Lures (especially TV) deliver audiences to advertisers.

Few people seek out ads. Something has to lure an audience to where these persuasive messages will be seen or heard. Therefore, the function of the various media (television, radio, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, billboards, and so on) is to attract an audience, to lure them, and to deliver an audience to the persuaders.

The media make their money by "selling audiences" to advertisers who buy the time (on TV, radio) or the space (in printed newspapers and magazines, outdoor billboards, and online screens). That's why market research is so important.

Some young people may think that the primary function of TV is to deliver entertainment to them.

But, TV executives see their role as delivering audiences to advertisers.

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If an advertiser wanted to reach teens to sell clothing or cosmetics, or to promote action movies or rock concerts, what would be the most effective media to use?

MTV or PBS? Rock radio stations or the Early News on TV?

Obviously, advertisers know that most young people do not watch the news, but do watch music videos.

Simply look at the ads on the Early News. You can often infer the specific target audience by noticing the many relief and protection products advertised (denture creme, arthritis medicines, pain remedies, and so on) are all targeted at older adults.

Or, notice the good programs geared at people in their 20s and 30s ("Seinfeld,""Friends,""E.R.") are on Thursday night because that's when this desirable target audience is the largest. Friday and Saturday nights are "date nights" for many in this audience, out of the house, at the movies or other entertainments. In 2002, CBS's "Survivor" sold its Thursday night ad time for $456,000 for a 30-second spots; in contrast, Saturday night shows such as Fox's "Cops" sold the same amount of air time for $49,000.

Market Research, a major part of the advertising business, tries to link the ads, in the most cost-effective way, with their appropriate target audiences.

As research techniques get better, the old idea of broadcasting to "anyone" and "everyone" is being replaced by the idea of "narrowcasting" to specific audiences whenever possible.

Some ads for some common products (such as soft drinks, snacks) may appear at any time because TV and radio will usually offer discount rates to "fill up" any empty time slots they may have left. But, most ads are carefully placed to reach specific audiences.

Ads are ubiquitous today: everywhere you look. Most American kids have grown up with TV as their babysitter. Six year olds entering 1st grade have already seen over 100,000 ads on TV.

Granted, some people still read books, magazines, and newspapers. But, television is the most dominant of all modern media because it is now the primary source of entertainment in the whole world. You don't need to be able to read, or be computer literate, in order to watch TV.

In the early days of television, in the 1950s in the USA, there was a lot of hopeful optimism that TV could be used to inform and educate the world. Fifty years later, there was less idealism because TV has proved to be a mixed blessing: the focus is on entertainment, not education. Even the "news" has become "infotainment" with good looking TV personalities presenting "happy talk" and soft news ("human interest stories") as a way of attracting a larger audience to deliver to advertisers.

Everyone has benefited from this entertainment. We all willing watch sports and stories. We all choose to spend much of our non-working time listening to our singers and storytellers. But, as a trade-off, we find ourselves constantly in the noisy marketplace with sellers shouting their goods and stimulating our desires. Living in front of the TV screen, living in the midst of the noisy marketplace, does has its problems.