A Brief History of Television What began from a simple magnetic wheel design soon grew into the electronic

TV. These early beginnings would eventually take us to the 3D 10 0! "DTV world and beyond# but it didn$t get there without hitting some milestones along the way. Who invented the TV? %nlike many other inventions throughout history# the history of the TV credits many inventors instead of &ust one. 'n this case# there were many inventors working on the idea of watching pictures on a screen. 'nventors from all over the world had been working on transmitting pictures or ob&ects onto a screen since the 1 30$s# but the first physical television didn$t evolve until the 1(00$s. )ive men became the most popular and prestigious inventors of what we know today as television# giving the history of TV a rich beginning. * +erman inventor named !aul ,ipkow invented the first rotating disk that would allow pictures to transmit over wire in 1 -. "is discovery was the first electromechanical television scanning system in the world. This rotating disk would rotate at a fast pace# while light passed through the holes to create a picture on a screen. .ohn /aird became famous in the history of TV when he invented the first pictures in motion that were televised in 0urope in 1(1-. "e later transmitted the human face onto a screen# and during World War '' invented the first color picture tube. While it would be some time before color TV became a staple in *merican and other households# his contribution to the history of TV was enormous. 2harles .enkins invented a mechanical television that he called 3radiovision#4 which was said to have transmitted one of the first moving images in 1(13. This *merican inventor went on to promote his theories in the technology of the television along with other inventors when they transmitted the first live pictures onto a screen. This pilgrim in the history of the TV is also famous for creating the first television station in ,orth *merica. Vladimir 5worykin invented the 2athode 6ay tube# which he named the 7inescope and started a new era in the history of TV. /efore the 7inescope# televisions in the 1(10$s were mechanical. The 2athode 6ay tube was not only needed for transmission8 this device transformed the television into an electronic device. )inally# an *merican

farmer named !hilo )arnsworth made a breakthrough in the history of TV at the age of 13# when he discovered a way to transmit images onto a screen by the use of 90 hori:ontal lines# which made the picture clearer. )arnsworth also invented over 19; devices# including the dissector tube# which became the groundwork for televisions we use today. <ou can find more information on these inventors here. First Commercial Televisions !eople were very curious and e=cited about televisions coming to the public. "owever# some feared the new technology# thinking that televisions could transmit personal conversations onto the TV. The 1(1 /aird model mechanical television sets were introduced to the public at the 3>lympia4 6adio 0=hibition in 1(1(. These mechanical TV sets pro&ected orange?red blurry images on a screen about the si:e of a dollar coin. The first televisions sold for about fifty?five dollars# which only people of wealth could afford. 0lectronic televisions were introduced to the %nited @tates at the 1(3( World$s )air. The first electronic television set was the 1(3 DuAont Aodel 1 0 and cost around one hundred twenty?five dollars. Modern TVs The first milestone in making TV more modern was nothing to do with the TV itself# but in one of its accessories# the V26. ,ow# people did not need to be actually watching their television sets when the program they wanted to see came on. They could setup a video cassette recorder to record the show for playback later when it was more convenient for them. The V26 also became a standard for watching "ollywood movies at home. This was the first nail in the coffin of "ollywood$s power. ,e=t came the DVD. This was an optical media that had much higher resolution and a cleaner picture than V26$s could attain due to its all digital nature. This milestone whet peoples appetites for increasing picture Buality an eventually led to "DTV# one of the largest milestones since color television. This brought the number of lines of resolution up from ;1; to 10 0. The difference was night and day. The replacement of DVD with /lu 6ay was another milestone in the history of television. ,ow the "ollywood movies we brought home could be viewed in the modern 10 0p format. The latest milestone for television is 3D.

This is agued to no end as to whether or not it really is a milestone or &ust a fad. >riginally theaters used 3D to try to bring people out of their home theaters and back into the real theaters. 't was no time# however# before 3D made the move to home theaters. Theater owners will have to come up with something new to drag people from their televisions again.

