A Brief History of Television

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A Brief History of Television

What began from a simple magnetic wheel design soon grew into theelectronic TV. These early beginnings would eventually take us to the 3D10 0! "DTV world and beyond# but it didn$t get there without hittingsome milestones along the way.

Who invented the TV?

%nlike many other inventions throughout history# the history of the TVcredits many inventors instead of &ust one. 'n this case# there were manyinventors working on the idea of watching pictures on a screen. 'nventorsfrom all over the world had been working on transmitting pictures orob&ects onto a screen since the 1 30$s# but the first physical televisiondidn$t evolve until the 1(00$s.

)ive men became the most popular and prestigious inventors of what weknow today as television# giving the history of TV a rich beginning.

* +erman inventor named !aul ,ipkow invented the first rotating diskthat would allow pictures to transmit over wire in 1 -. "is discovery wasthe first electromechanical television scanning system in the world. Thisrotating disk would rotate at a fast pace# while light passed through theholes to create a picture on a screen.

ohn /aird became famous in the history of TV when he invented the firstpictures in motion that were televised in urope in 1( -. "e latertransmitted the human face onto a screen# and during World War ''invented the first color picture tube.

While it would be some time before color TV became a staple in *mericanand other households# his contribution to the history of TV was enormous.

2harles enkins invented a mechanical television that he calledradiovision#4 which was said to have transmitted one of the first moving

images in 1( 3. This *merican inventor went on to promote his theoriesin the technology of the television along with other inventors when theytransmitted the first live pictures onto a screen.

This pilgrim in the history of the TV is also famous for creating the firsttelevision station in ,orth *merica. Vladimir 5worykin invented the2athode 6ay tube# which he named the 7inescope and started a new erain the history of TV.

/efore the 7inescope# televisions in the 1( 0$s were mechanical. The

2athode 6ay tube was not only needed for transmission8 this devicetransformed the television into an electronic device. )inally# an *merican


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farmer named !hilo )arnsworth made a breakthrough in the history of TVat the age of 13# when he discovered a way to transmit images onto ascreen by the use of 90 hori:ontal lines# which made the picture clearer.

)arnsworth also invented over 19; devices# including the dissector tube#which became the groundwork for televisions we use today.


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This is agued to no end as to whether or not it really is a milestone or &usta fad. >riginally theaters used 3D to try to bring people out of their hometheaters and back into the real theaters. 't was no time# however# before3D made the move to home theaters. Theater owners will have to come

up with something new to drag people from their televisions again.

History of Television

)ew inventions have had as much effect on contemporary *mericansociety as television. /efore 1(-C the number of %.@. homes withtelevision sets could be measured in the thousands. /y the late 1((0s# (percent of %.@. homes had at least one television set# and those sets wereon for an average of more than seven hours a day. The typical *mericanspends depending on the survey and the time of yearE from two?and?a?half to almost five hours a day watching television. 't is significant not onlythat this time is being spent with television but that it is not being spentengaging in other activities# such as reading or going out or sociali:ing.

EXPE !ME"T#

lectronic television was first successfully demonstrated in @an )ranciscoon @ept. C# 1( C. The system was designed by !hilo Taylor )arnsworth# a1?year?old inventor who had lived in a house without electricity until hewas 1-. While still in high school# )arnsworth had begun to conceive of asystem that could capture moving images in a form that could be codedonto radio waves and then transformed back into a picture on a screen./oris 6osing in 6ussia had conducted some crude e=periments intransmitting images 19 years before )arnsworthFs first success. *lso# amechanical television system# which scanned images using a rotating diskwith holes arranged in a spiral pattern# had been demonstrated by ohnGogie /aird in ngland and 2harles )rancis enkins in the %nited @tatesearlier in the 1( 0s. "owever# )arnsworthFs invention# which scanned

images with a beam of electrons# is the direct ancestor of moderntelevision. The first image he transmitted on it was a simple line. @oon heaimed his primitive camera at a dollar sign because an investor hadasked# HWhen are we going to see some dollars in this thing# )arnsworthIH

