The World of

Television
By: Shreya Gandhi, Claire Hansen, John Hardy, and Natalie Smalley

Why did we pick this topic?

Television is relatable to everyone
We are living in a generation where the way people watch TV is always
changing.
It is a topic that all of the members of the group shared interest in.

Agenda
History of Television
Electronics and Science

History of Television Programs and Shows

Impact on Society

Television Inventors
John Loggie Braid invented the first
television.
First demonstration in 1924
Mechanical television was made of
spinning discs and a mechanical
scanner that scanned the image on the
disc.
Image was very poor.

Philo Fransworth invented the first

electronic television.

Figure 1: First Electronic Television

Demonstration Source: Explore PA
History

Television Set Production

From 1928 to 1934 mechanical
televisions were sold in the Soviet
Union, United Kingdom, and the
United States.
In 1936 electronic televisions were
produced costing $445.
Production of television stopped
during World War II
After World War II the television mass
produced.

Figure 2: First Television Mass

Produced. Source: RCA 630TS

Other Technological Advancements

Cable Television was developed in
the 1940s, it was used to get signal
those in more rural communities.
Satellite Television was made
possible in the 1960s due to the
space race.
Video games were invented in 1958
by William Higinbotham.
Figure 3: Tennis for Two Source:T42 Tennis for
Two

Color Television
The original patent for the idea of
color television was in 1904.
In the 1940s CBS came up with the
first system for color television
The first color television was sold in
1954.
The first show broadcasted in color
was The Ed Sullivan Show.

Figure 4: First color

television. Source: 1951
CBS Mechanical Color
Television

Television Programs History

The British Broadcasting Company
(BBC) began broadcasting in North
London in 1936.
In 1939 NBC and CBS began
broadcasting in New York City.

The television industry was just

beginning when World War 2
interrupted.
After the war the television become
very popular.

Figure 5: 1930s CBS Logo.

Source: CBS Radio

Television Technology
Television is something that went from a very simple form such as a simple TV
set with antennas and only three channels, to something as complex as
watching television anywhere, from the convenience of your smartphone.
None of this would have been possible, however, if it werent for technology.

The Beginning
T.V. set with a small screen,
an antenna, and a plug in.
The typical television you
think of when you think of
the very first television.
Around 1949 is when
household televisions
became fairly common.

Figure 6: Nielsen Dial

TV. Source:
Gizmodo.com

Color Television
Color television was the first real
advancement in television
technology. Color TVs came out in
1954 and since the large television
networks announced they would
broadcast in full color starting in
1965, everyone wanted a color TV.
They didn't become common until
the early 1970s.
Figure 7: Baird Model M701 Dual Standard
TV. Source: SouthWest England Vintage
Television Museum

Digital Television
The possibility of digital television
didn't come around until about
1990, then about ten years later it
was announced that 2010 was the
deadline for analog shutdown.
This would mean that digital
television would be the primary
source for live television and it is
what we are accustomed to today.
Figure 8: Newspaper Ad for the
switch to digital TV. Source: Alan
Garcia.Times Illustration

Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Google Chromecast, & Apple

TV

These devices allowed you to watch your favorite shows from Netflix, Hulu,
Amazon Instant Video, etc on your television rather than just your computer,
tablet, or phone.
Essentially turned any TV into a Smart TV with internet capabilities.

Figure 9: TV Streaming Media

Devices. Source: TechCrunch.com

Smart Television
A smart TV is a high definition
television that has internet
capabilities where you can watch
all the online shows you want and
it eliminates the need for the
aforementioned devices. Came
around in 2013 and now virtually
all new higher end TVs have
these capabilities.

Figure 10: Newer Smart TV. Source:

GadgetReview.com

3D Television
3D TVs were largely viewed as a
failure in the technology world. A
few 3D channels came out at the
beginning of 2010 and were all
quickly shut down by mid 2010. 3D
TVs do have a very niche audience
who enjoy using the TV for blu-ray
discs and watching movies.
Figure 11: 3D Television.
Source: CRM Studios

Television Shows Start Out

Experimental broadcasting began in the
1930s
In 1939, RBC unveiled their new NBC studios
in Rockefeller center
Growth grew exponentially in 1947
shows like Howdy Doody and the Ed
Sullivan show
As popularity increased, many radio stars
tried to switch to television

Television News
In the 1950s, the need for good news
networks increased
CBS news became a very popular news
network
The Great Debate between Nixon and
Kennedy

September 11

Figure 12: Kennedy and Nixon Debate

Source : eyesofageneration.com

The 1950s
Game Shows
People loved the idea that anyone could enter a game show and end up winning thousands of
dollars
Disgraced when scandal occurred

Comedy
Sitcoms, sketch, and variety comedys
I Love Lucy, Ernie Kovacs

Drama
Changed the way television was filmed

1960s
Many racial barriers broken in television
entertainment
Batman, Star Trek

Talk Show
700 Club, Dick Cavett Show

Children Shows
Mister Rogers Neighborhood, Sesame Street

Animation
Scooby Doo, Flintstones, Rocky Bullwinkle

1970s and 1980s

Shows started to cover womens rights and abortion
1975, Saturday Night Live premiered

Reality Shows started becoming popular

Networks like ESPN, and Nickelodeon debuted
Hits from previous years losing their popularity in the 1980s
David Letterman Show, Oprah Winfrey Show, Tom Hanks, Michael J. Fox

1990s to Today
Family shows died down, being single
became popular
Friends, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves
Raymond
ended in the 2000s

Sitcoms became more honest and true

Ellen Degeneres
American Idol, Grey's Anatomy, CSI

Impact of Television
In our culture, televisions are in almost every middle to upper class home. This
means that TV can be very influential. Through all of the shows, movies, and
advertisements broadcasted on television there are positive and negative effects.
Positive effects:
Teaches children how to learn
Good for winding down at the end of the day

Impacts of television (continued)

negative effects:
correlation to children watching violent things on television and having a more
aggressive behaviour
less healthy to sit in front of a television than activities that require someone
to move around
Increased risk of obesity

How Demographics Have Changed Over Time

television producers always aim for a specific audience when they make a
show or movie. When they make shows they want to produce media to the
people that will generate the most profit for producers.
producers used to make shows more for middle aged people
baby-boomer generation are becoming the new age group that producers are
marketing to

Are We Watching More or Less TV

Television stations are reporting that less people are watching less television

does not account for the people that watch shows through streaming.
people cannot always watch the televisions shows that they want to on the
television airing time.
easier to stream shows onto other devices

Works Cited
CBSNews. "Smartphone Display." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 20 Feb. 2013.
Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
Monaghan, Erin. "Television Through the Decades and the Ways It Changed
Our World - TopTenREVIEWS." Top Ten Reviews. Top Ten Reviews, 4
Apr. 2008. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
Stephens, Mitchell. "History of Television - Mitchell Stephens." History of
Television - Mitchell Stephens. NYU, 19 May 2006. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
Michael O. Schroeder. 9 Ways Watching TV Is Bad For Your Health.
"The Flintstones" Opening." YouTube. YouTube, 29 Aug. 2008. Web. 01 Dec.
2015.
"FRIENDS - Theme Song (Intro)." YouTube. YouTube, 9 Sept. 2011. Web. 01
Dec. 2015.

Works Cited Continued

"Howdy Doody." YouTube. YouTube, 22 Sept. 2008. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
"TV History." TV History. Archive of American Television, n.d. Web. 01 Dec.
2015.