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in view of the historically unprecedented high esteem accorded private enterprise in U. S. political culture in the 1920s.' (McChesney, 1995. pg 13) And therefore:
The force of competition and stress on the rate of return on capitol, which comes to prevail in a free market, compels media firms to focus with increasing intensity on enlarging audience size and improving its quality' as these will determine advertising rates.' (Herman, McChesney, 1997. pg. 139)

Herman and McChesney conclude that the decline in public service broadcasters paralleled a steady increase in broadcasting station and network profitability.' (Herman, McChesney, 1997. pg. 139) Given this, Kaufman's statement appears to have more credence, and when you consider his belief that the entire medium of television is based on advertising' (Kaufman, 2004), it's difficult not to believe him.

In many ways there's an irony involved here. In the government's upholding of America's first amendment, the allowances offered to commercial broadcasting in the name of democracy have been turned on their head. McChesney states that the commercialists treat the first amendment as a license for the media to do as they please.' (McChesney, 2004. pg. 32) Consider Ben Bagdikian's comment that the American way of life is beyond criticism' (Bagdikian, 2004. pg. 236) on U.S television. He states that such inferences as all businessmen are good', all wars are humane' and all users of cigarettes are gentle, graceful, healthy youthful people' were ideas insisted upon by major advertisers not in ads but in news reporting, editorial content, or entertainment programmes. The readers, viewers and listeners did not know that these messages were planted by advertisers.' (ibid.) Proctor and Gamble, one of the United States' leading advertisers, enforce the idea of positive social forces' in that, for example, ministers, priests and similar representatives of positive social forces shall not be cast as villains or represented as committing a crime or be placed in any unsympathetic role.' (ibid. pg. 239)

Given that media in the United States are for the most part capitalist ventures operated by private parties for the purpose of generating profit' (Cooper-Chen, 2005. pg. 24), commercial television networks have no choice but to pander to the needs of the advertisers. As advertisers are the ultimate programme funders their demands for a suitable programme environment for selling goods takes increasing effect under competitive conditions.'

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