South African Television and Radio-More difference between The U.S & South Africa

Although I dont get to watch T.V here much, or listen to the radio for that matter, for the amount I have listened to, I have realized some major differences.  In the United States, all major Television and Radio companies are independently and privately owned (freedom of the press), thus making it so the government cannot too harshly regulate the press.  This however, as most Americans have surly realized, does NOT mean television or radio stations are without bias.
Here in South Africa, ALL television and radio stations are owned by the government, just as in The United Kingdom.  During the era of the Apartheid Government, this was a HUGE issue, because the government would use its ownership over these entities to push their agenda and simply continue with their corruption.  Now, however, this issue has died down since the apartheid era is over.  What I find so ironic about the government ownership over T.V and radio here, is how unregulated it is!  At any time of the day, you can find awkward, unpleasant, basically pornographic commercials on television, just, in between any show.  On the radio, I have heard all sorts of inappropriate language!  It has become very clear that there are little to no regulations on what content they are allowed to display here.

Something I find amusing and kind of funny about T.V and radio here, is the content.  South Africans love their Celion Dion and Cher love ballads.  I find a mini-bus, full of passengers, flying down the road, swerving all over, blasting Celion Dion pretty funny.  South Africans also love their soap-operas.  The Bold & the Beautiful and whatever other American soap-operas that aired in the last decade are HUGE here.  Its pretty much the only thing I ever see on T.V and my Media professor talks about them in almost every lecture.

The last thing I wanted to touch on, is how interesting it is to see how South Africans, and the rest of the world view America based on our television.  The other day someone asked me if I had seen Toby Keith's music video for "Red Solo Cup."  A few things about this shocked me.  One-where and how do you see country music in South Africa?  This is something I clearly searched for and was devastated when I found nothing.  Two, this basically made us best friends since SOMEHOW you know who Toby Keith is.  Three, of all music videos, you ask me about this one?  Haha strange.  However, I told him I had seen the music video, that Toby Keith was my favorite, and then proceeded to ask him where he was going with this.  He then asked me if Americans really party like that, with red solo cups all the time, and if our parties are really that crazy.  I sighed and admitted that, yes, often, especially at colleges, that is s typical American party.  He found this extremely funny.  The point of this story though, is it made me realize that when other countries hear or see our music videos, or any movie that portrays "America or Americans"  that is how they see us, literally!  I guess its not surprising  when you sit down and think about it, because we learn about other cultures in the same way, but I didnt realize we all took it so literal until I was outside of the United States!