essay on old television

Home — Essay Samples — History — 1950S — Impact Of Television In The 1950s

Impact of Television in The 1950s

Categories: 1950S Impact

About this sample

Words: 735 |

Published: Mar 14, 2024

Words: 735 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Let us write you an essay from scratch

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

Expert in: History Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 550 words

3 pages / 1161 words

1 pages / 568 words

2 pages / 930 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on 1950S

The 1950s stands as a remarkable era in history, where post-war optimism and the rise of technology intersected with the emergence of some of the most iconic figures in popular culture. This decade saw the birth of rock and [...]

The 1950s were a time of significant change in American society, particularly when it came to body image. This era marked the beginning of the modern obsession with thinness, as the hourglass figure of the 1940s gave way to a [...]

The comparative analysis of the 1950s and today reveals significant transformations in social norms, gender roles, civil rights, technological advancements, education, healthcare, and environmental awareness. While progress has [...]

The 1950s was a decade of significant change and innovation in the world of entertainment. From the rise of television to the birth of rock and roll, this era saw the emergence of new forms of entertainment that would shape [...]

The Korean War (1950-1953) did not have vast public support. World War II left Korea separated into a northern and southern half, each backed by a world power. Territorial disputes were common, and when the Soviet (and to a more [...]

China has been putting emphasis on the co-operative nature of The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its objective "win-win outcomes." In his address to the Belt and Road Forum for International Co-operation in Beijing in May [...]

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

Journalism History journal

Broadcast Essay: Live Television Changed the Way We Saw the World

TV news crews set up for a story. Photo in black and white.

How television changed the cultural landscape

Television news started out as the bastard child of radio news and the film newsreel, and it was almost immediately disowned by those in the news business as superficial, trivial, and incomplete. Most print journalists either ignored or dismissed television news when it started its birth pangs in the late 1940s.

Radio gave television news the concept of writing for the ear in a conversational, easy-to-understand manner so that anyone who heard it only once could remember it. Print users could read and re-read a story for as long as they wanted to. Listeners only heard the news once and had to absorb the information quickly. Complicated sentences or concepts didn’t work.

Newsreels were the model for a visual presentation and the first TV cameramen practically all came from the theatrical newsreels, which were quickly being replaced by the new television medium. The problem was newsreels were expensive and time-consuming to produce and seldom if ever employed for breaking news – the life blood of TV news. When newsreels were not preoccupied with military stories (during wartime), they specialized in fluff: staged events, celebrity weddings, movie premieres, beauty contests, ship launches, animals doing silly things.

Many of the early television program formats were based on network radio shows and did not take advantage of the potential offered by the new medium. Newscasters simply read the news as they would have during a radio broadcast. Most of the time, the only visual was the newscaster reading on camera. Occasionally, there would be photos and limited video of news events.

Before the late 1950s and early 1960s, video TV cameras were too big and bulky to leave the sound stages. When cameras got smaller and lighter, television cameras moved into the local, county, state, and national communities and never looked back. Creating those smaller and lighter cameras was no easy feat. Broadcasters need equipment that is extremely rugged and versatile, can shoot in very low light and can handle wide temperature swings, day in and day out.

Today, one person with a camcorder or smartphone can write, direct, shoot and edit a video by deadline. Smartphone cameras have turned every citizen into a roving video reporter. But 60 years ago, a camcorder or smartphone didn’t exist, and only futurists dreamed of such a possibility.

In the middle of the 20th century, network news was something that great numbers of Americans relied upon and could share. It gave them a common set of facts upon which they could have discussions and debates.

Television brought major news events into the home, creating unforgettable moments that the public watched as one nation.

Television news was in its infancy when on April 8, 1949, Kathy Fiscus, a three-year-old girl in San Marino, CA, fell into an abandoned well. The way local stations covered the rescue effort became the blueprint for breaking news coverage that continues today. Until then, TV news was little more than “radio with a face.” Then came the 50-hour effort to rescue the child, 27 and a half hours of rescue efforts televised live by station KTLA in Los Angeles. There were few homes with television sets, so hundreds of people stood in front of store windows to watch the Fiscus rescue attempt on TV. 1

Television made an “instant family of the nation.” Several TV reporters were involved in the live coverage, but the most prominent was KTLA’s Stan Chambers, whose open-ended, uninterrupted reports from the scene captured everyone’s attention. Until then, TV was considered a novelty and not taken seriously. The telecast changed that forever.

When the devastating news came that Kathy had died, the exhausted rescuers who had worked 50 straight hours openly wept. And a nation cried with them.

In 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the four days of continuous coverage from Dallas – where he was assassinated – and Arlington – where he was laid to rest – proved that television was the only thing that mattered during a natural or man-made disaster.

Later, the captured-live-on-television shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby created the “grisliest first of this new era of TV news.” Millions of Americans watched a murder happen live as they sat in their living rooms. 2 NBC was the only network to broadcast the live coverage, getting a scoop on an unforgettable moment of American history.

NBC devoted almost 72 straight hours to the assassination and its aftermath. “The immediacy of live television and the ability to learn of breaking-at-this-minute news was something that had never been experienced by Americans before – and something which pushed radio and television news reporting to new heights,” wrote one historian. 3 An unbelievable 93 percent of American households with televisions were tuned in to watch the live coverage of the President’s funeral procession.

Vietnam was the first war covered by television, and its impact was staggering. A seminal moment in that coverage came in 1965 when reporter Morley Safer reported on U.S. Marines burning the village of Cam Ne, a turning point in TV’s realistic coverage of a war. For the first time in American history, the news from the front lines was brought straight into the living room, and historians called Vietnam “the first television war.” 4

The 1969 landing on the moon of American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in Apollo 11 was watched by more than 700 million who marveled at the astounding, live images they were seeing. 5

The SLA Shootout in May 1974 was one of the most intense firefights in Los Angeles Police Department history. The Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) was a radical group that had kidnapped newspaper heiress Patty Hearst and had gone on a robbery, bombing, and murder spree. “The gruesome drama of a real police story played open‐ended on live television for nearly two hours,” wrote a New York Times reporter. “A portable camera of Channel Two KNXT, a local CBS television station, brought the shootout with suspected SLA members in south central Los Angeles into millions of homes. KNXT shared its camera with the NBC and ABC Los Angeles stations, and the evening news was devoted to the siege. Network news programs were canceled and the coverage of the shootout, live and in color, went into living rooms across the country. “The chaos and vividness of a major police operation, viewed incongruously from living rooms, was bizarre. Viewers were able to experience all the action vicariously as they heard Bill Diaz and Bob Simpson, the KNXT reporters, describe how it felt to inhale tear gas and dodge bullets. At one point, the television picture scrambled as viewers heard the reporters relate how they had just recoiled when bullets ricocheted past them.” 6

The term ENG (Electronic Newsgathering or electronic journalism) was created by TV news departments who moved from film-based newsgathering to electronic field technology in the 1970s. It involved a single reporter with one video camera to an entire TV crew in a truck on location.

In 1986, the glory of America’s space program “turned into unfathomable heartbreak” when the Challenger shuttle exploded and broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing seven crew members including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. And millions watched it live. 7

The rescue of Baby Jessica in 1987 reminded viewers of the Kathy Fiscus tragedy, but this time the result was triumphant. The successful 58-hour effort to save trapped Texas toddler Jessica McClure from a backyard well was a defining moment for CNN as viewers tuned in for the around-the-clock cable news channel updates. 8

The from-behind-enemy-lines reporting of the Gulf War in 1991 by CNN’s Bernard Shaw, Peter Arnett, and John Holliman as bombs fell over Baghdad marked the beginning of live-TV war coverage. 9

TV cameras in the courtroom caught every minute of the stunning climax of the O.J. Simpson trial in 1995. The jury found the ex-football star accused of murder not guilty. Earlier, in 1994, the live coverage of a 45-minute slow-speed chase with a phalanx of police cars chasing Simpson’s white Bronco over California highways near Los Angeles was seen by 95 million viewers. 10

On September 11, 2001, two hijacked Boeing 767s slammed into the World Trade Center in New York City, and the horrific footage shocked a nation. TV reporters helped steady shaken viewers during the continuous coverage, but off camera they were weeping, too. It was one of the darkest moments in American history . 11

The coverage of news was changed forever when TV technically achieved the ability to cover the news live as it was happening. The internet has mostly replaced the excitement and immediacy of the live television news coverage on TV sets in the home that has dominated the news since the 1970s.

Smartphones and laptops are filled with live coverage from a variety of sources: professional newsgathering services, citizen journalists armed with smartphone and digital video recorders, special-interest videos that often send mis- or dis-information through video manipulation.

But when a human-made or natural disaster takes place, TV is still the one unifying video and audio medium that dominates a nation’s thinking. We still huddle as one when a live event takes place that is beamed into our homes uncensored, unedited, and filled with the excitement that only a live news event can deliver to all of us.

About the author: Joe Saltzman is a professor of journalism and communication, and director of the Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture (IJPC), a project of the Norman Lear Center, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California. Saltzman was a senior documentary producer for the CBS owned-and-operated stations for more than a decade in the 1960s and 1970s and has taught at USC Annenberg for 55 years.

Featured photo : Kathy Fiscus

1. Terry Anzur, Inventing TV News: Live and Local in Los Angeles, 2022.

2. https://flashbackdallas.com/2018/11/22/the-jfk-assassination-and-television-firsts-1963/

4. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2018/01/25/vietnam-the-first-television-war/

5. https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/moon-to-living-room-apollo-11-broadcast

6. https://www.nytimes.com/1974/05/18/archives/shootout-a-gruesome-drama-on-los-angeles-tv.html

7. Gunnar Matherly, The Challenger Disaster , History 153, August 19, 2015.

8. https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/30/opinions/baby-jessica-cnn-films-shorts-mark-bone-opinion/index.html

9. Barbie Zelizer, CNN, the Gulf War, and Journalistic Practice, Journal of Communication, Vol. 42, Issue 1, March, 1992. Pp. 66-82

10. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-oj-simpson-white-bronco-chase-20140617-story.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/08/us/judge-in-simpson-trial-allows-tv-camera-in-courtroom.html

11. Menahem Blondheim & Tamar Liebes, Live Television’s Disaster Marathon of September 11 and its Subversive Potential, Critical Studies in Innovation, Vol. 20, Issue 3, August 2010, pp. 271-276.

When Was the First TV Invented?

A Historical Timeline of the Evolution of the Television (1831–1996)

Yali Shi / Getty Images

Famous Inventions
Famous Inventors
Patents & Trademarks
Invention Timelines
Computers & The Internet
American History
African American History
African History
Ancient History and Culture
Asian History
European History
Latin American History
Medieval & Renaissance History
Military History
The 20th Century
Women's History

Television was not invented by a single inventor. Instead, many people working together and alone over the years contributed to the evolution of the device.

Joseph Henry 's and Michael Faraday 's work with electromagnetism jumpstarts the era of electronic communication.

Abbe Giovanna Caselli invents his Pantelegraph and becomes the first person to transmit a still image over wires.

Scientist Willoughby Smith experiments with selenium and light, revealing the possibility for inventors to transform images into electronic signals.

Boston civil servant George Carey was thinking about complete television systems and in 1877 he put forward drawings for what he called a selenium camera that would allow people to see by electricity.

Eugen Goldstein coins the term " cathode rays " to describe the light emitted when an electric current was forced through a vacuum tube.

The Late 1870s

Scientists and engineers like Valeria Correa Vaz de Paiva, Louis Figuier, and Constantin Senlecq were suggesting alternative designs for telectroscopes.

Inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison theorize about telephone devices that transmit images as well as sound.

Bell's photophone used light to transmit sound and he wanted to advance his device for image sending.

George Carey builds a rudimentary system with light-sensitive cells.

Sheldon Bidwell experiments with his telephotography that was similar to Bell's photophone.

Paul Nipkow sends images over wires using a rotating metal disk technology calling it the electric telescope with 18 lines of resolution.

At the World's Fair in Paris, the first International Congress of Electricity was held. That is where Russian Constantin Perskyi made the first known use of the word "television."

Soon after 1900, the momentum shifted from ideas and discussions to the physical development of television systems. Two major paths in the development of a television system were pursued by inventors.

Inventors attempted to build mechanical television systems based on Paul Nipkow's rotating disks.
Inventors attempted to build electronic television systems based on the cathode ray tube developed independently in 1907 by English inventor A.A. Campbell-Swinton and Russian scientist Boris Rosing.

Lee de Forest invents the Audion vacuum tube that proves essential to electronics. The Audion was the first tube with the ability to amplify signals.

Boris Rosing combines Nipkow's disk and a cathode ray tube and builds the first working mechanical TV system.

Campbell Swinton and Boris Rosing suggest using cathode ray tubes to transmit images. Independent of each other, they both develop electronic scanning methods of reproducing images.

Vladimir Zworykin patents his iconoscope a TV camera tube based on Campbell Swinton's ideas. The iconoscope, which he called an electric eye, becomes the cornerstone for further television development. Zworkin later develops the kinescope for picture display (aka the receiver).

American Charles Jenkins and John Baird from Scotland each demonstrate the mechanical transmissions of images over wire circuits.

John Baird becomes the first person to transmit moving silhouette images using a mechanical system based on Nipkow's disk.

Charles Jenkin built his Radiovisor and in 1931 and sold it as a kit for consumers to put together.

Vladimir Zworykin patents a color television system.

John Baird operates a television system with 30 lines of resolution system running at five frames per second.

Bell Telephone and the U.S. Department of Commerce conducted the first long-distance use of television that took place between Washington, D.C., and New York City on April 7. Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover commented, “Today we have, in a sense, the transmission of sight for the first time in the world’s history. Human genius has now destroyed the impediment of distance in (this) new respect, and in a manner hitherto unknown.”

Philo Farnsworth files for a patent on the first completely electronic television system, which he called the Image Dissector.

The Federal Radio Commission issues the first television station license (W3XK) to Charles Jenkins.

Vladimir Zworykin demonstrates the first practical electronic system for both the transmission and reception of images using his new kinescope tube.

John Baird opens the first TV studio; however, the image quality is poor.

Charles Jenkins broadcasts the first TV commercial.

The BBC begins regular TV transmissions.

Iowa State University (W9XK) starts broadcasting twice-weekly television programs in cooperation with radio station WSUI.

About 200 television sets are in use worldwide.

Coaxial cable—a pure copper or copper-coated wire surrounded by insulation and aluminum covering—is introduced. These cables were and are used to transmit television, telephone, and data signals.

The first experimental coaxial cable lines were laid by AT&T between New York and Philadelphia in 1936. The first regular installation connected Minneapolis and Stevens Point, Wisconsin, in 1941.

The original L1 coaxial cable system could carry 480 telephone conversations or one television program. By the 1970s, L5 systems could carry 132,000 calls or more than 200 television programs.

CBS begins its TV development.

The BBC begins high-definition broadcasts in London.

Brothers and Stanford researchers Russell and Sigurd Varian introduce the Klystron. A Klystron is a high-frequency amplifier for generating microwaves. It is considered the technology that makes UHF-TV possible because it gives the ability to generate the high power required in this spectrum.

Vladimir Zworykin and RCA conduct experimental broadcasts from the Empire State Building .

Television was demonstrated at the New York World's Fair and the San Francisco Golden Gate International Exposition.

RCA's David Sarnoff used his company's exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair as a showcase for the first presidential speech (by Franklin D. Roosevelt) on television and to introduce RCA's new line of television receivers, some of which had to be coupled with a radio if you wanted to hear the sound.

The Dumont company starts making TV sets.

Peter Goldmark invents 343 lines of the resolution color television system.

The FCC releases the NTSC standard for black and white TV.

Vladimir Zworykin develops a better camera tube called the Orthicon. The Orthicon has enough light sensitivity to record outdoor events at night.

Peter Goldmark, working for CBS, demonstrated his color television system to the FCC. His system produced color pictures by having a red-blue-green wheel spin in front of a cathode ray tube.

This mechanical means of producing a color picture was used in 1949 to broadcast medical procedures from Pennsylvania and Atlantic City hospitals. In Atlantic City, viewers could come to the convention center to see broadcasts of operations. Reports from the time noted that the realism of seeing surgery in color caused more than a few viewers to faint.

Although Goldmark's mechanical system was eventually replaced by an electronic system, he is recognized as the first to introduce a broadcasting color television system.

Cable television is introduced in Pennsylvania as a means of bringing television to rural areas.

A patent was granted to Louis W. Parker for a low-cost television receiver.

