Abstract

This study was designed to explore females' watching habits of private channels' television dramas and its impacts on their perceptions. The main purpose of this study was planning to explore the perceptions of viewers about private channels dramas. Private TV channels are attracting the public magnetically. It was also found out that whether uses and gratification model was assimilated according with nature of the study, the survey contemplated to be an apt procedure for analyzing effects and social changes introduced by the three private TV channels. Finally, proportionate sample has drawn from occupation and location, and the disproportionate sample has drawn from age and education category using cluster sampling. The findings also reveal that female viewers significantly more prefer to wear Shalwar Qameez instead of miniskirts, Jeans and Shirts respectively. Furthermore, viewers preferred outfit while going outside home is dupatta as compared to veil, scarf, and hijab respectively. On the other hand, viewers do not prefer to wear caps, having open hairs, burka and sunglasses respectively. The findings also reveal that viewers significantly pick ideas about home decoration from dramas like setting of kitchens, bedroom, TV lounge, Drawing room and washroom respectively.

Key Words:

TV Channels, Uses and Gratification, Cluster Sampling, Survey Methods,         Dramas

Introduction

Television is one of the most influential devices of information globally. “It has entered the home and has created new possibilities and problems (Joshi, 2002). Television is one of the most debated media of communication all over the world since it leaves a deeprooted impact on its viewers (P.20). Much discussion has been done and is being done over this medium because it has far-reaching consequences over the viewers. Like an epidemic, it is affecting and influencing the viewers. It is often said that television has altered our world. Television viewing in the past was much different from that of today. In the past television was black and white and the screens were small and round.  These limitations of early TV gave it a dull grey look changes began to appear in 1955 with the advent of remote control. Quality of picture started to improve but not that of programs that was far superior in the past. That is why the late 1940s and early 1950s is called the Golden Age of TV. It is a living tribute to live dramas anthologies. It was quite different to the episode dramas of today. It had a different storyline, music and cast of drama each week (Straubhaar and LaRose, 2002). 

“Television is an important social media in Pakistan. It has created a strong social impact that cannot be denied. About millions of sets are being used, and a huge number of people are watching it. In spite of different one-sided policies and different drawbacks it is even yet an apple of everyone's eye, whether it is the field of news, entertainment, current affairs, sports, information's there is everything for everyone. It is the part of daily program, which gets full attention of the people. Different people demand different types of entertainment. The categories and kinds are different such as comedy, drama, sports, talk shows,game shows, children's programs,documentaries, and reality-based shows. Even in these kinds there is a lot of variety. Drama includes weekly series. Comedy dramas are of different kinds and are being telecasted at different time schedule. Most of them are telecasted at the peak viewer's hours at prime time (between 8pm and 11pm. EST) when most people watch television” (Marc, 2002).

There is no doubt that television set has become a key member of the family (Gerbner, 2008). This medium is an instrument or medium to bring a number of changes in society. It is a yardstick to measure our experience and attribute these experiences to others. The maximum numbers of people are utilizing this source to kill their free time. This experience is positive in the sense as it is pulsating with life and it presents the variegated panorama of life in its richest color. In this sense it is positive but if it is only a source of addiction just to kill time it gets negative and starts to play havoc in life and it cuts us off from society, culture, social and collective life. We start sacrificing other necessary engagement just to spare time to watch television. We can explore what is being telecasted on Geo TV, Hum TV and ARY Digital dramas and what are the effects of these telecasted on the viewers.

“A wide range choice is available in private channels which are broadcasted through cable or satellite. In general, the role of media in Pakistani society is three-dimensional: informing the public, educating the unknowledgeable and providing entertainment. The entertainment chunk of Pakistani media is very effective and strong. The media is influenced from west and India, even dresses and shoes are copied from West and India (Mahsud, 2006).

“Drama is the most popular genre of entertainment. Drama is not only meant for entertainment,it is for information, education and transmission of culture. It has vibrant effects on the audience. It is more popular among female’s audience. During a week or at the weekend more drama is being watched than it was being watched in the previous history. In the past the duration of television hour is just limited to 1 or 2 hours but the situation changed in 19 0 when Alex Haley Roots, television started to telecast up to 14 hours of single drama over several nights” (Biagi, 2003). 