EA $% &EVE$'PME"T

62*# the company that dominated the radio business in the %nited @tateswith its two ,/2 networks# invested J;0 million in the development ofelectronic television. To direct the effort# the companyFs president# David

@arnoff# hired the 6ussian?born scientist Vladimir 7osma 5worykin# whohad participated in 6osingFs e=periments. 'n 1(3(# 62* televised the


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opening of the ,ew


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network radio. Aost of the formats of the new programsKnewscasts#situation comedies# variety shows# and dramasKwere borrowed fromradio# too see radio broadcasting and television programmingE. ,/2 and2/@ took the funds needed to establish this new medium from their radio

profits. "owever# television networks soon would be making substantialprofits of their own# and network radio would all but disappear# e=cept asa carrier of hourly newscasts. 'deas on what to do with the elementtelevision added to radio# the visuals# sometimes seemed in short supply.>n news programs# in particular# the temptation was to fill the screen withHtalking heads#H newscasters simply reading the news# as they might havefor radio. )or shots of news events# the networks relied initially on thenewsreel companies# whose work had been shown previously in moviestudios. The number of television sets in use rose from 9#000 in 1(-9 tosome 1 million by 1(;1. ,o new invention entered *merican homesfaster than black and white television sets8 by 1(;; half of all %.@. homeshad one.

McCA TH%!#M

'n 1(-C the "ouse 2ommittee on %n?*merican *ctivities began aninvestigation of the film industry# and @en. oseph 6. Ac2arthy soon beganto inveigh against what he claimed was 2ommunist infiltration of thegovernment. /roadcasting# too# felt the impact of this growing nationalwitch?hunt. Three former members of the )ederal /ureau of 'nvestigation)/'E published H2ounterattackM The ,ewsletter of )acts on 2ommunism#Hand in 1(;0 a pamphlet# H6ed 2hannels#H listed the supposedly2ommunist associations of 1;1 performing artists. *nti?2ommunistvigilantes applied pressure to advertisersKthe source of network profits.!olitical beliefs suddenly became grounds for getting fired. Aost of theproducers# writers# and actors who were accused of having had left?wingleanings found themselves blacklisted# unable to get work. 2/@ eveninstituted a loyalty oath for its employees. *mong the few individuals intelevision well positioned enough and brave enough to take a standagainst Ac2arthyism was the distinguished former radio reporter dward6. Aurrow. 'n partnership with the news producer )red )riendly# Aurrowbegan See It Now # a television documentary series# in 1(;0. >n Aar. (#1(;-# Aurrow narrated a report on Ac2arthy# e=posing the senatorFsshoddy tactics. >f Ac2arthy# Aurrow observed# H"is mistake has been toconfuse dissent with disloyalty.H * nervous 2/@ refused to promoteAurrow and )riendlyFs program. >ffered free time by 2/@# Ac2arthyreplied on *pril 9# calling Aurrow Hthe leader and the cleverest of the

&ackal pack which is always found at the throat of anyone who dares to

e=pose 2ommunist traitors.H 'n this TV appearance# Ac2arthy proved tobe his own worst enemy# and it became apparent that Aurrow had helped


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Television news first covered the presidential nominating conventions ofthe two ma&or parties# events then still at the heart of *merica politics# in1(; . The term HanchormanH was used# probably for the first time# todescribe Walter 2ronkiteFs central role in 2/@Fs convention coverage that

year. 'n succeeding decades these conventions would become soconcerned with looking good on television that they would lose theirspontaneity and eventually their news value. The power of television newsincreased with the arrival of the popular newscast# The H#ntley2Br nkley3e4ort # on ,/2 in 1(;9 see "untley# 2het# and /rinkley# DavidE. Thenetworks had begun producing their own news film. 'ncreasingly# theybegan to compete with newspapers as the countryFs primary source ofnews see &ournalismE.