One million homes in the United States have television sets.

The FCC approves the first color television standard, which is replaced by a second in 1953.

Vladimir Zworykin developed a better camera tube called the Vidicon.

Ampex introduces the first practical videotape system of broadcast quality.

Robert Adler invents the first practical remote control called the Zenith Space Commander. It was preceded by wired remotes and units that failed in sunlight.

The first split-screen broadcast occurs during the debates between presidential candidates Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy.

The All-Channel Receiver Act requires that UHF tuners (channels 14 to 83) be included in all sets.

A joint international collaboration between AT&T, Bell Labs, NASA, British General Post Office, the French National Post, Telegraph, and Telecom Office results in the development and launch of Telstar , the first satellite to carry TV broadcasts. Broadcasts are now internationally relayed.

Most TV broadcasts are in color.

On July 20, 600 million people watch the first TV transmission made from the moon.

Half the TVs in homes are color sets.

Giant screen projection TV is first marketed.

Sony introduces Betamax, the first home video cassette recorder.

PBS becomes the first station to switch to an all-satellite delivery of programs.

NHK demonstrates HDTV with 1,125 lines of resolution.

Dolby Surround Sound for home sets is introduced.

Direct Broadcast Satellite begins service in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Stereo TV broadcasts are approved.

Super VHS is introduced.

Closed captioning is required on all sets.

The FCC approves ATSC's HDTV standard.

TV sets are in excess of 1 billion homes across the world.

History of the Automobile
The Inventors Behind the Creation of Television
The History of Steam-Powered Cars
A Brief History of the Invention of Plastics
The History of TV Dinners
The Development of Clocks and Watches Over Time
Who Invented the Syringe Needle?
The History of Video Recorders - Video Tape and Camera
Who Actually Invented the Macintosh Computer?
Biography of Cyrus McCormick, Inventor of the Mechanical Reaper
Who Invented Karaoke?
The History of Mr. Potato Head
Important Innovations and Inventions, Past and Present
The Television Remote Control: A Brief History
The Spinning Wheel in History and Folklore
History of Vinyl

Essay on TELEVISION

Updated November 24, 2023

The Medium is the Message

Television is a popular medium that has influenced society’s standards and public opinion while delivering educational information and entertainment. The emergence of streaming services has brought about changes in viewer habits and content production, leading to an evolution in the television landscape. Its ability to serve as both an informational and recreational tool highlights the profound influence of television on culture and communication.

Watch our Demo Courses and Videos

Valuation, Hadoop, Excel, Mobile Apps, Web Development & many more.

History of Television

Invention and Early Development (19th-early 20th century): The concept of television can be traced back to the 19th century, with inventors such as Paul Nipkow, who designed the first electromechanical television system in 1884. Early experiments continued through the early 20th century, with inventors such as Vladimir Zworykin and Philo Farnsworth making significant contributions.
Mechanical Television (1920s): It used rotating disks to scan and transmit images. 1927 Philo Farnsworth successfully transmitted the first-ever television image through a fully electronic system.
Introduction of Electronic Television (1930s): David Sarnoff of RCA played a crucial role in developing electronic television. Regular television broadcasts began in the late 1930s, with the BBC launching the world’s first public television service in 1936.
Impact of World War II (1940s): Resource constraints temporarily slowed Television production and adoption during World War II. After the war, television experienced rapid growth as economies recovered and technology improved.
Golden Age of Television (1950s-1960s): The 1950s saw the popularization of television in households across the United States and Europe. Iconic shows like “I Love Lucy,” “The Twilight Zone,” and “The Ed Sullivan Show” defined this era. Color television was introduced in the 1950s, enhancing the viewing experience.
Remote Control and Cable Television (1960s-1970s): The introduction of the remote control in the 1960s revolutionized viewer interaction. Cable television gained prominence, offering a wider range of channels and specialized content.
Satellite Television and Globalization (1980s-1990s): Satellite technology allowed for global television distribution. The rise of cable news networks such as CNN in the 1980s and 1990s contributed to the globalization of news coverage.
Digital Television and High Definition (2000s): Analog television signals were gradually replaced by digital signals, offering improved picture and sound quality. High-definition television (HDTV) became mainstream, providing a more immersive viewing experience.
Streaming Services and On-Demand Content (2010s-present): Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime transformed how audiences consume content. The traditional television model shifted as viewers embraced on-demand programming, binge-watching, and original content produced by streaming services.

Impact on Society

Television’s impact on society has been multifaceted, influencing culture, shaping opinions, and altering social behaviors in various ways:

Cultural Influence: Television has played a significant effect in creating cultural norms and values. It reflects societal attitudes and, as a result, impacts them. It serves as a mirror to society, showcasing diverse perspectives, lifestyles, and cultural practices, contributing to a more interconnected world.
Information Dissemination and Public Opinion: News programs and television documentaries profoundly impact public opinion and awareness. They shape perceptions of current events, politics, and societal issues. The presentation and framing of news stories on television can influence viewers’ understanding and opinions on important matters.
Behavioral and Social Impact: Influences consumer behavior and trends. Advertisements and product placements on TV often dictate purchasing decisions and lifestyle choices. Television programming can influence behavior, attitudes, and social interactions, especially for children. Educational programs have a positive impact on learning and development.
Cultural Homogenization and Globalization: It has contributed to cultural homogenization by transmitting common values, trends, and entertainment across borders. It has played a role in globalizing popular culture. Global events and phenomena can quickly reach a worldwide audience through television, fostering a sense of shared experiences.
Entertainment and Escapism: Serves as a primary source of entertainment, offering a wide array of genres and shows that provide an escape from daily life. It can evoke emotions, create cultural icons, and foster community through shared viewing experiences.
Health and Social Implications: Excessive television viewing has been associated with sedentary lifestyles, contributing to health issues like obesity and decreased physical activity. Television content can impact social perceptions and stereotypes, influencing how certain groups or issues are portrayed and perceived.
Economic Impact: It serves as a platform for advertising and generates substantial revenue. The success of television shows and networks significantly impacts the entertainment industry and economies.

Role of Television

Here’s a breakdown of its influence in different areas:

Entertainment Industry: Television is a significant source of entertainment worldwide. It provides diverse programs, including dramas, comedies, reality shows, and documentaries—a platform for creative expression, showcasing acting, directing, writing, and production talents. Reality TV has transformed entertainment dynamics, shaping pop culture and influencing trends.
News and Information Dissemination: Television remains an essential medium for news delivery. It reaches vast audiences with up-to-the-minute coverage of global events. 24-hour news channels and talk shows shape public opinion, influence political discourse, and raise awareness of critical issues.
Advertising and Consumerism: Commercials profoundly impact consumer behavior, promoting products and shaping consumer preferences. Advertisements generate revenue for networks and drive the economy by influencing purchasing decisions.
Education and Learning: This is a supplemental learning tool for children and adults. Educational programming on dedicated channels offers lessons on various subjects, contributing to informal education.
Cultural Influence: Reflects and shapes cultural norms, values, and societal attitudes by portraying diverse characters and storylines. It contributes to the globalization of culture, exposing audiences to different traditions, languages, and perspectives.
Health and Social Behavior: Influences lifestyle choices and social behavior, impacting everything from fashion trends to dietary preferences. Excessive screen time, however, has raised concerns about its effects on physical health and mental well-being.
Sports and Events Coverage: Broadcasts major sporting events, making them accessible to a global audience and enhancing the popularity of various sports. It provides a platform for cultural events, award shows, and ceremonies, fostering community engagement and celebration.
Technological Innovation and Future Trends: Technology continues to evolve, with advancements in high-definition displays, streaming services, smart TVs, and interactive content. Emerging virtual and augmented reality trends reshape viewer experiences, offering immersive and interactive content.

Harming the Youth

Television provides various benefits and entertainment options, but it remains a source of concern regarding its potential negative impact on the youth. Several factors contribute to the argument that television may be harming the youth.

Firstly, prolonged television viewing has been linked to adverse health effects, including sedentary behavior that can contribute to physical health issues such as obesity and poor cardiovascular health. The allure of television content may lead to a decrease in outdoor activities and exercise, exacerbating the risk of health problems among the youth. Television programming may contain violence, inappropriate language, or mature themes unsuitable for younger viewers. Exposure to such content can desensitize youth to violence, influence their behavior, and contribute to the development of aggressive tendencies.

Advertising on television poses a significant risk to the well-being of the youth. Advertisements often promote unhealthy food choices, unrealistic body standards, and materialistic values. The constant bombardment of these messages can contribute to the formation of negative self-images, unhealthy eating habits, and a skewed perception of success and happiness among young viewers. The impact on academic performance is also concerning. Excessive screen time, particularly before bedtime, can interfere with sleep patterns, leading to fatigue and difficulty concentrating. Poor sleep quality and the potential distraction of television during study time may contribute to lower academic achievement among the youth.

Benefits of Watching Television

While there are concerns about the potential adverse effects of excessive television watching, it is essential to acknowledge that television can also provide several benefits regarding education, entertainment, and social connection.

One significant advantage is the diverse range of entertainment options it offers. From television programs and movies to sports and reality shows, television caters to various tastes, providing a convenient and accessible source of relaxation and enjoyment.

It is also a valuable educational tool. Educational programs, documentaries, and informative channels disseminate information on topics from science and history to art and culture. The educational content can engage viewers and supplement formal education, making learning an enjoyable and accessible experience.

In addition to entertainment and education, it fosters a sense of connection and community. Shared viewing experiences, such as a family gathering around the TV or friends discussing a popular show, contribute to social bonding. it is a common ground for shared cultural references, fostering a sense of connection among diverse individuals.

Moreover, television plays a crucial role in keeping people informed. News programs provide real-time updates on local, national, and global events, helping viewers stay connected to the world around them. This accessibility to information contributes to a well-informed and engaged citizenry. From the convenience of entertainment to the educational and informative aspects, television continues to be a versatile and influential medium that enriches individuals’ lives and contributes to society’s cultural fabric.

Future Trends

Here are some anticipated future trends:

Streaming Dominance Continues: Streaming services are expected to dominate the television landscape further. The convenience of on-demand content and the proliferation of subscription-based platforms will likely redefine how viewers access and consume television.
Rise of Original Content: Streaming platforms investing heavily in original content creation will continue to expand. This trend will likely lead to a surge in high-quality, exclusive programming across genres, further diversifying viewer choices.
Personalized Viewing Experiences: Customization and personalization will become more prominent. AI and machine learning will enable platforms to recommend content based on individual preferences, improving user experiences.
Integration of Interactive Features: Interactive and immersive content will grow, allowing viewers to engage more actively with their favorite shows. This could include interactive storytelling, where viewers influence plotlines or character development.
Convergence of TV and Gaming: The line between television and gaming will continue to blur. Gaming content, live streams, and esports events are increasingly becoming part of television programming, appealing to a broader audience.
Expansion of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): AR and VR technologies will find more applications in television. Enhanced viewing experiences, interactive storytelling, and virtual environments for immersive content could become more prevalent.
5G and Enhanced Connectivity: The widespread adoption of 5G technology will revolutionize content delivery. Faster speeds and improved connectivity will facilitate seamless streaming experiences and enable the expansion of high-definition and 4K content.
Shift in Advertising Models: Advertising strategies will evolve. Targeted advertising, product integrations, and branded content will likely become more prevalent as traditional ad formats face challenges with ad-skipping and ad-blocking technologies.
Content Accessibility and Global Reach: Television content will become increasingly accessible globally. Streaming platforms expanding their reach to different regions and creating diverse, multicultural content will cater to a more global audience.
Regulatory Changes and Content Curation: Regulatory changes may impact content creation and distribution. Stricter content guidelines and increased efforts for content curation and moderation could influence the type of content available to viewers.

Television has come a long way in terms of the types of programs it offers, largely due to changing audience preferences and technological advancements. While news and dramas have been the traditional formats, reality shows, and streaming platforms have emerged as new and dynamic landscapes. Despite these changes, television has maintained its ability to capture audiences with diverse content. As new technologies continue to shape the medium, television remains a powerful force in shaping cultural narratives and providing entertainment and information to viewers worldwide.

Essay on Television for Students and Children

500+ words essay on television.

Television is one of the most popular devices that are used for entertainment all over the world. It has become quite common nowadays and almost every household has one television set at their place. In the beginning, we see how it was referred to as the ‘idiot box.’ This was mostly so because back in those days, it was all about entertainment. It did not have that many informative channels as it does now.

Moreover, with this invention, the craze attracted many people to spend all their time watching TV. People started considering it harmful as it attracted the kids the most. In other words, kids spent most of their time watching television and not studying. However, as times passed, the channels of television changed. More and more channels were broadcasted with different specialties. Thus, it gave us knowledge too along with entertainment.

Benefits of Watching Television

The invention of television gave us various benefits. It was helpful in providing the common man with a cheap mode of entertainment. As they are very affordable, everyone can now own television and get access to entertainment.

In addition, it keeps us updated on the latest happenings of the world. It is now possible to get news from the other corner of the world. Similarly, television also offers educational programs that enhance our knowledge about science and wildlife and more.

Moreover, television also motivates individuals to develop skills. They also have various programs showing speeches of motivational speakers. This pushes people to do better. You can also say that television widens the exposure we get. It increases our knowledge about several sports, national events and more.

While television comes with a lot of benefits, it also has a negative side. Television is corrupting the mind of the youth and we will further discuss how.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

How Television is Harming the Youth

Additionally, it also makes people addict. People get addicted to their TV’s and avoid social interaction. This impacts their social life as they spend their time in their rooms all alone. This addiction also makes them vulnerable and they take their programs too seriously.

The most dangerous of all is the fake information that circulates on news channels and more. Many media channels are now only promoting the propaganda of the governments and misinforming citizens. This makes causes a lot of division within the otherwise peaceful community of our country.

Thus, it is extremely important to keep the TV watching in check. Parents must limit the time of their children watching TV and encouraging them to indulge in outdoor games. As for the parents, we should not believe everything on the TV to be true. We must be the better judge of the situation and act wisely without any influence.

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How does television benefit people?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Television offers people a cheap source of entertainment. It saves them from boredom and helps them get information and knowledge about worldly affairs.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What is the negative side of television?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”:”Television has a negative side to it because it harms people’s health when watched in excess. Moreover, it is the easiest platform to spread fake news and create misunderstandings between communities and destroy the peace and harmony of the country.”} }] }

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

Travelling Essay
Picnic Essay
Our Country Essay
My Parents Essay
Essay on Favourite Personality
Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
Essay on Knowledge is Power
Essay on Gurpurab
Essay on My Favourite Season
Essay on Types of Sports

Download the App

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

9.2 The Relationship Between Television and Culture

Learning objectives.

Identify ways in which American culture is reflected on television.
Identify ways in which television affects the development of American culture.

Since its inception as an integral part of American life in the 1950s, television has both reflected and nurtured cultural mores and values. From the escapist dramas of the 1960s, which consciously avoided controversial issues and glossed over life’s harsher realities in favor of an idealized portrayal, to the copious reality TV shows in recent years, on which participants discuss even the most personal and taboo issues, television has held up a mirror to society. But the relationship between social attitudes and television is reciprocal; broadcasters have often demonstrated their power to influence viewers, either consciously through slanted political commentary, or subtly, by portraying controversial relationships (such as single parenthood, same-sex marriages, or interracial couplings) as socially acceptable. The symbiotic nature of television and culture is exemplified in every broadcast, from family sitcoms to serious news reports.

Cultural Influences on Television

In the 1950s, most television entertainment programs ignored current events and political issues. Instead, the three major networks (ABC, NBC, and CBS) developed prime-time shows that would appeal to a general family audience. Chief among these types of shows was the domestic comedy —a generic family comedy that was identified by its character-based humor and usually set within the home. Seminal examples included popular 1950s shows such as Leave It to Beaver, The Donna Reed Show , and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet . Presenting a standardized version of the White middle-class suburban family, domestic comedies portrayed the conservative values of an idealized American life. Studiously avoiding prevalent social issues such as racial discrimination and civil rights, the shows focused on mostly White middle-class families with traditional nuclear roles (mother in the home, father in the office) and implied that most domestic problems could be solved within a 30-minute time slot, always ending with a strong moral lesson.

