Television History

Historical developments in television.

4. Mechanical and Mechanical and
ElectronicElectronic
In the early days of
television there were
two experimental
paths: Mechanical and
Electronic.
Inventors were either
experimenting with
mechanical disks or
cathode ray tubes.
4

5. 5
Key Figures/Events:Key Figures/Events:
Mechanical Scanning

Paul Nipkow, Germany, 1884
Charles Jenkins, Radiovision:
1923; 1925
First TV Station, 1928
John Logie Baird, British,1925

Electronic Scanning


Philo T Farnsworth, 1922
Allen Dumont CRT, 1930s
RCA and David Sarnoff, 1932
German Olympics, 1936
New York World's Fair, 1939
John Logie Baird

6. Mechanical ScanningMechanical Scanning
The beginnings of mechanical television can be traced to the invention
of a scanning disk patented by Paul Gottlieb Nipkow in 1884
Paul Gottlieb Nipkow

7. Mechanical Scanning Paul Nipkow, Germany, 1884
The device consisted of a disc with a spiral of holes.
As the disc spins, the eye of the viewer blurs the
points together to re-create a full picture.
7Paul Nipkow and his Mechanical Scanning Device

8. Mechanical Scanning Paul Nipkow, Germany, 1884
Although it’s not known if he ever built the device,
the idea became the basis for many early television
systems.
8

9. Both Charles Jenkins and John Logie Baird
demonstrated the mechanical transmission of
images over wire circuits
Charles
Jenkins

10. Charles Francis Jenkins claimed to have transmitted the earliest moving
images in 1923 using what he called Radiovision. In 1925 he publicly
demonstrated synchronized transmission of pictures and sound.
Charles Jenkins Mechanical ScanningCharles Jenkins Mechanical Scanning

11. First Television Station: Jenkin’s W3XK 1928First Television Station: Jenkin’s W3XK 1928

13. Ad for Jenkin’s
Radiovisor and
Television Receiver
kits.
Equipment based on
Nipkow’s mechanical
disc principle.

14. John Logie Baird, Scottish inventor, first transmissions of simple face
shapes in 1924 using mechanical television. March 25, 1925, Baird
demonstrated "television" at London department store Selfridges.
Only silhouettes were visible.
John Logie Baird – Mechanical Scanning

15. Group gathered to watch the first broadcast.

16. John Logie Baird with his Televisor 1925 John Logie Baird with his Televisor 1925

17. The Baird tin box televisor, 1930.

18. From 1929 to 1935, the BBC used Baird’s
system until it was replaced by electronic
systems.
Although mechanical scanning was not the
winning system, Baird continued to make
developments in the field demonstrating
colour television in 1939 using a cathode ray
tube.

19. Electronic ScanningElectronic Scanning
Philo T Farnsworth

20. 20
  
Electronic Scanning

Philo Farnsworth,
1927
Television was first
successfully demonstrated
in San Francisco in 1927 by
Philo Farnsworth, a 21-
year-old inventor using
Allen Dumont's cathode
ray tube

21. Philo T FarnsworthPhilo T Farnsworth
As a young boy, living on a farm, Philo
came up with the idea of electronically
scanning images for transmission. He
shared the idea with his high school
teacher at Rigby High.
Farnsworth’s conceptual sketch, 1922.
Philo T. Farnsworth Archives.
Rigby High School, Rigby, Idaho

22. Farnsworth moved to California to work
on an electronic television system and in
1927 his "Image Dissector" transmitted
the first electronic television image to a
screen.
He spent years arguing over patent rights
with David Sarnoff and engineer Vladimir
Zworykin of RCA but In 1934 the U.S.
Patent Office sided with him. In 1939
Farnsworth sold his patents to RCA.

23. San Francisco, California

24. Long Distance TV Transmission
Transmission of image and audio of Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Commerce
Audio: “Today we have, in a sense, the
transmission of sight for the first time in the
world’s history,” Hoover said. “Human genius
has now destroyed the impediment of distance
in a new respect, and in a manner hitherto
unknown.”

25. 25

1927 AT&T introduced
long distance TV with an
image of Herbert Hoover,
US Secretary of Commerce
Image was sent from
Washington to New York

26. 26
Electrical engineer
Vladimir Zworykin holding
his iconoscope television
camera tube

Electronic Scanning: Iconoscope

In 1928 RCA and Westinghouse merged
research operations and invented the
iconoscope electronic scanning tube:
The first practical video camera tube used in
early TV cameras.

27. 27

Electronic Scanning:
NBC: Felix the Cat

The first transmission on NBC
was a cartoon drawing (60 line)
of Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat first NBC transmission

28. Everyday Science and
Mechanics 1932
On the Cathode Ray Tube
“Television receivers of tomorrow
will employ this newest scanning
device, which “paints” the image on
a fluorescent screen with a beam of
electrons moving at incredible
speed.”

