large and deep-rooted multinational media conglomerates in both the North American and global audiovisual marketplaces. Given these circumstances, the overarching question addressed in this study is What have been the experiences of Toronto-based independent television production companies in the increasingly globalized media economy? In order to adequately address this larger question, the study is guided by the following subordinate questions: (1) What role have technological innovations played in the recent development of the sector? (2) What role has the structure and performance of the Canadian and international media markets played in the sector's developmental trajectory? and (3) What role have regulatory policies and subsidy programs played in shaping the development of the sector? Using a political economy framework, the study documents and analyzes the intertwined economic, political, and technological factors that have influenced the development of one of the largest television production sectors in North America over the past several decades. Through analyses of the most significant stakeholders and events within the sector, the study demonstrates how the sector has been forcibly changed by the increasing globalization of media industries. It also illustrates how this transformation has directly affected the structure and activities of the sector's constituent companies and also provides insights into the development of non-Hollywood-based firms within an increasingly global mediascape.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Canadian Media Companies: Prey or Predators in the Global Media Marketplace?Presentation given at the Pennsylvania Canadian Studies Consortium 2007 Meeting, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, March 2007.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Alliance Atlantis Communications: The Emergence of a Canadian Contender in the International Media Milieu” [PowerPoint presentation saved as PDF document]. Ph.D. thesis defense presentation, College of Communications, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, February 28, 2007.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Alliance Atlantis Communications: The Emergence of a Canadian Contender in the North American Media Industries” [PowerPoint presentation saved as PDF document]. Presentation given at the 25th Biennial Conference of the Middle Atlantic and New England Council for Canadian Studies (MANECCS), Montreal, Quebec, September 2006.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Moguls, Mounties, and Media Empire Building: Alliance Atlantis Communications and the Transformation of Canada's Film and Television Industries.” Presentation given at the Film Studies Association of Canada (FSAC) 2006 Conference, Toronto, ON, May 2006.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Film North: Canada’s Feature Film Industry.” Lecture given at the Canadian Arts Festival, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, April 2006.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Subverting Stereotypes from London, Ontario to Los Angeles, California: A Review and Analysis of Paul Haggis's Televisual Oeuvre” [PDF document]. Presentation given at the Film Studies Association of Canada (FSAC) 2005 Conference, London, ON, May 2005.
Paul Haggis's recent forays into the feature film milieu have garnered the London, Ontario native widespread critical acclaim. Serving as a co–producer, director, and/or writer for a series of high-profile motion pictures such as Million Dollar Baby and Crash have propelled Haggis to Hollywood’s coveted "A list" of directors and writers. Nonetheless, prior to his entrée into feature filmmaking, Paul Haggis already enjoyed a highly distinguished career as a creator, producer, and writer in the North American television industry. A two-time Emmy Award recipient, Paul Haggis's television oeuvre encompasses an eclectic array of prime time sitcoms and dramas. Starting out as a writer for situation comedies such as Facts of Life and One Day at a Time, Haggis later moved on to created notable dramas including Due South, EZ Streets, and Family Law. Subversion of widely held stereotypes and showcasing society's myriad moral ambiguities are hallmarks of Paul Haggis's dramatic endeavors in both television and feature films. While the two techniques have helped produce powerful and thought–provoking dramas, on occasion, they also have sparked controversies. This article examines these "Haggis hallmarks" in Due South and EZ Streets, two television series Paul Haggis created back-to-back during the mid-1990s. The article also examines several controversial aspects of the shows related to Haggis's use of both techniques.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “The American Summer Colony in Cobourg, Ontario. Presentation given to the Cobourg & District Historical Society, Cobourg, ON, May 2005.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Cobourg, Ontario, 1850–1930: Canada's Mason–Dixon Community.” Presentation given at the 16th Biennial Mid Atlantic & New England Council for Canadian Studies (MANECCS) Conference, Harrisburg, PA, October 2004.

Tate, Marsha Ann, and Sheila S. Sager. Broadband Alternatives for Community Development.” Panel session held at the Rural Telecon '04, 8th Annual Conference of the Rural Telecommunications Congress, Spokane, WA, October 2004.

Tate, Marsha Ann, Sheila S. Sager, Jorge R. Schement, and William Shuffstall.Community Broadband Access: It's More than Infrastructure Stupid [PowerPoint presentation saved as PDF document]. Panel session held at the Rural Telecon '04, 8th Annual Conference of the Rural Telecommunications Congress, Spokane, WA, October 2004.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “Drama in the Ring and on the Ice: An Exploration of Atom Egoyan’s Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Television Productions” [PDF document]. Poster session presented at the 2004 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Convention, Toronto, ON, August 2004.
Canadian film director Atom Egoyan’s oeuvre includes two CBC television productions: (1) the 1985 hour-long drama, In This Corner, and (2) the 1992 made-for-television movie, Gross Misconduct. This essay examines several aspects of the productions that challenged the normal conventions of 1980s and 1990s television, together with critical and audience reaction to them.

Tate, Marsha Ann, and Sheila S. Sager. The Fate of Rural America in the Information Age: An Introduction and Preliminary Application of the 4C’s Theory [PDF document].
Poster session presented at the 2004 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Convention, Toronto, ON, August 2004.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “What Did the Neighbors Think? Coverage of the United States in The Toronto Star and The Globe & Mail, December 1967–April 1968.
Paper presented at the 2003 biennial meeting of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS), Portland, OR, November 2003.

Tate, Marsha Ann. “An Historical Survey and Analysis of Canadian Television Programming Produced for the U.S. Market.” Paper presented at the 15th Biennial Mid Atlantic & New England Council for Canadian Studies (MANECCS) Conference, Buffalo, NY, October 2002.

Tate, Marsha Ann, and Valerie Allen. Due South and the Canadian Image: Three Perspectives” [PDF document]. Paper presented at the 2001 biennial meeting of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS), San Antonio, TX, November 2001.

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