History of Television

)ew inventions have had as much effect on contemporary *merican society as television. /efore 1(-C the number of %.@. homes with television sets could be measured in the thousands. /y the late 1((0s# ( percent of %.@. homes had at least one television set# and those sets were on for an average of more than seven hours a day. The typical *merican spends Ddepending on the survey and the time of yearE from two?and?a? half to almost five hours a day watching television. 't is significant not only that this time is being spent with television but that it is not being spent engaging in other activities# such as reading or going out or sociali:ing. EXPE !ME"T# 0lectronic television was first successfully demonstrated in @an )rancisco on @ept. C# 1(1C. The system was designed by !hilo Taylor )arnsworth# a 11?year?old inventor who had lived in a house without electricity until he was 1-. While still in high school# )arnsworth had begun to conceive of a system that could capture moving images in a form that could be coded onto radio waves and then transformed back into a picture on a screen. /oris 6osing in 6ussia had conducted some crude e=periments in transmitting images 19 years before )arnsworthFs first success. *lso# a mechanical television system# which scanned images using a rotating disk with holes arranged in a spiral pattern# had been demonstrated by .ohn Gogie /aird in 0ngland and 2harles )rancis .enkins in the %nited @tates earlier in the 1(10s. "owever# )arnsworthFs invention# which scanned images with a beam of electrons# is the direct ancestor of modern television. The first image he transmitted on it was a simple line. @oon he aimed his primitive camera at a dollar sign because an investor had asked# HWhen are we going to see some dollars in this thing# )arnsworthIH EA $% &EVE$'PME"T 62*# the company that dominated the radio business in the %nited @tates with its two ,/2 networks# invested J;0 million in the development of electronic television. To direct the effort# the companyFs president# David @arnoff# hired the 6ussian?born scientist Vladimir 7osma 5worykin# who had participated in 6osingFs e=periments. 'n 1(3(# 62* televised the

opening of the ,ew <ork WorldFs )air# including a speech by !resident )ranklin Delano 6oosevelt# who was the first president to appear on television. Gater that year 62* paid for a license to use )arnsworthFs television patents. 62* began selling television sets with ; by 11 in D11.C by 1;.- cmE picture tubes. The company also began broadcasting regular programs# including scenes captured by a mobile unit and# on Aay 1C# 1(3(# the first televised baseball gameKbetween !rinceton and 2olumbia universities. /y 1(-1 the 2olumbia /roadcasting @ystem D2/@E# 62*Fs main competition in radio# was broadcasting two 1;?minute newscasts a day to a tiny audience on its ,ew <ork television station. 0arly television was Buite primitive. *ll the action at that first televised baseball game had to be captured by a single camera# and the limitations of early cameras forced actors in dramas to work under impossibly hot lights# wearing black lipstick and green makeup Dthe cameras had trouble with the color whiteE. The early newscasts on 2/@ were Hchalk talks#H with a newsman moving a pointer across a map of 0urope# then consumed by war. The poor Buality of the picture made it difficult to make out the newsman# let alone the map. World War '' slowed the development of television# as companies like 62* turned their attention to military production. TelevisionFs progress was further slowed by a struggle over wavelength allocations with the new )A radio and a battle over government regulation. The )ederal 2ommunications 2ommissionFs D)22E 1(-1 ruling that the ,ational /roadcasting 2ompany D,/2E had to sell one of its two radio networks was upheld by the @upreme 2ourt in 1(-3. The second network became the new *merican /roadcasting 2ompany D*/2E# which would enter television early in the ne=t decade. @i= e=perimental television stations remained on the air during the warKone each in 2hicago# !hiladelphia# Gos *ngeles# and @chenectady# ,.<.# and two in ,ew <ork 2ity. /ut full?scale commercial television broadcasting did not begin in the %nited @tates until 1(-C. THE BE(!""!"( 'F C'MME C!A$ TE$EV!#!'" /y 1(-( *mericans who lived within range of the growing number of television stations in the country could watch# for e=ample# The Texaco Star Theater D1(- E# starring Ailton /erle# or the childrenFs program# Howdy Doody D1(-CL90E. They could also choose between two 1;?minute newscastsKCBS TV News D1(- E with Douglas 0dwards and ,/2Fs Camel News Caravan D1(- E with .ohn 2ameron @way:e Dwho was reBuired by the tobacco company sponsor to have a burning cigarette always visible when he was on cameraE. Aany early programsKsuch as Amos 'n' AndyD1(;1E or The Jack Benny Show D1(;0L9;EKwere borrowed from early televisionFs older# more established /ig /rotherM

