Chapter 5 Television and the Power of Visual Culture.

Like mentioned by several other students other than myself, television has evolved drastically in the last 40 years. It started with black and white and only a few channels to what it is today with thousands of channels and thousands of different programs. Television has progressed much like the radio industry has as well. It was controlled by the same company and was regulated daily to ensure that the programs were suitable for all audiences. I see this as more or less a problem. I think that television should not be controlled as much. Yes it can be very influential but should be the parents responsability to control what their kids should watch. I think that certain shows should not be allowed on television because of their intent and content but should not be controlled so harshley. It is to the point where words are bleaped out and body parts are hidden. We live in a different society today than we did when television had first begun. I would personally like to see all shows played as is. They are shown in theatres with everything and should be shown as is.

I think a problem that occurs with television that may not be completely emphasized in this chapter is how influential it is on our culture today. How many teens walk around school gossiping about last nights episode of American Idol or what not. Kids are constantly trying to stay updated with the latest trends that TV stars or singers wear. People like teens and even younger audiences should have their televisions monitered by their parents and the content they view should be limited to age appropriate. They all seem to look at television as something to look up to. Kids try things like drugs, sex ,and other things that they can see in movies or on television. Many people don't seem to realize how much television influences people of our society today.

I guess what I never realized was how much actually went into running a television network or station. There are hundreds of people behind the scenes that also contribute to what many people see on television today. There is big money in television. There are ways that companies save money though and that is a way that alot of networks function today. They gather multiple programs onto one network and by having multiple programs they avoid having to pay licensing fees and what not. By selling an ad, a company can gain double what they put into the advertising. This is also how networks make their money by selling air time to advertisers and what not. I just think it's amazing how much goes into television. There is trading and bartering going on everyday within these companies and this genereates millions of dollars to be distributed among networks and affiliates alike.