GENDER BIAS IN PAKISTAN TELEVISION PRIME TIME COMMERCIALS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS

Abstract

Television viewing today is more than enjoying your preferred programme. It is highly influenced by commercials - as we sit before the television screen and watch commercials trying to persuade us to buy something. The people behind the production of commercials use glamorous objects to appeal to the consumers and provoke them to buy their product. Originally, commercials began on the radio simply because the radio has been around longer than the television. Once the television was invented and introduced to the public, commercials became more and more beneficial. A variety of explanations exists as to why television advertising is preferred to radio ads. The reasons are; on the television, a consumer is able to see what he may be purchasing; television promotes the selling to individuals as well as a family; on the television commercials come at the proper psychological time for the viewer between shows unlike print advertising; has the same advantages of radio sound and most of the time better quality sound is heard on the television; and more people watch television because it is habit-forming (Seehafer, 1959).