American radio and television

Mass media (that is the press, the radio and television) play an important part in the life of society. They inform, educate and entertain people. They also influence the way people look at the world and make them change their views. "After all," say American media men, — "news is not what happens — it is what you see or read about in mass media." In other words, mass media mould public opinion.

Millions of Americans in their spare time watch TV and read newspapers. The daily paper dominates family life at breakfast. TV dominates the life of the family most of the time. The TV set is not just a piece of furniture. It is someone who is "one of the family". It is also a habit forming drug impossible to resist. The radio is turned on most of the time, creating a permanent background noise. It does not interfere with your activities. You can listen to the radio while doing some work about the house, reading a book or driving a car.

On the radio one can hear music, plays, news, and various commentary and discussions called forums. At a forum several authorities exchange views on social, economic and political problems, as well as on books of common interest. A number of sides are represented so that the listeners can hear various opinions. Such broadcasts are popular with the listeners. A peculiar feature of the American radio is soap opera. It is a sentimental serial drama dealing with domestic problems and meant for housewives. Soap opera is usually broadcast every day. Most people find soap opera boring.

Various radio and TV games, such as a quiz program on TV, also attract a large audience. During a radio panel game listeners of the radio send questions to the studio to be answered by the members of the panel, who compete for the best results. During TV quiz programs questions are answered by TV viewers.

There is a lot of advertising on American TV and radio. Some of TV and radio stations are owned by big corporations or individuals. The owners can advertise what ever they choose. To advertise their goods commercial firms buy TV and radio tin most of radio and TV time is taken up by advertisements. The firms also sponsor show and programs that make people buy their goods. For instance, to attend a show or t: take part in a quiz program you may have to send to the studio the required number of empty cartons, boxes or wrappings (depending on what product the sponsoring firm is selling). People are attracted by such programs not only because they provide entertainment. A valuable prize is usually promised for the correct answer to the main question, such as a video or radio cassette recorder or a stereo music centre. Americans very optimistic. Their optimism makes them believe in luck and buy things which may not need at all. The sponsoring firm makes a great profit on such programs. The more people attend the show, the greater is the profit of the firm.

Advertising promotes business and benefits businessmen but often annoys the general public. The play you are watching on TV may be interrupted several times by an appeal to use a new perfume or detergent, or drink a certain kind of beer. Though Americans are used to everything being advertised, watching such programs gives one a headache instead of providing relaxation. Sometimes the patience of the viewer snaps and he turns off the TV set without ever learning who murdered the innocent old lady, hijacked the plane, forged the cheques, poisoned the wife of the millionaire, kidnapped his daughter or committed some other crime. The viewer will never know if the p caught the burglar who robbed the bank or if the criminal escaped being punished.

To convince the viewer that a certain product is the best and to persuade him to buy it takes not only a lot of imagination but also a lot of time. The same advertisement repeated dozens of times every day, which bores the viewers.

According to some critics the immense cultural possibilities of American mass media are used mainly for the purpose of selling people more things than they really need. Freedom of speech, as some critics declare, allows great commercial firms to pull the rest the people down to their own intellectual level.

But it is hardly fair to say that American mass media do not try to raise the cultural level of the people or to develop their artistic taste and with great professional skills. Radio and television bring into millions of homes not only entertainment and news also cultural and educational programs. Radio stations broadcast about ten thousand hours of musical programs weekly. Many programs are made up almost entire h classical music.

There is a lot of education both on the radio and on television. For instance, you can take a TV course in history, political economy, management, banking and in many other subjects, or learn a foreign language by radio. Educational TV firms and programs shown in schools and colleges as a part of the curriculum.

The opinion that all commercial programs are of little artistic value can also t disputed.