Many proponents of market sphere argue that freedom of the mass media is an essential part of democracy. Television along with other mass media has the important role of keeping citizens informed about domestic and world events. Thus, the mass media have been called the watchdogs of democracy because journalists are expected to keep an eye on the government for the people. The ability of journalists to write and broadcast without fear of government censorship is a cornerstone of freedom in the United States.
In 1941, Television Broadcasting began in the United States. By 1949, there were more than 100 Television stations and two regular news programs on NBC and CBS. The new medium of Television quickly became more powerful than radio.
In 1961, Newton Minow, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave a now-famous speech to the National Association of broadcasters in which he described the world of Television Broadcasting as a vast wastelan d, consisting of nothing more than game shows, westerns, Cold War spy dramas, formula comedies, and cartoons. At the same time, some Americans were arguing that Television stations should offer more Educational programming.
In 1967, a federally funded commission of educators and broadcasters issued a landmark report on the future of Educational Television, stating that public Broadcastingfunded by the taxpayerscould provide an important public service and improve the democratic process by airing government debates, expanding citizens world views, and giving voice to groups that would otherwise never be heard. That is h ow Public Broadcasting was created.
Critics of public Broadcasting say it is a liberal and elitist institution that is too focused on attracting corporate sponsors. They cite popular shows such as Teletubbies as an example of how public programming has moved away from its original mission of Education and public service and created more commercial offerings. Many people also contend that public Broadcasting no longer provides a unique product now that private cable companies offer options such as the history Channel and the Discovery Channel. Opponents of federal subsidies argue that public Broadcasting stations can do without the extra money anyway, because they already raise enough pledge drives, corporate underwriting, and video and book sales.
Supporters of public Broadcasting reply that it still offers a wider variety of in-depth Educational and cultural programs than any of the private Television channels or radio stations. They say that public programming is not biased and point to past efforts to accommodate republican critics by offering conservative news commentary programs. Public broadcasters argue that they still need federal support because their projectswhile Educationally valuableare often risky and not necessarily commercially viable. They also note that opinion polls consistently reveal that the public is happy with PBS.
Croteau and Hoynes in their book The Business of Media explore issues and concerns from a market model perspective. They stress the public sphere model, providing a critical analysis of the contemporary media business. The authors argue that, in its expansive pursuit of profits, the highly concentrated media industry often fails to serve public interests.
Many supporters of Corteau and Hoynes argue that media has too much power and often use it irresponsibly. Others respond that the press promotes democracy by keeping citizens informed, searching for the truth, and exposing corruption and scandals.
The public Broadcasting system has become too commercial and biased toward its liberal, elitist audience. As a result, its programming has suffered. Now that private cable channels offer similar shows, taxpayers-funded Broadcasting is no longer necessary. Public Broadcasting stations should and can support themselves through other means.
Lloyd Johns was a professional freelance writer for 13 years. Now he is a technic al writer, advertising copywriter, & website copywriter for Custom Essays Writing Network
Author:: Lloyd Johns
Keywords:: Television, Broadcasting, mass media, Education
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