Paper:15,Mass-Media,Comparative study of Television and Radio

                                           Paper: Maas-Media                            

                     Topic: Comparative Study of Television and Radio

Introduction:

In this Era of technology people have multiple choice for choosing any media for updating knowledge and to get entertainment, for instance television, radio, cinema, Internet, news paper, etc. Among these all media Radio and television are oldest as well as famous media. We can get advantages form radio and television. Some people feels television is better than radio while some feels radio is better than television. But both are equally important as media. There are some similarities and difference between both. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

First of all both, Radio and Television are electronic media, for both we need electricity. Television need electricity for turn on and radio uses battery for turn on. Secondly both have same advantages, Radio gives information like news, announcement of creation kind of programs, talk shows on various subject and field, personal interviews of celebrities or other experts of various fields, and entertainment programs like Radio drama and songs on demand etc.While television gives information about hot news that happened in country and around the country, many entertaining programs like soap opera ,talk show, personal interview, sing song show, reality shows, cooking show, and educational programs. Third, both have channel and volume. In radio there is volume button, through which we control the volume and certain channels; we can choose our favorite channel to play. Likely in television we can control on voice and have more channels than radio, so television gives more choice of programs compared to radio. Forth, both media are highly effective that as it spreads the information and awareness to the masses at a same time. In both media, we need to invest the money once and we can have it life time until it gets damaged.

So, these are the similarities of television and radio. In spite of having these similarities both are different from each other. At some extent both have their own advantages and disadvantages, so both are equally important as media. If we compare both media than, we find some difference between both which are responsible for their limitations and as well as advantages.

Television as modern medium, appeals to two sense of man. We can see the programs and at the same time we can hear the programs while radio appeals to one sense of people. We can hear the programs but cannot see the programs. It’s scientifically proved that those things which are felt with two senses affects the human mind very effectively and human mind can easily remember it as well as understand the things clearly. As two senses have been used, people can remember the things for longer times even. Compared to television radio appeals to only one sense, hearing. So heard things cannot be remembered for longer time as well as it is not that much interesting.

We can see the programs on television so we do not need to rely on our imagination as we can see all the situations before our eyes. We feel all that various feeling that character are feeling which gives us the aesthetic pleasure, we emotionally attaches ourselves to visible characters of programs, because of that we finds it interesting and we would like to watch the television more. While in radio we can hear the things but cannot see the things, here we have to rely on our imagination and because of that we do not find radio programs interesting. If we look at both from another perspective than, Television closes our  eyes of imagination as we are given the prepared imagination of other, we do not take pain to imagine the things, so it kills our ability of imagination while radio can develop our ability of imagination, where we try to imagine the things by hearing the things.

Television is expensive in prize while radio is cheaper in prize. Not everyone can afford the television but as radio is cheaper in prize every one can afford it. But now days, televisions are available in different sizes so one can buy at least small sized television set but Radio  is yet cheaper than small television .Once you pay for both, you do not need to pay again. Though Radio is cheaper in prize, hardly people uses radio, one of the reasons it traditional form, Since  it’s invention to  present day we do not find any major changes in its body and form because of that it could not compete with television. Since its invention television has gone under the massive change in short period of time. when it was newly invented, television was available  only into Box-size and in black & white, while today it’s structure has been changed totally that now we have LCD and LED Televisions. With sort of time television get smarter and smarter and now we have smart television which works by one touch only; it has become slim and attractive. So, with the time it changed itself, and because of that television is still in demand and no one is effective than television.

Format of television is user friendly as it provides more facilities like we can connect the CPU with it and uses it as computer, we can connect the DVD/VCD player to watch the other programs, and we can attach the USB to watch the programs from it. So with one device we can use it for multiple purposes and in multiple ways. While the format of radio is still the same, it does not give any other facilities, we can only listen which are broadcasted by channels, and we cannot use it as we want. if we talk about the mobility of these device than radio is portable as its smaller in size and, the broadcast of programs is depend on air frequency so we can move it, while television is bigger in size as well as its programs is telecasted with help of on land  & cable, so it’s not portable.

Now a day’s television companies give the radio facility in television, so with the help of television we can listen the radio, but with the radio we cannot watch or listen any television programs. On the other hand, we find that even a simple and cheap mobile has the feature of radio. So we can listen radio at any place, we can have it with us twenty four hours, while mobile do not provide the facility of watching television programs, we can watch television programs in smart phones but it needs internet connection which is costly.

