ABSTRACT
The viewer’s power to make the meanings that suit his or her social experience is not, of course, unlimited. Texts seek to prefer certain meanings, and while offering space for open or resistive readings, simultaneously attempt to limit that space to varying degrees. Some texts are more open than others, and this openness is controlled by different textual strategies. Adding these formal characteristics of texts to their manifestly different subject matter enables us to see some connections between the variety of television’s programs and the diversity of its audiences. Put simply, different programs are designed (usually fairly successfully) to attract different audiences.
