** television chronology








Television Chronology


Figure 1.--Children were tranbsfixxed by telvision. Over night it became the primary zctivity of msny children, affecting their tastes and ttitudes. Here we see four America boys, we think in the 1970s, totlly absotbed in a TV program. Only the baby is beyond the grap of the TV.

As the idea of television began to be discused at the turn of the 20th century, there was a rather utopian vision for its future. It was seen as a medium for education and interpersonal communication, a kind of futuristic telephone. This was all before before the devlopmdent of modern media like the movies and radio. So futuriusts had no real exmple to use as a model. And it did not work out like any of the any of yhe fururists predicted. The technology for television existed by the end of the 1930s. World War II delayed its introduction, altgough tevhnologies were devloped advnced during the War that helped advance the technology. Televiviion appeared first in America and Britain after tghe War. The widespread destruction in Germany meant that Germny would not be one of the pioneers. The booming American economy made the United States a leader in early television. What developed ariund the world was basically and continnation of the radio broadcasting systems. Television broadcasting expanded rapidly after World War II, becoming an important mass medium for advertising, propaganda, and entertainment. [Stephens] Americam television was like radio before the War was a completely commercial undertaking. The U.S. Government regulated, but did not broadcast. In Europe mixed systemns developed with the governments often playing major roles, including broadcasting. Television played a major role many aspects of life during the second half of the 20th century. No technological innovation had a greater influence, perhaps other than printing. Television had an advantage over the movies in that it was basiclly free and eventually available when ever wanted. Kids were entralled by TV and what they saw significantly affected their outlook and thinking and outlook, this including clothes, dance, fashions, food, hair styles, music, play, and toys. Adults were also affected, but had life experinces ptoviding some perspective. The Government role raised an issue in democracies. Would the Govrernment influence the news and public ffazirs broadcastiung to favor politicl parties or ideologies. This was not an issue in the totalitarian states. NAZI Gemany was destroyed in World War II, but Communist totalitarian regimes used television to further their propaganda and to prevent any real discussion of major issues. These states can use televison to control ther population. Today in Russia, the people actualy believe that President Putin's brutal invsion of Ukraine is a humanitarian mission to free it from NAZI leaders. In this regard democratic states now face a new issue. Huge coporations now play role in tlevision and new competing media. And they are using their to dominace to advance what only can be called liberal propagnda and to exclude conservative ideas, not unlike a toitalitarian state. The Main Stream Meia in America has willingly become an arm of the Democratic Party. American media now often advance dishonest naratives like the Russian Colluion and a wide range of Hate America naratives. They also if not outright lie, simply choose and exclude reporting to give a false impression. While broacastg television dominate the second half of the 20th century, many changes in the 21st century have radically changed the media landscape. First of all there are now many ways of receiving television, including cable, sattelite, nd intnet. This means that the small number of channls once available have balooned into a huge variety of channels, diluting the influence of the major boradcsting corporations asnd in some intnces government. A completely new devlopment is interactive systems, espcially gaming and social media. Among yooung people this has replcve telviion in imoprtnce. TikTok is a social media platform for creating, sharing and discovering short videos that has become very popular.

Sources

Stephens, Mitchell. (New York University: 2015).






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Created: 7:55 PM 3/18/2022
Last updated: 7:55 PM 3/18/2022