“Drama besides being a source of entertainment is also a source of education and information. Researcher has shown an interest to find out what is being affected by these drama channels and especially how the female's viewers are being affected by it. Present study is continuation of the previous efforts and researcher has selected three main entertainment channels i.e., Geo TV, Hum TV and ARY Digital to find out the impacts of these television channels' dramas on the female viewers. These channels are also providing simultaneous programs that have gained more popularity among viewers particularly among the female viewers. In the light of above it would be great matter of interest to explore the effects of private channels' dramas on the female viewers of Lahore City” 

“Most likely dramas are producing effects on its audience. Drama provides us different directions to think and different trends to follow. Influence of Drama is being felt in each and every sphere of human activity from home to school and to workplaces. People have begun to opt those trends. Even for children, it can also be third parent (P.20). For teen ages or young generation, it is a friend who tells them about different fields of life, different realities of life. For females it's a guide who tells how to deal with others as well as family members”

Literature Review

Television is influential due to its various programs like plays, films and musical shows etc. which are telecast every day. There is a lot of material in the drama that can force us to think and many trends to follow. Drama is a genre that is influencing every field and every sphere of life from school to work place and from home to factory. "People are strongly being affected by these trends. Even for children, it can also be third parent. For teen ages or young generation, it is a friend who tells them about different fields of life, different realities of life. For females it's a guide who tells how to deal with others as well as family members. In some respect dramas influence the general character-building pattern" (Joshi, 2002).

Entertainment programs include the prime-time network shows which run between 8 to 11 PM. In America, television is watched seven hours a day on the average according to the A.C Nielsen Company survey. Some people watch less and some frequent viewers compensate this lag of time (Biagi, 1999). Williams (2011) argued that television is the founder of a number of new forms; these include the drama, documentary educational, sports cultural and a lot of other programs of different genres. Television is providing us a unique basic visual experience, which allows us to see things in new and unexpected ways (P.331). Television viewing in the past was much different from that of today. In the past television was black and white and the screens were small and round.  These limitations of early TV gave it a dull grey look changes began to appear in 1955 with the advent of remote control. Quality of picture started to improve but not that of programs that was far superior in the past. That is why late 1940's and early 1950's is called the Golden Age of TV It is a living tribute to live dramas anthologies. It was quite different to the episode dramas of today. It had different story line, music and cast of drama each week (Straubhaar and LaRose, 2002). "Many studies (e.g., Westoff, & bankole, 199; Singhal et al, 2003; Singhal, & Rogers, 1999; Rogers, et al.  1999; and Vaughan, & Rogers, 2000) show that mass media, particularly entertainment electronic media, have brought a significant role in a number of countries in bringing about changes in reproductive behavior and in the adoption of other health measures. Radio and television soap operas are the cause of bringing a number of vivid changes in different countries (Mexico, India, Kenya and Tanzania) and in different parts of the world". Modleski (1982) argued that females after watching dramas become habitual of interruption and fragmentation. However, it is easy to oversimplify gender differences in interpreting TV. Social class, ethnicity, age and education are all complicating factors, and there are considerable differences within gender. 

In an article (Gohar, 2011) explains the effects of television dramas on such controversial public policy (i.e., gay marriage and the death penalty). The dramas influenced support for death penalty but not gay marriage. Similarly, a study is based upon the relationship between overall television viewing and romantic youth drama viewing as well as of females' concern about boys' attractiveness expectations to body image dissatisfaction. Around 411 adolescent girls (ages 14-16) were included this research to determine the nature of such fields. The results show that there are both direct and indirect relationships between romantic youth drama viewing as well as body satisfaction. Girls habitual of watching romantic youth dramas showed lower levels of body satisfaction. But these dramas show a significant positive impact on concerns about boys' attractiveness expectations, which indirectly worked through on body 

“The theory also relates with the present study as many studies (e.g., Westoff, & bankole, 199; Singhal et al, 2003; Singhal, & Rogers, 1999; Rogers, et al.  1999; and Vaughan, & Rogers, 2000) show that mass media, particularly entertainment electronic media, have brought a significant role in a number of countries in bringing about changes in reproductive behavior and in the adoption of other health measures.  Different serials and entertainment dramas allow the audiences to develop ties with different characters of these dramas and these characters start to take roots in their actions and thoughts and audience is deeply affected by it in response to the problems illustrated in the story lines.  These story lines affect the cultural thinking and values of the characters and they start to think these characters illustrating these problems a part of their daily life more than the purely cognitive information provided in documentaries. According to the different social learning theories, it is stated that vicarious learning from others is a powerful teacher of attitudes and behaviors” 

Methodology

This study was planned to explore the perceptions of viewers about private channels dramas. Private TV channels are attracting the public magnetically. The purpose of the study to find out that whether uses and gratification model is assimilating according with nature of the study, survey methodology was contemplating to be an apt procedure for analyzing effects and social changes introduced by the three private TV channels.  Present research was designed to study the impacts of dramas on female viewers. To accurately study the impacts of dramas on different viewers, demographic groups were identified from the targeted population. These groups were included i.e.; age (up to 18 years, 19 to 26 years and 2 years or above), education (Bachelor and Master) and occupation (Student, working women and housewives). This approach was adequately organized the population into homogeneous subsets in order to select elements from each. Finally, proportionate sample had drawn from occupation and location and disproportionate sample had drawn from age and education category using cluster sampling technique. 

