The following is a memorandum from the business manager of a television station.
“Over the past year, our late-night news program has devoted increased time to national news and less time to weather and local news. During this period, most of the complaints received from viewers were concerned with our station’s coverage of weather and local news. In addition, local businesses that used to advertise during our late-night news program have canceled their advertising contracts with us. Therefore, in order to attract more viewers to our news programs and to avoid losing any further advertising revenues, we should expand our coverage of weather and local news on all our news programs.”
Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.
The argument seems reasonable on the surface. All television stations have advertising revenues, and a business manager would not risk losing them. However, a careful examination of the assumptions shows that this argument is flawed.
First, the television station assumes that the weather and local news have no bearing on the viewers’ lives. This may be true of other channels, but viewers of news programs on this particular station are well informed and have opinions of their own. They spend an average of more than 40 hours a week watching news programs about local and national events. A large percentage of these viewers will likely oppose the decision of the station to cut back on coverage of local issues. Furthermore, the station’s audience is segmented, and segments that prefer viewing local news are less concerned with national news than segments that prefer viewing national information. For example, those viewers who like to watch national news may be more interested in politics; therefore, they may find national rather than local issues more attractive. Thus, the business manager could alienate this audience segment by devoting more time to national issues and less to local news and weather.
Second, the assumption that local businesses advertise during news programs is based on the fallacy that local news programs have a large audience and can therefore capture a large audience of potential customers. While a large segment of the population may watch local news programs, that segment tends to be older, and local businesses cater to a younger demographic. Therefore, those local businesses that advertise during local programs may find their target market shifting to competing stations, which are more likely to attract a younger audience. This loss of advertising revenue could stunt the television station’s growth, which would affect both its revenue and its profitability.
Finally, the argument assumes that the coverage of weather and local events is less important to the viewer. Viewers of television news programs tend to have a wide range of interests. Some may be interested in national news, while others may be interested in local issues. Therefore, the station may alienate viewers who watch local news programs by devoting more time to national news. In addition, if the station reduces the amount of local news it broadcasts, viewers may be tempted to watch other channels for their local information, such as the local cable company that promotes local news. If the station does not air local news, it may lose viewers who perceive it as irrelevant.