Television Industry

Since the inception of digital technology, tv has become global rather than national, and has become more and more commercial, with public service broadcasting forced to adapt its structure, with public service broadcasting forced to adapt its structure, role and function. International coproduction is growing and broadcasters such as hBO have achieved global success

Broadcasters are now 'narowcasters' with multiple channels targeting different audiences.
Audiences consume television texts in a variety of ways as the industry has increased portability via new platforms and patterns of consumption have changed alongside this (binge watching, on demand and catch up, Netflix etc)

Interactive social media channels such as youtube have increased accessibility for the 'prosumer' audience, and social media and viral promotion have become a crucial part of marketing television texts.



Imagine... And Then There Was Television

First BBC Broadcast is a fireworks show, only 400 tv sets.
John Logie Berd
Mixed reception from its inception
Was literal magic
There was a large room from which the first were broadcast (like knife throwing)
UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, America in a race to produce the best images
John Reith did not like TV, both of them were engineers
There was a rivalry between the two Johns
Anyone with a medium wave radio could pick up on JBs signals, he started to manufacture his 'Televised Receiver' for people to watch TV in their homes.
A lot of the early novel 'shows' were experimental "ghost in the machine" style
T.V. was essentially forced on Reith, absolutely hated it, he didn't grasp the entertainment aspect.
They built big transmission towers, the BBC was coerced into making official television studios by the government.
T.V. was used for propaganda in Nazi Germany by Joseph G
Cecil Madden made the first show for the opening of the Alley Palley
Live broadcast of singing as an intro
Cyanide used to be used as it was a fast fixer solution to develop the film
1937 the Beard system was dropped :(
Old T.V. sets were expensive
2000 Televisions in '37
A lot of it was improvised
Interlude films in between shows
BBC was more focused on the Radio
Television was only entertainment, radio was a serious medium
>this all took place in the middle of a depression
War with Germany was imminent, and the push in T.V. could have been a smokescreen to produce cathode ray tubes (used in radars)
Radar was used using similar technology in T.V. and were used to find planes
Manufacturing TV equipment was banned in America
T.V. seemed to be forgotten in the war, radio took its place for BBC's wartime news.
20,000 viewers watching when the T.V. service was started again
Spam used to be a luxury
A man ate jolly good straightforward nutritionally packed grass with salt on it (comedy?)
Stage actors became famous T.V. actors
Pratfalls and imaginary boxing
Increased interest in continental places and acts, such as Paris
Film used to be developed in Finnsbury park
News of the day was usually announced the day after
News presenters were kept off the screen (in fear of personality)
80% Of children had access to TV, and Children's television was becoming more common
Live Sci-Fi show, The Quatermass Experiment
Outside broadcast began to grow, such as jet flybys or boat races