Final answer:
Television remains an effective medium for reaching mass markets due to its ability to target large audiences cost-efficiently using data from networks and cable companies. Despite challenges from ad-skipping technologies, TV's broad reach and visual impact make it a valuable tool for advertisers and educators alike.
Step-by-step explanation:
Television is a popular advertising medium among companies targeting mass markets primarily because it has the ability to reach large audiences in a relatively cost-efficient manner. This medium is not chosen because it has a low absolute cost, nor because it is easy to create creative television advertising, and certainly not because it has no impact on the brand image—in fact, television can tremendously impact a brand's image positively or negatively. Instead, its appeal lies in the sophisticated data that network and cable television companies gather about their viewers, allowing advertisers to target their audiences more precisely.
Television advertising has become an integral part of American culture, with U.S. households consuming 250 billion hours annually according to Nielsen. While conventional television advertising faces challenges from technologies that allow consumers to bypass ads, it still offers incredible reach and the ability to convey messages through graphic images and recognizable brand logos.
Furthermore, television's broad reach extends beyond literate audiences and has even been used as a medium of education in various countries, proving its versatility as an influential medium not just for commercial enterprises but also for political campaigns and public information initiatives.