network radio. Aost of the formats of the new programsKnewscasts# situation comedies# variety shows# and dramasKwere borrowed from radio# too Dsee radio broadcasting and television programmingE. ,/2 and 2/@ took the funds needed to establish this new medium from their radio profits. "owever# television networks soon would be making substantial profits of their own# and network radio would all but disappear# e=cept as a carrier of hourly newscasts. 'deas on what to do with the element television added to radio# the visuals# sometimes seemed in short supply. >n news programs# in particular# the temptation was to fill the screen with Htalking heads#H newscasters simply reading the news# as they might have for radio. )or shots of news events# the networks relied initially on the newsreel companies# whose work had been shown previously in movie studios. The number of television sets in use rose from 9#000 in 1(-9 to some 11 million by 1(;1. ,o new invention entered *merican homes faster than black and white television sets8 by 1(;; half of all %.@. homes had one. McCA TH%!#M 'n 1(-C the "ouse 2ommittee on %n?*merican *ctivities began an investigation of the film industry# and @en. .oseph 6. Ac2arthy soon began to inveigh against what he claimed was 2ommunist infiltration of the government. /roadcasting# too# felt the impact of this growing national witch?hunt. Three former members of the )ederal /ureau of 'nvestigation D)/'E published H2ounterattackM The ,ewsletter of )acts on 2ommunism#H and in 1(;0 a pamphlet# H6ed 2hannels#H listed the supposedly 2ommunist associations of 1;1 performing artists. *nti?2ommunist vigilantes applied pressure to advertisersKthe source of network profits. !olitical beliefs suddenly became grounds for getting fired. Aost of the producers# writers# and actors who were accused of having had left?wing leanings found themselves blacklisted# unable to get work. 2/@ even instituted a loyalty oath for its employees. *mong the few individuals in television well positioned enough and brave enough to take a stand against Ac2arthyism was the distinguished former radio reporter 0dward 6. Aurrow. 'n partnership with the news producer )red )riendly# Aurrow began See It Now# a television documentary series# in 1(;0. >n Aar. (# 1(;-# Aurrow narrated a report on Ac2arthy# e=posing the senatorFs shoddy tactics. >f Ac2arthy# Aurrow observed# H"is mistake has been to confuse dissent with disloyalty.H * nervous 2/@ refused to promote Aurrow and )riendlyFs program. >ffered free time by 2/@# Ac2arthy replied on *pril 9# calling Aurrow Hthe leader and the cleverest of the &ackal pack which is always found at the throat of anyone who dares to e=pose 2ommunist traitors.H 'n this TV appearance# Ac2arthy proved to be his own worst enemy# and it became apparent that Aurrow had helped

to break Ac2arthyFs reign of fear. 'n 1(;- the %.@. @enate censured Ac2arthy# and 2/@Fs HsecurityH office was closed down. THE ('$&E" A(E /etween 1(;3 and 1(;;# television programming began to take some steps away from radio formats. ,/2 television president @ylvester Weaver devised the Hspectacular#H a notable e=ample of which was Peter Pan D1(;;E# starring Aary Aartin# which attracted 90 million viewers. Weaver also developed the maga:ine?format programs Today# which made its debut in 1(;1 with Dave +arroway as host Duntil 1(91E# and The Ton !ht Show# which began in 1(;3 hosted by @teve *llen Duntil 1(;CE. The third network# */2# turned its first profit with youth?oriented shows such asD sneyland# which debuted in 1(;- Dand has since been broadcast under different namesE# and The " ckey "o#se Cl#$ D1(;;L;(8 see Disney# WaltE. The programming that dominated the two ma&or networks in the mid? 1(;0s borrowed heavily from another mediumM theater. ,/2 and 2/@ presented such noteworthy# and critically acclaimed# dramatic anthologies as %ra&t Telev s on Theater D1(-CE# St#d o 'ne D1(- E# Playho#se () D1(;9E# and The *+S+ Steel Ho#r D1(;3E. Aemorable television dramas of the eraKmost of them broadcast liveKincluded !addy 2hayefskyFs "arty D1(;;E# starring 6od @teiger D0rnest /orgnine starred in the filmE# and 6eginald 6oseFs Twelve An!ry "en D1(;-E. /y the 1(;;L;9 television season# 1- of these live?drama anthology series were being broadcast. This is often looked back on as the H+olden *geH of television. "owever# by 1(90 only one of these series was still on the air. Viewers apparently preferred dramas or comedies that# while perhaps less literary# at least had the virtue of sustaining a familiar set of characters week after week. I ,ove ,#cy# the hugely successful situation comedy starring Gucille /all and Desi *rna:# had been recorded on film since it debuted in 1(;1 Dlasting until 1(;CE. 't had many imitators. The Honeymooners# starring .ackie +leason# was first broadcast# also via film# in 1(;; Dlasting until 1(;9 with the original castE. The first videotape recorder was invented by *mpe= in 1(;9 Dsee video8 video recording8 video technologyE. *nother format introduced in the mid?1(;0s was the big?money Bui: show. The -./0))) 1#est on D1(;;L; E and Twenty2'ne D1(;9L; E Buickly shot to the top of the ratings. 'n 1(;(# however# the creator of The -./0))) 1#est on# Gouis 2. 2owan# by that time president of 2/@ television# was forced to resign from the network amid revelations of widespread fi=ing of game shows Dsee Van Doren# 2harlesE. TE$EV!#!'" A"& P'$!T!C#