Although these shows depicted an idealized version of American family life, many families in the 1950s were traditional nuclear families. Following the widespread poverty, political uncertainty, and physical separation of the war years, many Americans wanted to settle down, have children, and enjoy the peace and security that family life appeared to offer. During the booming postwar era, a period of optimism and prosperity, the traditional nuclear family flourished. However, the families and lifestyles presented in domestic comedies did not encompass the overall American experience by any stretch of the imagination. As historian Stephanie Coontz points out, “the June Cleaver or Donna Stone homemaker role was not available to the more than 40 percent of black women with small children who worked outside the home (Coontz, 1992).” Although nearly 60 percent of the U.S. population was labeled middle class by the mid-1950s, 25 percent of all families and more than 50 percent of two-parent Black families were poor. Migrant workers suffered horrific deprivations, and racial tensions were rife. None of this was reflected in the world of domestic comedies, where even the Hispanic gardener in Father Knows Best was named Frank Smith (Coontz, 1992).

Most domestic comedies in the 1950s portrayed an idealized version of family life and ignored social and political events.

Dennis S. Hurd – The Cleavers – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Not all programs in the 1950s were afraid to tackle controversial social or political issues. In March 1954, journalist Edward R. Murrow broadcast an unflattering portrait of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy on his show See It Now . McCarthy, a member of the Senate Investigation Committee, had launched inquiries regarding potential Communist infiltration in U.S. institutions. Murrow thought that McCarthy’s aggressive tactics were a potential threat to civil liberties. His portrait cast the senator from Wisconsin in an unflattering light by pointing out contradictions in his speeches. This led to such an uproar that McCarthy was formally reprimanded by the U.S. Senate (Friedman, 2008).

Entertainment programs also tackled controversial issues. The long-running television western Gunsmoke , which aired on CBS from 1955 to 1975, flourished in a Cold War society, where U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) stood up to lawlessness in defense of civilization. The characters and community in Gunsmoke faced relevant social issues, including the treatment of minority groups, the meaning of family, the legitimacy of violence, and the strength of religious belief. During the 1960s, the show adapted to the desires of its viewing audience, becoming increasingly aware of and sympathetic to ethnic minorities, in tune with the national mood during the civil rights era. This adaptability helped the show to become the longest-running western in TV history.

Violence and Escapism in the 1960s

During the 1960s, television news broadcasts brought the realities of real-world events into people’s living rooms in vivid detail. The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite , which debuted in 1962, quickly became the country’s most popular newscast, and by the end of the decade, journalist Walter Cronkite was known as the most trusted man in America. Following John F. Kennedy’s election to the presidency at the beginning of the decade, the 1960s took an ominous turn. Shocked viewers tuned into Cronkite’s broadcast on November 22, 1963, to learn about the assassination of their president. During the next few days, viewers followed every aspect of the tragedy on television, from the tremor in Cronkite’s voice as he removed his glasses and announced the news of Kennedy’s death, to the frantic scenes from Dallas police headquarters where the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was gunned down by nightclub owner Jack Ruby, to the thousands of mourners lining up next to the president’s flag-draped coffin.

Television began to play a major role in U.S. politics during the presidency of John. F. Kennedy.

Wikimedia Commons – public domain.

Around the same time as Kennedy’s assassination, horrific images from Vietnam were streaming into people’s living rooms during the nation’s first televised war. With five camera crews on duty in the Saigon bureau, news crews captured vivid details of the war in progress. Although graphic images were rarely shown on network TV, several instances of violence reached the screen, including a CBS report in 1965 that showed Marines lighting the thatched roofs of the village of Cam Ne with Zippo lighters and an NBC news report in 1968 that aired a shot of South Vietnamese General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a captive on a Saigon street. Further images, of children being burned and scarred by napalm and prisoners being tortured, fueled the antiwar sentiments of many Americans. In addition to the devastation caused by the president’s death and the Vietnam War, Americans were also feeling the pressure of the Cold War—the clash between the United States and the Soviet Union in the years following World War II. This pressure was especially great during periods of tension throughout the 1950s and 1960s, such as the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, a confrontation that caused many people to fear nuclear war.

As a result of the intense stress faced by many Americans during the 1960s, broadcasters and viewers turned to escapist programs such as I Dream of Jeannie , a fantasy show about a 2,000-year-old genie who marries an astronaut, and Bewitched , a supernatural-themed show about a witch who tries to live as a suburban housewife. Both shows typified the situation comedy , or sitcom, a comedy genre featuring a recurring cast of characters who resolve zany situations based on their everyday lives. Other popular sitcoms in the 1960s included The Beverly Hillbillies , a show about a poor backwoods family who move to Beverly Hills, California, after finding oil on their land, and Gilligan’s Island , the ultimate escapist comedy about seven characters shipwrecked on an uncharted island. None of the 1960s sitcoms mentioned any of the political unease that was taking place in the outside world, providing audiences with a welcome diversion from real life. Other than an occasional documentary, TV programming in the 1960s consisted of a sharp dichotomy between prime-time escapist comedy and hard news.

Figure 9.10

Escapist sitcoms like I Dream of Jeannie provided Americans with a much-needed diversion from the stressful events of the 1960s.

Diversity and Politics in the 1970s

During the 1970s, broadcasters began to diversify families on their shows to reflect changing social attitudes toward formerly controversial issues such as single parenthood and divorce. Feminist groups including the National Organization for Women (NOW), the National Women’s Political Caucus, and the Coalition of Labor Union Women pushed for equality on issues such as pay and encouraged women to enter the workforce. In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court sanctioned women’s right to abortion, giving them control over their reproductive rights. Divorce rates skyrocketed during the 1970s, as states adopted no-fault divorce laws, and the change in family dynamics was reflected on television. Between 1972 and 1978, CBS aired the socially controversial sitcom Maude . Featuring a middle-aged feminist living with her fourth husband and divorced daughter, the show exploded the dominant values of the White middle-class domestic sitcom and its traditional gender roles. Throughout its 7-year run, Maude tackled social and political issues such as abortion, menopause, birth control, alcoholism, and depression. During its first four seasons, the show was in the top 10 in Nielsen ratings, illustrating the changing tastes of the viewing audience, who had come of age during the era of civil rights and Vietnam protests and developed a taste for socially conscious television. Other 1970s sitcoms took the same approach, including Maude ’s CBS predecessor, All in the Family , which covered issues ranging from racism and homophobia to rape and miscarriage, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show , which reflected changing attitudes toward women’s rights by featuring television’s first never-married independent career woman as the central character. Even wholesome family favorite The Brady Bunch , which ran from 1969 to 1974, featured a non-nuclear family, reflecting the rising rates of blended families in American society.

Figure 9.11

The popularity of controversial shows like Maude reflected the changing cultural and social values of the 1970s.

In addition to changing family dynamics on sitcoms and other prime-time shows, variety and comedy sketch shows developed a political awareness in the 1970s that reflected audiences’ growing appetite for social and political commentary. Sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live ( SNL ) premiered on NBC in 1975 and has remained on air ever since. Featuring a different celebrity guest host every week and relatively unknown comedy regulars, the show parodies contemporary popular culture and politics, lambasting presidential candidates and pop stars alike. Earlier NBC sketch comedy show Laugh-In , which ran from 1968 to 1973, also featured politically charged material, though it lacked the satirical bite of later series such as SNL . By the end of the decade, television broadcasting reflected a far more politically conscious and socially aware viewing audience.

The Influence of Cable Television in the 1980s

Until the mid-1980s, the top three networks (ABC, NBC, and CBS) dominated television broadcasting in the United States. However, as cable services gained popularity following the deregulation of the industry in 1984, viewers found themselves with a multitude of options. Services such as Cable News Network (CNN), Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN), and Music Television (MTV) profoundly altered the television landscape in the world of news, sports, and music. New markets opened up for these innovative program types, as well as for older genres such as the sitcom. During the 1980s, a revival of family sitcoms took place with two enormous hits: The Cosby Show and Family Ties . Both featured a new take on modern family life, with the mothers working outside of the home and the fathers pitching in with housework and parental duties. Despite their success on network television, sitcoms faced stiff competition from cable’s variety of choices. Between 1983 and 1994, weekly broadcast audience shares (a measure of the number of televisions in use that are tuned to a particular show) for network television dropped from 69 to 52, while cable networks’ shares rose from 9 to 26 (Newcomb, 2004).

With a growing number of households subscribing to cable TV, concern began to grow about the levels of violence to which children were becoming exposed. In addition to regularly broadcast network programs, cable offered viewers the chance to watch films and adult-themed shows during all hours, many of which had far more violent content than normal network programming. One study found that by the time an average child leaves elementary school, he or she has witnessed 8,000 murders and more than 100,000 other acts of violence on television (Blakey, 2002). Although no conclusive links have been drawn between witnessing violence on television and carrying out violence in real life, the loosening boundaries regarding sexual and violent content on television is a persistent cause for concern for many parents. For more information on the social effects of violence in the media, please refer to Chapter 2 “Media Effects” .

Specialization in the 1990s and 2000s

Although TV viewership is growing, the vast number of cable channels and other, newer content delivery platforms means that audiences are thinly stretched. In recent years, broadcasters have been narrowing the focus of their programming to meet the needs and interests of an increasingly fragmented audience. Entire cable channels devoted to cooking, music, news, African American interests (see sidebar below), weather, and courtroom drama enable viewers to choose exactly what type of show they want to watch, and many news channels are further specialized according to viewers’ political opinions. This trend toward specialization reflects a more general shift within society, as companies cater increasingly to smaller, more targeted consumer bases. Business magazine editor Chris Anderson explains, “We’re leaving the watercooler era, when most of us listened, watched and read from the same relatively small pool of mostly hit content. And we’re entering the microculture era, when we are all into different things (Gunther, 2006).” Just as cable broadcasters are catering to niche markets, Internet-based companies such as Amazon.com and Netflix are taking advantage of this concept by selling large numbers of books, DVDs, and music albums with narrow appeal. Section 9.3 “Issues and Trends in the Television Industry” and Section 9.4 “Influence of New Technologies” of this chapter will cover the recent trends and issues of this era in television.

Black Entertainment Television (BET)

Launched in 1980, Black Entertainment Television (BET) was the first television network in the United States dedicated to the interests of African American viewers. The basic-cable franchise was created in Washington, DC, by media entrepreneur Robert Johnson, who initially invested $15,000 in the venture. Within a decade, he had turned the company into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, and in 1991 it became the first Black-controlled company on the New York Stock Exchange. The company was sold to Viacom in 2003 for $3 billion.

Pre-dating MTV by a year, BET initially focused on Black-oriented music videos but soon diversified into original urban-oriented programs and public affairs shows. Although BET compensated somewhat for the underrepresentation of Blacks on television (African Americans made up 8 percent of the prime-time characters on television in 1980 but made up 12 percent of the population), viewers complained about the portrayal of stereotypical images and inappropriate violent or sexual behavior in many of the rap videos shown by the network. In a 2004 interview with BET vice president of communications Michael Lewellen, former BET talk show host Bev Smith said, “We had videos on BET in those days that were graphic but didn’t proliferate as they seem to be doing now. That’s all you do seem to see are scantily dressed women who a lot of African American women are upset about in those videos (Fox News, 2004).” Despite the criticisms, BET remained the No. 1 cable network among Blacks 18 to 34 in 2010 and retained an average audience of 524,000 total viewers during the first quarter of the year (Forbes, 2010).

Television’s Influence on Culture

Despite entering a microculture era with a variety of niche markets, television remains the most important unifying cultural presence in the United States. During times of national crises, television news broadcasts have galvanized the country by providing real-time coverage of major events. When terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center towers in 2001, 24-hour TV news crews provided stunned viewers around the world with continuous updates about the attack and its aftermath. Meanwhile, network blockbusters such as Lost and 24 have united viewers in shared anticipation, launching numerous blogs, fan sites, and speculative workplace discussions about characters’ fates.

Televised coverage of the news has had several cultural effects since the 1950s. Providing viewers with footage of the most intense human experiences, televised news has been able to reach people in a way that radio and newspapers cannot. The images themselves have played an important role in influencing viewer opinion. During the coverage of the civil rights movement, for example, footage of a 1963 attack on civil rights protesters in Birmingham, Alabama, showed police blasting African American demonstrators—many of them children—with fire hoses. Coupled with images of angry White segregationist mobs squaring off against Black students, the news footage did much to sway public opinion in favor of liberal legislation such as the 1964 Voting Rights Act. Conversely, when volatile pictures of the race riots in Detroit and other cities in the late 1960s hit the airwaves, horrified viewers saw the need for a return to law and order. The footage helped create an anti-civil-rights backlash that encouraged many viewers to vote for conservative Republican Richard Nixon during the 1968 presidential election.

During the past few decades, mass-media news coverage has gone beyond swaying public opinion through mere imagery. Trusted centrist voices such as that of Walter Cronkite, who was known for his impartial reporting of some of the biggest news stories in the 1960s, have been replaced by highly politicized news coverage on cable channels such as conservative Fox News and liberal MSNBC. As broadcasters narrow their focus to cater to more specialized audiences, viewers choose to watch the networks that suit their political bias. Middle-of-the-road network CNN, which aims for nonpartisanship, frequently loses out in the ratings wars against Fox and MSNBC, both of which have fierce groups of supporters. As one reporter put it, “A small partisan base is enough for big ratings; the mildly interested middle might rather watch Grey’s Anatomy (Poniewozik, 2010).” Critics argue that partisan news networks cause viewers to have less understanding of opposing political opinions, making them more polarized.

Table 9.1 Partisan Profile of TV News Audiences in 2008

News Channel	Republican (%)	Democratic (%)	Independent (%)
Fox News	39	33	22
Nightly Network	22	45	26
MSNBC	18	45	27
CNN	18	51	23
NewsHour	21	46	23
Source: “Partisanship and Cable News Audiences,” Oct. 30, 2009, Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, a project of the Pew Research Center

Social Controversy

The issue of whether television producers have a responsibility to promote particular social values continues to generate heated discussion. When the unmarried title character in the CBS series Murphy Brown —a comedy show about a divorced anchorwoman—got pregnant and chose to have the baby without any involvement from the father, then–Vice President Dan Quayle referenced the show as an example of degenerating family values. Linking the 1992 Los Angeles riots to a breakdown of family structure and social order, Quayle lambasted producers’ poor judgment, saying, “It doesn’t help matters when prime-time TV has Murphy Brown, a character who supposedly epitomizes today’s intelligent, highly paid professional woman, mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone, and calling it just another ‘lifestyle choice (Time, 1992).’” Quayle’s outburst sparked lively debate between supporters and opponents of his viewpoint, with some praising his outspoken social commentary and others dismissing him as out of touch with America and its growing number of single mothers.

Similar controversy arose with the portrayal of openly gay characters on prime-time television shows. When the lead character on the ABC sitcom Ellen came out in 1997 (2 weeks after Ellen DeGeneres, the actress who played the role, announced that she was gay), she became the first leading gay character on both broadcast and cable networks. The show proved to be a test case for the nation’s tolerance of openly gay characters on prime-time TV and became the subject of much debate. Embraced by liberal supporters and lambasted by conservative objectors (evangelical Baptist minister Jerry Falwell infamously dubbed her “Ellen DeGenerate”), both the actress and the show furthered the quest to make homosexuality acceptable to mainstream audiences. Although Ellen was canceled the following year (amid disagreements with producers about whether it should contain a parental advisory warning), DeGeneres successfully returned to television in 2003 with her own talk show. Subsequent shows with prominent gay characters were quick to follow in Ellen ’s footsteps. According to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), 18 lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender characters accounted for 3 percent of scripted series regulars in the 2009–2010 broadcast television schedule, up from 1.3 percent in 2006 (Mitchell, 2009).

Creating Stars via Reality Television

Emerging out of the 1948 TV series Candid Camera , in which people were secretly filmed responding to elaborate practical jokes, reality television aimed to capture real, unscripted life on camera. The genre developed in several different directions, from home-video clip shows ( America’s Funniest Home Videos , America’s Funniest People ) to true-crime reenactment shows ( America’s Most Wanted , Unsolved Mysteries ) to thematic shows based on professions of interest ( Project Runway , Police Women of Broward County , Top Chef ). Near the turn of the millennium, the genre began to lean toward more voyeuristic shows, such as MTV’s The Real World , an unscripted “documentary” that followed the lives of seven strangers selected to live together in a large house or apartment in a major city. The show drew criticisms for glamorizing bad behavior and encouraging excessive drinking and casual sex, although its ratings soared with each successive controversy (a trend that critics claim encouraged producers to actively stage rating-grabbing scenarios). During the late 1990s and 2000s, a wave of copycat reality TV shows emerged, including the voyeuristic series Big Brother , which filmed a group of strangers living together in an isolated house full of cameras in an attempt to win large amounts of cash, and Survivor , a game show in which participants competed against each other by performing endurance challenges on an uninhabited island. Survivor ’s success as the most popular show on television in the summer of 2000 ensured the continued growth of the reality television genre, and producers turned their attention to reality dating shows such as The Bachelor , Temptation Island , and Dating in the Dark . Cheap to produce, with a seemingly never-ending supply of willing contestants and eager advertising sponsors, reality TV shows continue to bring in big ratings. As of 2010, singing talent competition American Idol is television’s biggest revenue generator, pulling in $8.1 million in advertising sales every 30 minutes it is on the air (Bond, 2010).