Findings

This study is a planned effort to analyze the effects of viewing dramas of private channels on females. Data is collected from different age, education, occupation groups from Lahore city with respective equally from three universities. Findings regarding different measured concepts are presented below. Chi-Square test shows significance variation in watching habits of selected private channels' dramas across different groups and response categories. 

Table 1. Chi-square Test (Watching Private Channels Dramas)

	Geo TV	HUM TV	ARY Digital
Chi-Square	32.96 a	13.16 a	12.300a
df	4	4	4
Asymp. Sig.	.000*	.010	.015
a. 0 cells (.0%) have expected frequencies less than 5. The minimum expected cell frequency is 60.0.

*Chi-square is significant if P=< .05

Table 2. Viewers interest taking in Dramas of Selected Channels

Variable	Over All	Age			Education				Occupation			Location
	**A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N
Geo TV Much	*56	52	52	68	0	5	5	52	45	50	3	59	53	45
Somewhat	28	28	30	25	25	32	2	28	31	34	20	29	28	25
Not at all	16	20	18		5	11	16	20	24	16		12	19	2
HUM TV Much	4	50	46	48	55	45	45	49	3	53	52	5	38	2
Somewhat	3	30	34	45	40	45	36	33	38	34	38	32	41	35
Not at all	16	20	19	6	5	11	20	1	25	13	10	11	21	31
ARY TV Much	39	50	35	41	45	46	41	32	35	35	46	38	39	24
Somewhat	42	29	45	43	50	3	38	45	40	45	40	4	36	38
Not at all	20	22	21	16	5	16	21	23	25	20	14	15	25	32

Table Summary:                Total Respondents: 320                 

Age: 83                 Education: 99                     Occupation: 66           Location:  2

*Figure showing percentage

**A. overall, B. up to 20, C. 21-30, D. 31 0r above, E. Metric, F. Inter, G. Graduate,

H. Masters, I. Female students, J. Working women, K. House wives, L. University of Punjab (PU),

M. University of Lahore (UOL), N.  Lahore College for Women University (LCWU)

 

Table 2. shows to what extent viewers take interest in watching dramas of private channels. Overall findings show that majority of females take much interest (56%) in watching Geo TV dramas as compared to Hum TV (4 %) and ARY TV (39%). In term of age results depict viewers who are 31years or above take more much (68%) interest in watching Geo TV dramas than to those who are up to 20 years (52%) followed by 21-30 (52%). However no significant difference is found in interest taking by viewers in dramas of Hum TV and ARY TV. Similarly results illustrated that up to metric viewers take more much interest in watching Geo TV dramas (0%) than intermediate (5 %), bachelor (5 %) followed by masters (52%). However no significant difference is found in interest taking of viewers in watching of Hum TV and ARY TV dramas across education groups. Similarly, in term of Occupation results represented that house wives take more much interest in watching Geo TV dramas (3%) than working women (50%) and students (45%). Similarly, no significant difference is observed interest taking by viewers in Hum TV dramas and ARY TV dramas across occupations. However, finding explicates that viewers from PU take more much interest in Hum TV dramas (5 %) than females of UOL (38%) and LCWU (2 %), further no significant difference is observed in interest taking of viewers in Geo TV and ARY TV dramas in viewers of PU and UOL. To document variations ANOVA test was used on occupational groups.

Table 3. ANOVA on Occupation Groups

Interest in Dramas		Sum of Squares	Df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Geo TV	Between Groups	32.460	2	16.230	8.818	.000
	Within Groups	546.620	29	1.840
	Total	5 9.080	299
Hum TV	Between Groups	15.16	2	.583	4.132	.01
	Within Groups	545.030	29	1.835
	Total	560.19	299
ARY Digital	Between Groups	12.080	2	6.040	3.289	.039
	Within Groups	545.450	29	1.83
	Total	55 .530	299

Results shows significant results for all channels, however variations in occupational groups are more significant for Geo TV than Hum TV followed by ARY Digital TV.

Table 4. T test Location Group

	Levene's Test for Equality of Variances		t-test for Equality of Means
Wearing Preference	F	Sig.	T	Df	Sig. (2-tailed)
Dopatta	8.060	.005	-1.604	298	.110*
Veil	.500	.480	4.280	298	.000
Burka	4.859	.028	2.623	298	.009
Hijaab	1.833	.1	2.350	298	.019
Scarf	4.154	.042	1.665	298	.09
Sun Glasses	1.520	.219	.943	298	.34
Leaving open hairs	1.485	.224	-1.069	298	.286
Wear Caps	8.854	.003	1.530	298	.12

*T test is significant if P=< .05

 

Result shows that significant difference in wearing preferences of outfits exist in females of PU, UOL and LCWU. However, this difference is more significant in veil, burka, hijaab, scarf and less significant in Dopatta, sun glasses, leaving open hairs and caps.

