We use functions to model relationships between two variables with available data to better understand the relationship and, in many cases, to predict values. The graph of a function is an important tool for analyzing the function’s behavior.
The following graph, created using data from a 1999 article in The New York Times, represents the television audience of nightly news programs from three major broadcast networks from 1980 to 1998.
What information can you obtain from the graph above? Try to list at least 3 facts about the television audience of nightly news programs from the three major broadcast networks shown on the graph above. For example, you can say from 1985-1986, all three networks were losing viewers.
1. From 1980 to 1998, there was a general downward trend in television audience for nightly news programs on all three major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC).
2. CBS consistently had the highest audience numbers among the three networks, followed by NBC and then ABC. However, all three networks experienced a decline in audience size over the 18-year period.
3. There were fluctuations in audience size for each network over the years, with some years showing increases in viewership while others showed decreases. These fluctuations may have been influenced by factors such as the news cycle, competition from cable news channels, and changes in viewer preferences.