The election of a young and vital president in 1(90# ohn ). 7ennedy#seemed to provide evidence of how profoundly television would changepolitics. 2ommentators pointed to the first televised debate that fallbetween 7ennedy# the Democratic candidate for president# and Vice?!resident 6ichard A. ,i=on# the 6epublicanFs nominee. * survey of thosewho listened to the debate on radio indicated that ,i=on had won8however# those who watched on television# and were able to contrast,i=onFs poor posture and poorly shaven face with 7ennedyFs poise andgrace# were more likely to think 7ennedy had won the debate. TelevisionFscoverage of the assassination of !resident 7ennedy on ,ov. # 1(93# and

of the events that followed# provided further evidence of the mediumFspower. Aost *mericans &oined in watching coverage of the shocking andtragic events# not as crowds in the streets# but from their own livingrooms. * newscast that would soon surpass the popularity of "untley?/rinkley# The CBS 5ven n! News w th 6alter Cronk te # debuted in 1(9and was broadcast until 1( 1E. /y the end of the decade 2ronkite hadbecome not &ust a highly respected &ournalist but# according to publicopinion surveys# Hthe most trusted man in *merica.H "is role in coverageof the Vietnam War would be important. While the overwhelming ma&ority

of television news reports on the Vietnam War were supportive of %[email protected]# television news film of the fighting sometimes gave *mericansback home an unfamiliar# harsh# and unromantic view of combat. Aanybelieved it contributed to growing public dissatisfaction with the war. *ndsome of the anger of those defending %.@. policy in Vietnam was leveledagainst television news. 'n 1(9;# 2/@ reporter Aorley @afer accompanieda group of %.@. Aarines on a Hsearch and destroyH mission to a comple= ofhamlets called 2am ,e. The Aarines faced no enemy resistance# yet theyheld cigarette lighters to the thatched roofs and proceeded to HwasteH2am ,e. *fter much debate# @aferFs filmed report on the incident wasshown on 2/@. arly the ne=t morning the president of 2/@ received an


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angry phone call from the president of the %nited @tates# Gyndon /. ohnson# accusing the network of a lack of patriotism. During the Tetoffensive in 1(9 # 2ronkite went to Vietnam to report a documentary onthe state of the war. That documentary# broadcast on )eb. # 1(9 #

concluded with what 2ronkite has described as Ha clearly labelededitorialHM H't is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rationalway out will be to negotiate#H he said. !resident ohnson was watching2ronkiteFs report. *ccording to /ill Aoyers# one of his press aides at thetimeM HThe president flipped off the set and said# N'f 'Fve lost 2ronkite# 'Fvelost middle *merica.FH

THE TH EE "ETW' )# AT THE HE!(HT 'F THE! P'WE

'n 1(9- color broadcasting began on prime?time television. The )22

initially approved a 2/@ color system# then swung in 62*Fs favor after@arnoff swamped the marketplace with black?and?white sets compatiblewith 62* color the 2/@ color system was not compatible with black?and?white sets and would have reBuired the purchase of new setsE. During the1(90s and 1(C0s a country increasingly fascinated with television waslimited to watching almost e=clusively what appeared on the three ma&ornetworksM 2/@# ,/2# and */2. These networks purchased time tobroadcast their programs from about 00 affiliates eachKstations in eachof the ma&or cities or metropolitan areas of the %nited @tates. 'n the largercities# there might also be a few independent stations mostly playingreruns of old network showsE and perhaps a fledgling public broadcastingchannel. !rogramming on each of the three networks was designed tograb a mass audience. ,etwork shows therefore catered# as critics put it#to the lowest common denominator. ames *ubrey# president of 2/@television# doubled the networkFs profits between 1(90 and 1(99 bybroadcasting simple comedies like The Beverly H ll$ ll es 1(9 LC1E. 'n1(91# ,ewton Ainow# then chairman of the )22# called television a Hvastwasteland.H !rogramming became a little more adventurous with thearrival of more realistic situation comedies# beginning with 2/@Fs All n the7am ly in 1(C1 broadcast until 1(C(E. *long with situationcomediesKusually a half?hour focused on either a family and theirneighbors or a group of co?workersKthe other main staple of networkprime?time programming has been the one?hour drama# featuring theadventures of police# detectives# doctors# lawyers# or# in the early decadesof television# cowboys. Daytime television programming consistedprimarily of soap operas and Bui: shows until the 1( 0s# when talk showsdiscussing sub&ects that were formerly taboo# such as se=uality# becamepopular.


