TOPIC 68: The Mass Media in English (2): Radio and Television. Advertising in English-speaking Cultures: Linguistic and Semiological Aspects.

(Introduction) The aim of this unit is to provide a useful introduction to the mass media in English, which comprises

the main means of communication: press, radio and television.

(Introduction) However, within this particular topic,

we shall namely concentrate on the latter two, radio and television.

(Introduction) It is within the field of broadcasting that we shall examine

the main types of radio and TV channels in Great Britain and the USA in terms of aims, style, and language.

(Introduction) In doing so, we shall also approach the question of advertising in English-speaking cultures

as far as linguistic and semiological aspects are concerned, so as to better understand the scope of radio and TV within the international arena.

(Mass Media) The term 'mass media' is used to refer to

the different types of public communication.

(Mass Media) In a broad sense, it can be defined as

'the sending of messages to a multitude of receivers'.

(Mass Media) This term (mass media) is related to the concept of 'mass communication'. The concept of mass media

has changed dramatically over the last couple of decades since the rise of the internet

(Mass Media) Nowadays, a huge percentage of the population has

the latest news at the touch of a button.

(Main features) Mass Communication is defined as

the process of using a medium to transmit information to an unlimited audience.

(Main features) The notion of mass medium includes three elements:

1. The channels of mass communication

2. The content of these channels

3. The audience’s profile

(Main features) Before the digital era, mass media could be classified into three main types:

Press, radio and television.

(Main features) News reports and documentary films in cinemas

proved to be a very effective means of mass instruction.

(Main features) The Press and other printed materials like books,

developed fully as a mass medium with the invention of the printing press.

(Main features) The first printing press in England was established by

William Caxton in the 15^th century.

However, printing was a very expensive process and

only the wealthy could afford to purchase printed materials.

(Main features) During the Victorian period (1837-1901), the printing industry

underwent significant advancements due to technological progress such as lithography and limited colour printing.

(Main features) These innovations in printing

helped expand mass communication, fostering the novel and supporting the spread of news.

(Main features) What did innovations in printing help expand?

Mass communication, fostering the novel and supporting the spread of news. Additionally, it facilitated the expansion of intellectual knowledge.

(Main features) Additionally, print

facilitated the expansion of intellectual knowledge.

(Main features) The radio. It started in the 20^th century, it is a form of mass media and

sound communication by radio waves, usually through the transmission of music, news and other types of programs.

(Main features) Some types of radio broadcasting include:

• Commercial

• Educational

• News

• and military.

(Main features) Radio broadcast was

the first genuinely live mass medium.

(Main features) The radio hobby

grew significantly during the decade before WWI.

(Main features) The television. It is a form of mass media based on

the electronic delivery of moving images and sound from a source to a receiver.

(Main features) The term (television) is also applied to the

television set.

(Main features) Television emerged in the 1920s and it quickly became

a mass medium for news and entertainment.

When did the Television emerge?

In the 1920s.

When did the radio start?

In the 20th century.

When was established the first printing press in England?

It was established by William Caxton in the 15th century.

After WWII, TV broadcast became popular

in both Britain and the US.

A key milestone of TV was the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, which was one of

the first major international broadcasts, viewed by millions.

Mass media has two main overt functions:

• as entertainment

• and as a source of information.

However, mass media also has hidden functions, including

• ideological influence, controlling the diffusion of information to ideologically influence people

• and economic influence, guiding consumer choices through advertisements.

What are the two hidden functions that mass media has?

• Ideological influence

• Economic influence

(The digital Era) The development of the Internet in the 1990s, a network of communication networks,

revolutionised the way information could be transmitted and accessed worldwide. A new digital medium for mass communication was born.

(The digital Era) The development of the Internet in the 1990s,

a network of communication networks,

(The digital Era) The Internet allowed

• personalised access to mass media forms on the same device (e.g. instant access to radio and TV on the same device)

• and search for specific information in the available mass media using keywords.

(The digital Era) The Internet allowed personalised access to mass media forms on the same device

(e.g. instant access to radio and TV on the same device)

(The digital Era) The Internet allowed searching for specific information

in the available mass media using keywords.

(The digital Era) The Internet revolutionised daily life

by transforming advertising, shopping, education, and social relationships, enabling instant information exchange and interactive media consumption.

How did the Internet revolutionise daily life?

By transforming:

• Advertising

• shopping

• education

• social interactions

Enabling:

• Instant information exchange

• Interactive media consumption

(The digital Era) The popular success of the Internet was accompanied by

a technological revolution in digital media devices, enabling access to an expanding range of online services (e.g., Netflix).

(The digital Era) Personal computers, iPads, tablets, cell phones, smart watches have become

essential tools for connectivity.

(British mass media) The UK has historically played a key role in shaping global media standards and

remains a major player in news, entertainment, and public discourse.

(British mass media) The British mass media is overseen by independent institutions, for example,

the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), is a public service broadcaster established in 1922.

(British mass media) When was the public service of the BBC established?

1922

(British mass media) BBC stands for

British Broadcasting Corporation

(British mass media) Theoretically, this (the fact that British mass media is overseen by independent institutions) means that information

is not subject to state control or censorship.

(American mass media) American mass media is characterised by

• its pervasive influence,

• freedom

• and economic power.

(American mass media) Its main function is

entertainment.

(American mass media) Freedom of the press is protected by

the First Amendment, which prohibits government interference though some limitations exist, such as laws of libel and right to privacy.

(American mass media) What protects freedom of the press in the United States, and are there any limitations?