Figure 9.12

The stress of appearing on reality television shows has proved detrimental to some contestants’ health. Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle suffered a nervous breakdown in 2009.

Banalities – SuBo Dreamed a Dream – CC BY 2.0.

Reality TV has created the cultural phenomenon of the instant celebrity. Famous for simply being on the air, reality show contestants are extending their 15 minutes in the spotlight. Kate Gosselin, star of Jon & Kate Plus 8 , a cable TV show about a couple who have eight children, has since appeared in numerous magazine articles, and in 2010 she starred on celebrity reality dance show Dancing with the Stars . Survivor contestant Elisabeth Hasselbeck became a co-host on TV talk show The View , and several American Idol contestants (including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood) have become household names. The genre has drawn criticism for creating a generation that expects to achieve instant wealth without having to try very hard and also for preying on vulnerable people whom critics call “disposable.” When Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle suffered a public meltdown in 2009 after the stress of transitioning from obscurity to stardom in an extremely short time period, the media began to point out the dangers of reality television. In 2009, TheWrap.com investigated the current lives of former stars of reality shows such as The Contender , Paradise Hotel , Wife Swap , and Extreme Makeover , and found that at least 11 participants had committed suicide as an apparent result of their appearances on screen (Adams, 2009; Feldlinger).

Key Takeaways

Television has been reflecting changing cultural values since it first gained popularity after World War II. During the 1950s, most programs ignored current events and political issues in favor of family-friendly domestic comedies, which featured White suburban middle-class families. Extreme stress during the 1960s, caused by political events such as the Vietnam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, led people to turn to escapist television offered by fantasy sitcoms. These provided a sharp dichotomy with the hard-news shows of the era. Social consciousness during the 1970s prompted television producers to reflect changing social attitudes regarding single parenthood, women’s roles, and divorce, and sitcom families began to reflect the increasing number of non-nuclear families in society. The increasing popularity of cable TV in the 1980s led to an explosion of news and entertainment channels, some of which raised concerns about the levels of violence on television. During the 1990s and 2000s, TV networks became more specialized, catering to niche markets in order to meet the needs of an increasingly fragmented audience.
Television reflects cultural values, and it also influences culture. One example of this is the polarization of cable TV news, which is no longer centrist but caters to individual political tastes. Critics argue that this influences cable news viewers’ opinions and makes them less open to opposing political viewpoints. Entertainment programs also play an influential role within society. By portraying controversial relationships such as single parents or gay couples as acceptable, TV shows have the power to shape viewers’ attitudes. In recent years, broadcasters have created the concept of the instant celebrity through the genre of reality television. Contestants on reality TV shows now permeate every aspect of culture and the media, from the music charts to popular magazines and newspapers.

Please respond to the following short-answer writing prompts. Each response should be a minimum of one paragraph.

Choose a popular sitcom from the past 50 years you are familiar with (you can view episodes on Hulu.com to refamiliarize yourself if necessary). Using the ideas in this section as a starting point, identify three ways in which your chosen sitcom reflects or reflected American culture.
Spend a few days reviewing news coverage on Fox News and MSNBC. How is coverage of similar news stories different? Do you think partisan news networks can affect public opinion? Why or why not?

Adams, Guy. “Lessons From America on the Dangers of Reality Television,” Independent (London), June 6, 2009, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/lessons-from-america-on-the-dangers-of-reality-television-1698165.html .

Blakey, Rea. “Study Links TV Viewing Among Kids to Later Violence,” CNN Health , March 28, 2002, http://archives.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/parenting/03/28/kids.tv.violence/index.html .

Bond, Paul. “‘Idol’ Listed as TV’s Biggest Revenue Generator,” Hollywood Reporter , May 5, 2010, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i8f1f42046a622bda2d602430b16d3ed9 .

Coontz, Stephanie. “‘Leave It to Beaver’ and ‘Ozzie and Harriet’: American Families in the 1950s,” in The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trip (New York: BasicBooks, 1992), 28.

Forbes, “BET Networks Unveils New African American Consumer Market Research and New Programming at 2010 Upfront Presentation,” April 14, 2010, http://www.forbes.com/feeds/prnewswire/2010/04/14/prnewswire201004141601PR_NEWS_USPR_____NE86679.html .

Fox News, The O’Reilly Factor, “Is Black Entertainment Television Taking a Disturbing Turn?” Fox News , May 26, 2004, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,120993,00.html .

Frank Feldlinger, “TheWrap Investigates: 11 Players Have Committed Suicide,” TheWrap, http://www.thewrap.com/television/article/thewrap-investigates-11-players-have-committed-suicide-3409 .

Friedman, Michael J. “‘See It Now’: Murrow vs. McCarthy,” in Edward R. Murrow: Journalism at Its Best , publication of U.S. Department of State, June 1, 2008, http://www.america.gov/st/democracyhr-english/2008/June/20080601110244eaifas8.602542e-02.html .

Gunther, Marc. “The Extinction of Mass Culture, CNN Money , July 12, 2006, http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/11/news/economy/pluggedin_gunther.fortune/index.htm .

Mitchell, Wendy. “GLAAD Report: Gay Characters on Network TV Still on the Rise,” Entertainment Weekly , September 30, 2009, http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/09/30/glaad-report-gay-characters-on-rise/ .

Newcomb, Horace. ed., Encyclopedia of Television (New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2004), 389.

Poniewozik, James. “CNN: Can a Mainstream News Outlet Survive?” Time , May 3, 2010, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1983901,00.html .

Time, “Dan Quayle vs. Murphy Brown,” June 1, 1992, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975627,00.html .

Understanding Media and Culture Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

History Cooperative

The First TV: A Complete History of Television

From the Moon Landing to M*A*S*H, from the Olympics to “The Office,” some of the most critical moments in history and culture have been experienced worldwide thanks to the wondrous invention of television.

The evolution of television has been one full of slow, steady progress. However, there have been definitive moments that have changed technology forever. The first TV, the first “broadcast” of live events to screen, the introduction of “the television show,” and the Streaming Internet have all been significant leaps forward in how television works.

Today, television technology is an integral part of telecommunications and computing. Without it, we would be lost.

Table of Contents

What Is a Television System?

It’s a simple question with a surprisingly complex answer. At its core, a “television” is a device that takes electrical input to produce moving images and sound for us to view. A “television system” would be both what we now call television and the camera/producing equipment that captured the original images.

The Etymology of “Television”

The word “television” first appeared in 1907 in the discussion of a theoretical device that transported images across telegraph or telephone wires. Ironically, this prediction was behind the times, as some of the first experiments into television used radio waves from the beginning.

“Tele-” is a prefix that means “far off” or “operating at a distance.” The word “television” was agreed upon quite rapidly, and while other terms like “iconoscope” and “emitron” referred to patented devices that were used in some electronic television systems, television is the one that stuck.

Today, the word “television” takes a slightly more fluid meaning. A “television show” is often considered a series of small entertainment pieces with a throughline or overarching plot. The difference between television and movies is found in the length and serialization of the media, rather than the technology used to broadcast it.

“Television” is now as often watched on phones, computers, and home projectors as it is on the independent devices we call “television sets.” In 2017, only 9 percent of American adults watched television using an antenna , and 61 percent watched it directly from the internet.

The Mechanical Television System

The first device you could call a “television system” under these definitions was created by John Logie Baird. A Scottish engineer, his mechanical television used a spinning “Nipkow disk,” a mechanical device to capture images and convert them to electrical signals. These signals, sent by radio waves, were picked up by a receiving device. Its own disks would spin similarly, illuminated by a neon light to produce a replica of the original images.

Baird’s first public demonstration of his mechanical television system was somewhat prophetically held at a London Department store way back in 1925 . Little did he know that television systems would be carefully intertwined with consumerism throughout history.

The evolution of the mechanical television system progressed rapidly and, within three years, Baird’s invention was able to broadcast from London to New York. By 1928, the world’s first television station opened under the name W2XCW. It transmitted 24 vertical lines at 20 frames a second.

Of course, the first device that we today would recognize as television involved the use of Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs). These convex glass-in-box devices shared images captured live on camera, and the resolution was, for its time, incredible.

This modern, electronic television had two fathers working simultaneously and often against each other. They were Philo Farnsworth and Vladimir Zworykin.

Who Invented the First TV?

Traditionally, a self-taught boy from Idaho named Philo Farnsworth is credited for having invented the first TV. But another man, Vladimir Zworykin, also deserves some of the credit. In fact, Farnsworth could not have completed his invention without the help of Zworykin.

How the First Electronic Television Camera Came to Be

Philo Farnsworth claimed to have designed the first electronic television receiver at only 14 . Regardless of those personal claims, history records that Farnsworth, at only 21, designed and created a functioning “image dissector” in his small city apartment.

The image dissector “captured images” in a manner not too dissimilar to how our modern digital cameras work today. His tube, which captured 8,000 individual points, could convert the image to electrical waves with no mechanical device required. This miraculous invention led to Farnsworth creating the first all-electronic television system.

Zworykin’s Role in the Developing the First Television

Having escaped to America during the Russian Civil War, Vladimir Zworykin found himself immediately employed by Westinghouse’s electrical engineering firm. He then set to work patenting work he had already produced in showing television images via a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). He had not, at that point, been able to capture images as well as he could show them.

The First TV: A Complete History of Television 4

By 1929, Zworykin worked for the Radio Corporation of America (owned by General Electric and soon to form the National Broadcasting Company). He had already created a simple color television system. Zworykin was convinced that the best camera would also use CRT but never seemed to make it work.

When Was TV Invented?

Despite protestations from both men and multiple drawn-out legal battles over their patents, RCA eventually paid royalties to use Farnsworth’s technology to transmit to Zorykin’s receivers. In 1927, the first TV was invented. For decades after, these electronic televisions changed very little.

When Was The First Television Broadcast?

The first television broadcast was by Georges Rignoux and A. Fournier in Paris in 1909. However, this was the broadcast of a single line. The first broadcast that general audiences would have been wowed by was on March 25, 1925. That is the date John Logie Baird presented his mechanical television.

When television began to change its identity from the engineer’s invention to the new toy for the rich, broadcasts were few and far between. The first television broadcasts were of King George VI’s coronation. The coronation was one of the first television broadcasts to be filmed outside.

In 1939, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) broadcasted the opening of New York’s World’s Fair. This event included a speech from Franklin D. Roosevelt and an appearance by Albert Einstein. By this point, NBC had a regular broadcast of two hours every afternoon and was watched by approximately nineteen thousand people around New York City.

The First Television Networks

The First Television Network was The National Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of The Radio Corporation of America (or RCA). It started in 1926 as a series of Radio stations in New York and Washington. NBC’s first official broadcast was on November 15, 1926.

NBC started to regularly broadcast television after the 1939 New York World’s Fair. It had approximately one thousand viewers. From this point on, the network would broadcast every day and continues to do so now.

The National Broadcasting Company kept a dominant position among television networks in the United States for decades but always had competition. The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), which had also previously broadcast in radio and mechanical television, turned to all-electronic television systems in 1939. In 1940, it became the first television network to broadcast in color, albeit in a one-off experiment.

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) was forced to break off from NBC to form its own television network in 1943. This was due to the FCC being concerned that a monopoly was occurring in television.

The three television networks would rule television broadcasting for forty years without competition.

In England , the publicly-owned British Broadcasting Corporation (or BBC) was the only television station available. It started broadcasting television signals in 1929, with John Logie Baird’s experiments, but the official Television Service did not exist until 1936. The BBC would remain the only network in England until 1955.

The First Television Productions

The first made-for-television drama would arguably be a 1928 drama called “The Queen’s Messenger,” written by J. Harley Manners. This live drama presentation included two cameras and was lauded more for the technological marvel than anything else.

The first news broadcasts on television involved news readers repeating what they just had broadcast on radio.

On December 7, 1941, Ray Forrest, one of the first full-time news announcers for television, presented the first news bulletin. The first time that “regularly scheduled programs” were interrupted, his bulletin announced the attack on Pearl Harbor.

This special report for CBS ran for hours, with experts coming into the studio to discuss everything from geography to geopolitics. According to a report CBS gave to the FCC, this unscheduled broadcast “was unquestionably the most stimulating challenge and marked the greatest advance of any single problem faced up to that time.”

After the war, Forrest went on to host one of the first cooking shows on television, “In the Kelvinator Kitchen.”

When Was the First TV Sold?

The first television sets available for anyone were manufactured in 1934 by Telefunken , a subsidiary of the electronics company Siemens. RCA began manufacturing American sets in 1939. They cost around $445 dollars at the time (the American average salary was $35 per month).

TV Becomes Mainstream: The Post-War Boom

After the Second World War, a newly invigorated middle class caused a boom in sales of television sets, and television stations began to broadcast around the clock worldwide.

By the end of the 1940s, audiences were looking to get more from television programming. While news broadcasts would always be important, audiences looked for entertainment that was more than a play that happened to be caught on camera. Experiments from major networks led to significant changes in the type of television programs in existence. Many of these experiments can be seen in the shows of today.

What Was the First TV Show?

The first regularly broadcast TV show was a visual version of the popular radio series, “Texaco Star Theatre.” It began tv broadcasts on June 8, 1948. By this time, there were nearly two hundred thousand television sets in America.

The Rise of The Sitcom

In 1947, DuMont Television Network (partnered with Paramount Pictures) began to air a series of teledramas starring real-life couple Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns. “Mary Kay and Johnny” featured a middle-class American couple facing real-life problems. It was the first show on television to show a couple in bed, as well as a pregnant woman. It was not only the first “sitcom” but the model for all the great sitcoms since.

Three years later, CBS hired a young female actor called Lucille, who had previously been known in Hollywood as “The Queen of the B (movies).” Initially trying her out in other sitcoms, she eventually convinced them that their best show would include her partner, just as Mary Kay and Johnny had.

The show, entitled “I Love Lucy,” became a runaway success and is now considered a cornerstone of television.

Today, “I Love Lucy” has been described as “legitimately the most influential in TV history.” The popularity of reruns led to the concept of “syndication,” an arrangement in which other television stations could purchase the rights to screen reruns of the show.

According to CBS, “I Love Lucy” still makes the company $20 Million a year . Lucille Ball is now considered one of the most important names in the history of the medium.

The “sitcom,” derived from the phrase “situational comedy,” is still one of the most popular forms of television programming.

In 1983, the final episode of the popular sitcom “M*A*S*H” had over one hundred million viewers glued to their screens, a number not beaten for nearly thirty years.

In 1997, Jerry Seinfeld would become the first sit-com star to earn a million dollars per episode. “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, a sitcom about the immoral and crazy owners of a bar, is the longest-running live sitcom ever, now into its 15th season.

When Did Color TV Come Out?

The ability of television systems to broadcast and receive color occurred relatively early in the evolution of electronic television. Patents for color television existed from the late nineteenth century, and John Baird regularly broadcast from a color television system in the thirties.

The National Television System Committee (NTSC) met in 1941 to develop a standardized system for television broadcasts, ensuring that all television stations used similar systems to ensure that all television systems could receive them. The committee, created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), would meet again only twelve years later to agree upon a standard for color television.

However, a problem faced by television networks was that color broadcasting required extra radio bandwidth. This bandwidth, the FCC decided, needed to be separate from that which sent black and white television in order for all audiences to receive a broadcast. This NTSC standard was first used for the “Tournament of Roses Parade” in 1954. The color viewing was available to so few systems as a particular receiver was required.

The First TV Remote Control

While the first remote controls were intended for military use, controlling boats and artillery from a distance, entertainment providers soon considered how radio and television systems might use the technology.

What Was The First TV Remote?

The first remote control for television was developed by Zenith in 1950 and was called “Lazy Bones.” It had a wired system and only a single button, which allowed for the changing of channels.

