2010 January 18 | Thetelevisionista.com

Reality TV on Satellite Television

Monday, January 18th, 2010 | Television | No Comments

Television is no longer what it used to be. It is no secret that reality television has taken over the airwaves, and that more people are interested in watching dating show contestants horrifically embarrass themselves or watch a contestant get kicked off an island than enjoy the traditional television format. Nowadays, thirty-minute sitcoms and hour-long dramas are struggling just to hang on to audiences. Instead, viewers gather around their HD televisions each week to enjoy the juggernaut that is reality tv.

Considering its popularity, it is important to consider just what this means for popular culture and society as a whole. It is a strange truth that we as an audience get so much enjoyment out of watching reality television shows. Subscribers to satellite tv even have access to several channels devoted entirely to reality programming. Is reality television just fad or is it here to stay? Will traditional formats for shows soon be obsolete and will television actors and actresses be a thing of the past? Perhaps only time will tell.

Interested reality seeing what reality television has to offer? Here are some of the biggest hits around:

The Hills – This MTV hit blurs the lines of reality with its clearly set-up situations and forced friendships, but that doesn’t stop audiences from tuning in every week. While the show’s original heroine Lauren Conrad has moved on, fans can still get their fill of watching beautiful young people living in Los Angeles.

The City – MTV’s spinoff from The Hills that follows nice girl Whitney Port as she attempts to break into the fashion world in New York City. Like The Hills, the people are beautiful, the clothes are stylish and the friendships and plotlines are decidedly less than authentic.

Jersey Shore – Another new hit from MTV that has reached a shocking level of success. This reality show follows a group of friends as they live together in a house on the Jersey Shore. This is definitely not The Hills, as the cast is decidedly gritty, vulgar and commands a style all their own.

The Bachelor – This wildly popular dating show picks an eligible bachelor and finds him a house full of beautiful women to choose from. The bachelor goes on group and private dates, and each week narrows the pool down in the always-entertaining “Rose Ceremony.” The show ends in a proposal, though the relationships never seem to last.

Survivor – One of the original reality game shows that took human competition to the next level. Contestants live in a hostile environment, compete in sports-like competitions and vote to kick people out of the “tribe.” Last man standing is the winner.

The Real World – MTV’s original that arguably sparked the reality television craze. As we know by now, it begins with “seven strangers, picked to live in a house….” The rest is television gold. Throughout the years the show has lost sight of its initial groundbreaking social consciousness and intensity, and now seems more like an episode of Girls Gone Wild, but it is still a success.

While each of the aforementioned shows are certainly not critically acclaimed, they still keep audiences flocking to their high definition televisions each week. It’s safe to say that the trend may hardly be temporary and we have only seen the beginning of reality programming.

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/television-articles/reality-tv-on-satellite-television-1736708.html

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The most accurate story with satellite TV

Monday, January 18th, 2010 | Television | No Comments

This just in…a serious and major event just happened. Instantly, every news source is covering it. Sports games, sit-coms, feature films, all is instantly cut and dropped as stations switch their programming to connect you, the viewer, to the current and important information. Coverage is even available in HD for most stations, whether it is the local network news or the big league 24-hour channels. Regardless of whatever channel you select, news anchors will bring you up to date on all of the current and breaking occurrences.

It seems that the frequency of these events has increased over the last decade, primarily after September 11, 2001. Granted, that was one of the most historically significant events that the world has seen in a while, but now such stories and instances that major news outlets categorize as “alerts” seem to broadcast on the television screen more and more. Luckily, you have not only the ability to change the channel, but also the ability to select your news source from the tons of options and stations on cable and satellite TV.

Because lets face it, these days the majority of news on television is garbage, if it can even be classified as news. With many of the headline stations replacing content for loud-mouthed, talking head ex-lawyers with a “take no prisoners” attitude – no name dropping – or actual 24-hour news networks trying to rally people to protest and boycott the government and thus, blurring the line between news and propaganda – again, no name dropping – people are having a harder and harder time getting the facts straight.

