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 comp

In this memo the author, business manager of television station, points out that over the past year Tv has lost viewers. He/She also projects that restore the time devoted to the weather and local news, they will attract more viewers. To bolster this projection, the article renders the fact that they have received complaints from viewers about station's coverage of weather and local news. To support the conclusion, the article also mentions local businesses have canceled their advertising contracts with them. Close scrutiny of each of these facts reveals that none of them lends credible support to the assertion as it stands.

The memo fails to consider that who have complained might not be representative of all people in community, specially if they constitutes only small percentage of all. If it turns out, for instance, that little group of viewers have complained many times during the past year, then the author's conclusion is uncompelling at best.

Another fundamental problem with the argument is that the author infers that devoting less time to local news and weather is responsible for the decrease in advertising contracts. However, he/she ignores other causes of decreasing; for example having bad economy condition nowadays, finding lower price for advertising in other channels to name just a few. Without ruling out alternative explanation such those, the author's recommendation is unjustified.

A third problem with the argument is that assuming at one time the station had many advertising contracts, the authors considers a similar condition in the future. But it is entirely possible that in the future the condition will be changed. For instance, perhaps other stations start to work and have better quality than those station. If so, although they cover more local news and weather, viewer and companies prefer to use other stations.

In sum, the memo relies on doubtful assumptions and scant evidence that renders it unconvincing and ill grounded as it stands. To persuade me that they have had less viewer due to devoting less time to local news, the author must provide more details about complaints. To empower the conclusion that by devoting more time they will have more advertising contracts, He/She also needs to supply all information respecting advertising and their conditions.