Role of Television as a Mass Medium: Characteristics of Television as a Medium

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Characteristics of Television as a Medium

The audio-visual character of television makes it a magic medium which allow us to watch the world from our drawing rooms. Television is considered as a domestic medium since you can watch it within your house along with your family members. This nature makes it an intimate medium. The television’ s ability to telecast incidents instantly providing a live coverage is another interesting factor. This is spread across all parts of the world and transmits messages to crores of people at a time and hence it is a mass media. This is a transit medium too since we cannot record or save the programmes telecasted on television. All these require greater technology and human resources which makes it an expensive medium.

Television and Other Mediums of Mass Communication

Television and Other Mediums
Television and Other Mediums

When it comes to the case of television, internet and computers, computers provide more audience interaction than television. Both have audio visual elements.

Functions of Television

Basically, the two main functions of television are:

Functions of Television

Television can be used to,

Functions of Television

The limitations of TV can be summarised as:

  • it is primarily a one-way communication medium
  • both production and transmission of programmes are costly
  • The production process is very lengthy.