Television

    Television has been around for quite a while now.  First introduced to the USA in 1949, it didn't really become popular until the 1960s when TV sets became affordable. The rest of the world soon followed and TV culture spread far and wide. Countries and regions generally have their own individual TV cultures but there are many similarities in the type of shows that are popular. Soap operas, cooking shows, ‘reality TV shows, comedy shows, TV news and game shows are watched by millions of people everywhere.
   Most of what appears on TV is produced within the nation of the culture that is watching - with language being a very important factor. But with the rise of cable, satellite and Internet TV, some shows can reach out to audiences of millions across national and cultural boundaries.
   Television has had its fair share of controversy with the questions of censorship and the power of advertisers to influence content as two of the main issues. There has also been public debate in the West about whether or not TV is helping to ‘dumb down’ national cultures,  by standardizing opinion and discouraging individual critical thinking.
   The Internet is challenging the dominance of television in the home with on-demand content and platforms, such as, YouTube that can provide independent and far more in-depth analysis of current affairs.  



How many of the different genres can you name in this video?

The Punkiest Monkey!
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How a 16th Century Chinese novel became became a global cult TV classic
   Journey to the West is one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. In 1978, it was brought to life in a low budget Japanese TV series that was to become a cult phenomenon loved around the world, from Australia to South America, and the UK to South East Asia, via South Africa. The show's stories of the trials and tribulations of its mythological characters, using a  mixture of humour and pathos, resonated with fans from many different cultures. Quite how this was possible in a TV age before cable or satellite TV is not clear, but an awesome intro tune and lots of Kung fu fight scenes (this was the time of Bruce Lee movies), certainly helped! Added to this were the charismatic cast and talented producers - along with a story line that has stood the test of time for hundreds of years!
   In 2018 the stories of the Monkey God are still a popular with several recent movies and a brand new series. 

Radio

   There have been so many technological advancements since the advent of commercial radio that it might seem a bit antiquated these days, when compared to other kinds of media. However, if you think radio is dead - then you're wrong!
Nowadays, “Radio” really refers to two things:
  • Terrestrial radio: AM/FM stations on local or national broadcast.
  • Internet radio: Digital stations without physical limitations
   More than 90% of all Americans (over 12 years old) still listen to terrestrial radio on a weekly basis. This might mean that younger people are listening because they are in the company of older people but they are still listening and forming habits. Maybe, in the future most radio will be broadcast over the Internet, but it would appear that when people are at work, driving their car or working out at the gym, people still want to listen to the radio. Reports of its demise would appear to be premature.

The Legacy Media

   If we include newspapers and magazines with TV and Radio then, basically, we have the Legacy Media. With so much of our time now spent on online media, Legacy Media is in sharp decline. Only time will tell if it dies off completely but this is unlikely. Radio survived the arrival of TV over half a century ago and has adapted itself to the Internet. All the different kinds of Legacy media will undoubtedly go through some big changes over the next decade, but exactly how it will play out is not as clear cut as some people might believe.