By 1955, however, Zenith had produced a wireless remote that worked by shining light at a receiver on the television. This remote could change channels, turn the tv on and off, and even change the sound. However, being activated by light, ordinary lamps, and sunlight could unintentionally act on the television.

While future remote controls would use ultrasonic frequencies, the use of infra-red light ended up being the standard. The information sent from these devices was often unique to the television system but could offer complex instructions.

Today, all television sets are sold with remote controls as standard, and an inexpensive “universal remote” can be purchased easily online.

The Tonight Show and Late Night Television

The First TV: A Complete History of Television 5

After starring in the first American sitcom, Johnny Stearns continued on television by being one of the producers behind “Tonight, Starring Steve Allen,” now known as “The Tonight Show.” This late-night broadcast is the longest-running television talk show still running today.

Prior to “The Tonight Show,” talk shows were already growing popular. “The Ed Sullivan Show” opened in 1948 with a premier that included Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, and a sneak preview of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.” The show featured serious interviews with its stars and Sullivan was known to have little respect for the young musicians that performed on his show. “The Ed Sullivan Show” lasted until 1971 and is now most remembered for being the show that introduced the United States to “ Beatlemania “.

“The Tonight Show” was a more low-brow affair compared to Sullivan, and popularized a number of elements found today in late-night television; opening monolog, live bands, sketch moments with guest stars, and audience participation all found their start in this program.

While popular under Allen, “The Tonight Show” really became a part of history during its epic three-decade run under Johnny Carson. From 1962 to 1992, Carson’s program was less about the intellectual conversation with guests than it was about promotion and spectacle. Carson, to some , “define[d] in a single word what made television different from theater or cinema.”

The Tonight Show still runs today, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, while contemporary competitors include “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert and “The Daily Show” with Trevor Noah.

Digital Television Systems

Starting with the first TV, television broadcasts were always analog, which means the radio wave itself contains the information the set needs to create a picture and sound. Image and sound would be directly translated into waves via “modulation” and then reverted back by the receiver through “demodulation”.

A digital radio wave doesn’t contain such complex information, but alternates between two forms, which can be interpreted as zeros and ones. However, this information needs to be “encoded” and “recoded.”

With the rise of low-cost, high-power computing, engineers experimented with the digital broadcast . Digital broadcast “decoding” could be done by a computer chip within the tv set which breaks down the waves into discrete zeroes and ones.

While this could be used to produce greater image quality and clearer audio, it would also require a much higher bandwidth and computing power that was only available in the seventies. The bandwidth required was improved over time with the advent of “ compression ” algorithms, and television networks could broadcast greater amounts of data to televisions at home.

Digital broadcast of television via cable television began in the mid-nineties , and as of July 2021 , no television station in the United States broadcasts in analog.

VHS Brings the Movies to TV

For a very long time, what you saw on television was decided by what the television networks decided to broadcast. While some wealthy people could afford film projectors, the large box in the living room could only show what someone else wanted it to.

Then, in the 1960s, electronics companies began to provide devices that could “record television” onto electromagnetic tapes, which could then be watched through the set at a later time. These “Video Cassette Recorders” were expensive but desired by many. The first Sony VCR cost the same as a new car.

In the late seventies, two companies faced off to determine the standard of home video cassettes in what some referred to as a “format war.”

Sony’s “Betamax” eventually lost to JVC’s “VHS” format due to the latter company’s willingness to make their standard “open” (and not require licensing fees).

VHS machines quickly dropped in price, and soon most homes contained an extra piece of equipment. Contemporary VCRs could record from the television and played portable tapes with other recordings. In California, businessman George Atkinson purchased a library of fifty movies directly from movie companies and then proceeded to start a new industry.

The Birth of Video Rental Companies

For a fee, customers could become members of his “Video Station” . Then, for an additional cost, they could borrow one of the fifty movies to watch at home, before returning. So began the era of the video rental company.

Movie studios were concerned by the concept of home video. They argued that giving people the ability to copy to tape what they are shown constituted theft. These cases reached the Supreme Court, which eventually decided that recording for home consumption was legal.

Studios replied by creating licensing agreements to make video rental a legitimate industry and produce films specifically for home entertainment.

While the first “direct to video” movies were low-budget slashers or pornography, the format became quite popular after the success of Disney’s “Aladdin: Return of Jafar.” This sequel to the popular animated movie sold 1.5 Million copies in its first two days of release.

READ MORE: The Dawn of Desire: Who Invented Porn?

Home video changed slightly with the advent of digital compression and the rise of optical disc storage.

Soon, networks and film companies could offer high-quality digital television recordings on Digital Versatile Discs (or DVDs). These discs were introduced in the mid-nineties but soon were superseded by high-definition discs.

As possible evidence of karma, it was Sony’s “Blu-Ray” system that won against Toshiba’s “HG DVD” in home video’s second “Format War.” Today, Blu-Rays are the most popular form of physical purchase for home entertainment.

First Satellite TV

On July 12, 1962, the Telstar 1 satellite beamed images sent from Andover Earth Station in Maine to the Pleumeur-Bodou Telecom Center in Brittany, France. So marked the birth of satellite television. Only three years later, the first commercial satellite for the purposes of broadcasting was sent into space.

Satellite television systems allowed television networks to broadcast around the world, no matter how far from the rest of society a receiver might be. While owning a personal receiver was, and still is, far more expensive than conventional television, networks took advantage of such systems to offer subscription services that were not available to public consumers. These services were a natural evolution of already existing “cable channels” such as “Home Box Office,” which relied on direct payment from consumers instead of external advertising.

The first live satellite broadcast that was watchable worldwide occurred in June 1967. BBC’s “Our World” employed multiple geostationary satellites to beam a special entertainment event that included the first public performance of “All You Need is Love” by The Beatles.

The Constant Rise and Fall of 3D Television

It is a technology with a long history of attempts and failures and which will likely return one day. “3D Television” refers to television that conveys depth perception, often with the aid of specialized screens or glasses .

It may come as no surprise that the first example of 3D television came from the labs of John Baird. His 1928 presentation bore all the hallmarks of future research into 3D television because the principle has always been the same. Two images are shown at slightly different angles and differences to approximate the different images our two eyes see.

While 3D films have come and gone as gimmicky spectacles, the early 2010s saw a significant spark of excitement for 3D television — all the spectacle of the movies at home. While there was nothing technologically advanced about screening 3D television, broadcasting it required more complexity in standards. At the end of 2010, the DVB-3D standard was introduced, and electronics companies around the world were clambering to get their products into homes .

However, like the 3D crazes in movies every few decades, the home viewer soon grew tired. While 2010 saw the PGA Championship, FIFA World Cup, and Grammy Awards all filmed and broadcast in 3D, channels began to stop offering the service only three years later. By 2017, Sony and LG officially announced they would no longer support 3D for their products.

Some future “visionary” will likely take another shot at 3D television but, by then, there is a very good chance that television will be something very different indeed.

LCD/LED Systems

During the late twentieth century, new technologies arose in how television could be presented on the screen. Cathode Ray Tubes had limitations in size, longevity, and cost. The invention of low-cost microchips and the ability to manufacture quite small components led TV manufacturers to look for new technologies.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is a way to present images by having a backlight shine through millions (or even billions) of crystals that can be individually made opaque or translucent using electricity . This method allows the display of images using devices that can be very flat and use little electricity.

While popular in the 20th century for use in clocks and watches, improvements in LCD technology let them become the next way to present images for television. Replacing the old CRT meant televisions were lighter, thinner, and inexpensive to run. Because they did not use phosphorous, images left on the screen could not “burn-in” .

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) use extremely small “diodes” that light up when electricity passes through them. Like LCD, they are inexpensive, small, and use little electricity. Unlike LCD, they need no backlight. Because LCDs are cheaper to produce, they have been the popular choice in the early 21st century. However, as technology changes , the advantages of LED may eventually lead to it taking over the market.

The Internet Boogeyman

The ability for households to have personal internet access in the nineties led to fear among those in the television industry that it might not be around forever. While many saw this fear as similar to the rise of VHS, others took advantage of the changes.

With internet speeds increasing, the data that was previously sent to the television via radio waves or cables could not be sent through your telephone line. The information you would once need to record onto a video cassette could be “downloaded” to watch in the future. People began acting “outside of the law,”very much like the early video rental stores.

Then, when internet speed reached a point fast enough, something unusual happened.

“Streaming Video” and the rise of YouTube

In 2005, three former employees of the online financial company PayPal created a website that allowed people to upload their home videos to watch online. You didn’t need to download these videos but could watch them “live” as the data was “streamed” to your computer. This means you did not need to wait for a download or use up hard-drive space.

Videos were free to watch but contained advertising and allowed content creators to include ads for which they would be paid a small commission. This “partner program” encouraged a new wave of creators who could make their own content and gain an audience without relying on television networks.

The creators offered a limited release to interested people, and by the time the site officially opened, more than two million videos a day were being added.

Today, creating content on YouTube is big business. With the ability for users to “subscribe” to their favorite creators, the top YouTube stars can earn tens of millions of dollars a year.

Netflix, Amazon, and the New Television Networks

In the late nineties, a new subscription video rental service formed that was seemingly like all those who came after George Atkinson. It had no physical buildings but would rely on people returning the video in the mail before renting the next one. Because videos now came on DVD, postage was cheap, and the company soon rivaled the most prominent video rental chains.

Then in 2007, as people were paying attention to the rise of YouTube, the company took a risk. Using the rental licenses it already had to lend out its movies, it placed them online for consumers to stream directly. It started with 1,000 titles and only allowed 18 hours of streaming per month. This new service was so popular that, by the end of the year, the company had 7.5 million subscribers.

The problem was that, for Netflix, they relied on the same television networks that their company was damaging. If people watched their streaming service more than traditional television, networks would need to increase their fee for licensing their shows to rental companies. In fact, if a network decided to no longer license its content to Netflix, there would be little the company could do.

So, the company started to produce its own material. It hoped to attract even more viewers by investing a large amount of money on new shows like “Daredevil” and the US remake of “House of Cards.” The latter series, which ran from 2013 to 2018, won 34 Emmys , cementing Netflix as a competitor in the television network industry.

In 2021, the company spent $17 Billion on original content and continued to decrease the amount of content purchased from the three major networks.

Other companies took note of the success of Netflix. Amazon, which started life as an online bookstore, and became one of the largest e-commerce platforms globally, began to produce its own original in the same year as Netflix and has since been joined by dozens of other services around the world.

The Future of Television

In some ways, those who feared the internet were right. Today, streaming takes up over a quarter of the audience’s viewing habits, with this number rising every year.

However, this change is less about the media and more about the technology that accesses it. Mechanical Televisions are gone. Analog broadcasts are gone. Eventually, radio-broadcasted television will disappear as well. But television? Those half-hour and one-hour blocks of entertainment, they are not going anywhere.

The most-watched streaming programs of 2021 include dramas, comedies, and, just like at the beginning of television history, cooking shows.

While slow to react to the internet, the major networks all now have their own streaming services, and new advances in fields like virtual reality mean that television will continue to evolve well into our future.

How to Cite this Article

There are three different ways you can cite this article.

1. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper , use:

<a href=" https://historycooperative.org/the-first-tv-a-complete-history-of-television/ ">The First TV: A Complete History of Television</a>

Essay On Television – 10 Lines, Short And Long Essay For Children

Key Points To Remember When Writing Essay On Television For Lower Primary Classes

10 lines on the television for kids, a paragraph on the television for children, short essay on the television in 200 words for kids, long essay on the television for kids, what will your child learn from these essays.

Before the birth of the internet, television was the most popular mass media globally. An essay on television has been a popular topic for writing articles. Children must know what a television is to write an essay on this device. This device was once a window into the world. It has slowly taken a back seat with the introduction of mobile phones. In this essay on television for classes 1, 2, & 3, we will discuss how to write about this device.

Here are important tips on how to write an essay on the television:

Gather facts on the television, such as its history, working mechanism, and advancements made.
Keep the essay informative and relatable to the general reader.
Add introductory and concluding lines to long-form essays.
Avoid stuffing the essay with technical information unless it is required.

One-line essays are easy for children as an introduction to writing. Below is an essay for classes 1 and 2 on television:

Television is one of the most popular sources of entertainment and information about the world.
The word television comes from the ancient Greek word “tele”, meaning far and the Latin word “visio”, which means sight.
TV was coined as a short form for television in 1948.
Television in the old days used CRT monitors. Modern televisions use LED or LCDs.
John Logie Baird invented the colour television in 1937.
Old televisions operated on simple antennas or cable networks.
Modern televisions are smart and very similar to mobile phones.
Televisions have been a source of endless entertainment for people for decades.
Television has both advantages and disadvantages.
As per the BARC report, 6.9% more Indian households owned a TV between 2018-2020.

Essays take practice to perfect. Here is an example of how to write a paragraph about the television:

Entertainment is a necessity in everyone’s life. Ever since the invention of the TV by John Logie Baird in 1926, people slowly realized its potential to act as mass media. The television revolutionized entertainment by creating a whole industry around it in the form of movies, game shows, series and documentaries. It is loved by adults and children alike as it has become a window to the world. People have been glued to their television sets, watching one show after another. It has become a centrepiece in everybody’s life. But, television watchers have declined since the introduction of computers, mobile phones and the internet. However, it continues to be relevant in the modern era.

A short essay is a great place to start learning essay writing. Here is an essay for classes 1, 2 and 3 on the television:

When it comes to inventions that have had the most impact on modern civilization, the television has earned a spot at the top of the list. While many people demonstrated a device that could display pictures, John Logie Baird came up with coloured television in 1937 that became popular. The device consisted of a cathode-ray tube and a screen that could project images and audio. For a long time, television was black and white in most people’s homes, and they had one or two channels that were a popular source of news and entertainment.

Once cable TV started worldwide, the entertainment industry moved to television production. Reality shows, movies and 24 hours news became a thing that began shaping the world and how people spent their time. Before the invention of the personal computer, the TV was also part of the gaming industry as a display unit. Most children had gaming consoles that displayed graphics on the TV.

Television has gone through major changes in the last few decades, and entertainment has mostly diversified into the internet, with the TV taking a back seat. However, it continues to be one of the most trusted and viewed mass media devices globally.

Short paragraph writing needs to be practised before children can take on the task of writing the long ones. Here is an example essay on television for class 3:

The television is one of the most popular and loved inventions in the world. This device is not only a source of news and entertainment but also a window to the world. Almost a century ago, television’s invention revolutionized the entertainment sector and how people viewed the world.

In 1926, John Logie Baird demonstrated the first television as we know it now and later developed the colour television. People from the older generations would recall that televisions looked nothing like what they do now. They were mostly made of a huge wooden box that contained a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) connected to a glass screen.

Colour televisions were harder to find, especially in developing countries, until the 1990s. Thanks to technology becoming cheaper, it was widely seen in most houses by the early 2000s. The flat-screen TV, which started becoming popular during the 2000s, had better picture quality, and some even had inbuilt games. By the decade’s end, the LCD and LED display screens replaced CRT television sets, and television became slimmer and more energy-efficient. Fast forward to the 2020s, televisions are smarter with internet connectivity and new features.

Throughout history, television viewers have mixed sentiments regarding its influence on people. Some thought of it as a wonderful source of information and connectivity, while many saw it as a distraction that wasted students’ time. Regardless of people’s opinions, the effect television has on the modern world cannot be overstated, and it continues to be a favourite window to the world for most people.

History Of Television

The history of television can be traced back to the 1800s. Before the invention of electronic television, mechanical televisions existed to scan an image and transmit it to a screen. John Logie Baird demonstrated his mechanical television in 1926, and it would take ten more years before the commercial production of televisions. Philo Farnsworth demonstrated the first successful electronic television in 1927. India first saw television as an experiment on 15th September 1959.

Advantages Of Watching Television

Here are some benefits of watching television:

Source Of Knowledge: News channels and educational programs on television are excellent sources of information on events worldwide, science and technology. Educational programs on television also help people learn new things.
Entertainment: Television is the most inexpensive source of entertainment for people, and it gives them the option to choose from entertainment such as music, movies, documentaries and reality shows.
It Is Motivational: Television gives people new ideas and informs them about what goes on. Many people are motivated by what they see on television and go on to make inventions and discoveries.

Disadvantages Of Watching Television

Some disadvantages of television:

It Is Addictive: Television’s endless shows can be addictive to many, and it can make people waste time when they binge-watch.
Fake Information: Television channels often create content with a plan, and people can also misuse them as a tool to spread false information.
Inappropriate Content: Televisions give little control over the type of content children watch when parents are not around, which can sometimes be harmful.

