The first Electronic Television was invented in 1927, and was a major breakthrough for the entertainment industry, especially with films and later on shows. Films could only be watched in the Theater, purchasable by tickets and required going to a separate building just to watch a movie. By the 1950s, films were shown on TV for the first time for a multitude of reasons. The studios were losing money as less and less people were going to theaters and instead watching television at home. And they were competing with television shows directly, which worsened their attendance even more. This forced them to sell to television their film rights for home-viewing.

As technology advanced, so did television, but also a new type of service that was provided to the consumer. One that is still very competitive to television and made them lose a lot of viewership. This was the Streaming Service. These services included sites such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO. What these Streaming Services do in comparison to Television is instant choice and pausing. With the services, you can choose any show or movie, and play and pause at will. With television, you have to tune in to a certain channel at a certain channel, otherwise you have to wait next time.

Television has seen multiple viewers instead go into these streaming services for their accessibility. Instead of fighting this, instead, it has tried to join and even compete with this their own way. Multiple companies have tried to make multiple services, sell their rights to one service, and even just having an internet presence to compensate for the lessened viewership. Even still, streaming has taken such a huge step in todays culture that television is now gonna change forever, or it will cling on to the past , where TV was the staple of every household.

Ever since the invention of television in the 20s, People have been going absolute bonkers over TVs and I don’t blame them! The technological evolution that the television has gone through is mind blowing. Back then the television was a big ugly rectangular box that couldn’t even play sound and had a tiny black and white screen. Today we have massive jumbo screens and huge amps to produce a whole other level of experienceS. This not so new invention has become a major source of mass media in todays world.

I usually enjoy watching “Tuning into media” and agree with most things they mention, but this weeks video had me all confused. They talked about how television was starting to become outdated and fading away, but I think television is going to be staying for along while. The television industries have been becoming too big to fail in my eyes. Kids all over the world rely on television as their main source of entertainment. New funny cartoons and movies will always be coming up and filling joy into children’s hearts. Television is also used for information about the country’s current positions and news. I know today too many people may be relying on some information outlets and news stations on television that might be poisoned with lies, but there are many options in choosing what you want to watch and take in. Personally I don’t think television will ever be a thing of the past. It may go through changes and different orientations, but in the end it will still be considered television. Even when considering the new inventions In how to stream media like Netflix, HBO, Hulu,etc. television will still be a pretty popular media outlet. To me personally, I’ve seen mostly teens and young adults using these new streaming devices to watch shows and other programs. I feel as if older generations usually stick to cable shows instead of paying for a subscription.

When thinking back on my childhood and what shows I watched, i realized how much these shoes have influenced me as person. When i was younger i used to wake up super early with my dad to watch animal planet and National Geographic shows. Today i am very conscious about animals and the environment and have changed my life style to help keep them from being destroyed or abused. Even when i was hat young i was the person in my family to take car of any spider or flies in the house because i would refuse to kill them, so i would catch them with a cup and paper and set them free. In todays world television has become very persuasive, especially in the news and has persuaded people to think or believe certain things whether they were truthful or not.

How persuasive do you think television can really be? Do you think television is starting to become a part of the past?

Growing up with TV all my life, I tend to take it for granted. In the present day, TV’s seem to be going out of fashion, or at least cable. A majority of people I know, including myself, usually find ourselves watching shows, videos, or movies on our phones, laptops, or tablets. Occasionally the TV in my suite is used for a movie night here and there, but that’s about it. Whereas I remember when I was little, I would wake up, watch TV. Eating lunch, watch TV. Bored, watch TV. Going to bed, watch TV. I remember when I would run off the school bus to sit down and watch some cartoon on Cartoon Network until it was time for me to do homework. It was a constant in my everyday life, as I’m sure it was in many others, but one day that just stopped being the case. One thing I’m sure I didn’t run into too much when I was younger and watching television was politics. Maybe there were some veiled political comments in my shows that I was too young for, but until later on in life, it wasn’t something I encountered.

As seen in the reading and the documentary we watched this week, Rod Sterling: Submitted for your Approval, television has seemed to flip and flop on the idea of politics being a part of the shown programming. Obviously, around the 70’s shows started to pop up that had a bit more political commentary in them, both direct and not. But then, there’s a change of heart. Once real life becomes “too political” all traces of commentary almost disappear from any entertainment type show. News channels still exist and such, reporting on the pressing current events of their time, but entertainment shows start to change. You can also kind of see this within the Rod Sterling documentary. He discusses the desire to make social and political comments and discussions, but brings up that no one would want to buy that show and allow him to broadcast it. To get someone to purchase his show The Twilight Zone, he had to veil it as something magical and fantasy. Even after being seen as something fantastical, Sterling still had to disguise his views and lessons within fiction of the show. He would never be able to make an episode about racial tensions or lynching, or the evils of man happening in his very present, but changing that into something people can feel distant from at first glance, he was able to broadcast it.

