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TOPIC 3 : Television

  • The first major technology discovery to suggest that pictures could also travel was the

  • Nipkow disc.

  • Also crucial in the television and radio development were Marconi and De Forest.

  • Marconi- eliminated sound dependence on wires and put sound on airwaves

  • De Forest – contributed the Audion tube which amplified radio waves for better quality

  • audio.

  • 1927 – 2 inch screen by wire were experimented on AT and T broadcast

  • 1928 - GE broadcast the first dramatic production ( The Queen’s messenger) with all o pictures were close-up, primitive quality

  • Sarnoff – became TV’s biggest promoter

  • The idea of TV – back to Nipkow and Boris Rosing

  • Zworykin – developed an all- electronic system to transform a visual image into an
    • electronic signal. His electronic signal traveled through the air. When the
    • signal reached the TV receiver, the signal was transformed again into a
    • visual image for the viewers.

  • Farnsworth – developed the cathode ray tube ( dissector tube) that uses the electronic
    • scanner to reproduced better electronic image than Nipkow mechanical
    • scanning device.

  • Zworykin and Farnsworth - method of electronic scanning that would become the basis for modern TV.

  • Zworykin developed “iconoscope” – the eye of an electronic TV camera. 1930 - Zworykin patented his electronic scanner. In 1930’s, the improvement of TV continued : experimental TV stations went on air

  • 1940’s - TV began its conquest and audience experience the thrill of seeing as well as hearing events.

  • 1945 - Federal Communications Commission (FCC) resumed TV licensing, 10 TV stations were on air.

  • 1947 - CBS initiated News and later with pictures

  • War – interrupted the development of commercial TV system.

  • WW2 – accelerated the technology behind TV ( ieg high-frequency electronics , improved system of radar )

  • After WW2
      1. phenomenal growth of TV viewing
      2. the broadcasting industry made immediate preparations to shift its emphasis from radio to TV

  • By 1948
      1. network programming was introduced
      2. manufacturing set demands increased
      3. more station going on air
      4. FCC had to declare a freeze on new TV stations applications.
      5. TV programming developed ( Golden era of TV)
      6. a dominant news and entertainment medium
      7. TV developed into a mass medium

  • The early developers of network TV came largely from radio and theatre.

  • Programs originally featured came directly from radio (variety show).

  • Early TV Programming – Comedy dominated TV programming (late 1940’s – 1954), comedy combined with music, sitcom, children programs, Westerns,

    • Implications of TV on radio

  • (1) Changed the network broadcasting completely
    • mass-market advertising
    • network radio program lost audience to TV

  • TV made radio turn to specialized audience through a particular format of programming

  • The advent of TV brought the radio and record industry closer together.

  • TV forced radio to become more dependent on local advertising revenue.

  • 1954 - RCA introduced color TV sets
  • 1960’s - TV continued to developed as a force in the American society and developed technically - impact on political process became apparent
  • Programs ( sitcom, drama ) began to reflect a more critical point of social issues.
  • Large TV Audience
  • 4 main events in the 60’s :
      1. Vietnam War
      2. Assassination and funeral of Pres. Kennedy
      3. The civil rights movement
      4. Moon landing Apollo 11

  • Period of growth

  • Networks – became popular and diversified and ratings hit peaks in the early 1970’s.

  • Dramatic shift in sitcom to adult themes

  • 1975 – prime-time drama

  • 1980 – soap opera

  • Viewing level increased – exceed 6 hrs

  • Criticism emerge about TV impact and its role on society

    • The TV industry : networks, local stations, syndication companies,network owned, station operators, cable operators and public TV.



    Media convergence

  • Changes for TV

  • Period of 1975 – 1999 : great changes in the TV industry :
      1. Competition - Cable TV began to capture attention of b/casting industry. Communication satellite became more important to TV replacing wires
      2. Mergers - Period of notable number of mergers reshaped broadcasting landscape.
      3. Public TV - Searching for a mission
      4. Technology

    • Competition

  • Cable TV began to capture attention of b/casting industry. Communication satellite became more important to TV and replacing wires.

  • Siphoned viewers away from broadcast TV networks

  • increasing popularity of premium channels (HBO, MTV and specialized channels ESPN)

  • VCR’s became common

  • Smaller segments of audience

  • The Internet - audience continued to decline

    • Public TV

  • Public TV – introduced in 1967 that include station owners by Universities, school boards, state govt., community organization.

  • Lack of Funding from the Congress - difficult to establish long term plan. Though, the service presented some award winning programmers

  • Issues on programming- educational programmed or general-appeal programming or should public b/casting compete with major networks or become service for minority interests.

  • Challenged by cable networks – programming ieg “The discovery channel”, “

    Programming

  • Shift of programming trends - prime time continuing episodes, sitcom

  • CNN began in 1980 and prompted the broadcast networks to expand their news programming by adding late-night and early-morning programs

  • 1990 – newsmagazine programmers


    • Technology

  • 1970’s – TV production equipment became smaller and handy. Result of Electronic News Garhering (ENG ) the revolutionize the TV coverage

  • 1970-1980’s – TVRO (TV receive-only) the backyard satellite dish in may rural areas

  • 1980’s – development of Satellite News gathering ( SNG)

  • 1990’s – Direct satellite broadcast (DBS) to send programming

  • 1990’s The Internet and WWW - stations and websites create websites


    • The age of cable

  • Recent changes in TV – not in programming BUT in the manner programming is distributed

  • TV facing the “trial of technology “

  • Technological changes ( 1960’s and 1970’s ) together with broadcast industry deregulation have spawned a new era in program delivery systems that involve :
    • satellite
    • cable TV
    • Videocassette players

  • 1980’s- a time of intense change and competition in TV industry (technological, distribution, transmission of content by satellites , cable TV and videocassettes.)



    • TV today …

  • Despite increasing competition, demands and criticism, TV today is still huge, complex and still a competitive and universal medium.

  • The future of TV rests on the ability of audience to control and use it for their own purposes.

  • The TV industry is in transition and reshaped with the advent of media technologies and social forces.

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