Essay on the gift in television

Abstract

The gift has been studied in a variety of social relations, but not in its daily and wide ranged presence in television. Considering television not only as a reproducer but also as a producer of society, we try a general sociologic approach to the gift in television. Just as in the other social relations, it manifests in several ways, from the great charity media events to the daily talk shows. Although inscribed in the commercial sphere of the television business, these programmes keep the main character of the gift, reinforcing the authority of television and its ties with audiences.