GRE Argument task: please grade my essay
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29 Sep 2014, 02:45
Argument Task:
The following is a memorandum from the business manager of a television station.
“Over the past year, our late-night news program has devoted increased time to national news and less time to weather and local news. During this time period, most of the complaints received from viewers were concerned with our station’s coverage of weather and local news. In addition, local businesses that used to advertise during our late-night news program have just canceled their advertising contracts with us. Therefore, in order to attract more viewers to the program and to avoid losing any further advertising revenues, we should restore the time devoted to weather and local news to its former level.”
Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.
Response:
The memorandum from the business manager is encouraging the restitution of the time devoted to weather and local news in order to attract more viewers to the program and to avoid losing any further advertising revenues.
There is no evidence that states a decrease in the amount of viewers. The memorandum simple states that complaints were received from viewers and advertising contracts were canceled but it doesn't say whether or not the total number of viewers reduced. Maybe viewers were more interested in national news than local news, being aware of what is happening around them. Maybe the television station is providing important national news than the common local news which has increased the amount of viewers interested in national news and if the amount of viewers interested in national news surpasses that of local viewers, should the TV station restore the time devoted to local news?
Advertising revenue is not the only form of revenue of a TV station. Does the memorandum mean that no revenue is gotten from national news? I believe there is a need for evidence showing percentage of revenue form national news and local news in the total revenue. If the total revenue increased due to national news, i believe there will be no need to devote time to local news but if the revenue obtained from local news has a greater percentage than that from national news then they need to restore the time for local news.
The argument needs evidence details of the complaints. The complaints can be from a particular group of weather and local news viewers who are really passionate to weather and local news and so keep filling complaints for the time to be restored. Therefore there must be evidence showing that these complaints come from a greater percentage of viewers not just a small percentage of passionate weather and local news viewers.
If all of these evidence are present and well analyzed by the TV station according to the explanation the paragraphs above, I think the company will be able to decide whether to restore the time for weather and local news.