Ralph E. Hanson, Second Edition
HomeWeblogChaptersCh. 1: Living in a Media WorldCh. 2: The Media Business: Consolidation, Globalization, and the Long TailCh. 3: Mass Communication Effects: How Society and Media InteractCh. 4: Books: The Birth of the Mass MediaCh. 5: Magazines: The Power of Words and ImagesCh. 6: Newspapers: Reflection of a Democratic SocietyCh. 7: Sound: Music and Talk Across MediaCh. 8: Movies: Mass-Producing EntertainmentCh. 9: Television: Broadcast, Cable and BeyondCh. 10: The Internet: Mass Communication Gets PersonalCh. 11: Advertising: Selling a MessageCh. 12: Public Relations: Manufacturing the NewsCh. 13: Media Law: Free Speech and FairnessCh. 14: Media Ethics: Truthfulness, Fairness, and Standards of DecencyCh. 15: Global Media: Communication Around the WorldAbout the BookAbout the AuthorHelp
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Chapter 9: Television

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The technology that would eventually power television was drawn up inside the mind of fourteen-year-old Philo Farnsworth in the early 1900s. Later Farnsworth won a patent battle against the mighty RCA and David Sarnoff. However, Farnsworth is now a forgotten figure, as his patents expired while America was focusing on World War II.

NBC transmitted the first broadcasts from the 1939 World Fair. Early television programming, much like radio, featured comedy and variety shows, as well as a few dramas. The stars of these programs would quickly become household names. This medium was growing at such an incredible rate, that the FCC decided to halt licensing of new broadcast stations until they could determine the best way to regulate this powerful and popular new medium.

Community antenna television originated in Astoria, Oregon, and quickly became a popular way for rural, isolated communities to receive a quality television signal. These concepts were utilized in the development of cable television in the 1970s and 1980s, when coupled with satellite delivery; cable television brought a better selection of channels instead of simply a better signal.

New technology in the early 1980s and 1990s took the industry by storm. With the increasing popularity of the VCR in the early 1980s, industry officials were worried about consumers being able to skip over the advertising that accompanied the recorded programming. Smaller, more efficient satellite television services began to offer a very competitive alternative to cable. Special programming, such as specialized programming packages, made it very appealing to consumers. DVRs have made it possible to “pause” live television programs.

The stranglehold the Big Four networks once had on television advertising is a thing of the past. The 1990s saw network advertising revenues plummet, while cable advertising increased. The amounts the television industry can charge advertisers are based on the viewer data provided to them by Nielsen Media Research. Of the data that is provided, the ratings point--the potential audience for a program--and the share--the actual number of people tuned into a program--are the most important, in both the ability to attract advertising and to decide the longevity of a particular program.

The future of television is extremely bright. The lack of diversity that once was commonplace has seen an incredible turn. Successful minority-owned networks and popular nonwhite actors and actresses are creating popular programming for an audience that advertisers desperately want to reach. Television is also embracing the Internet and gradually making it more common for viewers to watch or download their favorite programming online, at the viewers' convenience.

Learning Objectives

•  Know who Philo Farnsworth and Vladimir Zworykin were, and how they were linked.

•  Understand why the FCC froze new television broadcasting licensing between 1948 and 1952.

•  Know how color was adopted into television.

•  Know the individuals responsible for the concepts that would become cable television.

•  Understand the problems associated with the introduction of the VCR.

•  Know what came out of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.

•  Understand the evolution of television of as a trusted news source.

•  Know the uses and gratifications people get from television.

•  Understand the driving forces behind the future of television.

Review Questions

1. How was Philo Farnsworth able to claim legal victory over RCA over television patents?


2. Where did the first experiments with cable television occur and who was behind this innovation?

3. When is all U.S. broadcast television mandated to be in digital format and how will it affect consumers?

4. What is the difference between a rating point and share?


5. When did CNN go on the air and what event made them a news leader?

6. What is a telenovela?