Even with television never being sure it’s opinion on politics in shows, this mass media brought consumers to a higher level of awareness than before, regarding what was happening in the world. Kennedy’s assassination, images from Vietnam, etc. all were shown to a brand new audience and it gave people a much more confrontational form of news that other mass media doesn’t seem to provide. The images from Vietnam sparked protests and then it was clear how different the public’s participation would be in events like this. To this day, television and internet push this kind of awareness on the public, that with out these methods of mass media, might have never come to exist. You can see it today with Black Lives Matter and even recently the reveal of forced sterilization in ICE camps. The everyday person is seeing this news and the horrible brutality and injustice against BIPOC, and can find ways to act on their opinion about this. Throughout the BLM movement, I’ve noticed a lot of debate about television news verses social media/the internet, mostly about who is reporting about what. I wonder if television is possibly about to go through another time of shows with no political presence and only news commenting on that kind of thing. Maybe things have progressed too far for that to be able to happen. The time we’re in now seems to be so similar to the past, yet so unbelievably different.

How can something as simple as a television change the world we live in? There is so many other crazy inventions today so why the TV? For the past few years media has came through technology in many different forms. As of late it has been the internet and social media, but it used to be television for the longest time. At a very simple time in 1927 the television was created. This was when there was one or two channels on the television. They were very simple times, so I’ve heard. Being almost 22 years old I did not experience it for myself. With one or two channels catching your favorite TV shows could be very difficult. They were on a specific times and kids of that era knew that. They would gather around the TV or change their schedule to make sure they could see their show when it aired. There was no DVR so if you missed it you were screwed.

The first film that we watched was called “Tuning into media”. I somewhat liked this film. Although they talked about a lot of interesting things, I didn’t necessarily agreed with all of it. The film talked about how TV is becoming outdated and a thing of the past. I do not feel TV is becoming a thing of the past. It is still constantly involving into new forms of TV. There is so many different types of TV’s unique in their own way. I feel there has been so much innovation with technology Television is being push into the background. They might not notice how important Television has been, and will be for the years to come. Television was one of the first well trusted sources of news, behind the newspaper. TV is part of my everyday routine if I have time and I feel like that is the same for many other people my age. Hard to see TV being called “outdated”.

The second film we watched was Rob Serling, submitted for your Approval. The film talked about the large impact that television had on his life. He questioned us as a viewer about our moral’s. He would ask such questions that some would say picked our brains. His tow best accomplishments were Playhouse 90 and The Twilight Zone. Both of which were very successful shows that he took large part in. Unfortunately, Rob later died on June 28, 1975 of a heart attack. There is no doubt that today’s television is a large part of what it is because of the great Rob Serling.

My question to the audience is, do you feel like television is fading away?

One of the most important changes in the television industry is coming up. As more and more people are turning to streaming services, general broadcasted television continues to see viewership drop each year. While we will not see an entire shift in focus within the industry, companies and producers will begin to prioritize and orient their shows and movies for streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc. These streaming services offer almost any tv show or movie available worldwide at the tap of a finger with ad-less options as well. The biggest advantage that these services have over regular tv is the ability to watch whatever you want whenever you want without having to plan ahead or record it.

While the physical television itself isn’t going anywhere, industry giants like DirecTV and Dish will now have to change up how they operate and what they intend to offer to their customers. The future of television is entirely consumer driven. Any company associated with television is competing with each other but also every other entertainment related industry out there as well that could take their attention away from the tv.

“There are thousands of competitors in this highly-fragmented market vying to entertain consumers and low barriers to entry for those with great experiences. Our growth is based on how good our experience is, compared to all the other screen time experiences from which consumers can choose. Our focus is not on Disney Plus, Amazon, or others, but on how we can improve our experience for our members.”

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings

Consumer experience is currently the most important aspect of the television industry. Without prioritizing the customer’s wants and needs, companies will fall behind and fail.

Television has undoubtably swept the nation as a result of the more modern era. Taking everything that made radio great and elevating it with visuals, it was only a matter of time before Television became the cornerstone of entertainment for years to come.

Just as Radio had been in the past, the more high class models of TV sets had been much more expensive to get. Prices going as high as 600 dollars for a simple set. This would amount to a very small minority of privileged people to gain access to anything related to the media of television. Though, as time went on, as most things do, TV became more widely available, more and more companies coming out in the 30’s to late 40’s with new channels for television.

With the expansion of the television on the rise, it was only a matter of time before people started seeing profit where TV lay. With the rise of Television there were, of course those who sought to use it to sell products, which in turn allowed television companies to be sponsored, bringing more and more capitalistic ideals into the mix.

