Page 74 - Media Effects Advances in Theory and Research

3. GROWING UP WITH TELEVISION 63

work audience share will continue to shrivel (despite the occasional
blockbuster series) and be divided among an ever-increasing number
of competing channels. Developments such as interactive TV that will
allow advertisers to reach finely targeted groups—and even individual
viewers—will be vigorously pursued.
Yet, all this is being accompanied by massive and unprecedented con-
centrations of ownership of media industries and program sources.
Whether the most successful entertainment is delivered through televi-
sion networks or in the form of video-on-demand through fiber-optic
cable, satellites, or some other medium may make little difference if the
messages don’t change. Given that, there is little evidence to date that the
dominant patterns of image cultivation will show any corresponding
fragmentation. For most viewers, extended delivery systems signal even
deeper penetration and integration of the dominant patterns of images
and messages into everyday life. Nevertheless, the empirical investiga-
tion of these developments, and their implications for cultivation analysis
in general and for mainstreaming in particular, represents a major chal-
lenge for the new century.

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