Television news first covered the presidential nominating conventions of the two ma&or parties# events then still at the heart of *merica politics# in 1(;1. The term HanchormanH was used# probably for the first time# to describe Walter 2ronkiteFs central role in 2/@Fs convention coverage that year. 'n succeeding decades these conventions would become so concerned with looking good on television that they would lose their spontaneity and eventually their news value. The power of television news increased with the arrival of the popular newscast# The H#ntley2Br nkley 3e4ort# on ,/2 in 1(;9 Dsee "untley# 2het# and /rinkley# DavidE. The networks had begun producing their own news film. 'ncreasingly# they began to compete with newspapers as the countryFs primary source of news Dsee &ournalismE. The election of a young and vital president in 1(90# .ohn ). 7ennedy# seemed to provide evidence of how profoundly television would change politics. 2ommentators pointed to the first televised debate that fall between 7ennedy# the Democratic candidate for president# and Vice? !resident 6ichard A. ,i=on# the 6epublicanFs nominee. * survey of those who listened to the debate on radio indicated that ,i=on had won8 however# those who watched on television# and were able to contrast ,i=onFs poor posture and poorly shaven face with 7ennedyFs poise and grace# were more likely to think 7ennedy had won the debate. TelevisionFs coverage of the assassination of !resident 7ennedy on ,ov. 11# 1(93# and of the events that followed# provided further evidence of the mediumFs power. Aost *mericans &oined in watching coverage of the shocking and tragic events# not as crowds in the streets# but from their own living rooms. * newscast that would soon surpass the popularity of "untley? /rinkley# The CBS 5ven n! News w th 6alter Cronk te # debuted in 1(91 Dand was broadcast until 1( 1E. /y the end of the decade 2ronkite had become not &ust a highly respected &ournalist but# according to public opinion surveys# Hthe most trusted man in *merica.H "is role in coverage of the Vietnam War would be important. While the overwhelming ma&ority of television news reports on the Vietnam War were supportive of %.@. policy# television news film of the fighting sometimes gave *mericans back home an unfamiliar# harsh# and unromantic view of combat. Aany believed it contributed to growing public dissatisfaction with the war. *nd some of the anger of those defending %.@. policy in Vietnam was leveled against television news. 'n 1(9;# 2/@ reporter Aorley @afer accompanied a group of %.@. Aarines on a Hsearch and destroyH mission to a comple= of hamlets called 2am ,e. The Aarines faced no enemy resistance# yet they held cigarette lighters to the thatched roofs and proceeded to HwasteH 2am ,e. *fter much debate# @aferFs filmed report on the incident was shown on 2/@. 0arly the ne=t morning the president of 2/@ received an

angry phone call from the president of the %nited @tates# Gyndon /. .ohnson# accusing the network of a lack of patriotism. During the Tet offensive in 1(9 # 2ronkite went to Vietnam to report a documentary on the state of the war. That documentary# broadcast on )eb. 1 # 1(9 # concluded with what 2ronkite has described as Ha clearly labeled editorialHM H't is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out will be to negotiate#H he said. !resident .ohnson was watching 2ronkiteFs report. *ccording to /ill Aoyers# one of his press aides at the timeM HThe president flipped off the set and said# N'f 'Fve lost 2ronkite# 'Fve lost middle *merica.FH THE TH EE "ETW' )# AT THE HE!(HT 'F THE! P'WE