Though, along with the barrage of commercials of modern, and even past Television, there is no doubt that television had, and still has, brought many talented people into the light.

One such person is that of Rod Sterling. A man taken too early in his prime and a man who paved the way for modern day film and television. With his works of The Twilight Zone especially, it seems that there’s always some trace of his work in modern media.

In my personal experience, Rod Sterling’s work on The Twilight Zone even shaped me and my class at a young age. One of my middle school teachers, when we had finished our work, would allow us to watch one episode of the Twilight Zone. And although this hasn’t much to do with what i’ve said above, it’s still interesting to see that the show still holds up to this day!

The invention of the television is something I will be forever grateful for. It brings so many people into a world where everything is okay, and they can control the narrative as at the viewer. Our generation is truly blessed to be given streaming platforms like Hulu and Netflix, because I personally would not be down to schedule my week around a show like people used to do since certain things only aired once a week. A lot of things were different back then, and I have a lot of respect for the people who had to deal with only a few channels. Since around the 1950’s, we’ve been able to experience the world from our living room. The television connects us all by giving us news and contrasting with other things like sports, sitcoms, etc. to take the mind off a hard day of living.

With the whole “fake news” stories floating around these days, this summer a real fear was instilled in me that solidified certain beliefs I had. There was a video I saw on Instagram that showed several news stations reporting the same exact story. they were all in sync like some chorus of minions and it honestly scared me! If that is a reality in multiple places, it’s just shows the recycled, one sided information that only the people in charge think you should know. I highly recommend watching this video if you have time. It might be old news, LOL, but I think it is still relevant today and will become even more prominent if we keep consuming how we are and letting these big companies take over.

I prefer to read my news now mostly, because television has become so corrupt (or has it always been). Even lighthearted shows piss me off now because they are all so predictable. SNL was always one of my favorite T.V. shows but all they do now is talk about political issues and type cast the hell out of their cast. I’m sure other people like it still, but their prime has passed in my opinion and ever since More Cowbell, it hasn’t been the same.

The simple television has completely changed the world and also changed how we view the media. This is by far the most attractive way to find information. We rely on sight the most as people, so it only makes sense that the television gets more attention than listening on the radio or reading the news. Not only has it changed the way we find out things, but it also lets you find out about it right from your couch without having to do anything.

The first film we had to watch was called “Tuning into media”. I liked this short 9 minute film because we take our TV’s for granted and this really showed what behind that. The truth about television and the history it has brought us. One thing that I saw as soon as the film started rolling was how “outdated” it seemed. I don’t think it was really that old but I think technology has advanced so much in the last couple of years that we think it seems old. Once something is replaced in the technology world, it is gone forever. People want the newer and more quality gear. After something better comes out, nobody will ever use the old and outdated version. A few years ago box TV’s were still a thing. All of my friends had one, I had one. Now if you see a box TV, your questioning the decisions of the owner. Everyone has a flat screen now. It is a better TV, not as awkward, and obviously gives you a better picture and sound. I’m only 19 years old. This transformation and advancements happen so rapidly. The potential for technology and media with TV’s and radios is through the roof. It’s actually kid of scary to think about.

The second film we had to watch was “Rod Serling, Submitted for your Approval”. I was very excited to see this pop up on our syllabus because I love the “Twilight Zone”. Every New Year’s day, my family and I sit down and watch the Twilight Zone, we usually have it running all day. Rod Serling was an older actor. Out of my time, but I still know who he is. He is only in glimpses of the series but he is a familiar face that everyone must know. The film went on about his life, how it followed his trip when starting off with the Twilight Zone. I never knew until I watched the film that Serling was a huge pivotal point in the making of “Planet Of the Apes”. That makes perfect sense after I thought about it. The old Planet of the Apes have a very creepy feeling to them throughout the whole film. Not a scary feeling, but an unsettled and almost worried feeling. The Twilight Zone is a perfect example for getting that feeling. So now I see how he contributed to the production of that movie. Serling was a very interesting man, he worked with both CBS and NBC. Not at the same time obviously but those are two great programs to have worked for and be able to put those on your resume. A very talented man with a very talented career.

The first two systems of a television were the mechanical television and the electronic television. The mechanical system was developed out of Nipkow’s disk that was pioneered by John Logie Baird, he gave a first world public demonstration of his television in London, 1926. There are rotating disks to scan moving images into pulses that are transmitted to the screen, this television was a low resolution with lights and dark. There were only about 240 lines of resolutions which means it was always fuzzy, there was a limited number of new pictures that could seen per second. A year later, the British Broadcasting Corporation accepted this system, by 1932 there was 10,000 sets that were sold.  The electronic television could scan a picture in horizontal lines which was producing the image close to immediately. This television started to replace the mechanical television because there was a better picture quality, no noise, and fewer limitations. By the 1939, the mechanicals television was replaced with the electronic television.