Table 5. Viewers picking ideas about Home Decoration through Dramas

	Geo TV	Hum TV	ARY TV
Bed Room Frequently	46	33	31
Somewhat	28	43	38
Not at all	26	24	31
Drawing Room Frequently	42	39	31
Somewhat	33	33	35
Not at all	25	28	34
Dining Room Frequently	36	36	31
Somewhat	32	36	33
Not at all	32	28	36
TV Lounge Frequently	44	36	31
Somewhat	28	40	38
Not at all	28	24	31
Wash Room Frequently	2	25	22
Somewhat	29	36	31
Not at all	44	39	4
Kitchen Frequently	51	42	41
Somewhat	24	34	29
Not at all	25	24	30

Table Summary:                Total Respondents:            

Geo TV: 120                       HUM TV:            115         Ary TV: 85

Bed Room: 61     Drawing Room: 51                            Dining Room: 45               TV Lounge: 61

Wash Room:       3              Kitchen: 66

 

Table 5 illustrates that to what extent viewers pick ideas about home decoration through dramas. Exclusive Finding shows that viewer pick ideas more frequently than somewhat or not at all from all selected channels dramas about home decoration except washroom. Cross comparison shows that viewers pick ideas about all aspects of home decoration more frequently from Geo TV dramas than HUM TV followed by ARY Digital dramas. Further it is observed from the findings that viewer pick more ideas about kitchen (51%), bedroom (46%), TV lounge (44%), Drawing room (42%), Dining room (36%) and washroom (2 %) respectively from Private channels dramas. The same was testified through correlation test.

Table 6. Correlations between Frequency of Watching and Ideas Taken for Selected Items

		Bed room	Drawing room	TV lounge	Kitchen
Geo TV	Correlation Coefficient	.24	.250	.244	.204
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000*	.000	.000	.000
Hum TV	Correlation Coefficient	.291	.22	.1 9	.214
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000	.000	.002	.000
ARY Digital	Correlation Coefficient	.242	.161	.235	.222
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000	.005	.000	.000
	N	300	300	300	300

* T test is significant if P=< .05

 

Correlation test shows significant relation between watching frequency and idea taken for home decoration by female viewers.

Conclusion

This study was designed to explore effects of private channels dramas on females. Detailed literature was carried out to witness all sorts of effects caused by dramas. A detailed questionnaire was prepared to collect and document perceptions of the female viewers of Punjab University Lahore, University of Lahore and Lahore College for Women University. Data was collected from different age, education, occupation groups through sample of 300 respondents.

Watching television by female viewers of University of the Punjab, University of Lahore and Lahore College for Women University showed house wives watch television more frequently than students and working women Females watching habit of dramas was a major concept of the study and findings showed that majority of females watch dramas on Geo TV more frequently (55%) as compared to Hum TV (49%) and ARY TV (45%). In term of age results depict that viewers who are 31years or above watch dramas more frequently (66%) as compared to viewers who are up to 20 years (58%) followed by 21-30 years (49%). Similarly, in term of Occupation results represented that house wives watch Geo TV drams more frequently (0%) than students (50%) followed by working women (45%) (Table 5.2). 

Female viewers' time spending on watching the dramas of selected channels was another significant variable and no significant variation was observed across channels interest taking in dramas was another major concept of the study and it was found that majority of the viewers take much interest in dramas however overall majority of females take more interest (56%) in watching Geo TV dramas as compared to Hum TV (4 %) and ARY TV (39%) (Table 5.3). 

Viewers' perceptions about extent of different contents in dramas showed that private channels provide much entertainment, educational, informational, comedy, serious, horror, emotional and musical contents. Analysis of the comparison of the viewers perceived perception regarding the gender interaction shown by the dramas and majority of the viewers are of the view that dramas significantly preset atmosphere of gender interaction. Cross comparison shows that according to viewers Geo TV dramas present significantly more frequently male and female interaction in all selected atmospheres; Mix gathering (4%), Hoteling (65%), Office working (61%), Dancing (60%), Eating (59%), Singing (58%), Cooking (53%), Traveling (48%) and Drinking (38%) (Table 5.6). 

Viewers' preference to participate in gender interaction after watching dramas was an important concept of the study and according to viewers they are personally preferred to participate in Cooking (52%), Eating (4 %), Traveling (45%), Mix gathering (42%), Hoteling (39%), Office working (38%), more frequently as compared to somewhat and not at all. 

Degree to which private channels promoting different life styles was another major variable of the study which has debated so long but it was observed from the finding that private channels dramas equally promoting all life styles (Western, Indian and Pakistani).

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