If we talk about broadcasting and telecasting limitations of radio and television than, television is better than radio. Radio programs are set according to various religions, community, states, and culture, as every state has to set their own. So we found the radio programs related to particular group of people and in their language .Air frequency of radio is goes on changing according to place. So there we find the difference in radio broadcasting and programs as it goes on changing with one state to another state. Radio gives the new of national and international level but does not broadcast the national and international programs. On the other hand television telecast the national, international programs as well as particular state related programs, as television have particular channels related to all states and culture.

Radio is not much user friendly compared to television. In radio we have to listen the programs which are being broadcasted as it does not have various channels like television. In present time we have more than thousands channels in television so we get more choice in programs. If we talk about the programs than, Television is live media while radio is not live media. It was just a dream before the invention of television that as Sachin Tendulkar hits the ball for six, we can watch and feel it at the time but television made it possible. Now we can watch any programs, match or event live from the any corner of world. Television can capture the live moment of events and any other programs. Television has made the live education possible, now students of any country, state or district can learn any subject from the tutor or other country. Students can learn the subject live as well, as if student has query in subject than can ask them at the time. It does not mean that radio does not have educational programs but in such subjects like Mathes, science, and language just audio presentation is not enough.

Television makes the instant history as it broadcasts the news of each and every second. Now a days we have 24/7 news channels so we do not need to wait for national and international news while in radio there is no channel for news so we have to wait till it’s time of broad casting. So one of the limitations of radio is we have to wait for programs as they are broadcasted on particular time and day. In radio news, news reader gives the headlines of news and do not explain it in detail while in television news reporter explain each and everything in details. While Radio does not repeat the broadcasts of any programs, television telecasts the programs repeatedly, so if we would have missed the news bulletin or other programs than can watch it later on.

Television attracts the viewers emotionally while radio cannot attract the listeners emotionally. As television is audio-visual device, we see and hear the things which affect us more strongly rather than just listing it on radio. It happens in the advertising of products even. We find more advertisement on television compared to radio. Radio is useful in advertising but at local or state level while television is useful at all level. Generally on radio, we found the advertisements related to land property and other local product of particular state and district. While on television we found all kind of advertisement.

Radio can be seen as a ‘speak with’ medium, TV can be seen as a ‘talk at’ medium

The unique nature of radio listening clearly affects the way people feel about and interact with the medium. The relationship between listener and station tends to be a more inclusive one than with TV. Radio stations are seen as having a positive role in people’s lives – keeping them company, giving them information, and allaying feelings of loneliness or isolation, whilst they are engaged in other tasks. This is very different from TV, which demands the constant attention of the viewer. As a result radio is considered in a more positive light – people don’t feel that the radio station uses them, they use the radio station. This has a knock-on benefit for radio advertising – it is perceived as being less interruptive than TV, which necessarily shouts for attention. The lower attention levels demanded by radio also mean that messages are often learned implicitly and absorbed more quickly into the long-term memory. Finally, the one-sense nature of radio advertising is often considered to be a positive by listeners as it allows them to complete the loop and interpret the message in a manner that is relevant to them. So whilst both media could be defined as ‘push’ media because of their real-time nature, radio can realistically be described as more benign and inclusive in the way it allows brands to speak with consumer.

Radio has still remained faithful to ethics and quality of programs while television channels do not care about the ethics of telecasting and quality. Radio and television both have social responsibilities but radio is still active in the social activities while television has become the device of making money. Today even radio is broadcasting quality programs which have some sense and meaning, it gives information, spreads awareness, educates the people and last but not the least entertains the listeners.

Though radio has remained faithful to social responsibilities, it has become the second choice of people. We do not prefer to listen radio in our daily life and free time but we always listen it when we do not have other smart device like television and internet. Radio is always played in background while working in office and or at other place. We play it to pass the time during the journey, but if we are given chance of television than we would not like to turn on radio.

To sum up, radio and television both are equally important media .Though television is more popular and user friendly device, radio has its own public which is using radio effectively. Still there is wide scope for radio in society if it gets smarter like television. We cannot deny that with the time everything should be changed and should be come in smarter way to survive.