Television in the United States

This article is about television in the United States, specifically its history, art, business and government regulation. Information about television technologies is covered in the main television article and elsewhere.

History of television in the United States

Television first became commercialized in the U.S. in the early 1940s, initially by RCA and CBS. A number of different broadcast systems had been developed through the end of the 1930s. The National Television System Committee (NTSC) standardized on a 525-line broadcast in 1941 that would provide the basis for TV across the country through the end of the century. Television development halted with the onset of World War II, but pioneers returned to the airwaves when that conflict ended.

Related Topics:
1940s - RCA - CBS - 1930s - National Television System Committee - 1941 - World War II

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There were only a few dozen stations operating at the end of the decade, concentrated on the East and West coasts. The Federal Communications Commission began handing out broadcasting licenses to communities of all sizes in the early 1950s, spurring an explosion of growth in the medium. A brief debacle over the system to use for color broadcasts occurred at this time, but was soon settled. Half of all U.S. households had TV sets by 1955, though color was a premium feature for many years.

Related Topics:
Federal Communications Commission - 1950s - Color - 1955

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many of the earliest TV programs were modified versions of well-established radio shows.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The '50s saw the first flowering of the genres that would distinguish TV from movies and radio: talk shows like The Jack Paar Show and sitcoms like I Love Lucy. Stations across the country also produced their own local programs. Usually carried live, they ranged from simple advertisements to game shows and children's shows that often featured clowns and other offbeat characters. Bozo the Clown was an unusual mixture of local and national, as the character became a franchise copied across the country. Local shows could often be popular and profitable, but concerns about product promotion and other issues led them to almost completely disappear by the mid-1970s. Today, national and syndicated programs dominate, leaving local programming to mostly consist of news and sports coverage, though some quirky shows continue to be produced. California and New York are the main sources of content, though this "bicoastal" nature has sometimes led to tension in the country.

Related Topics:
Talk show - The Jack Paar Show - Sitcom - I Love Lucy - Advertisement - Game show - Children - Clown - Bozo the Clown - 1970s - News - Sports - California - New York - Bicoastal

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cable television (now often "cable" in name only — satellite broadcasts are increasingly important) became a force in the early '80s and has been growing in significance since that time. It is in many ways considered a mixed blessing, bringing a vast amount of content, but of varying quality. Public access programs continue to be produced across the country, providing one of the last vestiges of television's early local days, but many find such shows to be nearly unwatchable much of the time. Digital television in all its forms is also changing the ways that the medium is used, allowing for greater content and higher-quality images, but production quality on some modern digital cable channels is often derided as nothing better than the no-budget cable access shows.

Related Topics:
Cable television - Satellite - 80s - Public access - Digital television - Digital cable

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Unlike the UK, Canada, Australia and Japan, the United States has never had a government-run network or series of networks like the British Broadcasting Corporation, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Broadcasting Corporation or NHK. American public broadcasting was established by the government reserving specific channels in each area for the use of "non-commercial/educational" broadcasters. These channels are licensed to non-profit organizations, often a locally-based independent corporation or a university, but sometimes a local school or local government. To provide government funds for these broadcasters, the federal government established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which also partially funds PBS TV and NPR radio, the major associations of public broadcasters. C-SPAN, which covers the federal government and related topics, is collectively funded and managed by private cable television companies, and is mostly a "cable" service with minimal exposure through broadcast stations.

Related Topics:
UK - Canada - Australia - Japan - British Broadcasting Corporation - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - NHK - Public broadcasting - Non-profit organization - Corporation for Public Broadcasting - PBS - NPR - C-SPAN - Cable television

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~