'n 1(9- color broadcasting began on prime?time television. The )22 initially approved a 2/@ color system# then swung in 62*Fs favor after @arnoff swamped the marketplace with black?and?white sets compatible with 62* color Dthe 2/@ color system was not compatible with black?and? white sets and would have reBuired the purchase of new setsE. During the 1(90s and 1(C0s a country increasingly fascinated with television was limited to watching almost e=clusively what appeared on the three ma&or networksM 2/@# ,/2# and */2. These networks purchased time to broadcast their programs from about 100 affiliates eachKstations in each of the ma&or cities or metropolitan areas of the %nited @tates. 'n the larger cities# there might also be a few independent stations Dmostly playing reruns of old network showsE and perhaps a fledgling public broadcasting channel. !rogramming on each of the three networks was designed to grab a mass audience. ,etwork shows therefore catered# as critics put it# to the lowest common denominator. .ames *ubrey# president of 2/@ television# doubled the networkFs profits between 1(90 and 1(99 by broadcasting simple comedies like The Beverly H ll$ ll es D1(91LC1E. 'n 1(91# ,ewton Ainow# then chairman of the )22# called television a Hvast wasteland.H !rogramming became a little more adventurous with the arrival of more realistic situation comedies# beginning with 2/@Fs All n the 7am ly in 1(C1 Dbroadcast until 1(C(E. *long with situation comediesKusually a half?hour focused on either a family and their neighbors or a group of co?workersKthe other main staple of network prime?time programming has been the one?hour drama# featuring the adventures of police# detectives# doctors# lawyers# or# in the early decades of television# cowboys. Daytime television programming consisted primarily of soap operas and Bui: shows until the 1( 0s# when talk shows discussing sub&ects that were formerly taboo# such as se=uality# became popular.

The three ma&or networks have always been in a continual race for ratings and advertising dollars. 2/@ and ,/2 dominated through the mid?1(C0s# when */2# traditionally regarded as a poor third# rose to the top of the ratings# largely because of shrewd scheduling. P*B$!C B 'A&CA#T!"( * 2arnegie 2ommission report in 1(9C recommended the creation of a fourth# noncommercial# public television network built around the educational nonprofit stations already in operation throughout the %nited @tates Dsee television# noncommercialE. 2ongress created the !ublic /roadcasting @ystem that year. %nlike commercial networks# which are centered in ,ew <ork and Gos *ngeles# !/@Fs key stations# many of which produce programs that are shown throughout the network# are spread across the country. !/@ comprises more than 300 stations# more than any commercial network. @ome of the most praised programs on !/@# such as the dramatic series *4sta rs0 Downsta rs D1(C1E# have been imports from /ritain# which has long had a reputation for producing high?Buality television. !erhaps the most influential of !/@Fs original contributions to *merican television were the educational program for preschoolers# Sesame Street# which first appeared in 1(9(Kand is still a popular programKand a thoughtful news program called The NewsHo#r w th J m ,ehrer D1((;8 originally The "acNe l8,ehrer NewsHo#r# first broadcast in 1(C;Ksee Aac,eil# 6obert and Gehrer# .imE. *mong the many special series produced for public broadcasting# The C v l 6ar D1((0E# a five?part historical documentary# was particularly successful and won some of the largest audiences ever achieved by public TV. !/@ funds come from three ma&or sourcesM congressional appropriations Dwhich suffered substantial cuts beginning in 1( 1E# viewer donations# and private corporate underwriters. ,one of these types of contributions are problem?free. +overnment funding brings the possibility of government interference. 2onservatives# dating back to the ,i=on administration# have pressured !/@ to make its programming less liberal. The search for viewer donations has led to long on?air fundraising campaigns. *nd some critics contend that the need to win corporate support discourages programming that might challenge corporate values. THE !#E 'F CAB$E