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The three ma&or networks have always been in a continual race for ratingsand advertising dollars. 2/@ and ,/2 dominated through the mid?1(C0s#when */2# traditionally regarded as a poor third# rose to the top of theratings# largely because of shrewd scheduling.

P*B$!C B 'A&CA#T!"(

* 2arnegie 2ommission report in 1(9C recommended the creation of afourth# noncommercial# public television network built around theeducational nonprofit stations already in operation throughout the %nited@tates see television# noncommercialE. 2ongress created the !ublic/roadcasting @ystem that year. %nlike commercial networks# which arecentered in ,ew


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in the nearest city. /y 1(90 the %nited @tates had about 9-0 such 2*TVcommunity antenna televisionE systems. 't soon became apparent#

however# that the Htelevision deprivedH were not the only viewers whomight want access to additional channels and additional programming. 'n

,ew


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%.@. bombs falling on the 'raBi capital broadcast live in the %nited @tates./oth 'raBi and %.@. leaders admitted to monitoring 2,, to help keep upwith news of the war. "owever# the %.@. Defense Department# armed withlessons learned in Vietnam# succeeded in keeping most reporters well

away from the action and the bloodshed. 'nstead# pictures were providedto television by the military of HsmartH bombs deftly hitting their targets.

"EW TECH"'$'(!E#

'n the 1( 0s# home videocassette recorders became widely available.Viewers gained the ability to record and replay programs and# moresignificantly# to rent and watch movies at times of their own choosing intheir own homes. Video games also became popular during this decade#particularly with the young# and the television# formally &ust the site of

passive entertainment# became an intricate# moving# computeri:ed gameboard. The number of cable networks grew throughout the 1( 0s andthen e=ploded in the 1((0s as improved cable technology and direct?broadcast satellite television multiplied the channels available to viewers.

The number of broadcast networks increased also# with the success of the)o= network and then the arrival of the %!, and W/ networks. The sharethe broadcast networks attracted continued to erode# from well over (0percent in the early 1( 0s to under ;0 percent by 1((C. *lthough thepopulation of the %nited @tates has continued to grow# the ,ielson Aedia6esearch company estimated that fewer people watched the highlypublici:ed final episode of Se n&eld in 1(( first aired in 1((08 see@einfeld# erryE than watched the final episode of "ASH in 1( 3 first airedin 1(C E. The trial of former football star >. . @impson in 1((- for themurder of his wife he was acBuittedE further demonstrated the hold thatcable networks had on *merican audiences. @ome stations carried almostevery minute of the lengthy trial live and then filled the evening with talkshows dissecting that dayFs developments. The effects of television onchildren# particularly through its emphasis on violence and se=# has longbeen an issue for social scientists# parents# and politicians see childrenFstelevisionE. 'n the late 1( 0s and 1((0s# with increased competitionbrought on by the proliferation of cable networks# talk shows and HtabloidHnews shows seemed to broaden further frank or sensational on?airdiscussion of se=.

