The Schedule of European Television Channel and an American Television Channels Schedule - Coursework Example

Compare the schedule of European television channel with an American television channels schedule? What are the key differences in terms of news programme, entertainment, and drama and children over the course of one week? It is considered that television leads society to intellectual degradation. Nevertheless television makes up a great part of our life and reflects all spheres of human activity. It is a perplexing fact that television governs the way of our life and influences on the way of our thinking. Television and Mass media in general is a huge source of information which provides us with knowledge we need for every day life. The sociologists affirm that inculcation of television for the masses changed the way of life of many people. People devote greater part of their free time to watching TV. It is a fact that average American watches TV for more than 7 hours a day, every English spends 12 years of 70 years of his life watching TV. 95 % of Japanese watch TV programs everyday. 88 % of French people devote to television most of their leisure time. The technology of manipulation of public mind does not add up to the fact of “damping” or glorification of some ideas. The people who own Mass-media demonstrate their cobweb and thoroughness in conducting the entertainment and news industry which they perform to us. The development of television net causes the formation of new subnets and TV channels. Some of channels are connected between themselves and united into Unions. The biggest subnets are the net of American television channels and the net of European television channels. The theme of integration in television of Western Europe bagan to develop in early 80s. The special comission was appointed to formulate the common rules for broadcasting. The basic aspects of broadcasting integration of Western Europe - such as shcedule quotas, commercials capacity, copyright, programs for children – are represented at two documents which appeared at the same time: EEC directive ( obligatory for every member ) and convention (of recommendation character ). These documents state many rules which are valid today. For example, they formulated the rules which were identical and suggested to limit the publicity capacity to 15 percent of airtime. It means that not more than 12 minutes of commercials were allowed for every hour, besides it was allowed to transmit it not oftener than in 20 minutes interval in the process of broadcasting. The commercials were excluded from religious, children’s, social and political, documentary, and information programs which last less than half an hour. The commercials of medicines, alcohol and tobacco goods were absolutely forbidden. Pornography on TV was not allowed also. The programs were to avoid violence scenes and racial animosity provocation. (Sublicensing rules for eurovision sports programmes) The USA television is remarkable for its variety of subject cable channels which are specialize in programs for certain categories of viewers – sports amateurs, medical workers, children, women, cinema amateurs. Famous discovery channel devotes all its programs to nature, science, technics, and history. Western Europe adopted the experience of the USA and it is natural. It is a well-known fact that the viewers in different countries are breaking up into some groups according to their interests and becoming differentiated. This causes need in new alternative channels. Competitive struggle for viewers and advertiser influence the repertory of private channels. The greatest part of airtime is devoted to entertainment programs – shows, variety art, quiz, games, films, dramatic serials. In turn this influences on state broadcasting (for example, English BBC, where the percentage of entertainment programs grew up to 20 per cent and achieved the half of broadcasting). In the USA the programs of three national commercial nets such as National Broadcasting company (NBC), Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and American Broadcasting Company (ABC) are for free for any viewer. The ecomomical basement for their existance is advertisement and other kinds of commercial activities. The main income is from the commercial advertisment and other additional sources of income are film production, sound recording, and publishing activities. The emconomical well-being of any commercial television depends on advertisment and that is why the main task is to have more and more viewers. As a result there is a contest between the channels always. The judges for such a contest are sociologist who discuss the program acoording to its rate. The more viewers program has the more expensive advertisment is. So well - planned schedule is a part of well-being of any television channel. (Mass Communications Research Resources) Interest and needs orientation of majority of people determines the domination of popular shows: information and entertainment programs. Usually the entertainment programs of different types make up 70 per cent of airtime. Mainly these are dramas, movies, quiz, shows, musical programs, and programs for children. We should admit that programs for children are on TV 7 days a week, while the musical program can be shown only once or twice a week. Dramas are usually divided into those which are on TV at the week days and weekends. The most popular, expensive and interesting dramas are on TV in the evening usually. Though the professional level of American programs is very high, their intellectual value is very low usually because mass character orientation demands accessibility and standardization for a common viewer. So there is a conradiction between the cultural and commercial aims. The opposite type of television is state television which is represented in Europe. Sometimes it is called public or state-public. Such type of television is financed by viewers who make payments monthly. This type of television has some mechanisms which protect from contest and advertisment dictates which is oriented on tastes of averaged majority what allows to create the high-cultural programs oriented on human values. That is the greatest difference of American and European television. All this helps to plan the schedule on European channels in a right way. For example, the programs for children on European television are of educational character and are scheduled in such a way that children can watch them (the school time is taken into consideration). (Towler R.C.) European