Freedom of the press is protected by the First Amendment, which prohibits government interference. However, there are some limitations, including laws of libel and the right to privacy.

(American mass media) What are the limitations of the First Amendment?

• Laws of libel

• Right to privacy

(American mass media) The media industry operates as

a major business sector, with privately owned companies prioritising profit over public service.

(American mass media) Media content is treated as a commercial product and there is

a growing trend toward monopoly which risks limiting diverse viewpoints.

(American mass media) How is media content treated in today's market (in America), and what risk does this pose?

Media content is treated as a commercial product, and there is a growing trend toward monopoly, which risks limiting diverse viewpoints.

(The radio) From its birth in the 20^th century, broadcast radio astonished and delighted the public by

providing news and entertainment with an immediacy never before though possible.

(The radio) In 1895, Marconi’s experimental transmitting device

is considered the first radio transmission.

(The radio) What is considered the first radio transmission?

In 1985, Marconi’s experimental transmitting device

(The radio) Meanwhile, in the US, Tesla developed his own transmitting/receiving device,

which included an oscillator to broaden the transmitting distance which Marconi reached in his experiments.

(The radio) On Christmas Eve, 1906, Fessenden broadcasted

the first AM radio program

(The radio) In 1920, the first news program was broadcasted and that year,

the first entertainment program was born.

(The radio) By 1955, practically every family in North America and Western Europe, as well as Japan,

had a radio.

(The radio) In the 1960s, the arrival of affordable portable transistor radios

led to a major increase in ownership and global access.

(The radio) In recent years, radio has had even more developments.

With a simple internet connection, people can listen to streaming audio from almost any radio station all over the world

(The radio) A new trend in radio broadcasting is also the podcast,

which is where individuals put together a recording that resembles a radio show and then post it online for anybody to listen to.

(The radio) An instance of a radio broadcaster is The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

which is a publicly financed broadcasting system in Great Britain, operating under royal charter.

(The radio) Apart from the news bulletins, the BBC offer other cultural services such as:

• Classical music

• Popular music

• and educational programmes.

(The radio) They (The BBC) also make profits from selling

its weekly programme magazine Radio Times and selling popular television productions to other countries.

(The radio) How does the BBC generate profits aside from its primary broadcasting?

The BBC makes profits by selling its weekly programme magazine, Radio Times, and by selling popular television productions to other countries.

(The radio) During the 1950s, television began to replace radios

 

as the dominant mass medium.

When did television begin to replace radios?

During the 1950s.

(The Television) One of the first devices considered to be television set are the one develop by

Baird and Jenkins in the early 1920s.

(The Television) Who developed what is considered to be the first television set?

Baird and Jenkins developed it in the early 1920s.

(The Television) This first milestone of the history of the modern television was

the invention of the electronic television set.

(The Television) The first film ever broadcast on television is

The Crooked Circle (1933), shown on BBC Television in the UK.

(The Television) Colour was an important step in the history of television as well, in the US,

the CBS was the first company to develop a colour television set, but the problem was that it was incompatible with the black and white TV sets.

(The Television) Who was the first company to develop a colour television set?

The CBS, however it was incompatible with the black and white TV sets.

(The Television) The first nationwide colour broadcast occurred in the United States in 1954,

while in Europe, the transition to colour TV began in the 1960s.

(The Television) The first nationwide colour broadcast (US)

1954

(The Television) The first nationwide colour broadcast (UK)

The transition to colour began in the 1960s.

(The Television) Some important television broadcasts include

• The first major political debates between J. F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960

• and Astronaut Neil Armstrong walks on the Moon live in 1969.

(The Television) In the 21^st century, television bears little resemblance to the era

in which TV networks dictated what to watch, when and how.

(The Television) Television today is increasingly centred on the viewer,

requiring networks to adapt to consumer demands.

(The Television) With the widespread use of smartphones and tablets,

content must be accessible across multiple devices and locations.

(The Television) In the past, viewers had to wait for new episodes or seasons of their favourite shows, but

with the rise of streaming services like Netflix, it is now possible to watch entire series in one sitting.

(The Television) In the UK, the most popular channel is Channel 4, followed by BBC One and ITV.

In the US, the most popular networks are CBS, NBC and ABC.

(The Television) Most popular TV channels in the UK

• Channel 4: most popular channel

• BBC One

• ITV

(The Television) Most popular TV networks in the US

• CBS

• NBC

• ABC

(Advertising) Advertising is mainly used as

a means for financing both television and radio production.

(Advertising) Advertising is

the business of trying to persuade people to buy products or services.

(Advertising) The influence of advertising on people's life is notorious. Advertising has proved to be able to modify people's behaviour concerning

• consumerism

• beauty cannon

• social status customs

• and more.

(Advertising) Although advertisements are ephemeral,

their effects are longstanding.

(Advertising) The first step toward modern advertising came with

the development of printing in the 16^th century, followed by the spread of newspapers and magazines during the 16^th and 17^th centuries.

(Advertising) In the 17^th century weekly newspapers in London

began to carry advertisements.

(Advertising) Advertising is clearly linked to the printed press, radio, and television.

• In the case of the radio, the starting point was in the 1920s.

• Concerning TV, the first commercial broadcast took place on the NBC in 1941.

• Since then, the relationship between television and advertising has continued until today.

(Advertising) Avertising in the radio

The starting point was in the 1920s

(Advertising) Advertising in TV

The first commercial broadcast took place on the NBC in 1941.

(Advertising) First commercial broadcast (TV) took place

on the NBC in 1941.

(Advertising) Another important revolution in advertising takes place

in the 1990s with the advent of Internet.