There are many different types of media technologies. For example, radio is a media
technology that is very common because it is easy to access. In fact, most vehicles come
equipped with a radio device that transmits music, speech or sounds of any kind, and almost
every house hold in America owns a radio device. Also, radio taps into a very diverse
audience. However, radio had a much stronger cultural influence in the first half of 20th century,
because it was developed for a different purpose.
In the first half of 2oth century radio transmitted music, storytelling and variety shows,
and during this period radio programming was designed to target the entire family. Also, it
generated more interest because it was geared towards a national audience, but “all the big stars
and programs and advertisers that made the 1930s and 1940s the "golden age of radio" defect to
TV”(Adams, 2010, Pg 10).
In the second half of the 2oth century radio was no longer national. It became a localized
media with a much more different format. It was designed to target an adult audience, and the
new programming was centered around talk shows. For example, many local stations developed
specific programs geared towards people, who were seeking news and information. Even so,
younger audiences still listened to music radio stations, and occasionally some variety shows
were designed to attract younger audiences. For example, the Disney Corporation developed a
radio station for kids visiting the Disney theme parks in Florida and California.
In addition, the television, which is another type of media technology has a very diverse
audience, because television programming is designed to reach many different age groups. It
transmits visual entertainment, news, music videos, variety shows, and comedies, just to name a
few. “The television has become such an integral part of homes in the modern world that it is
hard to imagine life without television”(Jezek, 2006, Pg 1). In fact, television has always been very
influential. It even competes with new media technologies, like the internet. However, television
programming was much different during the decade of the 1950’s. For example, T.V.
programming included variety shows, like the Ed Sullivan Show.
This variety show was extremely popular because it included musical performances from
famous singers, like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Beatles. The show also included
monologues or dramatic performances from famous actors, opera singers and ballet dancers.
In fact, the Ed Sullivan Show had some of the highest ratings in television history.
Also, television is always reinventing itself to compete with other technologies. For
example, in the 1980’s some T.V. sets began to get their signals through cable wires, and today’s
newer television sets no longer operate with cathode ray tubes. Newer sets operate with less
space and they are constructed with interior crystal cells that illuminate TV screens. Also, when
television technology first began, it received signals directly from central station antennas, but
today all television sets receive digital signals directly from cable wires.
Another popular media technology is the compact disc, which originates from the flat disk
record. The compact disc is designed to record and play music or to record voices, but there is
a key difference between this item and the flat disc record. The compact disc is used to store
data, and it is designed to store information in a digital format. Also, the digital disc is
used for computer storage, because “much like a floppy disc or hard drive, data can be
written and rewritten to these discs, allowing for a very large yet portable medium of data
storage”(Davidson, 2010 Pg 1), and anyone can purchase this product because it is sold
in retail stores.
In addition, this media technology is designed to tap into a very diverse audience, because it
can transmit information or entertainment that appeals to all types of cultures and ages. For
example, a compact disc can contain classical music geared towards an adult audience, or it
may have Disney movie songs geared towards younger audience, and since it can store large
amounts of data, it is more convenient for people going to school or for employees working in
organizations or businesses, and CD’s are also valuable tools for teaching. For example, many
instruction booklets are equipped with compact discs. Also, the compact disc is very convenient
for backing up music or data files stored in a computer, and it is low in cost. In fact, a person can
purchase three blank CD’s for fewer than three dollars.
The DVD also resembles the compact disc, but there is a difference, it is designed to record or play digital video with CD quality sound. In addition, this form of media technology reaches a wide audience because DVD’s are found in almost all stores, and in portable booths located in front of stores. These portable booths are very similar to newspaper dispensers, and the Digital Video Disc also taps into a very diverse audience because the DVD is used for different purposes. For example, some DVD's contain office software tutorials, and are designed to target organizations or businesses, but most DVD’s are designed to target people who enjoy watching movies, and there are stores that only sell or rent this type of media technology, like Blockbuster video. Finally, there are a number of internet stores that also sell movies in the Digital Video Disc format.
References
Adams, M.(2010). A Century of Radio. California Historical Radio Society. Retrieved
Anoynymous.(2010). History of the DVD. Did You Know. Retrieved from
Davidson, W. M.(2010). History of the Compact Disc. Molecular Expressions. Retrieved from
Jezek, G.(2006).The History of Television. Retrieved from
