The Radio Industry

The forces of industries and institutional factors have highly impacted the shaping of the radio industry through the creation of “entertainment supported by advertising,” making the radio a “household utility,” and the rise of radio networks (Media Now).

Industries and institutions, such as AT&T, the government, groups of business professionals, radio networks, retail stores, newspapers, etc. shape the ways in which radio is broadcasted, what is broadcasted, and its appropriate audiences.  For a period of time, radio networks, such as NBC, developed many types of programs for various audiences, much like those we see in television today.  Clear Channel is a company that “sells audiences to advertisers” by researching audiences to show the relevance of advertisers to their audiences so that they will buy time on their stations.  These types of institutions and industries allow the radio to continue to thrive in a continually changing technological world.

In the 1920s, industries and institutions helped to develop and evolve the radio industry.  They helped to determine new technological developments, consumer requirements, and advertisement.  AT&T, for example, helped shape the vision of “entertainment supported by advertising.”  This led to manufacturers being able to advertise their goods, and ultimately the rise of commercials which influenced various other stations. 

Hegemony and the Media

Hegemony is portrayed in the media through gatekeeping, agenda setting, and framing, which is specifically seen in the ideologies of the Proactiv commercials.

Hegemony is the ability of a dominant group to continually control the ideologies, or values that seem “natural,” of the common population. It is a gradually changing process that allows capitalist, socialist, and even communist nations to uphold their ways of life. According to Lull, “...mass media are tools that ruling elites use to ‘perpetuate their pwer, wealth, and status [by popularizing] their own philosophy, culture and morality.’” The media because of its wide influence and use of gate-keeping, agenda setting, and framing, is able to help those in the “ruling” group promote and advertise people, issues, and products that “should be” considered important.

The Proactiv commercials use Katy Perry and other celebrities as influences to promote the ideology of the importance of having clear skin, which brings confidence and ultimately more success in life. The media uses gate-keeping by putting their focus on teenagers as well as others who do not have clear skin, and the consumer range is broadened even more so because of their use of celebrities. Agenda setting is used to make having clear skin seem like a natural necessity, and the media’s framing is used to connect the celebrities and the product.

This is a link to the Proactiv commercial with Katy Perry
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/05/04/business/1247467767739/proactiv-commercial-with-katy-perry.html

Why RTF? and a Little Bit About Me

Hey hey!! My name is Taylor Harrison, I'm a second year anthropology student, I LOVE to travel, and I hope to teach (or help kids in some way) in another country one day. I'm taking this class because it counts for my fine arts credit, and I enjoy learning about the media. I am excited to learn about the social and cultural aspects of the different industries we’ll be discussing, and of course...I’m excited about watching the films!! I hope to gain a better perspective of the media and its relevance to my major, and I would like to see if this class could influence me to help/be a part of documentary film making.

This is a photo from my most recent trip to North Africa (I'm on the far left)


My favorite blog: http://www.failblog.org/