'n response to government pressure# the television industry decided todisplay ratings of its programs in 1((9. The ratings were designed toindicate the age groups for which the programs might be suitableM TV?+for general audiencesE# TV?!+ parental guidance suggestedE# TV?1-

unsuitable for children under 1-E# and TV?A* for mature audiences onlyE.'n response to additional complaints# all the networks e=cept ,/2 agreed


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the ne=t year to add V for violenceE# @ for se=E# G for course languageEand D for suggestive dialogueE to those ratings. *lso# the HV?chipHimbedded in new television sets# in accordance with a provision of atelecommunications bill passed in 1((9# gave parents the power to

automatically prevent their children from watching television programswith inappropriate ratings. 2ritics of the ratings saw them as a steptoward censorship and Buestioned whether a TV?1- rating would make aprogram seem more# not less# attractive to an inBuisitive child. 'n 1((Cthe federal government gave each %.@. television broadcaster anadditional channel on which to introduce high definition television# or"DTV. 'nitial transmissions of this high?resolution form of television# inwhich images appear much sharper and clearer# began in 1(( . @tandardtelevision sets cannot pick up "DTV and will presumably have to bereplaced or modified by 009# when traditional# low?definition televisionbroadcasts are scheduled to end and broadcasters are scheduled to returntheir original# non?"DTV channel to the government. The "DTV formatapproved in the %nited @tates calls for television signals to be transmitteddigitally. This will allow for further convergence between computers# the'nternet# and television.

'n 1(( it was already possible to view video on the World Wide Web andto see and search television broadcasts on a computer. *s computersbecome more powerful# they should be able to handle video as easily as

they now handle te=t. The television schedule may eventually be replacedby a system in which viewers are able to watch digitally stored anddistributed programs or segments of programs whenever they want. @uchtechnological changes# including the spread of new cable networks# havebeen arriving slower in most other countries than in the %nited @tates.'ndeed# according to one survey# it was only in the 1((0s that the spreadof television transmitters# television sets# and electricity made it possiblefor half of the individuals in the world to watch television. "owever#televisionFs attraction globally is strong. Those human beings who have a

television set watch it# by one estimate# for an average of two?and?a?halfhours a day.

Aitchell @tephens

Bi+lio,ra-hy. /arnouw# rik# T#$e o& Plenty: The 5vol#t on o& Amer canTelev s on # d ed. 1((0E8 )isher# David . and Aarshall .# T#$e: TheInvent on o& Telev s on 1((CE8 @tephens# Aitchell#Broadcast News # 3d ed.1((3E# A H story o& News 1((9E and The 3 se o& the Ima!e0 the 7all o&

the 6ord 1(( E8 Watson# Aary *.# De& n n! V s ons: Telev s on and the

Amer can 5x4er ence s nce ;(/< 1((CE.


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The television is one of the most prominent inventions of the 0th2entury.

't has become one of the most common ways people view the larger worldbeyond them# as well as being one of the best ways for people to escapefrom the world.

'n the 1 0s a +erman inventor created simplistic moving images using afiltered light viewed through a spinning disk# laying the foundations for themodern television. During the 1( 0s a number of scientist begane=perimenting with sending still images using radio waves. "owever# itwas in 1( that +eneral lectric first combined the idea of a device thatcould show moving images with the technology to wirelessly broadcastthem.

During the 30s and -0s the technology was gradually improved upon. 'n*merica the first regular broadcasts began in 1(3( though it was not untilafter the @econd World War that the television as a standard homeappliance began to really take off. *fter 1(-; television sales in *mericaskyrocketed. The first colour broadcast was made in 1(;-.

Throughout the rest of the world# television came years later# and itwasn$t until the late 1(90s that a television was commonplace in housesthroughout the West. /y the 1(C0s# television had become the dominantmedia force it is today# with - hour programming# mass advertising andsyndicated shows.

'n the 1( 0s satellite television shrunk the world# making live feeds fromother countries and time :ones possible. The new millennium brought theadvent of digital television# which is the future of television.

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A Brief History of Television