29. 29

Electronic Scanning
RCA and David Sarnoff,
1932
David Sarnoff, president of
RCA, decided to invest more
in the new medium that he
called "television”
1930 resolution was 60 lines

30. 30Television Camera Used During 1936 German Olympics

31. 31
Television introduced to world at New York World’s Fair 1939

32. 32
W2XBS NBC, 1939
Experimental NBC station,
W2XBS aired first televised
major league baseball game
Aug 26, 1939
Only 400 sets could receive
signal
Commercial operations
withheld until standards
developed. The FCC allowed
full commercial telecasting to
begin on July 1, 1941
Ist Broadcast
Major League Baseball Game, 1939

33. Ad for the first televised Major League Baseball Game

34. Camera broadcasting the game between the Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers, 1939
Photo -Museum of City of New York

35. First commercial was for Bulova watches and ran during a baseball game in 1941

36. 36
Historical Perspective: 1940s

After the FCC Regulation’s in 1941, the
television stations broadcast for only a few
hours in the evening
Basically they recreated radio shows, news,
and sports.
6 months after commercial broadcasting
began, the US entered World War II and
production of television equipment stopped
and most TV stations were shut down.
Only a few experimental stations stayed on
the air during the war with only a few hours of
broadcasting.
In 1946 after the war the three networks-CBS,
NBC, ABC began serious broadcasting.

37. 37
Historical Perspective
    
1950s   
          
"Golden Age"  
           
Network service in 1948 
was to midwest and east 
coast and then to west 
coast in 1951
Dominance of Medium       
 
Comedies, Game Show 
Scandals and Blacklisting
Radio and Movies were 
threatened by TV
Advertisers sponsored 
programs and controlled 
how their ads were 
inserted
"Golden Age"  

38. The I Love Lucy Show mirrored the stereotypical view of women in the 50s.
In the show Ricky was the breadwinner, and Lucy the housewife.
In real life Lucille Ball was a full partner in the writing and production.
50s Family Values

39. I Love Lucy was the first scripted television program to be shot on
35 mm film in front of a live studio audience. The show changed TV
forever when they began videotaping bringing a world of re-runs!

40. Advertisers sponsored 
programs and controlled 
how their ads were 
inserted.
Smoking was normal
Philip Morris and I Love Lucy

41. 1950s1950s
Hey Kids, What Time is Hey Kids, What Time is
it?it?
Howdy Doody TimeHowdy Doody Time
Between 1947-1960 Howdy Doody 
Time ruled on NBC for kids running  
5 days a week.
A 1955 catalogue had 24 pages of 
products licensed by the show 
including the puppet, toys and 
clothing, plus tie-ins with cereals 
and other food products.

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1950s  
News was sponsored! 
          
John Cameron Swayze
anchored 15 minute 
Camel News Caravan
Swayze's contract required that a 
cigarette always be burning on 
camera, whether Swayze was 
smoking it or not 

43. The era of HUAC: The House
Committee on Un-American
Activities and Hollywood
Blacklisting

44. 44
1950s: The Newsman vs. the Commie Hunter
Joseph McCarthy HUAC
Edward R Murrow

45. 45
1950s     
Edward R Murrow, News
Anchor
Murrow’s show See it Now
focused on controversial issues.
He took on Senator Joseph 
McCarthy leading to a public 
backlash against McCarthy 
resulting in the senator’s 
censure. 
  
Lobby of  CBS building has plaque 
"He set standards of excellence that
remain unsurpassed."
25-year career,+ 5000 broadcasts; 
invented the traditions of television 
news. 
Edward R Murrow

46. 46
In the 1950s there were over 22 Game Shows on the Air

47. 47
 
1950s Game Shows Scandals
Twenty One a Quiz show based 
on the blackjack made a pop 
phenomenon of professor 
Charles Van Doren. 

Charles Van Doren

48. 48
Twenty One and Game Show Scandals
The trouble was that the game show had made the handsome Van Doren a 
winner. In 1958 disgruntled former contestants reported that the games were 
rigged and contestants coached. Winners had been supplied answers in advance 
and the high-drama match-ups were  choreographed. 
Congressional hearings followed but there had been no laws; laws were created 
to prohibit fixing games. Networks and sponsors acknowledged the public's 
distaste and kept game shows off the air for a period of time. The quiz show 
scandals made the networks forever leery of "single sponsorship." 

49. 49

1950s  Game Shows
                              
Queen For A Day
 How weird could this be?
Hosted by Jack Bailey from 
1956-1962 on NBC,
Queen For a Day saw poor 
bedraggled women telling 
their tales of woe. 
The winner - the most 
pathetic - got prizes. Just what 
some woman who had lost 
everything needed- a 
refrigerator.

50. 50
1960s 
90% of North Americans had television
Defining moments captured on TV:
Kennedy Nixon Debate
Martin Luther King –I have a Dream
Assassination of JFK
Oswald shot by Jack Ruby
The Beatles on Ed Sullivan
Colour Television
Counter Culture- Smothers Brothers
Vietnam war on the living room TV
US lands on Moon
            
Cable and Video Introduced
Violence and Inanity Criticized
News Coverage Praised 
Satellites Employed    

51. 51
1960s Changing Politics           
1960 in Kennedy –Nixon Debate
First televised debate
Those listening on radio preferred Nixon, 
but those watching on television 
preferred the young attractive Kennedy 
compared to the sweaty, pale looking 
Nixon.
Recognition of the Importance of TV and 
“image”
 
 

52. 52
Rod Serling always smoking1960s Science Fiction on Television

53. 53
1960s Comedy
Laugh in
"One ringy-dingy...two ringy-dingies..." "Sock it to me!"
Popular Culture
Memes
“You bet your sweet 
bippy!”
"Here come de judge!"