The essays above are examples of different formats children are asked to write in schools. They can gain information on the subject and learn how to write their composition on television.

1. Who Invented The First Television and In Which Year?

John Logie Baird demonstrated the first television in the year 1926.

2. What Was The First Colour TV Called?

The first television was called the RCA CT-100.

Television is one of the most loved inventions of humanity. Over a century since its invention, it has undergone numerous changes to become a sophisticated device today.

Essay On Internet for Classes 1, 2 and 3 Kids Importance of Education Essay Class 1, 2 and 3 Children Essay On ‘My Favourite Subject’ for Class 1, 2 and 3 Kids

Essays for Class 1
Essays for Class 2
Essays for Class 3

Shraddha Mishra

How your screen time directly impacts your child, 13 helpful tips to get your child to listen to you, how to build a healthy relationship with food for your child, leave a reply cancel reply.

Most Popular

Why playing alone is recommended for kids, recent comments.

FirstCry Intelli Education is an Early Learning brand, with products and services designed by educators with decades of experience, to equip children with skills that will help them succeed in the world of tomorrow.

The FirstCry Intellikit `Learn With Stories` kits for ages 2-6 brings home classic children`s stories, as well as fun activities, specially created by our Early Learning Educators.

For children 6 years and up, explore a world of STEAM learning, while engaging in project-based play to keep growing minds busy!

Build a love for reading through engaging book sets and get the latest in brain-boosting toys, recommended by the educators at FirstCry Intellitots.

Our Comprehensive 2-year Baby Brain Development Program brings to you doctor-approved toys for your baby`s developing brain.

Our Preschool Chain offers the best in education across India, for children ages 2 and up.

Welcome to the world of Intelli!

We have some FREE Activity E-books waiting for you. Fill in your details below so we can send you tailor- made activities for you and your little one.

Parent/Guardian's Name

Child's DOB

What would you like to receive other than your Free E-book? I would like information, discounts and offers on toys, books and products I want to find a FirstCry Intellitots Preschool near me I want access to resources for my child's development and/or education

Welcome to the world of intelli!

FREE guides and worksheets coming your way on whatsapp. Subscribe Below !!

THANK YOU!!!

Here are your free guides and worksheets.

Ask the publishers to restore access to 500,000+ books.

Can You Chip In? (USD)

Internet Archive Audio

This Just In
Grateful Dead
Old Time Radio
78 RPMs and Cylinder Recordings
Audio Books & Poetry
Computers, Technology and Science
Music, Arts & Culture
News & Public Affairs
Spirituality & Religion
Radio News Archive

Flickr Commons
Occupy Wall Street Flickr
NASA Images
Solar System Collection
Ames Research Center

All Software
Old School Emulation
MS-DOS Games
Historical Software
Classic PC Games
Software Library
Kodi Archive and Support File
Vintage Software
CD-ROM Software
CD-ROM Software Library
Software Sites
Tucows Software Library
Shareware CD-ROMs
Software Capsules Compilation
CD-ROM Images
ZX Spectrum
DOOM Level CD

Smithsonian Libraries
FEDLINK (US)
Lincoln Collection
American Libraries
Canadian Libraries
Universal Library
Project Gutenberg
Children's Library
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Books by Language
Additional Collections

Prelinger Archives
Democracy Now!
Occupy Wall Street
TV NSA Clip Library
Animation & Cartoons
Arts & Music
Computers & Technology
Cultural & Academic Films
Ephemeral Films
Sports Videos
Videogame Videos
Youth Media

Search the history of over 866 billion web pages on the Internet.

Mobile Apps

Wayback Machine (iOS)
Wayback Machine (Android)

Browser Extensions

Archive-it subscription.

Explore the Collections
Build Collections

Save Page Now

Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future.

Please enter a valid web address

Donate Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape

Understanding television : essays on television as a social and cultural force

Bookreader item preview, share or embed this item, flag this item for.

Graphic Violence
Explicit Sexual Content
Hate Speech
Misinformation/Disinformation
Marketing/Phishing/Advertising
Misleading/Inaccurate/Missing Metadata

plus-circle Add Review comment Reviews

78 Previews

3 Favorites

DOWNLOAD OPTIONS

No suitable files to display here.

EPUB and PDF access not available for this item.

IN COLLECTIONS

Uploaded by ttscribe16.hongkong on September 2, 2018

SIMILAR ITEMS (based on metadata)

Essay on Television Impact

Students are often asked to write an essay on Television Impact in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Television Impact

Effects of television.

Television has become an integral part of modern life. It has the power to inform, entertain, and even educate. While television can be a positive force in our lives, it can also have negative consequences.

Positive Impacts

One of the positive impacts of television is that it can keep us informed about current events. News programs, documentaries, and talk shows can provide us with information about what is happening in the world around us. Television can also be a source of entertainment. Comedies, dramas, and reality shows can provide us with a way to relax and escape from the stresses of everyday life.

Negative Impacts

However, television can also have negative consequences. One of the biggest concerns is that television can lead to obesity and other health problems. Studies have shown that people who watch a lot of television are more likely to be overweight or obese. Television can also be addictive. People who spend a lot of time watching television may find it difficult to tear themselves away from the screen, even when they know they should be doing something else.

In conclusion, television can have both positive and negative impacts on our lives. It is important to be aware of both the benefits and the risks of television so that we can make informed choices about how we use it.

250 Words Essay on Television Impact

Television impact on entertainment, television impact on education.

Television can also be used as a tool for education. There are many educational channels that offer programs on various subjects, such as science, history, and math. These programs can be a great way for children to learn new things and supplement their schoolwork.

Television Impact on Health and Fitness

Television can promote health-related information and encourage people to live healthy lives. Television programs can provide tips on healthy eating, exercising, and managing stress. Some channels are dedicated to fitness and health, offering a variety of workout programs and healthy recipes.

Television Impact on Social and Political Views

Television can influence people’s social and political views. The way in which news and current events are presented can shape public opinion. Documentaries and talk shows can also influence how people think about different social and political issues.

Television is a powerful medium that has a significant impact on society. It can educate, entertain, and inform. It can also influence people’s social and political views. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the positive and negative effects of television and to use it wisely.

500 Words Essay on Television Impact

Television: its impact on society.

Television is a powerful medium of communication that has permeated almost every household. However, the effects of television on society are still a subject of debate. While it offers educational and entertainment benefits, the potential negative impacts are undeniable.

Positive Effects of Television

Entertainment and Relaxation: Television provides a source of entertainment and relaxation after a long day or during leisure time. It offers a wide variety of shows, including comedies, dramas, reality shows, and sports, that cater to diverse tastes. Watching television can help alleviate stress and provide a sense of escapism.

News and Information: Television keeps people informed about current events and allows them to stay connected with the world. News programs and documentaries provide information on political, economic, and social issues, enabling viewers to form opinions and engage in discussions.

Negative Effects of Television

Unrealistic Portrayals: The media can often portray unrealistic standards of beauty, body image, and lifestyle, which can lead to body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. Exposure to violence and negative content can also desensitize viewers and contribute to aggressive behavior.

Advertising: Television commercials bombard viewers with messages that promote consumerism and materialism. While advertising can provide information about products and services, it can also manipulate consumers into making impulsive purchases and create a sense of dissatisfaction with what they have.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Essay on Television for Students [100, 150, 200, 350 Words]

Essay on Television: Television is one of the most influential innovations of modern times. In this article, you are going to learn to write a paragraph or essay on Television (100, 150, 200 and 350 Words). You’ll learn what are the uses and abuses of television or what are the advantages and disadvantages of television. So, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Short Essay on Television: 100 Words

Television is based on a highly sophisticated science of vision and sound. A man can see as far the horizon. He hears as far as the sound is audible to him. But television takes his vision to a place far beyond his horizon. He sees a thing or person long beyond his actual physical reach. It brings to him also sound from a very remote place.

In fact, television brings vision and sound together from a distance which is beyond the range of human sight and hearing. It is a powerful and very useful invention of modern science. It has conquered space for human eye-sight. It has brought about a great development in the science of communication. It can well be used for entertainment and knowledge.

Television Essay: 150 Words

One of the latest wonders of science is Television. It is an effective medium of communication and entertainment. We can watch live important political, sports and other events happening at distant places. This enables us to have a direct knowledge of the things, places and events far away. TV has thus brought the whole world into the drawing room.

Television is also a powerful medium of mass education. Educational programmes on healthcare and family planning, general knowledge can be sent to millions of viewers through audio-visual presentation in the TV. It also keeps off loneliness.

But TV has its bad effects too. Watching TV sometimes becomes an addiction, People remain glued to the TV and it makes them idle- particularly the students and young people. They neglect sports and games and their studies. Too much of viewing affects our vision. Programmes, if not properly selected, cast bad effects on young minds. Social visits become very rare and people become unsocial.

Essay on the Television: 200 Words

No other thing is as familiar as Television in our present times. It was invented by John Baird in 1925. It first appeared in India in 1959. It is really a wonder of science today. It is a two-in-one. It is the radio on one side and the cinema on the other. Television is a very useful instrument in many ways. It is a powerful medium for education and recreation. It gives lessons on the subjects like science and mathematics and also on geography and history.

It shows us cinema and live telecast on games and sports. On its screen we have a delightful scenery of nature and thrilling sights of animals roaming in the jungles and in the deep waters of the seas. We can amuse the shows of serials. It is also a mighty medium of advertisement.

Sometimes it has bad effects on children. In most cases, they sit tight with it to witness their favorite items which captivate them greatly. Sometimes they neglect their bounden duties as students. They try to copy the most interesting show-style. In some cases they even face their death. Many things are very good with television but its price is very high and the poor cannot benefit by it.

Television Essay in English: 350 Words

Television is a modern invention. When television was first invented, people of the world were very happy because they had the scope to know the world around them and to entertain themselves in the best possible ways. Television is no doubt something which ushered progress of civilization. Some electronic media like BBC took over the most important role to make the people of the world aware of the society to which they were belonging and the environment by which they were being nourished. It is quite well known that, BBC produced all of the plays of Shakespeare as films. Even this world famous electronic media focused on the two World Wars so much so that people of the world came to know how horrible was war and warfare. Thus social consciousness was an important factor that was first aroused by the aid of television.

But this television is now being abused constantly by some commercially debased people. In West Bengal, television is so abused that the young generation is now misguided. The young people follow the bad culture and become oblivious of the hoary tradition of our country. Mere entertainment has been presented on the different television channels. Meaningless serials and reality shows are heart-throbbing without any moral impact. Crimes and social disorder are presented so crudely that the minds of the young people are overwhelmed with frustration, dilapidation, and despair. It seems that there is no escape from despair. The ultimate result is social alienation which brings about moral dilemma.

Yet, the concerned authority is really callous to the problems. Advertisement, sponsors, etc. are the sources of the economic structure of the different channels. Thus, the producers intend to draw the attention of the businessman by claiming the popularity of the channels. The inevitable result of this kind of commercial debasement is of Course disintegration that causes serious disbelief in the sphere of culture and education. Therefore, we must be conscious of the fact that television is not merely a media for entertainment; rather it is a source of important social and cultural messages.

Read More: 1. Blood Donation Essay in English 2. APJ Abdul Kalam Essay in English 3. Essay on Mother Teresa in English

Apj abdul kalam essay in english | 100, 200, 300, 500 words, blood donation essay in english | 150, 200, 300 words, my mother essay in english 10 lines [5 sets], essay on mother teresa in english for students [300 words], 3 thoughts on “essay on television for students [100, 150, 200, 350 words]”.

I really enjoyed reading your essay on television. It was very informative and I learned a lot. I especially liked the part about how television can be used to teach different subjects.

Essay On Television | Television Essay for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Veerendra

Essay on Television: Television has become one of the most common things in our day-to-day life and everyone has a television in their house. Television has become the main source of entertainment, news, and Information. Television has brought the whole world into our house within a small box. When we open a news channel on TV we get so much information about our locality, states, country, and also about the whole world. To get rid of headaches and boredom we open an entertainment channel like movies and cartoons. There are also some informational and learning channels that are there on television.

You can read more Essay Writing about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essay on Television for Kids and Students in English

In this article, we have provided a few sample essays on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Television, Importance Of Television topics. There is one extended essay of 500 words; a short essay of 100-150 words; and ten lines on the subject of Television.

Long Essay in English on the Topic Television 500 words

Such long essays are usually helpful for students in classes 7, 8, 9, and 10. They are asked to write these essays for assignments and exams.

Television is one of the most wonderful inventions of science and technology. Television has brought the whole world into our house. It is the main source of entertainment in today’s life. Also, we get vital information and can learn many new things from television. Nowadays TV is one of the most popular advertising platforms.

In England in 1878, a Scottish amateur scientist, John Loggie Baird, successfully transmitted the first TV picture, after years of hard work. This Television works with the help of the mechanical system. The size of the TV is very large, and a single person can’t take it from one place to another. The mechanical technology used in the television was quickly replaced by superior electronic television in the year 1927 when Philo Farnsworth successfully demonstrated electronic television in San Francisco.

In the early times’ television is not like today’s television. The old television frames are made of wood, and it comes with an antenna, and the TV gets channels by the radio wave. To catch the radio signal waves, one has to rotate the nob provided on the TV. In past days there are only some channels to watch on TV. Also, one can’t watch colorful programs on TV like today’s television. The shows on TV are black and white. There is a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) used in that TVs’. Not only in the black and white TVs’, but also there are many color TVs which come with a cathode ray tube. The black and white TV’s also cannot be controlled by the remote. If one wants to change the channels or wants to adjust the volume, they have to fix it by going near the TV. When colorful TVs’ comes in market cable lines are used to provide channels, and one can define the color of a thing with this TV. Scientists also thought about the problem of changing the channel by going in front of the TV and they invented a remote to control the TV from sitting at any place. The name of the first RCA color TV set is the CT -100.

But in recent times we have colorful TVs’ in our house with so many channels. These TVs’ are totally different from the old TV. These TVs’ are colorful and mounted on the wall with a big screen. There is no Cathode Ray Tube concept in these TVs’. Modern TVs’ use LCD and LED. These TVs come with a very smart look. Today we get so many channels on our TV like an informational channel, Entertainment channel, Kids channel, etc. We also can learn many things by watching TVs’. We can explore aquatic animals, forests, rivers, mountains, land animals with the shows on Television. We can know the news of the whole world on TV. A kid gets fun when they watch cartoon channels. When a man is depressed, they can get relief by watching movies and comedy shows on television. In one Word TV plays a vital role in our daily life by removing our fatigue, providing us information and entertainment.

Short Essay on Television in English 150 words

Essay On Television is useful for students in classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Television is one of the most wonderful inventions of science and technology. Television has brought the whole world into our house. It is the main source of entertainment in today’s life. A Scottish scientist, John Loggie Baird invented the first television in the year 1878. This Television works with the help of the mechanical system and the size of the TV was very large. in the year 1927 electronic television was invented and it was a Black and white television it gets channels by using radio signals. After some time, color TV comes in the market and the name of the first RCA color TV set is the CT -100. Today we use smart LED TVs in our house with a cable connection. On the TV we can watch movies, cartoons, news, dance & drama, and listen songs on various channels. Today TV has become a part of our daily life.

10 Lines Essay About Television 150 words

In England in 1878, a Scottish amateur scientist, John Loggie Baird, successfully transmitted the first TV picture.
This television was quickly replaced by the electronic television in the year 1927 when Philo Farnsworth successfully demonstrated electronic television in San Francisco.
This TV gets channels by catching the radio wave with the help of the antenna and by tuning the nob. These TVs come with Cathode Ray Tube (CRT).
After this CRT color TV came on the market and replaced the Black & White TV.
The name of the first RCA color TV set is the CT -100.
Modern TV comes with LCD and LED technology with low power consumption.
We can watch programs on TV by taking the cable or dish connection
On the TV we can watch movies, cartoons, news, dance & drama, and listen to songs on various channels.
We can explore, learn, and know many things with the shows on Television.
Today TV has become a part of our daily life.

FAQs on Television Essay

Question 1. Who invented the first Television?

Answer: John Loggie Baird, a Scottish amateur scientist invented TV in 1878.

Question 2. What is the name of the first color Television?

Answer: The name of the first color Television set is CT -100.

Question 3. What is the full form of CRT?

Answer: The full form of CRT.

Question 4. How does old TV get channels?

Answer: Old TVs get channels by catching the radio waves.

