Regulation in the Radio

When it comes to the radio, many forces contributed to the development of it into a national institution in America. Some of the strongest forces were the regulatory systems set up by the government to ensure not only their sustained control over radio content, but the sustainability of radio as a popular media form in general. With government regulation, it is hard to imagine the radio as anything like we see it today, or anywhere near as impacting on American history in the 20th century.

Government regulation within radio ranges from what can be broadcast on a particular station (as far as content) to when and where any station can broadcast their signal. The government is responsible for assigning set frequencies to stations, enabling them to broadcast with regularity on a particular radio spot. Governmental agencies also deal with content-based regulations, setting up restrictions for what you can and cannot say on a given radio broadcast.

The effects of such regulation was far reaching in the 1920's. The biggest impact it had on radio was it's placement within American culture. With regulations on where and when a station could broadcast, a more orderly radio system arose, with radio stations being established on a set frequency. This allowed stations to focus on scheduled content and allowed listeners to know where and when certain programs would be on. The government also helped create a system in which no network could have a monopoly. With FCC forcing communication companies like AT&T and RCA to sell some of their networks, radio stations began to compete with each other and provide diverse and creative programming. With things like frequency allocation and demonopolizing policies, government regulation can be seen as a major factor in the structuring of how we see the radio today in the context of American culture.

Viva La Trend: the Social Learning Experience

The MTV series "Viva La Bam" is an interesting example of a negative media image that can lead to the effect of imitation by it's viewers, or incorporation of the shows values into the lives of it's audience. This is an example of the Social Learning Theory. This theory deals with the public's behavior after seeing media images. According to this theory, after being exposed to the same media images of a certain value or behavior consistently, it can lead to the incorporation of these values or behaviors into the viewers life in the form of imitation. When a certain behavior is linked to a reward on TV or some other media outlet, people are more likely to "model" that behavior than is the behavior is seen as negative within the same context. This theory is not completely foolproof because most people do not go out and imitate every thing they see or hear in the media. But on a subconscious level, it is hard to escape thing that all media outlets except as social norms. Further more, certain media is aimed at people who are more impressionable to the images than others. 

This is where the show "Viva La Bam" comes in. The show, a "documentation" of life at the Margera household, follows professional skateboarder Bam Margera as he literally does nothing but spend time with his friends wreaking havoc among the town they live in, the parents he lives with, and any all things that get in his way. Bam Margera is so rich that he can afford to do nothing, and even afford things like wrecking cars, destroying property, throwing private concerts, and building useless projects, all on a regular basis. His "whatever the f*** I want" attitude" (he literally says that in the opening credtis) is undeniably aimed at the audience of teenage boys, probably between the ages of 12-19 or so. Bam Margera gives nothing to society and treats everything and everyone around him as things to be used at his own disposal, and he often does it in a comedic way as well. But the effects of such behavior on young men at such an impressionable age can of course be negative, especially for people who aren't as lucky as Margera financially. Although I don't think all kids who watch "Viva La Bam" are going to go out and wreak havoc on their own parents to quite the extent he does, if people are consistently exposed to the attitudes he projects, the incorporation of those attitudes within their own lives can be expected eventually. This is already palpable in the fact that Margera's name is a brand on so many things, whether it is clothing, music, or the TV show he made possible, all which are immensely popular.

The McRib and Me: Understanding Hegemony In A Fast Food Nation

The idea's of hegemony can be found in all types of media outlets, whether it be news media, print media, or the internet. However, one outlet in particular that draws my attention in how it combines the hegemonic concepts of  gatekeeping, agenda setting, and framing is the American advertising system. 


Hegemony is a topic that can be looked at from many perspectives, but the idea is not a hard one to grasp. In all media outlets, there are dominant individuals, corporations, organizations, and financial benefactors who make content within that outlet possible through funding and other means. This is what allows technical innovations in new media to flourish and develop. However, it also means that the dominant groups have the most say in what ideals media outlets stand behind in their programming and content. Hegemony is the concept that the dominant groups in society who control media content shape this content in a way that is most beneficial to them, ensuring their continued success. Characteristics of hegemony include gatekeeping, agenda setting, and framing. 


The advertising campaign for the McDonald's McRib sandwich is a potent example of all three of these characteristics, and can help in the understanding of these concepts. The McRib is a seasonal sandwich for McDonald's, meaning it is offered only for a limited time about once a year. The ad campaigns each year usually use this fact to their advantage. 


Here the outlet is an advertisement, and the group in control of this outlet is McDonald's. They want their sandwich to sell as much as possible, so they employ basic hegemonic qualities to try and achieve this through their ad.


First, they use gatekeeping, which is the advertiser's role in what products get to be advertised. The "gatekeeper" is McDonald's, and they make the conscious decision on what products they advertise more heavily, and which ones they do not. Next, they use agenda setting, which is what McDonald's wants to be on the mind, or "agenda", of the consumer. By only giving so much information in the ad, they are agenda setting. They mention the low price and give a picture of the sandwich. However, they do not mention the sandwich's nutritional information, probably because this information would not be beneficial to the gatekeeper. Lastly, they use framing, which is showing the product in a certain way as to affect how someone sees it. The biggest words on the ad are "mcrib is back!", and "$1.99." They want the consumer to see this as something that is cheap and only here for a limited time. They want to frame the McRib as an event that you can't miss.