Societal Response To Television

2 Pages 541 Words

During the 1960s, television networks and advertisers thought of their viewing audience as just one group of people. They structured their programming around the "normal” values of white, middle-class Americans. Because of this, their programming revolved around the concerns of the nuclear family. Topics such as racism or sexuality were not included in programming and ethnic minorities were excluded, for the most part, from television because they did not fit into the networks' idea of their viewing audience. In addition, profanity and coarse language, which described bodily functions and sexual activity, were also excluded.

In 1961 the FCC Chairman, Newton Minow, denounced U.S. television as a “vast wasteland”. He wanted heightened federal regulation of television. Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey disagreed, he declared U.S. television “the greatest single achievement in communication that anybody or any area of the world has ever known…” And in 1963 television surpassed newspapers as an information source. A November “Roper Poll” that year indicated that 36% of Americans found television to be a more reliable source of information, compared to the 24% who favored newspapers. In the 1950’s, only 10% of American homes had a television and by 1960’s the percentage had grown to 90%. In fact, more families owned televisions than telephones. Our American society was hooked! In 1966 an article appeared in the “New York Times” that stated, “TV is not an art form or a cultural channel; it is an advertising medium ... it seems a bit churlish and un-American of people who watch television to complain that their shows are lousy. They are not supposed to be any good. They are supposed to make money." American society thought differently, they wanted more. Television had become a part of their daily lives.

Today there is much controversy over television and the effects it has on our society. There ha...