Cultural Diversity in Television Advertisements in Entertainment Channels

Social attitudes towards multiculturalism can be checked by measuring representations of ethnicity in television advertisements. The current research conducts a quantitative content analysis of television commercials. The researcher first recorded the frequency of representation of characters from varied culturally diverse backgrounds in television advertisements and then examined the nature of role portrayals on the basis of religion and skin tone of the characters. The sampling technique used is purposive wherein advertisements broadcasted during prime time of two leading entertainment channel-Star Plus and Colors were recorded and analysed. The criteria for selection of units of analysis in ads was that all the characters selected had at least one line of dialog or they appeared on screen for at least five seconds.