Picture Dictionary
English Speech
English Slogans
English Letter Writing
English Essay Writing
English Textbook Answers
Types of Certificates
ICSE Solutions
Selina ICSE Solutions
ML Aggarwal Solutions
HSSLive Plus One
HSSLive Plus Two
Kerala SSLC
Distance Education

Essay On Television – Advantages & Disadvantages of Television

Essay on Television: The Television is the important part of our life. It is a useful product that gives a lot of advantages by providing us news, information, helpful programs and talk shows on education, health, politics and on general interest.

Table of Contents

Essay On Television; Benefits, Importance & Role in Our Life

Television is an audio visual electronic machine through which radio signals are transmitted into air received by television. It was first invented in 1927. Philo Taylor Farnsworth invented this machine to transmit images remotely with a machine in a screen, it was named Television.

A number of modifications and changes have been brought in its size and shape to improve the quality of picture and voice. Television is an important source of entertainment, knowledge and information. It started appearing in the early 80s and has become an integral part of each house.

Advantages of Television

It is a rich source of information and knowledge. Many informative, instructive and inspiring programs are released through television which broadens insight and vision of listeners. Specially educational programs are very helpful for students.

Related to different subjects and fields many tutorial channels are running on television which cater needs of various types of listeners. It is an effective medium of learning and teaching. Both formal and non formal education through television help students to groom young and adults.

Television presents different vocational training programs, technical skills, cultural programs and civic education which is very beneficial. Apart from it many historical channels, discovery channels and National Geographic channels based on science help impart knowledge in students.

Television is very entertaining machine used at homes. All family members gather at television and get entertained watching different comedy programs and movies. Those who watch television remain up-to-date. After every hour news is presented which make one know what is happening throughout the world.

All types of current issues like social, religious, political and economical update throughout the world reaches listeners at home. Television is a boon to humanity.

Disadvantages of Television

It is not only a boon to mankind but it bears many negative impacts too. Specially our young generation is heavily adopting the western culture and alien social etiquette which unfit them in their own society.

There are many movies and programs which make them socially weak, corrupt, arrogant and violent which is against the grain of humans. Many people have lost their normal eyesight watching TV in excess. The addiction of TV is entirely unbearable because students waste their precious time watching cartoons and different dramas and programs on TV.

Young generation has become introvert because addiction of TV makes them inactive and hardly go out and intermingle socially. Children watching TV round the clock become visually impaired. If we have look at past, people were very social but this invention has destroyed social relationships, man has become bound in homes, in their free time they switch on TV and kill their free time watching TV instead of being with others. Psychologically man is undergoing drastic changes which are entirely undesired and unwanted.

Television is best source of knowledge, it is very informative tool and cheapest medium of entertainment. It improves family relationships and strengthens family ties.

Some programs of TV are very motivational, which changes the life of an individual. There are many disadvantages of TV too, it presents violent content, causes health issues, makes people introverts and creates psychological and social imbalance.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog StudyParagraphs.co. My name is Angelina. I am a college professor. I love reading writing for kids students. This blog is full with valuable knowledge for all class students. Thank you for reading my articles.

Television Influence on People Essay

To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
As a template for you assignment

Interpersonal relationships depend on a variety of internal and external factors, and television remains one of the most controversial issues in human life. On the one hand, according to Martin and Jacobus (2019), social interactions offered on TV are predictable and rather slick, with no solid room for experimentation and imagination. On the other hand, access to television programs has already become a meaningful international movement (Martin & Jacobus, 2019). It means that information may be displayed on TV and provoke certain emotions and behaviors. People want to and can watch as many shows and episodes as possible to cover their personal needs and emotional satisfaction. They compare experiences, analyze environments, and develop discussions to demonstrate what they learn from the offered material. For example, high social expectations and new perspectives on obligations depicted on TV affect adolescents and adults. In this essay, analyzing the course reading and an interview with a friend allows learning that despite a common context and technical advancement, television has a great impact on people.

Despite the intention to control the impact of TV on children, it is hard for parents to ensure that proper shows and episodes are chosen for watching. During this interview, my friend recognized two shows that determined her childhood and adolescence – Friends (NBC, 1994-2004) and Beverly Hills 90210 (CBS, 1990-2000). At that moment, watching the chosen series was related to multiple positive emotions because the authors depicted the nature of teenage and adult relationships and the quality of life that American citizens could have (Martin & Jacobus, 2019). For example, in Beverly Hills , school and college education were described, with a special evaluation of current problems of drug abuse, sexual violence, bullying, and friendship. In Friends , attention was paid to the essence of friendship and situations when certain decisions should be made and preferences should be established. It was learned that even the most intelligent and careful people could make mistakes and needed to analyze their behaviors in particular contexts. Each show seriously impacted the interviewee’s behavior and acceptance of reality. Those stories prepared adolescents for their grown-up lives where racial, gender, and age inequality existed and put various restrictions on an individual’s activities.

The ways of making TV shows have changed with time, including various technological and social aspects, but their impact on people stays the same. Today, there is no need to wait for a particular time but use the Internet and watch favorite shows anytime. The interviewee shared her interest in such series as Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 2005 – ) and Gossip Girl (CW, 2007-2012). Almost every episode brought some new experiences and emotions to her life because the characters lived their lives, solved problems, and achieved their goals. Martin and Jacobus (2019) notice that many modern episodes are self-contained, and it does not take much preparation or explanation in advance. Therefore, the number of viewers changes regularly, and some people demonstrate their interest or choose other shows. My friend admires Grey’s Anatomy due to its surgical themes and how health care has been recently improved. Gossip Girl is a show about modern teenagers, their problems, and their dreams. It reveals what young people want, what steps they are ready to take, and how family business affects children’s future. Instead of inspiration or motivation, these series provoke critical thinking and evaluation.

Addressing the chosen TV shows and learning the material from the textbook, it has become evident that television’s impact cannot be ignored. Despite the year of production and distribution, the main goal of any product is to entertain people and gain commercial benefits (Martin & Jacobus, 2019). However, modern researchers and sociologists admit that new programs are characterized by biased or sensationalist judgments that discourage social engagement and misinform people (Rothwell, 2019). Therefore, it is important to be cautious and accept the offered material for advertising purposes. Marked influence continues to grow and promote the American style of life in many countries abroad. Video art has become a serious competitor to commercial television, offering experimental and radical ideas to please the audience (Martin & Jacobus, 2019). This sphere of art has not been properly examined yet, but its abilities are unpredictable and captivating. Although some people are confident in the television industry, it is wrong to neglect the possibility of improvement but gain a better meaning. Compared to the adolescent period, when viewers admire opportunities and discover new sources of inspiration, adulthood makes them more attentive to the significant details.

Communication with my friend and the evaluation of old and new TV shows and video art ideas turn out to be a valuable experience in understanding how people should treat television. Different in quality and distribution periods, most series are similar in their context and purposes. They aim to describe human lives, address social, economic, and political problems, and show how certain decisions lead to certain outcomes. However, even if the episodes vary, their impact on people is definite – watching, learning, and following the examples. Images and sounds have been improved regardless of the viewer’s readiness or knowledge levels. Still, how individuals accept these stories has nothing to do with technology but personal judgments and attitudes toward society.

Martin, F. D., & Jacobus, L. A. (2019). Humanities through arts (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Rothwell, J. (2019). You are what you watch? The social effects of TV. The New York Times . Web.

Leadership in Lost TV Series
Broadcast Television and Advertising in the US
“Girls not Grey” by AFI
Esophagus Anatomy and Physiology
Aspects of the Anatomy of the Cranial Nerves
TV Media and Reality Observation
The Television Impact on the Music Industry
The First Episode of “The Get Down” Series
Community Television of Santa Cruz County Board Meeting Analysis
Visuals to Support The Handmaid’s Tale Movie
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, April 3). Television Influence on People. https://ivypanda.com/essays/television-influence-on-people/

"Television Influence on People." IvyPanda , 3 Apr. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/television-influence-on-people/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Television Influence on People'. 3 April.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Television Influence on People." April 3, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/television-influence-on-people/.

1. IvyPanda . "Television Influence on People." April 3, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/television-influence-on-people/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Television Influence on People." April 3, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/television-influence-on-people/.

Arrest papers detail why a 79-year-old man killed his wife execution style north of Colorado Springs

A man turned himself into colorado springs police for the death of his wife..

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - Arrest papers obtained by 11 News detail what a 79-year-old murder suspect told investigators about allegedly killing his wife.

According to the affidavit for Stephen Chan, he called 911 on Sunday just before 7 a.m. to say he killed his wife. He then reportedly hung up and turned himself in to the police.

Chan didn’t want an attorney and told investigators hiw wife, Jian Chan, was taking money and having an affair. He admitted to shooting her twice in the chest in an area close to Gleneagle, north of their home along Horstail Terrace. Jian’s body was found along Walsen Road soon after.

WARNING: SOME DETAILS IN THE ARREST PAPERS ARE HARD TO READ. 11 NEWS IS CHOOSING NOT TO SHARE ALL OF THE DETAILS, BUT THE INFORMATION WE ARE CHOOSING TO SHARE MAY GIVE CONTEXT TO WHY THE SUSPECT MAY HAVE KILLED HIS WIFE AND WHY A CHARGE OF MURDER WAS BROUGHT FORTH.

Because Jian’s body was found in El Paso County, the sheriff’s office took over the case. Jian was found dead in pajama pants, a t-shirt and a black sleep mask with her hand bound and her mouth gagged with what is believed to be a robe belt, according to the arrest papers. It appeared she had gunshot wounds to the chest.

Chan told investigators he met his wife in China 26 years ago and he brought her to the U.S. before they were officially married. Chan claimed Jian stole money from him, his business and continually insulted him. He also claimed she had extra-marital relationships with men for about 17 years. Chan claims he confronted Jian, but then she stopped speaking to him for the last two years.

Chan told investigators that after Jian started taking things from him like vegetables in his garden and his favorite cooking plans, he planned to kill her. He allegedly waited until she went to sleep and then went to her bedroom. There was a struggle, but Chan told investigators he eventually tied Jian up, dragged her downstairs, and even took a break to get a drink of water.

“He confronted her about what she did with his cooking pans, about her boyfriend, about some things the boyfriend had said about her, and about her boyfriend’s address,” the arrest papers read. “She first denied having a boyfriend, but then became quiet when he brought up the details. Jian asked what Mr. Chan wanted. He told Jian she had to pay a great price.”

Chan eventually put Jian in the backseat of his car, gagged her, got his gun from a safe, and took her to Walsen Road where he shot her twice in the chest, according to the arrest papers. General definitions of an execution-style shooting are when the victim is aware they are going to be shot but are unable to defend themselves or resist.

Chan is charged with murder.

Police in the At Home store parking lot early Sunday morning.

Teen injured in hit-and-run in Colorado Springs home store parking lot

Motorcyclist killed in I-25 crash near Pikes Peak International Raceway

Investigators: Colorado state trooper injured in highway shooting was ‘targeted’

‘I’m not an EMT and I’m not a crime scene cleaner, but I performed both jobs on my doorstep’: Colorado Springs woman recounts when friend was stabbed

Colorado man accused of hanging around elementary school, watching kids

Lane closures on North Academy will start near Shrider Road, ending towards Voyager Parkway...

North Academy Boulevard closures announced, as repaving work begins

LGBTQ+ group ensuring students safety in schools.

D-60 school board in Pueblo working to navigate new Colorado law requiring staff to address students by their chosen names

Stephanie Alonso, 7, died days after police say a 92-year-old driver fatally struck her...

Girl dies just before her 8th birthday after 92-year-old driver hits her, family says

Friends set up fundraiser for murder victim’s children as 79-year-old suspect makes first court appearance

Aurora police searching for teen with Down syndrome

The 15-year-old was last seen at 6:50 Sunday evening.

WATCH: Teen with Down syndrome missing in Aurora

Friends say they want to alleviate the financial burden on the couple's two children as they...

WATCH: Friends of murder victim raising money for family

Troopers say the driver of a Toyota RAV ran off the road, causing the rider to clip the...

WATCH: 1 dead following crash near PPIR

Some Broncos fans who packed Viewhouse in Colorado Springs Sunday afternoon were optimistic...

‘I was expecting a little bit more’: Broncos Country reacts to first game of the season

"I was expecting a little bit more" Broncos Country react to first game of the season

4-year-old girl found unresponsive in hot car hours after family trip to park, police say

PHOENIX (KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) - Police in Arizona say a 4-year-old girl died after she was found unresponsive in a car, the internal temperature of which reached at least 130 degrees.

Buckeye Police were called around 5 p.m. Sunday with a report that a 4-year-old girl was found unresponsive in a car parked outside a home, according to AZ Family .

Investigators say a big family had gotten into a mini SUV and drove to a neighborhood park before returning home between 2 and 2:30 p.m. A couple hours later, the family realized the 4-year-old was missing and checked the car just before 5 p.m. They called police when they found her unresponsive inside.

Police attempted life-saving measures before taking the girl to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

“Calls like these are difficult for everyone involved: the families, the first responders and the community. Nobody wants to hear this news,” said Buckeye Police Public Information Officer Carissa Planalp. “In this extreme heat, temperatures are nothing to play with, and time is absolutely of the essence.”

Police say the temperature outside when the girl was found was 107 degrees, and the car’s internal temperature was 130 degrees.

Detectives are working on conducting interviews with the family to put together a timeline of events. No one is in custody or detained.

This is the 30th child hot car death in the nation and the third in Arizona this year, according to data from Kids and Car Safety .

Suspect bought AR-15 day of I-75 shooting, FBI assisting in manhunt

A woman jumped out of the speeding truck after it crashed through the Tom Fuller Boat Ramp...

Woman and child injured after jumping from speeding car near Watts Bar Lake, report says

Two students arrested after threats at Halls High School, Knox County Sheriff’s Office says

Serious injuries reported in crash on Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville police say

County Road 55 in the Cullman area isn’t the busiest but it’s a road that will haunt Katie...

‘I just felt him’: Woman finds her missing brother’s body more than 3 months after crash

Running back Dylan Sampson #6 and The Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the...

Vols break into top 10 in latest AP Poll

Man charged with arson after fire at McDonald’s, Knoxville Fire Department says

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) looks for a receiver during the first half of an NCAA...

Tennessee makes statement with blowout of No. 24 NC State

Tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to become hurricane before making landfall

Tracking sunshine for the start of this week.

Staying sunny and warm to start the week

Two dead after crash on I-40 in Knoxville, police say

Apalachee High’s flagpole has become a makeshift monument to the victims of Wednesday school...

Mother's warning to Georgia school raises questions about moments before shooting

Manhunt continues for interstate shooting suspect; he’s ‘armed and dangerous,’ authorities say.

Elijah Vue was 3 years old when he was reported missing from Two Rivers, Wis., in February.

Human remains found near where toddler Elijah Vue went missing

Police will not confirm if remains found in Wisconsin belong to missing boy Elijah Vue....

RAW: Human remains found at camp near where toddler went missing

Can ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ Joan Vassos help restore luster to Bachelor Nation?

A woman with long blonde curled hair in a brown top and pants stands with her hands in her pockets.

Copy Link URL Copied!

Joan Vassos was wide-eyed as she stood in front of the Agoura Hills mansion that is the setting for ABC’s “The Bachelor” franchise. A large crew of technicians and producers worked nearby, preparing to film Vassos’ introduction as “ The Golden Bachelorette .”

“I’m having all the feels,” she declared, waving her arms as she faced host Jesse Palmer. “I never in a million years imagined I would be back here.”

The 61-year-old school administrator stood in the same spot roughly a year ago as she met retired widower Gerry Turner , the star of “The Golden Bachelor,” the recent twist on the veteran dating franchise. She competed with 21 other older women then to vie to become Turner’s next wife.

Although Vassos and Turner had an initial spark, she abruptly exited the show in the third week to care for her daughter, who was suffering from postpartum depression.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA - AUGUST 11: Portrait of Gerry Turner, the "Golden Bachelor", at Westlake Village Inn on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023 in Westlake Village, CA.(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

22 women and a second chance at love: Gerry Turner’s ‘whirlwind’ moment as ‘The Golden Bachelor’

The latest spinoff in ABC’s romance franchise, premiering Sept. 28, features widower Gerry Turner, who joins Bachelor Nation in an attempt to find a second chance at love.

Aug. 31, 2023

Now she’s getting a second chance. The Maryland-based Vassos is back, but this time she is the center of attention as “The Golden Bachelorette,” which premieres Sept. 18. Her squad of 24 suitors range in age from 57 to 69, and include a retired U.S. Navy captain, a retired U.N. agency director, a rancher and an emergency room doctor.

