television history why you see what you see: media reality v. reality

E.B. White “TV should arouse our dreams, satisfy our hunger for beauty, take us on journeys, enable us to participate in events, present great drama and music….it should restate and clarify the social dilemma and the political pickle…”

White “ the test of the modern world” “in this new opportunity to see beyond the range of our own vision, we shall discover a new and unbearable disturbance of the peace or a saving radiance in the sky…

background = radio the wonder of radio rise of advertising sponsor control programs as the setting for ads ratings

rise of television fast adoption political caution radio’s influence advertising’s influence

what’s wrong with this? NYC apt. view of Chrysler Bldg …since Lincoln’s time… American automobile industry… tapping a cigarette kid refuses to eat cereal The Light That Failed in the gas chamber… he’d rather fly…

instructions presenting the product entire content of the show media as delivery system: delivering consumers to advertisers.

TV content format: episodes comedy westerns variety sports soaps kids

anthologies high quality drama Street Scene Thunder on Sycamore Street Noon on Doomsday

quiz shows format ideal for advertisers success – spinoffs scandal: Dotto, 21 – Charles Van Doren and Herbert Stempel

after the scandal single sponsorship ends scatter plan prices vary greater emphasis on demographics Nielsen ratings