Radio and Television in Mass Media Essay

A form of media that revolutionized the way earthly concern communicate was the radio receiver receiver. David Sarnoff is the best candidate for the man who gear up radio on the map. Although it may have not been his choosing, the sinking feeling of the Titanic in 1916 put his name in the record books. For three daylights straight, the young Sarnoff decoded messages from the sinking ship from his office in New York (Wells 36). The Titanic broadcast was groundbreaking, because it showed and economically profitable way by which radio could be used as a medium of mass communication for ordinary families (Wells 36). By 1930 transmitters were tonic up in cities around the nation. A record 30 cardinal households had a set, and the one set per household was becoming a truthfulness (Wells 42). The proponent of radio was not really noticed until a monumental broadcast in 1939.H.G. Wells War of the Worlds broadcast brought a t come in ensemble nation to its knees and caused widespread panic among billions of viewers. Hours after the broadcast, people from coast to coast were thrown into panic, believing monsters from Mars, invulnerable space ships were destroying the earth. They took to cars, ran out to warn neighbors, work was jammed, church services were dismissed. Four times during the show the lis decennaryers were reminded that they were hearing a dramatization, but many citizens couldnt see past. After the incident, Wells told reporters that radio is a popular democratic machine for disseminating information and entertainment (Nare much 38). The power of radio was soon known, and this incident brought light to it.Today in that location more than 575 million radios in America alone (Encyclopedia Britannica). The la leaven study from the guinea pig Broadcasting Company found that 90.5 percent of the adult population listens to some type of radio during the week.Today, Clear bear Communications owns everywhere 1,200 radio move across the United Sta tes, and Cumulus, the second largest owns 266 stations. (Grant, Meadows 141). With the FCC eliminating caps on ownership, one day everyone may be listening to the same news, spun whichever way Clear Channel feels like spinning it to the left wing, or the right. Traditional radio is veneer its toughest battle these days though. planet radio is sweeping through the foodstuff like a wildfire with CD-quality sound, and hundreds of bring to choose from, who wouldnt spend the ten dollars a month to haveXM or Sirius? Although both companies reported losings in mid-2004, each service looks to set about profitable by the end of 2005 (Grant 142). Radio will be hard-pressed to keep up with satellite. XMs digital music library is among the valets largest 1.5 million titles and counting. come out of the closet of the 121 channels available on XM, 68 are 100% moneymaking(prenominal) free 24 hours a day, form round, with over 1500 hours of live schedule every week. Although XM and Sirius that represent radios 4.5 million subscriptions only represents a fraction of radios 290 million weekly listeners, the physical body of satellite subscriptions is expected to double in 2005 (Bachman 4). On Christmas Day 2004, over 50,000 subscribers signed up for satellite radio service. If both companies hit their projections, there will be 7.7 million satellite radio subscribers by January 2006 (Bachman 4).Satellite radio isnt the only next generation radio corpse on the market. In 2004, 10,000 HD radios were sold, with prices ranging from $500-$1,000. B the end of 2005, Strubble predicts there will be a t least 600 HD radio stations, covering 80% of the U.S. and well-nigh 100,000 HD radios sold. HD radio representative John Smulyan believes, WE think this is one of those opportunities for game-changing radio air (Bachman 5).Television began with three companies that still dominate the airwaves, ABC, NBC, and CBS. In a world of subscription, these companies till offer free TV, but the ratings are acquittance more towards occupation. The clean cut programming that was once aired is being replaced with a plethora of rage and political propaganda that may ruin television set. Television ranks expert behind radio in penetration in the U.S. With over 106 million home, or 98% of the U.S. population having televisions, there is a plethora of sets fast to catch signals for people to view.Ne twainrk TV has emerged over the last two decades as the dominant vehicle for interpreting national politics. TV has induce the major source of news for the population, and the only news source for others. The trouble is that politicians and journalists feed off each other like leeches. The politician inevitably the journalist for their messages to reach the intended audience, and journalists need the politicians to have something to write about. The reportage politicians seek gives them an outlet from which to speak. Thosewho look good in the media can imprint a good image for themselves. The real problem comes when the news turns out to be propaganda, causing action from an opposing side that leads to deception. More than propaganda, abandon seems to be the hot topic debated daily by politician and levy alike. Can what you child sees on television affect how he lives his/her flavour?E.B. White once said that television is going to be the test of the modern world (Simons 151). on that point is no doubt that television has become the central activity in homes today. Its ability to entertain, teach and persuade has capacious impact on viewers. In the United States 98% of households have at least one set (Simons 149). What is astonishing is that children are watching an comely of 7.5 hours a day (Simmons 149).One of the main concerns with television programming is the violence viewed by children that cannot understand the differences between fantasy and earth. Davidson, in a release of Rolling Stones, agreed that children are vulnerable to television between the ages of 2 to 8 years because of their maturational inability to separate what they view from reality (qtd. in Simmons 152). Violence was such an issue that is came under consideration in the 50s and 60s in Congress. The findings supported the idea that a episodic relationship existed between television violence and bellicose behavior.The National optical fusion on Television Violence has classified the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as the most godforsaken program ever studied, with almost 200 violent acts per hour (Simmons 150). In an experimental study involving 5 to 11 year olds, children who watch Power Rangers committed seven times more aggressive acts than those who did not. Shows such as these caused a large number of accidents and quarrels due to the children imitating the characters actions. There is no doubt that the television programming has engulfed the U.S. population. As of 2003, 71.3% of U.S. households received cable programming (Grant, Mead ows 29).This fact is amazing, because cable had only been around for fifty years. not only programming is changing, but how we receive it as well. In may 2002, the FCC set a deadline by which all U.S. commercial television broadcasters were undeniable to be broadcasting digital television signals. This date was a minuscule early though, but by September 2003, 38 of 40 stations in the 10 largest markets in the UnitedStates began broadcasting digital television signals (Grant, Meadows 28).By early 2004, 1.5 million household were watching HDTV, and that number is going to rise sharply. This means clearer sound and displays, recordable content, and crisp, clear reception of the same channels that have always been around. What if new 169 television sets make believe news broadcasts look weird or maybe cartoons might not look good on a widescreen set? There is no telling where the television market will go, hopefully bigger and burst but will content become more subtle, or so radica l that new laws must be made to subdue?Radios. cyclopaedia Britannica Online. 1999. Encyclopedia Britannica. 13 February 2005Grant, August and Jennifer Meadows. Communication Technology Update. Oxford Focal Press, 2004.Naremore, James. The gentlemans gentleman who caused the Mars Panic. Humanities, Vol 24 (2003) 38-40Simmons, Betty Jo, Stalsworth, Kelly, Wentzel, Heather. Television Violence and Its Effects on Young Children. Early Childhood Education journal Vol 26 (1999) 149-153Wells, Alan. heap Media and Society. Palo Alto, National Press Books. 1972