viewers have a special attitude to dramas. The vieweres of Great Britain, Spain and Italy want to watch them but the drama production is very expensive and national channels can not produce drama without sponsoring. That is why this genre is disappearing step by step and dramas are not schaduled at prime-time any more. France is an exception. They keep producing dramas, especially is the plot is based on French classics. In the USA, on the contrary, the dramas are schedules in the prime-time. Private companies have aim to get the maximum profits with minimum expenses. At the same time they may have bad technical potential and creative possibilities to broadcast their own products. Shortage of local programs and films increases the dependence of Western European companies on import. Though in 80s there was a law which limited the import programs to 30 – 40 per cent of broadcasting. The main source for the materials for Western European cable television is the USA. (Comparing American and European Television) Americans get the information from the sources which are used by half of people on the Earth. These sources are the news agencies – Associated Press and United Press International. These agencies are the biggest in the world. In contrast to some European agencies these ones are not controlled and ruled by government. One of the peculiarities of the American news is that all journalists consider the information to be separated from the expression of opinion about it. There is also a reason of economical character which demands to separate information and opinion. It is a well-known fact that the viewers prefer the news which have no appraisal to any side. Thanks to such a policy the mentioned agencies (Associated Press and United Press International) have won such a big audience and good reputation. (Pells R.) The peculiarity of American TV programs is that there is no control organs and comissions which have right for program preview. So they are not controlled at all. The other principle of American channels is an equity doctrine, in accordance to which all channels should give the equal time for opposite statements. In the same way all commercial channels give some time for advertisments and publicity of Public organizations. It may be the advertisement of blood-donoring which is supported by Red Cross, rules of teeth caring, program “Anonymous alcoholic”, traffic rules. The time for such programs is given for free. American television is remarkable for community channels. Such channels have programs of local news, information for farmers, weather forecast, traffic situation, reports about local authority meetings and many other things which are interesting for community members. The national and international news are broadcasted also, they come from big television companies, but the accents are made on the things and events which are important for the community. There are a lot of such channels in big cities and usually the viewers have a great choice of what to watch. We must admit that American news are mainly characterized by the information which is interested for their territory only. If to analyse the scheme of American news we will observe the following: local American news – international news concerning the USA – international news and other countries. And on the contrary most of European news programs have such a scheme: international news and other countries - international news concerning the country - local news. (National Vanguard Magazine) Speaking about news programs we should mention the importance of marketing which regulates the rate and image of the program. For example, the way of perfomancing the news, the outlining of some events and hardly mentioning of others, the tone and voice of a reporter, impression of his/her face – all this influences our subconsciousness and interpretation of the information we hear and see. The TV staff uses the psychological methods to rule our thoughts and opinion, so we always like the opinion of advanced views, attractive people and clever business. They make us to understand how we should treat different types of people and human conduct, representing all this in invisible context. Surely the opinion of any person is a product of the propaganda of the country he/she lives in. (Press Release) In conclusion we must say that the main difference between the television channels in America and Europe is the concentration on the country. Americans are “over” concentrated on their policy and everything that is connected with their country, and that’s why the local news are at the first place for them. Sometimes they pay too much attention to details concerning the local events and this prevents giving enough information on global events that are taking place in the world. European news programs, on the contrary, give more information about the events taking place in the world. The common thing for both American and European news programs is that they try not to give their opinion about political and economical events they inform about. Shedule of American and European channels are alike thpough have some differences. Every channel have some time for entertainment programs which sometimes take more than W0 per cent of airline. News programs are broadcasted every hous or two. e should admit that In America news program lasts not more than half an hour and it is an interesting fact that a great attention is paid to local news which can take two or three hours. The rest of time is devoted to films of different types – documentary, historical, feature and many others. Music takes 5 – 10 per cent of airline. We must admit that American channels are remarkable for their shows – talkshows and reality shows, what is purely American invention.It is a faxt that American talk-shaws sheduled in prime-time are usually of private or psychological character while European ones focus on politics. If channel has some special subject the programs are picked out considering it. The subject channels aimed to research different aspect of the problem or shpere it is devoted to. Usually there is no or not much commercials, mostly only advertising of some programs take place. The schedule is always made due to the importance of programs and their influence in viewer. References cited Comparing American and European Television Christopher H.Sterling, James K. Bracken and Susan M.Hill. Eds. Mahwah, NJ: L. Erlbaum, 1998. National Vanguard Magazine, PO Box 330, Hillsboro, West Virginia 24946 USA Pells R. “AmeriCulture Goes Global, or does it?” April, 12, 2002 Read More