Glossary

affiliate (n)	subsidiary or subordinate organization that is affiliated with another organization
brethren	(plural) the lay members of a male religious order
feed (n)	material supplied
newsstand	stall where newspapers and other periodicals are sold
prime time	hours between 7 and 11 p.m. when the largest tv audience is available
reap	get or derive
revenue	entire amount of income before any deductions are made
scrambled	changed (of a TV signal)so that it can only be understood using a special device

Comprehension

Exercise 1. Characterise the mass media of the US and indicate major titles in each group:

Mass Medium		Characteristics	Examples
Newspapers
Magazines
Rad I o	AM
	FM

Self-Assessment

Exercise 1. Explain the meaning of the following words.

ambient advertisement vs. advertisement on TV/ TV commercials TV mogul TV and radio listings satellite dish aerial wire services newsreel live footage sports coverage breaking news flash interview newscaster presenter anchorman yellow press feature article gossip column

talk show panel game situation comedy action-packed drama quiz shows soap operas blockbuster sequel trailer quality press reality show TV addict/ Couch potato chat show host of the show MC obituary regular columnist editorial

Exercise .2. Explain how various media originated in the USA. What are the most influential at the moment?

Exercise 3. Innumerate top 7 US quality and popular papers. What is the official basis for freedom of speech in the USA?

Exercise 4. Give brief characteristics to PBS, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN companies.

Exercise 5. What do you know about Time Warner, Disney, Bertelsmann, Viacom, TCI?

Exercise 6. What movies/cartoons are closely associated with such giants as Walt Disney, Columbia Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Miramax, Warner Brothers best?

Further Reading

1. Handbook on mass media in the United States: The industry and its audiences / [ed. Erwin k. Thomas, Brown h. Carpenter]. – n.Y.: Greenwood Press, 1994. – 344 p.

* National Public Radio (NPR) is a USAradio network coveringTelevision Entertainment. (NPR) is a semi-independent, privately and publicly funded non-profit organization. It is syndicated to hundreds of U.S. radio stations throughout the U.S. NPR originated in 1970 following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.

*^*A doctrine that made radio channels “balance” their day by programming alternative points of view.

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