The Importance of Broadcasting in American History

July 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold

Image via Wikipedia

Broadcasting has played an important role in American history, helping to shape out entertainment experiences and knowledge of the world around us. From the radio to the Internet, it has been a vital part of shaping our society.

Broadcasting first played a truly important role during the era of World War II. People could now listen in their homes to news of battles along the front, hear politicians give speeches live and to listen to a variety of shows. It was a critical part of helping to keep the country’s morale high during hard times and keeping them informed. Radio at this time also began to broadcast play-by-play announcing of popular sporting events, such as baseball and football. Music was also a popular thing to listen to.

When television came onto the scene, broadcasting took on a whole new appearance. Now Americans are to black and white, then color broadcasts of news, sports and popular shows. Children’s programming became a new genre for the major broadcasting companies to take advantage of with shows such as Howdy Doody and The Lone Ranger.

Vietnam was one of the first conflicts to be broadcasted in detail on the news in color, bringing the horrors of war into American homes. In the present day broadcasting has fully embraced the world and technology of the Internet, with blogs, websites and more for people to explore. Broadcasting will continue to make its mark on American history as events and technology continue to change.

Filed Under: Entertainment, History, Radio Tagged With: , ,

Modern Examples of Censorship

June 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

While many people believe that there is no censorship in the United States media that is not true. The Federal Communications Commission has outlined some rules and guidelines that TV shows must follow or face censorship. Here’s a look at some of the things that could face censorship should a regular TV station wish to air it.

Graphic Content and Nudity. TV stations and TV shows are restricted from entering any type of graphic content and nudity. Depending upon the level of graphic content and nudity the show may be acceptable by just having a small blurred out section or even a parental disclaimer. TV stations and TV shows are also allowed to show certain images at a specified time in the evening. For example, shows would not be able to show any typing nudity at one in the afternoon but might be able to show the same show at 10 PM.

Public Safety. TV stations and TV shows are protected under the freedom of speech and press. However, should a story put the public safety at risk the local, state and national government have the option to pull the story or ask the media outlets to not air it. This type of censorship really happened and could be a long drawn out court battle as many TV stations will generally air the content if they want. Some services like direct tv sunday ticket be very careful and telecast only shows that are only legal.

Swearing. The censorship of swear words is probably the most commonly used form of censorship. TV shows are not allowed to air the full words of swear words during specified hours. This is to prevent children from picking up and learning these types of words.

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Asia is the Largest Continent

April 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In fact, traveling to Asia is something that everyone has to experience at least once in life. In this article you will find some interesting Asia facts and if you are not interested in this topic, this is still worth reading since you can never tell what you do not know. While traveling to Asia there are a lot of different things to do and see and thus you have to make sure that you plan your trip beforehand.

It is well known that Asia is the greatest continent in the world and it is rich in natural resources like iron and petroleum. When you travel Asia you have to make sure that you have time for an occasional adventure. If you are going to visit Asia within this or the next year and are searching for some fun activities to try, there are some incredible Asian festivals for you to check out during your trip.

Asia actually is one of the most diverse and extraordinary continents in terms of travel destinations and people. It is one of the seven continents in the globe. However, even if it is the seventh continent it is still the largest one among all. Below are several Asian festivals that are worth your attention.

- The monkey God festival. This festival has been celebrated in September at Kowloon’s Sau Mau Ping Temple.

- The festival of the hungry ghosts. This is unusual festival which takes place on the 14th day of the seventh moon in Hong Kong.

- Asakusa Samba. This is Tokyo’s version of the carnival in Rio de Janeiro. This event is held every August in Asakusa district.

- Yasothon Rocket festival. This festival takes place in Thailand in the middle of May. That time things get really noise for Asian travelers in the Phaya Thaen Park.

As well there are a lot of different events and festivals that are really worth your attention. With the development of the internet you can find a lot of different interesting information concerning Asia online.

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What is Censorship all About?

March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What is Censorship all About?

Censorship, simply put, is controlling the information and the ideas that are being circulated within a society. The truth about censorship is that it has truly been a hallmark for dictatorship all throughout history. Censorship is achieved in many ways, including through examining plays, books, television, films, news reports, radio programs and all other forms of communication in order to alter or otherwise suppress any ideas that were determined to be offensive or objectionable.

The rationale behind censorship can vary significantly depending on the censor what they seek to achieve. Sometimes the rationales behind the censorship have to do with targeting any material that is obscene or indecent, blasphemous or heretical, while other times it is all about preventing seditious or treasonous information from reaching public consumption. As such, free ideas have been suppressed under a false guise of protection of social institutions such as the state, the church and the family for example.

It is important to consider that not all forms of censorship are created equally, and not all forms of censorship rise from external or governmental force. People are capable of self censoring just as easily as the government is capable of censoring. It is important that you understand what censorship is, and what the impulse means to censor. In order to do this you need to strip away the shock that comes with just thinking about censorship and understand the ideology that stands behind the concept. This is the best way to develop a firm grasp on what censorship is all about.

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Music Legends are Memorialized at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

December 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Historical maker near the Rock and Roll Hall o...
Image via Wikipedia

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum landed in Cleveland for a reason. Cleveland, known locally as a dying (or rusting) steel town for decades, does have some life left in the city and has had it for some time. That life revolves around a huge music scene. Numerous venues attract crowds every day of the week, from Peabody’s to the Phantasy Niteclub. Stars such as Elvis and Marilyn Monroe would be proud to know that people travel far and wide to visit their likenesses in a museum built in a city with a music foundation as vibrant as that which Cleveland offers.

Bordering Lake Erie’s southern shore, the Rock Museum draws a steady stream of visitors to the city. People from all around the country want to see this bastion of homage to artists of all stripes, just as those dedicated Elvis fans desire to visit Graceland. As one wanders the hallways and rooms of the museum, they can absorb the looks that were created by artists, for artists, in the displayed clothing styles and hairstyles of entire generations of musicians. Depending on your level of love for music, a visit to the museum can make your year, or at least your day!

Free music ringtones can make your day, by personalizing your phone just as stars of the past personalized their own gear. Jimi Hendrix famously ‘personalized’ his guitar by setting it on fire. Jim Morrison adorned his microphone stand with an assortment of oddball objects, as does the more current musician, Rob Zombie. Most rock stars have personalized their look by adding a lot of leather as well. While the leather look is still cool in certain circles, it isn’t so hot among the younger vegan crowd — which might partly explain the popularity of being able to choose exactly what one’s phone sounds like. It’s the ultimate personal expression.

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