The force that would challenge the dominance of the three ma&or television networks and offer *mericans the choice of do:ens and potentially hundreds of television channelsKcable TVKbegan Buietly in a few geographically isolated towns. Garge antennas erected in high places gave everyone connected the chance to receive all the channels available

in the nearest city. /y 1(90 the %nited @tates had about 9-0 such 2*TV Dcommunity antenna televisionE systems. 't soon became apparent# however# that the Htelevision deprivedH were not the only viewers who might want access to additional channels and additional programming. 'n ,ew <ork 2ity# cable operators contracted to broadcast the home games of the local basketball and hockey teams. /y 1(C1 cable had more than 0#000 subscribers in ,ew <ork. Then networks specifically designed to be distributed by the cable system began to appearM Time 'nc.Fs "ome /o= >ffice D"/>E in 1(C;8 Ted TurnerFs Hsuperstation#H soon renamed WT/@# in 1(C98 2?@!*, Dlive broadcasts of the "ouse of 6epresentativesE# 0@!, DsportsE# and ,ickelodeon DchildrenFs programmingE# all in 1(C(. Turner followed with the 2able ,ews ,etwork D2,,E the ne=t year. !"TE "AT!'"A$ ( 'WTH TelevisionFs development followed different patterns in other countries. >ften government# not private corporations# owned some# most# or all of the ma&or networks. 'n +reat /ritain the /ritish /roadcasting 2orporation# the countryFs dominant radio broadcaster# established and retained dominance over television. The //2# funded by a ta= on the sale of television sets# established a worldwide reputation for producing Buality programming. The 2anadian /roadcasting 2orporation# also freed by government support from many commercial pressures# was praised by some observers for the seriousness of much of its news and public?affairs programming. )ranceFs ma&or television networks were also supported by the government8 however# in )rance that support was seen as encouraging a tilt in news coverage toward the side of whatever party happened to be in power. /y the late 1( 0s and 1((0s# as cable and direct?satellite television systems increased the number of channels# the hold of these government?funded networks began to weaken. Aost countries around the world began moving more toward the %.@. model of privately owned# advertiser?supported television networks. P'$!T!C# A&APT# T' TE$EV!#!'" /y the 1( 0s politicians and government leaders were familiar enough with the workings of television to be able to e=ploit the medium to their own ends. This seemed particularly apparent during the presidency of 6onald 6eagan# himself formerly the host of a television show D 9eneral 5lectr c Theater# 1(;-L91E. 6eaganFs skilled advisors were masters of the art of arranging flags and releasing balloons to place him in the most attractive settings. They also knew how to craft and release messages to ma=imi:e positive coverage on television newscasts. The !ersian +ulf War in 1((1 provided further proof of the power of television# with pictures of

%.@. bombs falling on the 'raBi capital broadcast live in the %nited @tates. /oth 'raBi and %.@. leaders admitted to monitoring 2,, to help keep up with news of the war. "owever# the %.@. Defense Department# armed with lessons learned in Vietnam# succeeded in keeping most reporters well away from the action and the bloodshed. 'nstead# pictures were provided to television by the military of HsmartH bombs deftly hitting their targets. "EW TECH"'$'(!E# 'n the 1( 0s# home videocassette recorders became widely available. Viewers gained the ability to record and replay programs and# more significantly# to rent and watch movies at times of their own choosing in their own homes. Video games also became popular during this decade# particularly with the young# and the television# formally &ust the site of passive entertainment# became an intricate# moving# computeri:ed game board. The number of cable networks grew throughout the 1( 0s and then e=ploded in the 1((0s as improved cable technology and direct? broadcast satellite television multiplied the channels available to viewers. The number of broadcast networks increased also# with the success of the )o= network and then the arrival of the %!, and W/ networks. The share the broadcast networks attracted continued to erode# from well over (0 percent in the early 1( 0s to under ;0 percent by 1((C. *lthough the population of the %nited @tates has continued to grow# the ,ielson Aedia 6esearch company estimated that fewer people watched the highly publici:ed final episode of Se n&eld in 1(( Dfirst aired in 1((08 see @einfeld# .erryE than watched the final episode of "ASH in 1( 3 Dfirst aired in 1(C1E. The trial of former football star >. .. @impson in 1((- for the murder of his wife Dhe was acBuittedE further demonstrated the hold that cable networks had on *merican audiences. @ome stations carried almost every minute of the lengthy trial live and then filled the evening with talk shows dissecting that dayFs developments. The effects of television on children# particularly through its emphasis on violence and se=# has long been an issue for social scientists# parents# and politicians Dsee childrenFs televisionE. 'n the late 1( 0s and 1((0s# with increased competition brought on by the proliferation of cable networks# talk shows and HtabloidH news shows seemed to broaden further frank or sensational on?air discussion of se=. 'n response to government pressure# the television industry decided to display ratings of its programs in 1((9. The ratings were designed to indicate the age groups for which the programs might be suitableM TV?+ Dfor general audiencesE# TV?!+ Dparental guidance suggestedE# TV?1Dunsuitable for children under 1-E# and TV?A* Dfor mature audiences onlyE. 'n response to additional complaints# all the networks e=cept ,/2 agreed

