How Diversity Creates Good Television

Diversity is key to serving the public interest, convenience and necessity of society. Diversity will serve the public interest because if broadcasters diversify the information given and the shows that are aired then the public interest should be served. You need multiples types of shows to serve the multiples interests of the public. That means having many producers and broadcasters is a necessity. Also if a wide range of diversifying information is given then the people will be well informed on all issues. Having choices for the audience serves their convenience. ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS all have their nightly news around the time of 6 and 7. That is when most people are home from work and that serves their convenience. The necessity means that broadcasters will put on a diversity of shows that will meet the public’s needs. The value of diversity is very important. Everyone is different and everyone likes and needs different things, so having choices and relaying multiple types of information leads to diversity. The Broadcasters need to have a variety of choices so that they can operate in the public’s interest, convenience, and necessity.

Financial support is very important for diversity. The more money you have, the easier it will be to diversify your television station. In the reading it says “Owen, Beebe, and Manning (1974) explains, competition under advertiser support tends to produce less diversity and more ‘wasteful duplication’ then is socially optimal”. The networks will try to compete with each other by coming up with the same types of shows, which doesn’t necessarily serves the public interest, convenience, & necessity. The diversity of broadcasters content is interpreted differently from person to person. One person might think the network is doing a great job of diversifying their content, but the next person may think differently.