RTV Theory and Practice - Special Issue

listener to more serious reflection on the topical subjects of his environment and the times in which he lives. The large percentage of listeners of both concepts shows that both опе and the other could be right. But where, then, is the truth which reveais the real reasons for our morning scope? We cannot fmd the answer in the experience of others either. WDR in Cologne, for exampie, attracts over three million listeners to the morning programme, and this includes almost exclusively topics on home and foreign affairs in the form of interviews with ministers, correspondents abroad and discussions with listeners. At the same time, Bavarian Radio boasts that its morning programme has the most listeners thanks to its good music, especially for the young, then because of its advice to pensioners and young mothers and’ mstructions to buyers on the selection, quality and prices of goods. V/e must admit that this experience is in favour of those who fmd the reasons for the popularity of morning programmes primarily in the so-called «off-peak period« of communications space. At those moments, the collectivity of the mass media is eliminated (there is nothing on television, in order to buy newspapers one must leave the house). The effects of direct oral communication аге also lacking. In this case, the radio programme is the only means of personal and communal identification. The hand which turns on the radio set, however mechanical and routine that act might be, puts into motion the whole of life in all longitudes and latitudes. In doing this, perhaps the broadcasting of the right time is not the most crucial factor, except for removing the suspicion that something is not right with one’s own watch. It seems that the first item of morning news, which perhaps does not show anything new and in others parts of the daily programme would not even find a place, is the most crucia! for discovering generai and individual continuity. It is in this very factor that I perceive the speciflc nature of the morning programme, dialectics which are expressed in the exceptional significance of even the most insignificant piece of news. The listener is already used to our hierarchy of information and if such news is given at the beginning, then the everyday rhythm is already well established, Naturally, we are not pleading that news which signifies nothing is given at the beginning of our morning broadcast, but we are in the position frequently to do this and in doing so аге not sufficiently aware of the psychological implications which such an item of news can have. Could we, however, accept the factor of the »off-peak period« in commumcation space as the main reason for the high level of

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