Questioning the media ch. 6

Q2:  If you controlled a cable public access channel in your community, what would be your channels goal?  What could we do to make public-, government-,or educational-access programming more appealing?  Should we?

A:  If i control a public access channel, my first and foremost goal would be to bring something to the audience that they could benefit from.  For example, instead of just taking up air time with mindless shows, a many stations do, I would provide educational or historical documents for my viewers.  When I watch TV I like to be entertained as well as educated by getting my mind to think about things or to be informed about different events.  I would strive to put on quality shows of this nature for both kids and adults.  In order to make other channels more appealing, especially government, I feel we should definitely dress up the current programming.  Much of the information in it is valuable but it is often conveyed in too boring a way to attract viewers.  Updated technology and clever plot lines to the existing shows would be a good way to get the message across to viewers.

Q4:  CNN and MTV have changed our society as well as the global culture.  Have these changes been positive or negative?  Explain.

A:  With the development of CNN and MTV I feel that many new things have been brought into our culture.  This is why I feel that these developments have been both good and bad for our culture.  CNN brings news and updates from the world right into the living room.  However, sometimes this information is biased.  Faithful viewers get no other perspective as to what is occurring.  Though they get to be informed about what is happening, it is hard for them not to develop their own opinions about the event.  MTV on the other hand has allowed hundreds of musicians to get their big breaks by advertising thier music and at the same time brought a variety of new music into the viewers playlists.  However, this type of media determines what pop culture is and as a result brings a lot of garbage into the culture.  MTV to an extent, constructs the mind set of much of America's youth as to how they should act, dress, and what their values could be.  Both of these changes has a plus side but also create danger to a society of naive viewers.

Q5:  Do you think DBS will eventually overtake cable in popularity? Why or Why not?

A:  DBS, or Direct Broadcasting Satellites, have been around for a while and can transmit hundreds of different channels for viewers.  Many argue that they can do more than cable.  However, cable has been around much longer than satellite and it will not just fold over right away.  I don't think DBS will overtake cable because cable will come up with advancements in technology such as digital cable.  PLus with the development of such technology as fiber optics, one day both methods of viewing will be obsolete.  Popularity will come to the most affordable, highest quality, and most featuring system of the time.  It is likely to be a battle for decades for the most popular form of television new improvements are constantly made.