Page 72 - Media Effects Advances in Theory and Research

3. GROWING UP WITH TELEVISION 61

after night. Fledgling cable systems simply extended the reach of the net-
works, providing little if any competitive programming.
Those days of network dominance are long gone. Technological
developments such as cable and satellite networks, VCRs, and the Inter-
net have brought a significant erosion in audience share (and revenue)
for the old “Big Three” broadcasting networks and have altered the mar-
keting and distribution of movies. Yet, there is little evidence that prolif-
eration of channels has led to any substantially greater diversity of
content. Indeed, the mere availability of more channels does not funda-
mentally change the socioeconomic dynamics that drive the production
and distribution of programs. On the contrary, that dynamic is intensi-
fied by increased concentration of ownership and control and by the dis-
solution of the traditional barriers between and among networks, sta-
tion owners, production studios, syndicators, MSOs, cable networks,
and advertisers.
Viewers may feel a new sense of power and control derived from the
ability to freeze a frame, review a scene, and zip through commercials (or
zap them entirely), or interact with them. The easy availability of prere-
corded cassettes and increasing choices offered via pay-per-view (PPV)
may also give viewers an unprecedented range of potential choices. Digi-
tal videodiscs (DVD) may offer superior visual resolution and multichan-
nel sound. But again, there is no evidence that any of this has changed
viewing habits—or that the content that regular and heavy television
viewers consume most presents worldviews, values, and stereotypes fun-
damentally different from most network-type programs (Morgan, Shana-
han, & Harris, 1990). Digital signal compression will soon flood viewers
with even more channels, but with what programming? In fact, as chan-
nels proliferate, sources of original dramatic programming and perspec-
tives decline. One reflection of the monopoly of market orientation is the
absence of poor (i.e., low-income) characters and of diverse ideological
(i.e., political, religious) orientations.
In particular, computers and the Internet seem to threaten the stability
of the traditional media landscape. But at the end of 2000, Nielsen/
Netratings reports that average Web usage amounts to just about 3 hours
per week, a fraction of the time most people spend watching television
(Nielsen, 2000). AOL Web sites reach nearly half of all Internet users, who
visit for an average of 13 minutes per session. Figuring prominently
among top sites are those with strong connections to dominant television
networks and services, including Disney (owner of ABC) and Time
Warner (owner of Turner’s media empire, and merging with AOL).
Clearly, the rise of the Web—though of great significance—represents not
only a relatively small amount of audience time but also an ever-greater
role for dominant media corporations.