Producers are hoping to strike ratings gold again with the sequel to the series that was one of the biggest shows of the 2023 fall season while also giving “The Bachelor” franchise a jolt of fresh energy.

A woman with long flowing blond hair stands holding a red rose in both hands.

But despite a heavy promotional push, “The Golden Bachelorette” is facing a more questionable reception. Just last week, “The Bachelorette” was grappling with a racially-charged uproar after the series’ live finale, with many calling out the cruel treatment of its first Asian lead, Jenn Tran .

As for “The Golden Bachelor,” Turner got divorced after three months of marriage and erased much of the glow from that series, which could make some viewers wary of Vassos’ turn in the spotlight.

Gerry Turner meets Theresa in "The Golden Bachelor."

Commentary: ‘The Golden Bachelor’ divorce turns a TV success story into a cautionary tale

The split between Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist marks an abrupt reversal of fortune for “The Golden Bachelor,” a breakout hit show that was supposed to revive “The Bachelor” franchise.

April 16, 2024

Her journey has already been heartwrenching. Since losing her husband of 32 years to cancer in 2021, Vassos has managed her grief with the support of family and friends. But that did not ease her fear of living the rest of her life without love.

“I felt like I was living on an island,” she said over a video interview. “I felt so alone, I thought people would set me up with guys, but that didn’t happen. It’s hard out there. The world is made up of couples. But we all deserve love.”

After online dating proved to be too challenging, Vassos took the biggest leap of faith by going on “The Golden Bachelor.”

A woman with flowing blond hair in a brown top and pants sits on the floor with her legs crossed.

”I feel so lucky I was chosen to do this,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about myself and how finding love in this world works.”

If Vassos had any anxiety about becoming the new face of the popular franchise, it didn’t show during her first night of filming. She seemed jazzed to meet her new potential boyfriends.

“My late husband John would love this,” she said. “He was a big fan of reality TV. I’m sure he’s watching us now, saying, ‘That’s my wife down there!’”

Minutes later, a limousine carrying the first group of suitors drove up. Some of the men, who had just met each other for the first time, gasped as they spotted Vassos looking like a movie star in her glittery gown. They talked over each other: “Oh my God, there she is!” “She doesn’t even look real.” “Hey, Jordan, don’t run off with her.”

Vassos appeared delighted as the men stepped out one by one, each determined to make a colorful first impression. One man serenaded her with Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” as he approached. Another yelled, “cue the music,” and boogied over to her. A third with a cane struggled to make the walk across the driveway.

“Can I help you?” Vassos asked. He waved her off, but then fell forward. As she walked over concerned, he started doing push-ups before leaping up with a smile.

As “The Golden Bachelorette,” Vassos said she wants to continue Turner’s message of inspiration, stressed during his season — that older people still have plenty of energy, sexual drive and physical vitality.

A man in a dark suit looks at a woman in a golden sparkling dress.

“I don’t want this to be about me. I want this to be about a message of hope,” Vassos said. “I love hearing stories from people who watched ‘The Golden Bachelor’ and said it gave them a new sense of hope. At our age, people expect us to take a back seat and become support for a new generation, children and grandkids. I felt guilty because I want something more than that.”

And even though the focus on older people having fun and making out attracted fans outside the core Bachelor Nation fan base, the memory of the shocking epilogue to “The Golden Bachelor” may still be fresh in the minds of viewers who might be reluctant to return to the sequel.

The honeymoon is over: ‘The Golden Bachelor’ and his bride call it quits after 3 months

Just over three months after tying the knot on live television, Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist announced their divorce on ‘Good Morning America.’

April 12, 2024

Turner accomplished his goal of finding a wife, proposing to financial services representative Theresa Nist at the end of the season. They rushed to get married in a live televised ceremony, dubbed “ The Golden Wedding ,” but their union was short-lived, ending in divorce after just three months, disappointing millions of viewers invested in their love story.

In explaining the split, Turner said the two could not agree on where they would live together. He resides in Indiana and Nist, who lives in New Jersey, was reluctant to leave her family and job.

Asked about viewers being wary of investing in Vasso’s journey after Turner and Nist‘s breakup, “The Bachelor” executive producers and showrunners Bennett Graebner and Claire Freeland responded in an email: “We’re always disappointed when one of our couples doesn’t work out. However, the Bachelor franchise is no different than life outside the confines of the TV screen: sometimes marriages last forever, sometimes they don’t.”

A woman with long, flowing blond hair in a brown top holds her hands in front of her.

But they heaped praise on Vassos, expressing confidence in casting her as “The Golden Bachelorette.” “We were fortunate that so many of the women from Gerry’s inaugural season were worthy of being the first Golden Bachelorette,” they wrote. “We could have made a fantastic season with any one of them. However, we kept coming back to Joan ... she deserved a second chance.”

Vassos said fans should not be turned off by what happened with Turner and Nist.

“I do know that their love was very real,” she said. “You did see the disappointment in how it ended. I just feel in my heart we should give them understanding and grace. That wasn’t easy for them to split.”

She added that she is going into her journey with different expectations. “I don’t expect a person to move for me, and I wouldn’t want to leave my family and move far away,” Vassos said. “I just want to leave this journey with a significant other, someone I may or may not be engaged to. But we can pursue our relationship outside the Bachelor bubble.”

In preparing for her close-up, Vassos said she went back and researched several seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.” “I wanted to see what was effective and what wasn’t,” she said. “I got advice from Gerry and other Bachelorettes. This was going to be the most important journey of my life, so I wanted to be really prepared.”

‘The Bachelor’ producers acknowledge ‘vicious cycle’ of racism in the franchise

After years of silence, the executive producers behind ABC’s “The Bachelor” are responding to the racial issues that have clouded the reality franchise.

June 26, 2024

Vassos was in the audience for the live finale of “The Bachelorette” last week and had a front-row seat to what turned into the franchise’s latest misstep, which has added doubt about its ability to reverse its decades-old history of racism and cultural sensitivity .

Tran got engaged to Devin Strader, the owner of a freight company, in Hawaii. But when she came onstage, a visibly distraught Tran revealed that Strader broke off the engagement after leaving the show. Producers are accused of traumatizing and humiliating Tran during the staging of a reunion with Strader by playing the proposal after detailing their split.

The mood changed following the tense segment when Palmer turned to Vassos. As he hyped the upcoming arrival of “The Golden Bachelorette,” the audience gave Vassos a loud standing ovation.

As she looked around the studio, Vassos beamed: “They’re going to see a really emotional journey.”

‘The Bachelor’ casts Grant Ellis as its next star, the second Black lead in show’s history

Aug. 12, 2024

A woman in an evening gown holding a rose.

‘The Bachelor’ tapped its first Black EP in 2021. Why is she missing from the credits?

July 12, 2024

A collage of photos, including a plastic surgeon marking on a woman's face and a woman placing a tiara on the head of a woman

‘This is you now. It’s OK’: ‘The Swan’ contestants reflect on makeover competition 20 years later

June 25, 2024

The complete guide to home viewing

Get Screen Gab for everything about the TV shows and streaming movies everyone’s talking about.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

A lifelong Los Angeles resident, Greg Braxton has written for the Los Angeles Times for more than three decades. He currently is a staff writer covering television for the Calendar section, and has also written extensively about trends and cultural issues in the entertainment field.

More From the Los Angeles Times

With ‘Only Murders’ Emmy win, songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul gain EGOT status at 39

Sept. 8, 2024

Kendrick Lamar performing at the 2023 Super Bowl

Kendrick Lamar to headline 2025 Super Bowl halftime show

Entertainment & Arts

Inside Tonka’s life after ‘Chimp Crazy’: Vegan meals, painting and lots of sex

David Chase, WISE GUY David Chase and The Sopranos

‘Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos’ examines HBO’s hit drama and its creator

Sept. 6, 2024

IMAGES

Television has changed alot since its Golden Days Free Essay Example
Write An Essay On Television In English ll @edurakib
Television: Then and Now Essay Example
Television and Its Effects on Its Viewers Essay Example
Essay on Television for Students [100, 150, 200, 350 Words]
10 Lines on Television in English

VIDEO

The Story of Television (Colour) 4K
Essáy
Essay on Television 5 lines || 5 lines on the Television essay
Essay on Television
Essay on Television 📺 in English| Paragraph Writing on Television 📺
Essay on Television in English || Paragraph on Television in English || #Written Notes

COMMENTS

9.1 The Evolution of Television
9.1 The Evolution of Television - Publishing Services
Impact Of Television In The 1950s: [Essay Example], 735 words
In conclusion, television in the 1950s was a transformative force that revolutionized American culture and society in numerous ways. From shaping societal norms and political discourse to influencing popular culture and consumer habits, television played a pivotal role in the collective consciousness of the American people during this era. The idealized visions of family life presented in ...
Broadcast Essay: Live Television Changed the Way We Saw the World
Broadcast Essay: Live Television Changed the Way We ...
History of Television
The most important events in the sphere of broadcasting happened in 1925 when John Baird, the Scottish engineer, for the first time, demonstrated the working television. The transmitted image was a monochrome mannequins head called Stooky Bill. Three years later, Baird managed to show an unprecedented color transmission.
Evolution of Television
Evolution of Television Essay. Evolution of television (TV) is a chronological breakdown of television advancements since its invention. Television broadcasting is a telecommunication transmission and reception of sound and images in motion. The pictures are either monochromatic (black and white) or colored. A basic TV system is a combination ...
A Historical Timeline: Evolution of the TV (1831-1996)
1876. Boston civil servant George Carey was thinking about complete television systems and in 1877 he put forward drawings for what he called a selenium camera that would allow people to see by electricity. Eugen Goldstein coins the term "cathode rays" to describe the light emitted when an electric current was forced through a vacuum tube.
Essay on Television: History, Role, Youth & Future Trends
History of Television. Invention and Early Development (19th-early 20th century): The concept of television can be traced back to the 19th century, with inventors such as Paul Nipkow, who designed the first electromechanical television system in 1884. Early experiments continued through the early 20th century, with inventors such as Vladimir ...
Essay on Television for Students and Children
Essay on Television for Students and Children | 500 Words ...
Television after TV: Essays on a Medium in Transition on JSTOR
convergence television:: aggregating form and repurposing content in the culture of conglomeration download; xml; lifestyling britain:: the 8-9 slot on british television download; xml; what if?:: charting television's new textual boundaries download; xml; interactive television and advertising form in contemporary u.s. television download; xml
Television and History
Television has a threefold relationship with history: it 'does history', it makes history and it has its own history. Often the three become productively entangled. This is the case in Small Screens, Big Ideas: Television in the 1950s, a collection of essays that ranges from an account of the ITV current-affairs series, 'This Week', to a
Television's Impact on American Society and Culture
Television's Impact on American Society and Culture
Toward Television History: V
In this essay, the author. examines the divergent critical methods that have been utilized to unravel the. complex aspects of television programming and proposes the analysis of. television content as it relates to cultural history in order to discover "an. ultimate sense of reality in America."
9.2 The Relationship Between Television and Culture
9.2 The Relationship Between Television and Culture
The First TV: A Complete History of Television
The First TV: A Complete History of Television
Traditional Media vs. New Media Essay: Evolution of Old to New Media
4) claims that new media "incorporate two-way communication" and are associated with computing (e.g. the Internet, social networks), while old media do not require computing (radio, print newspapers, TV). This standpoint can be easily illustrated. Thus, newspapers and television are rather one-way sources of information.
Essay On Television
10 Lines On The Television For Kids. One-line essays are easy for children as an introduction to writing. Below is an essay for classes 1 and 2 on television: ADVERTISEMENTS. Television is one of the most popular sources of entertainment and information about the world. The word television comes from the ancient Greek word "tele", meaning ...
Understanding television : essays on television as a social and
Includes essays from two earlier collections, Television as a social force and Television as a cultural force Includes bibliographical references (pages 421-433) and index Access-restricted-item
Essay on Television Impact
Television is a powerful medium that has a significant impact on society. It can educate, entertain, and inform. It can also influence people's social and political views. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the positive and negative effects of television and to use it wisely. 500 Words Essay on Television Impact
Essay on Television for Students [100, 150, 200, 350 Words]
Essay on the Television: 200 Words. No other thing is as familiar as Television in our present times. It was invented by John Baird in 1925. It first appeared in India in 1959. It is really a wonder of science today. It is a two-in-one. It is the radio on one side and the cinema on the other. Television is a very useful instrument in many ways.
Television
Television - Wikipedia ... Television
Television Essay for Students and Children in English
Essay on Television: Television has become one of the most common things in our day-to-day life and everyone has a television in their house. Television has become the main source of entertainment, news, and Information. ... The old television frames are made of wood, and it comes with an antenna, and the TV gets channels by the radio wave. To ...
Essay On Television
Essay On Television; Benefits, Importance & Role in Our Life. Television is an audio visual electronic machine through which radio signals are transmitted into air received by television. It was first invented in 1927. Philo Taylor Farnsworth invented this machine to transmit images remotely with a machine in a screen, it was named Television.
Television Influence on People
Television Influence on People - 864 Words | Essay Example
Arrest papers detail why a 79-year-old man killed his wife execution
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - Arrest papers obtained by 11 News detail what a 79-year-old murder suspect told investigators about allegedly killing his wife. According to the affidavit for ...
4-year-old girl found unresponsive in hot car hours after family ...
PHOENIX (KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) - Police in Arizona say a 4-year-old girl died after she was found unresponsive in a car, the internal temperature of which reached at least 130 degrees. Buckeye Police were called around 5 p.m. Sunday with a report that a 4-year-old girl was found unresponsive in a car parked outside a home, according to AZ Family.
Can 'Golden Bachelorette' Joan Vassos restore luster to Bachelor Nation
Despite the Golden Bachelor's failed marriage and another recent controversy, the latest 'Bachelor' spinoff hopes to strike ratings gold once more, this time with a 61-year-old grandmother.

Impact of Television in The 1950s

Cite this Essay

Related Essays

Still can’t find what you need?

Related Essays on 1950S

Related Topics

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

Broadcast Essay: Live Television Changed the Way We Saw the World

How television changed the cultural landscape

Share this:

When Was the First TV Invented?

The Late 1870s

Essay on TELEVISION

The Medium is the Message

History of Television

Impact on Society

Role of Television

Harming the Youth

Benefits of Watching Television

Future Trends

Recommended Articles

Essay on Television for Students and Children

Benefits of Watching Television

How Television is Harming the Youth

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Download the App

9.2 The Relationship Between Television and Culture

Cultural Influences on Television

Violence and Escapism in the 1960s

Diversity and Politics in the 1970s

The Influence of Cable Television in the 1980s

Specialization in the 1990s and 2000s

Black Entertainment Television (BET)

Television’s Influence on Culture

Social Controversy

Creating Stars via Reality Television

Key Takeaways

The First TV: A Complete History of Television

What Is a Television System?

The Etymology of “Television”

The Mechanical Television System

Who Invented the First TV?

How the First Electronic Television Camera Came to Be

Zworykin’s Role in the Developing the First Television

When Was TV Invented?

When Was The First Television Broadcast?

The First Television Networks

The First Television Productions

When Was the First TV Sold?

TV Becomes Mainstream: The Post-War Boom

What Was the First TV Show?

The Rise of The Sitcom

When Did Color TV Come Out?

The First TV Remote Control

What Was The First TV Remote?

The Tonight Show and Late Night Television

Digital Television Systems

VHS Brings the Movies to TV

The Birth of Video Rental Companies

First Satellite TV

The Constant Rise and Fall of 3D Television

LCD/LED Systems

The Internet Boogeyman

“Streaming Video” and the rise of YouTube

Netflix, Amazon, and the New Television Networks

The Future of Television

How to Cite this Article

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Essay On Television – 10 Lines, Short And Long Essay For Children

Key Points To Remember When Writing Essay On Television For Lower Primary Classes

History Of Television

Advantages Of Watching Television

Disadvantages Of Watching Television

1. Who Invented The First Television and In Which Year?

2. What Was The First Colour TV Called?

Shraddha Mishra

Most Popular

FirstCry Intelli Education is an Early Learning brand, with products and services designed by educators with decades of experience, to equip children with skills that will help them succeed in the world of tomorrow.

The FirstCry Intellikit `Learn With Stories` kits for ages 2-6 brings home classic children`s stories, as well as fun activities, specially created by our Early Learning Educators.