the ne=t year to add V Dfor violenceE# @ Dfor se=E# G Dfor course languageE and D Dfor suggestive dialogueE to those ratings. *lso# the HV?chipH imbedded in new television sets# in accordance with a provision of a telecommunications bill passed in 1((9# gave parents the power to automatically prevent their children from watching television programs with inappropriate ratings. 2ritics of the ratings saw them as a step toward censorship and Buestioned whether a TV?1- rating would make a program seem more# not less# attractive to an inBuisitive child. 'n 1((C the federal government gave each %.@. television broadcaster an additional channel on which to introduce high definition television# or "DTV. 'nitial transmissions of this high?resolution form of television# in which images appear much sharper and clearer# began in 1(( . @tandard television sets cannot pick up "DTV and will presumably have to be replaced or modified by 1009# when traditional# low?definition television broadcasts are scheduled to end and broadcasters are scheduled to return their original# non?"DTV channel to the government. The "DTV format approved in the %nited @tates calls for television signals to be transmitted digitally. This will allow for further convergence between computers# the 'nternet# and television. 'n 1(( it was already possible to view video on the World Wide Web and to see and search television broadcasts on a computer. *s computers become more powerful# they should be able to handle video as easily as they now handle te=t. The television schedule may eventually be replaced by a system in which viewers are able to watch digitally stored and distributed programs or segments of programs whenever they want. @uch technological changes# including the spread of new cable networks# have been arriving slower in most other countries than in the %nited @tates. 'ndeed# according to one survey# it was only in the 1((0s that the spread of television transmitters# television sets# and electricity made it possible for half of the individuals in the world to watch television. "owever# televisionFs attraction globally is strong. Those human beings who have a television set watch it# by one estimate# for an average of two?and?a?half hours a day. Aitchell @tephens Bi+lio,ra-hy. /arnouw# 0rik# T#$e o& Plenty: The 5vol#t on o& Amer can Telev s on# 1d ed. D1((0E8 )isher# David 0. and Aarshall ..# T#$e: The Invent on o& Telev s on D1((CE8 @tephens# Aitchell#Broadcast News# 3d ed. D1((3E# A H story o& News D1((9E and The 3 se o& the Ima!e0 the 7all o& the 6ord D1(( E8 Watson# Aary *.# De& n n! V s ons: Telev s on and the Amer can 5x4er ence s nce ;(/< D1((CE.

The television is one of the most prominent inventions of the 10th 2entury. 't has become one of the most common ways people view the larger world beyond them# as well as being one of the best ways for people to escape from the world. 'n the 1 0s a +erman inventor created simplistic moving images using a filtered light viewed through a spinning disk# laying the foundations for the modern television. During the 1(10s a number of scientist began e=perimenting with sending still images using radio waves. "owever# it was in 1(1 that +eneral 0lectric first combined the idea of a device that could show moving images with the technology to wirelessly broadcast them. During the 30s and -0s the technology was gradually improved upon. 'n *merica the first regular broadcasts began in 1(3( though it was not until after the @econd World War that the television as a standard home appliance began to really take off. *fter 1(-; television sales in *merica skyrocketed. The first colour broadcast was made in 1(;-. Throughout the rest of the world# television came years later# and it wasn$t until the late 1(90s that a television was commonplace in houses throughout the West. /y the 1(C0s# television had become the dominant media force it is today# with 1- hour programming# mass advertising and syndicated shows. 'n the 1( 0s satellite television shrunk the world# making live feeds from other countries and time :ones possible. The new millennium brought the advent of digital television# which is the future of television.