network television and cable
The television screen is the retina of the mind's eye.
-Brian O’Blivion, Videodrome (1983)
network television and cable
!  The period from the late 1950’s to the end of the 1970’s is
known as the network era.
!  During this time, networks gained control over TV’s content,
and three major historical developments helped shape TV as a
new medium:
1. Technological innovations and patent wars.
2. Control of content wrested away from advertisers.
3. The impact of the quiz show scandals.
Farnsworth in 1934 with his camera tube
Victor CT-100 TV assembly line in 1954
network television and cable
!  The period from the late 1950’s to the end of the 1970’s is
known as the network era.
!  During this time, networks gained control over TV’s content,
and three major historical developments helped shape TV as a
new medium:
1. Technological innovations and patent wars.
2. Control of content wrested away from advertisers.
3. The impact of the quiz show scandals.
The Perry Como Show (1950-55)
Camel News Caravan (1948-56)
network television and cable
!  The period from the late 1950’s to the end of the 1970’s is
known as the network era.
!  During this time, networks gained control over TV’s content,
and three major historical developments helped shape TV as a
new medium:
1. Technological innovations and patent wars.
2. Control of content wrested away from advertisers.
3. The impact of the quiz show scandals.
Twenty-One sponsored by Geritol
Charles Van Doren on Twenty-One
network television and cable
!  Symbolically, New York and Los Angeles have come to
represent the two major branches of TV programming:
information and entertainment respectively.
-
National/Local News
TV Newsmagazine
Sketch Comedy
Situation Comedy
Domestic Comedy
Anthology Dramas
Episodic Series
(Chapter/Serials)
- Reality Television
All in the Family (1971-83)
network television and cable
!  Two major technological developments in the 1970 s contributed to
the erosion of network dominance: satellite services for cable
television, and the home video market.
Home Box Office Flying logo in 1983
Georgia Championship Wrestling on WTBS
!  In 1972, Time Inc. founded HBO, sending movies to hotels and
motels. In 1975, HBO became available to individual cable markets.
!  In 1976, Ted Turner uplinked the signal from WTBS, his Atlantabased independent station, to a satellite from which cable and
broadcast systems could downlink its programming.
network television and cable
!  Two major technological developments in the 1970 s contributed to
the erosion of network dominance: satellite services for cable
television, and the home video market.
Betamax vs. VHS
Blu-ray vs. HD DVD
!  In 1975, Sony introduced a consumer videocassette called Betamax.
In 1976, JVC introduced a larger VHS format.
!  In 2007, another format war pitted high-definition Blu-ray DVD s
(Sony) against the HD DVD format (Toshiba).
!  +50% of U.S. homes today have DVR s (digital video recorders).
network television and cable
!  In addition to the technological advancements made by cable, the
three major broadcast networks faced further challenges from the
emergence of new networks.
Fox s In Living Color (1990-94) CNN broadcast of the Challenger
MTV’s The Real World (1992)
!  Rupert Murdoch launched the Fox network in 1986.
!  The Cable News Network (CNN) premiered in 1980, changing the
way people watched news.
!  Created in 1981, Music Television (MTV) sought to take control
over music video distribution and exhibition on television.
network television and cable
!  Among the biggest technical innovations in contemporary TV are
non-television delivery systems.
Purchase and watch TV on hulu.com
Comcast s movies-on-demand service
!  Traditional TV shows can be downloaded from the Internet to
watch on portable devices (iPads, iPhones) or home computers.
!  In addition, cable TV giants like Comcast and Time Warner are
making traditional network programs available as part of their
video-on-demand (VOD) services, which allow customers to buy
TV shows and watch them when they want—minus commercials.
network television and cable
Maron
Episode 3 ~ “Marc’s Dad”
Created by
Marc Maron
Boomer Lives
Productions!
(2013) 22 mins.
Garfunkel and Oates
Episode TBD
Created by
Riki Lindhome
& Kate Micucci
IFC Originals
(2014) 22 mins.