By the 1950’s, the technology was evolving into producing color televisions by John Logie Baird. He used his black and white television system but started to use three spirals of each primary color. This year was the golden age of televisions, before the golden age less than 10,000 tv sets were in the united states. Once the golden age hit it went up around 6 million and by 1960 more than 60 tv sets had been sold. In 1984, the Cable Act came to life, it was for industries to expand, nearly 53 million households were subscribed to a cable television. In the 2000’s the analog system took over the color televisions, nearly half of the Americans had high-definition television which provided perfect clear screens.

In the 1950’s television would not broadcast current events or political issues, but March of 1952 Edward R. Murrow broadcasted a show called See It Now which showed the potential communist infiltration in the U.S. institutions. After that, entertainment programs also tackled these controversial issues. In the 1960’s news started to enlighten people on realities of real-world events in vivid detail. For example, On November 22,1963 people learned about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Not so long after that the nations first televised war took place, they showed horrific images such as children being burned, being tortured of the Vietnam war. This started the antiwar for Americans.

In 1969, Public broadcasting service was established to report by the Carnegie commission on educational television. The report concluded that the government finance public television to provide diversity of programming during the network era (years of 1950 to 1970).  During this time, there was the big three which is three major networks that we named ABC,CBS,and NBC that controlled the television industry, the big three accounted for more than 95% of prime time. Until Rupert Murdoch came along, in the 1986, Murdoch lunched the Fox network to challenge the big three. Fox became an addition to the big three, during the 1994, 43% United states households watched the big four, but by the time 2009 hit it went down to 27%.

The film called “Tuning in to Media: Literacy for the information Age Part Two” talks about the power of representations to shape our expectations of beliefs and attitudes media that provides us with information about the world.  The shows that they show are sophisticated enough to take the point of view of the black person who says “look all the businesses around elsewhere and I got what I could get while I got”  and that’s not a  decent logic for what he did.  The focus is between the blacks and Koreans than looking at the class issue of the rich versus the poor.  For me, media will portray any angle they can no matter what the cause even though it is affecting our people.

Television has always been a form of media that amazed me. Like any new technology, the birth of television brought along a new wave of entertainment. Around the mid-1980s, three major networks, known as ABC, NBC, and CBS, began to dominate the airways. Providing news, shows, and advertisement, which many other systems wanted to get on. Cable television’s popularity in families created more opportunities for creators and business owners to find another gateway in family homes and pockets. Later down the line, new stations began to pop up, such as Cable News Network (CNN), Music Television( MTV), Sports Programming Network (ESPN), and Black Entertainment Television (BET).

As we see today, television has an enormous influence on the culture. Specifically, BET being a black network is dedicated to highlighting the interests of African American viewers. Growing up, BET has been a station I looked at as a mirror. At the same time, BET gave me a glimpse into a world of people that looked just like me and had cultural similarities. While highlighting black music, culture, entertainment, and stars, BET was, for many Black entertainers, their first step into this field.

Despite the lack of diversity in this market, television became more informative than radio and newspapers. Viewers obtain footage of controversial events and “intense human experiences” that other media forms couldn’t reach. Watching and hearing these events live gave the viewers more empathy and a worldly realization. While many of us are in the safety of our homes, others are fighting wars, in riots, or flying to the moon. As viewers can now visualize a world of that incident happening and being a character within it.

“During the coverage of the civil rights movement, for example, footage of a 1963 attack on civil rights protesters in Birmingham, Alabama, showed police blasting African American demonstrators—many of them children—with fire hoses”.

In this week’s screening of Rod Serling: Submitted for your Approval, viewers saw the impact television had on specifically Rob Serling’s life. With interviews of colleagues, friends, and family, this piece gave a timestamp while embracing Rob Serling’s work in his field.

During his time alive, Serling became what many may call an overnight success. In the creation of Patterns, he questioned humanity’s morals. Asking touchy questions such as, what does someone do if they have dedicated their life as a boxer, and today or tomorrow, a fierce fight stops their whole career? A fighter cannot merely return to society because he’s a household name, so what’s next? While his questions picked the viewer’s brains, these questions often went unanswered, and like that, Patterns was a hit. Breaking through, Serling grew to become a household name and continued his work in television. Finally, creating The Twilight Zone, which had the same theme of look society in the face. In the end, The Twilight Zone culturally influenced the culture of television as we began to look at the world with a wide lens to obtain a deeper meaning.
My question to the reader, is ” how has television influence your culture?”