Broadcasting/Media
Television history
Pre-History (1884-1923)
A. James Maxwell, Heinrich Hertz,
and Guglielmo Marconi conduct
research which leads to the
development of the television
(electro magnetics).
Maxwell
Hertz
Marconi
Pre-History (1884-1923)
B. 1923 - Philo Farnsworth and
Vladimir Zworykin separately
submit patents for an
electronic television system.
Although Farnsworth actually
created the first electronic
television (Father of
Television), Zworykin gets the
patent for it.
Farnsworth
Zworkyin
Video Camera Tube
Iconoscope
Early History (1924 - 1947)
A. 1925 - The first television
transmission taken from
john baird’s ‘televisor’ is a
dummy named ‘stooky bill.’
B. 1926- RCA, General
Electric and Westinghouse
establish NBC, which
operates two national radio
networks.
Early History (1924 - 1947)
C. 1927 - Philo Farnsworth
transmits the first allelectronic television image
D. 1928 (April) - The FRC (later
the FCC) grants the first
license for visual
broadcasting to station
W2XBS in New York City.
Programming consists of news
(talking heads) and variety
(skits and musical numbers).
Early History (1924 - 1947)
E.
In 1928, John Baird beams a
television image from England
to the United States.
F. GE introduces a television set
with a 3" × 4" screen.
The first television is sold — a
Daven for $75.
G. By 1937, 17 television stations
are in partial operation.
H. TV receives its greatest
publicity from an elaborate
demonstration at the 1939 new
york world’s fair. However,
many still think tv is a fad and
will never be as popular as the
radio.
Early History (1924 - 1947)
I.
1940 - the first color broadcast in
the United States. (CBS)
J. July 1, 1941 - WNBT, an affiliate of
NBC, runs the first commercial (of
a watch face ticking for the
Bulova Watch Co.).
K. July 1941 - there are 20 stations
functioning serving 10,000 homes.
Early History (1924 - 1947)
L. 1941-1945 - WWII severely hinders
the growth of the television
industry as manufacturing plants
are used for the war effort.
M. 1943 - NBC is forced to divest
(relinquish) itself of one of its
radio outlets by a federal court
decision which creates a new
network, ABC (NBC BLUE).
N. 1946 – First color TV system
demonstrated by CBS.
Early History (1924 - 1947)
O. 1946 - The DuMont network goes on
the air. Paramount Pictures backs the
start-up enterprise, but its lack of
affiliated radio networks leads to its
early demise in 1956.
P. 1947 - The FCC sets aside channels 2
to 13 in the VHF frequency band.
Q. 1947 - Coverage of baseball’s World
Series (using multiple camera angles)
demonstrates power of television.
R. 1948 - Over one million tv sets are
now in use.
Early History (1924 - 1950)
S. Early Programming Content:
A. Uncle Jim’s Question Bee (1936)
B. Lowell Thomas’ Sunoco News
(1940)
C. Truth or Consequences (1941)
D. Meet the Press (1947)
E. Howdy Doody (1947)
F. Toast of the Town (1948)
G. Texaco Star Theater (1948)
H. Your Show of Shows (1950)
T. Coaxial cable links the east and West
Coasts
III. Formation of the
American Television
System (1948-1952)
 A. The FCC places a freeze on tv license
allocation (1948-1952). The Issues:
 1. Interference problems
 2. Need for development of color
television
 3. the reservation of channel space for
educational, noncommercial television
 4. the establishment of a national channel
allocation map or scheme
 5. the opening up of additional spectrum
space (VHF; UHF)
108 of 109 stations endure freeze
successfully.
Number of tv homes grows from 1.5 million to
15 million.
 B. Networks
 1. Three networks evolve: Nbc,
Cbs, Abc (The big three).
 A. 1955 - The Dumont network folds
and Paramount merges with Abc (NBC
Blue) to form third major network
(Abc).
 2. These three survive because:
 A. Sound sponsorship/parent
company
 B. Ownership of local stations by
networks in key demographic areas
(Tops Markets)
 C. A strong radio support network
 D. Quality programming
 C. The Live Factor
 1. 1948 and 1952 - Coverage of
Presidential Elections
 2. Telecasts of Live Sporting
Events
 3. Telecast of the McCarthy
Senate Hearings
 4. Live variety shows and dramas
bring “big screen” stars into
people’s homes
 D. The beginning of the use of
film on television.
 E. The ‘Freeze’ ends in 1952, and
popularity of television
explodes.
IV. The Golden Age of
Television (1952-1960)
A. Statistics





1952 - 15 million TV homes
1954 - 26 million TV homes
1958 - 42.5 million TV homes
1960 - 45 million TV homes
1954 - Color TV sets sell for $1000
each
 1954/55 - The first color broadcast
season (12-15 hrs./week)
 1957 – First ‘Wireless’ Remote
Control
 By 1960, 439 stations are on the air
B. Programming
(The popular genres)
 1. Westerns
 A. Gunsmoke (The television
version ran from 1955 to 1975
and is the longest-running
primetime drama series)
 B. Pondersosa aka Bonanza
 C. Rawhide
B. Programming
(The popular genres)
 2. Anthology Dramas
 A. The Loretta Young Show
 B. The Millionaire
 C. The Twilight Zone
Loretta Young >>
B. Programming
(The popular genres)
 3. Comedy/Variety




