RADIO AND TELEVISION IN OUR LIFE

Who can imagine his or her life without radio or TV? Sure, nobody can. As means of the mass media they are widely used in today's world. Both radio and television are the fastest means of spreading news and information. They keep us informed about current events, extend our education, allow us to follow the latest developments in science and culture. An endless number of programmes enrich our knowledge, entertain us and even influence our opinion and imagination.

It's easy and pleasant to switch on the radio while you are in a car or going about your household duties. You can choose any radio station including FM which you like.

 On TV everything is much more real, of course. TV brings not only sounds but moving pictures from around the world into millions of homes. There are thousands of TV stations with channels, that can be public or commercial. Public TV usually focuses on education and culture. It also broadcasts plays, ballets, symphonies as well as news programmes or programmes about art and history.

Commercial TV stations broadcast mostly entertainment programmes because they must attract larger numbers of viewers in order to sell advertising time. Except light dramas, comedies, detectives, game shows, soap operas and cartoons commercial TV stations broadcast also documentaries and talk shows on serious issues like alcoholism, drug abuse, and politics and so on. There are also sport programmes and brief summaries of local, national and international news. As advertising is an important part of commercial TV, commercials appear between and during most programmes.

Global television channels are the result of new satellite television technology. Without any doubt it is a kind of revolution that has changed our lives. The use of TV and World Wide Web is one more step. They say that World Wide Web is television's next incarnation¹. So called 'TV bridges', when real communication is arranged between people who are in different parts of the world, have become possible due to Web technologies. Why not to believe that it'll help to create global understanding among peoples and nations?

One thing is quite clear just now: radio, television, satellite and Web technologies have become a natural way of life of modern civilisation.