Luckily, with the huge selection available, a viewer can now get their news from a variety of sources in order to get the most accurate story. They can switch over to a more liberal station to hear one side and then skip over to hear the conservative side of the argument. In fact, they can climb the channels and obtain information from the international or offbeat networks, such as the BBC, Aljazeera or PBS. Actually, many journalists recommend obtaining national news from international sources in order get an accurate and less opinionated viewpoint. And since many news programs and special reports are available under the “On Demand” feature for both cable and satellite TV providers, you can stay informed on everything that you need to or care to know.

Since news agencies generate all their revenue from advertising, the station with the most viewers is going to make the most money. Unfortunately, this is caused news reports and the stories that dominate airtime to be not only insignificant, but sensationalist at the same time. Due to this, many people are being told of a story’s significance while other, more important issues world wide, are happening right under their noses. By the looks of it, these trends are not going to change.

So, whether your type of “breaking news alert” is a movie star dying, a NFL sports star getting injured or a plane crashing into the Hudson Bay, you have the power to choose your news.

Stay informed and save money with all of the amazing Direct TV deals to be had. With tons of news stations included in all direct TV packages, you will know about breaking news the second it occurs.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/television-articles/the-most-accurate-story-with-satellite-tv-1736720.html

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Soccer: Bottom of the American Sports Food Chain, But Rising

Monday, January 18th, 2010 | Television | No Comments

While soccer may only be considered a secondary sport, at best, in the U.S., in almost every other corner of the globe it is the sport. In fact, the FIFA World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world. For the 2006 final, an estimated 750 million viewers were tuned in.

Although the majority of Americans pay soccer little to no attention in comparison to other sports, it is gaining in popularity. This could be attributed to the influx of Latin American immigrants – a large portion of which come from soccer-obsessed countries – over the better part of the last half century. Or perhaps its star is rising due to the hard push by the MLS (Major League Soccer) to bring attention to the sport – i.e., the recent stateside stint played by one of soccer’s most internationally recognizable names, David Beckham.

Another factor helping to improve soccer’s popularity is that the U.S. national team has improved tremendously over the last few decades. At the time of publication, it is ranked 14th in the world and first in all of North and Central America. Having survived the qualification rounds, the U.S. will take part in the World Cup, which is to be held this summer in South Africa.

For those interested in watching the U.S.’s games, they will be shown on regular television. However, if you are interested in catching the action of other teams, you may not be so lucky. To catch non-U.S. games you may have to turn to satellite TV. Not only does satellite offer tons of sporting channels, but you can pick up broadcast networks from different countries around the world – ones which will undoubtedly be showing their respective team’s games.

Also, a lot can be learned from watching a soccer game. If you have a young child who plays soccer, watching a game is a great way to learn more about the sport for yourself. The same goes for those who simply want to explore a new sport. One can also learn about the cultures of the countries going head-to-head. Often, the sportscasters will serve up tidbits of cultural information. Many times there will even be a video clip that tells a little bit about each country playing. So, enjoy the competition and learn a thing or two.

Sports have a magical way of bringing together people of all ages, shapes, sizes and colors. This holds particularly true for soccer. What other reason would cause 750 million people from all over the world to gather around their TV sets to simultaneously watch the 2006 World Cup final?

So, why is it that Americans neglect a sport that has the rest of the world so captivated? Even to this day, many MLS games are hard to find on cable. For now, it looks like it’s satellite TV or bust. However, if soccer’s popularity continues to increase, perhaps we will see more of the “world game” or “beautiful game,” as it is often called, on American TV.

Whether you are a soccer newbie or long-time fanatic, direct tv satellite can set you up with more soccer than you can handle. direct TV packages will give you information on deals and special sports packages.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/television-articles/soccer-bottom-of-the-american-sports-food-chain-but-rising-1736744.html