Radio & TV History Unit One

How Does TV effect your life Name something you learned from TV Name a news event you learned about from TV How does the Television influence positively or negatively politics. Name a program that you enjoy or would make an effort to watch.

Education – Pre-school Sesame Street PBS Public Broadcasting- non commercial News - 2/3 of US has it as the main source Politics - “Ike” first TV Presidential commercial Kennedy Nixon TV debate 1960 Must be a television savvy candidates Vietnam-living room war

Entertainment – major business we export US television and film to the world.

Early Inventions Bell Telephone 1876 Edison Inventions Phonograph (records) 1878 Kinetoscope (Movies)

Marconi and the Wireless Telegraph sent sounds over a wire Marconi sent sound over the “air” using radio waves. A wireless way to communicate. Morse Code series of long and short sounds to represent letters

What organizations today want to have cutting edge communication technology?

Early Uses of Wireless Military – communications. News New York Herald the international race for the America Cup.October 1899 (print) beat competition. 1 st with story. Business – shipping. Sending orders.

Titanic Marconi wireless used to communicate between ships. Messages of Icebergs could have saved ship. Messages of disaster became priority. Government took over wireless “airwaves” during disaster –legal precedent. Sarnoff- Coordinates disaster and moves up in company.

World War I Fessenden-transmits Audio 1908 Radio is experimental & expensive Government takes over Radio during War Equipment to be used for military A US Army Signal Corps Mobile communications truck, c.1916 All amateur stations shut down All patent claims set aside for war Benefit – Standardize equipment Mass produced at a low cost.

What to do with Radio after the War? Supreme court case – two sides Government controlled Radio. Control all stations. Or Massive public airwaves –anyone can broadcast. Decision split the difference.

Government and Business partnership rule broadcasting Number of stations in area limited and licensed by the Government. Monopoly allows a broadcaster to make a profit 1 st Network National Broadcast Company (run by Sarnoff) Radio Act guarantees public use of airwaves as well.

Radio Act 1)A station can use but doesn’t own the license. (Community owns the license to a station). 2) Must serve the Public interest (community), convenience, and necessity (station needed in community). 3) Stay on your assigned frequency.

Communications Act Creates FCC the Federal Communications Commission to monitor and regulate broadcasting. FCC is not meant to be “Big Brother”, it moderates between business of broadcasting and the public interest. Fines stations for violations or reviews removes licenses. Standards are different for over the air broadcasts and cable show.

Low Power Radio Station Proposal 1) What is the format? What will you put on the air that is not available in this market? 2) How will you comply with the 3 parts of the Radio Act? Specifically- serve the public interest. How can the public use your station to say what they want?