Introduction to Broadcasting, Essay Example

Explain what the term “public interest” has meant in broadcasting and why the term is so important. How has the concept affected broadcasting?

In broadcasting, the term public interest has to do with the “philosophical foundation under which broadcasters are expected to operate (Zechowski, 2010).” Broadcasters are expected to serve the public interest, and this is how the government justifies regulating broadcasting in America. The Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, is the official government organization that determines who receives licenses to broadcast on the public airwaves. The idea behind having a governing body in the first place is due to the fact that in order to broadcast, users must use the electromagnetic spectrum, which has a limited number of channels and belongs, ultimately, to the public. The FCC is meant to ensure that the public interest is being served by broadcasters using the limited spectrum resource.

Up until the 1980’s broadcasting was run under a trusteeship model, in which the broadcast channels were held “in trust” for the public by the government. Thus it was up to the government to ensure that material released on the air was in the best public interest. When the public interest provision was initially incorporated into the Radio Act of 1927, a set of criteria was developed to ensure that the material being broadcast fulfilled the obligation to public interest, which included being diverse and of quality reception. (Zechowski, 2010).  However, the rise of cable TV made the amount of channels available limitless, thus negating the scarcity threat under which the regulation was initially enacted. The Cable Act, for example, does not contain a public interest stipulation. However, “Cable TV still falls under the regulatory scrutiny of the FCC serving the public interest is encouraged through the PEG (public, educational and government) access requirement related to the granting of cable franchises (Zechowski, 2010).”

The definition of pubic interest and the criteria for determining what is in the best interest of the public has changed over the years. The marketplace model of commercial broadcasting replaced the trusteeship model in the 1980’s. With this new model public interest, as it regards broadcasting, changed. It was now defined by ‘market forces’. Under this new model, broadcasted material is successful or unsuccessful depending on the public’s satisfaction with it instead of meeting criteria set by the FCC.

Explain the importance of William Paley in broadcasting.

William S. Paley was one of the founders of modern television broadcasting and made massive contributions toward the system of broadcasting that we know today. He was born in 1901 and was the son of Samuel Paley, a “Ukrainian Jewish immigrant who founded the successful Congress Cigar Company (Fasanello, 2001).” In 1928 he purchased the United Independent broadcasters, which he renamed to the Columbia Broadcasting System, or CBS, in 1929 (Fasanello, 2001).  By 1930, under the careful control of Paley, CBS  controlled over 70 radio stations and had became “one of the most successful radio broadcasting companies in the world (Fasanello, 2001).”

One of his most lasting legacy’s is his role in broadcasting censorship, which he vigorously fought against. His battles against censorship included being accused by the FCC of his company, CBS, being a radio broadcasting monopoly in the late 1930’s. “In 1938, The New York Times published an article stating that Paley ‘urged close public scrutiny of all proposals tending toward censorship of radio broadcasting, the vesting of program control in any regulatory authority or the undermining of the American system of private competitive operation’ (Fasanello, 2001).”

Paley was also responsible for introducing the style of programming that modern day TV viewers are familiar with. He was responsible for the rise of American icon Edward R. Murrow and the introduction of the classic TV show, The $64,000 Question. Paley was also the one to introduce television specials in the 1960’s. CBS again set the industry standard in 1966 when they began to broadcast all of their programs in color.

Today, CBS is worth in excess of $20 billion dollars, thanks to the leadership of Paley. William S. Paley is honored annually at the Museum of Television and Radio’s William S. Paley Festival because of his important contributions to the broadcast communications industry (Fasanello, 2010).

It is often asserted that network radio and television united the United States. What does this assertion mean and what evidence is there for this? What kind of community did radio and television create? What were the costs of the unification? Is this true of radio and television today? Explain.

First radio, and then television, united America in that they bought a common communication source to each living room throughout the United States. Before radio, people got their news mostly from local papers. With radio, people from all over the U.S. could tune in and get the same news at the same time. Television shows were watched by both the blue collar and white collar individuals alike, producing  a homogenized and standardized American culture. By 1933, 2/3 of American’s had a radio. Just 45 years after that most households, up to 97%, had a television (History Channel, 2010).

Politics is one area which has been heavily influenced by broadcasting. Candidates and politicians were for the first time able to speak to the entire country at once. Broadcasting on radio and television gave American’s access to more information than ever before. Another area that has used broadcasting to influence the American public is advertising. American audiences became, and continue to be, “a commodity that is sold to everyone, including children, to buy their products. Radio and television, then have both expanded and narrowed people’s horizons(History Channel, 2010).”

Today’s American culture, which shares a homogeneity throughout its 6000 mile wide territory, is the direct result of broadcasting. Television has constructed a strong sense of national unity since it has provided American’s with common stories, social movement s and ideologies that are now a part of the American national identity. It has made private lives a public spectacle, has been blamed for societal ills such as violence, illiteracy and political apathy (History Channel, 2010).  Yet, television has the potential for greatness as well, as it has the power to bring cultures together and break down racial boundaries.

Analyze the appeal of Jack Benny. What was his show and his persona like, what was his appeal to his audience, and what does his popularity say about the culture of his time? In what way was his show self-reflexive? How did the show deal with the racial tensions of the time?

The Jack Benny Show was an immensely popular show for almost two decades, from 1950 to 1965 (Weisblat, 2010). Jack appealed to a wide audience because the character he played on stage – the TV star Jack Benny – was a very human character who appealed to a wide audience. While he came from a Jewish background, he shed his Jewish identity and took on a character who had no ethnicity or religion (Weisblat, 2010). The humanness he portrayed was such that everyone could identify with. His character, though braggartly and arrogant on the face, was under-lied by a gentle soul who was never cruel or greedy.

The Jack Benny Show crossed racial boundaries in a time when this was still somewhat taboo. For decades, The Jack Benny Show was the only show that consistently had people of mixed races and ethnicities working and living side by side (Weisblat, 2010). For example, Jacks butler on the show was played by the African American actor Eddie Anderson whose character, rather than subservient to Jack Benny, was more like a best friend to Jack’s character.

The show was self-reflexive in that “Benny played a fictional version of himself, Jack Benny , the television star (Weisblat, 2010).” Even Benny’s wife, Mary Livingston, played a part in the show.  She did not play Benny’s wife, however, she assumed the role of a friend of the family.  Comedy was the stage for interactions that showcased human emotion, absurdity and affection. Its popularity showed that it reflected the interests of society at that time. It was a society that valued kindness, comedy and strong character.

References

Fasanello, Daniel. Paley, William S. Pennsylvania Center for the Book August 28, 2001. 4 November 2010 http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Paley__William_S.html

Radio and Television History Channel Online 2010. 4 November 2010 http://www.history.com/topics/radio-and-television

Weisblat, Tiny Dakota. Jack Benny Jewish Virtual Library 2010. 4 November 2010 http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Benny.html

Zechowski, Sharon. Public Interest, Convenience and Necessity The Museum of Broadcast Communications  2010. 4 November 2010 http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=publicintere