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(Herman, McChesney, pg. 140) This provides the advertisers with the power over the very structure of the media system' and allows them to maximize the entire system's potential for selling.' (Turow, 1997. pg. 142) Therefore, even the non-advertising part of the programme becomes a commercial opportunity with the advertisers being able to insert or delete whatever suited their commercial and ideological purposes.' (Bagdikian, 2004. pg. 237) For example, NBC's news programme was called Camel News Caravan because of its sponsor Camel cigarettes, which banned all film news that happened to take place where a no smoking' sign could be seen in the background.' (ibid.) Essentially, this advertiser hegemony, born out of democratic idealism, was producing very undemocratic ideals.

Kaufman says, the likes of AOL/Time Warner, Walt Disney and Viacom would not have been able to grow to their present size without television.' (Kaufman, 2004) As the major corporations have investments in all facets of the commercial market through vertical integration, their television output focuses on cross promotion and cross-selling as a primary means of creating value.' (Herman, McChesney, 1997. pg. 143) McChesney states that through synergy, the media conglomerations can focus their selling across many different platforms, and flood the market with advertising of their own products. Television is the vital platform for this to occur, as for example, TV programmes on Time Warner's WB network constantly feature songs by Warner Music artists,' while Viacom uses its hip' MTV and VH-1 networks to push younger viewers to its CBS television network.' (McChesney, 2004. pg. 184) He concludes that conglomeration can significantly affect media content and push companies away from directly addressing the audiences needs and desires.' (ibid. pg. 185) Through this, the largest media firms will prosper by swallowing the creative independents, growing bigger still' (The Economist, 2002) and they'll use their economic and political power to advance their interests and to dominate consumers.' (McChesney, 2004. pg. 189) Bagdikian clarifies that the television industry is not providing what the public says it wants: It is what the advertisers demand.' (Bagdikian, 2004. pg 241))

Again it signals a defining irony, that the United States' most powerful ideological tool is so undemocratic to the point it even divides the country along class lines: Instead of unifying, the advertising regime divides.' (Herman,

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