A. Red Skeleton
B. Jack Benny Program
C. Ed Sullivan Show
D. Jackie Gleason, then The
Honeymooners
B. Programming
(The popular genres)
 4. Game Show
 A. The $64,000 Question (First
Game Show)
 5. Stage Quality Drama on
Television
 A. Playhouse 90
 B. Studio One
 C. Armstrong Circle Theater
V. MAJOR CHANGES
 A. BY 1960, MOST PROGRAMS
ARE FILMED OR TAPED (NOT
LIVE).
 B. 1962 - CONGRESS PASSES
LEGISLATION THAT ALL TV SETS
BE EQUIPPED WITH UHF TUNER
(FOR CHANNELS 14-83), WHICH
CREATES INDEPENDENT
CHANNEL BOOM IN THE 1960’S.
 C. BY 1964, THE MAJORITY OF
TV PROGRAMS ARE PRODUCED
IN COLOR.
D. 1962 - The first television
trans-atlantic (satellite)
transmission is the American
Flag.
 E. THE DEMAND GROWS FOR
COMMUNITY ANTENNAS (CATV)
IN NON-COVERED AREAS, THE
PREDECESSOR TO CABLE TV.
 F. THE FIRST TV PROGRAM IS
TRANSMITTED FROM A
COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE.
 1. IN 1964, THE TOKYO OLYMPICS
ARE BROADCAST LIVE GLOBALLY
VIA SATELLITE.
VI. Progress and
Criticism
 A. The 1960 Kennedy-Nixon
Debates led to the following:




1. Campaign Coverage
2. Weekly JFK press conferences
3. Coverage of death of JFK
4. Nightly news as a staple in
American homes
 B. 1961 - FCC Chairman Newton
Minow calls TV ‘a vast wasteland.”
 C. The 1960’s assassinations led to
the reduction/elimination of tv
violence (this lasted until the early
1970’s).
 D. 1970 - The FCC institutes
“Primetime” restrictions.”
 1. Motivated by the exposed bellybutton in “I dream of jeanie.”
 2. Restrictions on language, nudity
and violence.
 E. 1971 - Cigarette commercials
are banned on television.
 F. Early 1970’s - Alcohol
restrictions do not allow
commercials to show beer being
consumed.
 G. 1975 - “Family Hour” is
instituted.
VII. The Modern Era
 A. Picture tubes (TV’s) vary in
size.
 B. Late 1970’s - Remote
Controls are established.
 1. Changes viewing habits - zapping.
 C. 1980’s - Cable television
takes place of antennas.
 D. 1994 - The V-Chip proposal is
supported by President Clinton.
 1. Gives parents control over
what their children watch.
 E. 1997 - Television ratings system
takes effect.
 1. TV ‘Y’ - all children - the themes
and elements of this program are
specifically designed for a very
young audience, including children
ages 2 - 6.
 2. TV ‘Y7’ - Older Children - The
themes and elements in this
program may include mild physical
or comedic violence or may
frighten children under the age of
7 who may not have acquired the
skills needed to distinguish
between make-believe and reality.
 3. TV ‘G’ - General Audience - This
rating does not signify a program
designed specifically for
children, but it contains little or
no violence, no strong language
and little or no sexual dialogue or
situations.
 4. TV ‘PG’ - Parental Guidance
Suggested - This program may
contain infrequent coarse
language, limited violence and
some suggestive sexual dialogue
and situations.
 5. TV ‘14’ - Parents Strongly
Cautioned - This program may
contain sophisticated themes,
sexual content, strong language
and more intense violence.
 6. TV ‘MA’ - Mature Audience Only This program is specifically
designed to be viewed by adults
and therefore may be unsuitable
for children under 17. This
program may contain mature
themes, profane language, graphic
violence and explicit sexual
content.
 F. The New Networks
 1. Fox (1986 - Married w/
Children, Tracey Ullman Show, 21
Jump Street, The Simpsons (1989)
 2. CW (Merge between WB and
UPN)
 3. WB (1995 - Now an online
network)
 4. UPN (1995 - Star Trek Voyager)
 G. The cable special interest
explosion
 1. Sports - espn, espn2, comcast
(local)
 2. News - cnn, msnbc, cnbc
 3. Lifestyle - food, hgtv, qvc
 4. Variety - mtv, vh1, amc, tcm,
nickelodeon, cartoon network,
disney channel, comedy central, e!,
sci-fi, lifetime, history, discovery,
the weather channel
 G. The cable special interest
explosion
 5. Movies - tnt, usa, tbs, family
channel
 6. Premium - hbo, showtime, starz,
cinemax
 7. Streaming/On-demand/pay-perview - live events, pre-cable movies