Major Event in the development of T.V.

Time Period/Date(s)

Description and Significance of the People/Event(s) to the history of Television.

1)      

Before TV: Radio as king

1900-1950

   The radio was king of the air waves before television was invented. It was used by entertainers, the sports world and politicians alike. Franklin D. Roosevelt's "fireside chats" created a sense of hope during the Great Depression (Brands, 2009).          

2)      

The first TV: The world in Black and White

1950-1960

The first TV was built in the late 1940's, but most people could not afford one. By 1955, TV's were in half a million homes in the U.S. (Brands, 2009). The first television shows were comprised of puppet shows, cartoons, game shows and the "late show", a movie that started around midnight.

3)      

TV as entertainment.

1955- present

Television began with a few shows on a few channels but by 2011, there are hundreds of channels available on cable and satellite networks around the world.

In the early 50's, Game shows were extremely popular. The $64,000 question, at the height of its popularity drew 10 million viewers during prime time (Brands, 2009)

By the 1960's the Ed Sullivan show was captivating America. The Beetles made their first appearance in America on the Ed Sullivan show on August 10^th, 1964 (Brands, 2009)

4)      

TV as a marketing tool.

5)      

In Living Color: The advent of color TV

6)      

TV as socialization agent

7)      

TV as the source of "truth"

8)      

TV as agent of change

9)      

TV and hi tech