54. 54
1964   Political Ad Controversy
          
Lyndon Johnson runs Daisy ad in
1964 striking fears in minds of voters.
A little girl picks the petals of a daisy  
counting each petal.
 
When she 
reaches "nine", a male voice counts 
down a missile launch. On reaching 
zero blackness is by replaced by a 
nuclear mushroom explosion. 
followed by the words,
"These are the stakes. To make a
world in which all of God's children
can live, or to go into the dark. We
must either love each other, or we
must die” Vote Lyndon Johnson on 
November 3
rd
.
The ad ran once during a Monday 
Night Movie.
 Johnson won with a landslide. 

55. 55
Late 1960s
Smothers Brothers
By the late 60’s political
comment was being
suppressed and caused
cancellations of shows
like Smothers Brothers
which targeted racism,
Vietnam war and Nixon.

56. 56
  1970s
Colour TV outselling Black & White            
FCC becomes more Aggressive
Spin-Offs shows are Popular
Decline of the Western and Soap Opera Boom
War and protest still televised
1970 brought Sesame Street and the Kent State Massacre

TV content criticism continues
More Government regulations
Cigarette commercials were banned
A "Family Hour" established before 9 pm- it was repealed
1977 videotaped movies appear for home viewing
Personal video taping Beta vs VHS
Satellite and Cable

57. 57
 1980s
VCR allowed viewers to manage, organize
and control the programs available to them.
Remote controls- Zipping and Zapping
"independent” TV and cable TV captured
40% of market
Sitcoms: The Cosby Show, Cheers, Family
Ties, Roseanne, Alf, Married with Children
The infomercial became a popular ad
medium
Energizer Bunny, 1984 Apple Ad, Where’s
the Beef Wendy’s ad, California Raisins
Claymation AD
TV ads for political campaigns
24 Hour Cable News

58. 58
  
1980s --- CABLE!
CNN 24-hour cable news founded
1980
80s cost cutting in networks led to
fewer journalists allowing Ted Turner's
Cable News Network CCN to become
a prominent source for worldwide
news
1985 Rupert Murdock bought half of
20th Century Fox and two years later
started Fox

59. Popular 1990 Shows

60. 60
 
  
1990s
Video REVOLUTION
Citizen Journalism
March 3 1991
Rodney King Beating
Captured on Tape
Average citizen, George
Holliday has captured
the news and
influenced events
Rodney King George Holliday

61. 61
  
  
1990s Video REVOLUTION
Citizen Journalism
March 3 1991
Rodney King Beating
Captured on Tape
After the Trial - LA RIOTS

62. 1990s/2000s
CABLE REVOLUTION
War is Sanitized
CNN brought the first Gulf War
(1990-1991) live to the living
rooms the world over.

During the Gulf War (Desert
Storm) Allied headquarters
released videogame-like
pictures of "smart bombs"
destroying military installations
Sometimes broadcasts showed
reporters live in their gas masks
during a suspected chemical
weapons attack (there were
none) Arthur Kent became
known as the Stud Scud

SMART BOMBS ?
NO BLOOD shown
Peter Arnett of CNN
The Stud Scud - Arthur Kent
The CNN effect”
It's usually thought of as the effect that continuous
and instantaneous television may have on foreign
policy

63.     
1990s/2000s
CABLE REVOLUTION
CNN Gulf War live to the living
rooms the world over.
videogame-like pictures of "smart
bombs”
“The CNN effect”

SMART BOMBS?   SMART BOMBS?   
NO BLOOD shownNO BLOOD shown

64. World news events changed the way
stories were covered- 2000 US election
and Sept 11,2001
Reporters concerned with scooping others
and reported events prematurely-
networks depended on exit polls and all
called Gore the winner, then the
recanting began and called for Bush,
then declared indecision weeks of
confusion followed.
After 9/11 people were afraid to criticize
government
6llly
2000s

65. 6llB
2004
Janet Jackson's "wardrobe
malfunction" during the 2004
Superbowl led to the incident being
used as a wedge to try to enact
further speech restrictions by
congress and FCC creating a "chilling
effect" on what the media was
allowed to show

Conservative backlash

66. With 24- hour news networks,
sensationalism reigns.
The sky is falling! Again and again.

67. Popular Shows in the 2000s- Rise of Cable Network Drama Series and Reality

68. Change: Multiple Screens-It’s not just cable and satellite anymore

69. 69
2010s and beyond 2010s and beyond

Where is the emphasis?Where is the emphasis?
What is news? Infotainment?What is news? Infotainment?
Is there a future for television as we know it?Is there a future for television as we know it?
Image Source: Business Insider
?Is it the