Ralph E. Hanson, Second Edition
HomeWeblogChaptersCh. 1: Living in a Media WorldCh. 2: The Media Business: Consolidation, Globalization, and the Long TailCh. 3: Mass Communication Effects: How Society and Media InteractCh. 4: Books: The Birth of the Mass MediaCh. 5: Magazines: The Power of Words and ImagesCh. 6: Newspapers: Reflection of a Democratic SocietyCh. 7: Sound: Music and Talk Across MediaCh. 8: Movies: Mass-Producing EntertainmentCh. 9: Television: Broadcast, Cable and BeyondCh. 10: The Internet: Mass Communication Gets PersonalCh. 11: Advertising: Selling a MessageCh. 12: Public Relations: Manufacturing the NewsCh. 13: Media Law: Free Speech and FairnessCh. 14: Media Ethics: Truthfulness, Fairness, and Standards of DecencyCh. 15: Global Media: Communication Around the WorldAbout the BookAbout the AuthorHelp
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Chapter 7: Sound

Exercises

1. If you enjoy listening to an iPod or other portable MP3 or CD player, you can thank Sony's Akio Morita for his work on the Sony Walkman in the late 1970s. Where do you listen to your personal music player? Does it help pass time between classes? Provide a sense of privacy in a busy, bustling public place? Is there any validity to the arguments that these devices cause a withdrawal from society?


2. What does the future hold for downloading digital music? Will the recording industry continue to do legal battle with those accused of illegal file sharing through online services? Or will they turn toward alternative methods--pay-per-download currently being the most popular--to get their product to music consumers in a legal, profitable manner?

3. The radio industry has adopted a great deal of new technology in the last quarter century. The simple AM-FM radio delivering the friendly voice of a familiar DJ is beginning to sound and look like a dinosaur when compared to satellite and Internet radio.

•  Consider the Source: Who is reporting that the traditional, terrestrial radio broadcasting is becoming an outdated medium?

•  Analyze & Reflect: What are the advantages and disadvantages of satellite radio in comparison to traditional radio? What characteristic(s) does each format possess that listeners cannot find with the other?

•  Examine: If traditional radio is losing listeners, at what rate is this happening? Where are radio listeners shifting their attention? In terms of subscribers, how fast is satellite radio growing? Internet radio?

•  Conclude: What form of radio do you use most? Would you be willing to pay an annual or monthly subscription fee to listen to satellite or Internet radio? Is the content worth the price tag? If so, why? What can traditional, terrestrial radio do to keep up with these new “strains” of radio?