Film and TV

       

            In the Modern era, the development of TV and Film has not only impacted mass communication, but it has also impacted the views of the world. In Media & Culture Mass Communication in a Digital Age, Chapter 6 refers to Television as the final link to true “mass” communication (Campbell and Martin et al., 2014, p. 193). Research shows that most people turn to the Television as a source of research. Additionally, the development of film has begun to increasingly impact mass media. Television and Film are two crucial components to modern society; without them, Communications, Mass Media, and the Entertainment industry would not be as booming as it is today.

           

"The Big Three" 

   During the mid- 90’s the Network Era, the “Big Three” (ABC, CBS, and NBC) was the main entertainment division that was moved to Hollywood while the information divisions remained in New York. Prior to the 1950s, Television shows were only broadcasted through radio stations. For example, The Lone Ranger derived from radio to television. Since the 1950s, the television gave people a source of entertainment by producing sounds as well as images. The pictures on the television were developed with the Cathode Ray tube, a picture tube created in the late 1800s. The first TV transmission was tested in 1927 by Philo Farnsworth. The Electronic technology consisted of a complex patent battle between Farnsworth and Vladimir Zworykin in 1907 in Russia. Vladimir Zworykin invented the iconoscope, the first TV camera tube to convert light rays into electrical signals; he received a patent for it in 1928 with Westinghouse and RCA. (Campbell and Martin, p. 197).

          

RCA CT-100 Television Design

  In 1952, the Federal Communications Commission tentatively approved an experimental CBS color system (Campbell and Martin, pg. 199). In 1954, RCA’s color system produced images in color, but the older sets could only receive black and white. This made CBS the color standard. More than 90 percent of U.S. household owned at least one set by the 1960s. (Campbell and Martin, pg. 199). Broadcasting was soon threatened by Cable television because it introduced narrowcasting—the providing of specialized programming and fragmented groups (Campbell, p. 202). 

             In 1999, cable penetration hit 70 percent. (Campbell and Martin, p. 205). Direct Broadcast Satellites brought up a bigger challenge to Cable services by install transmitters outside of households that would connect to receive signals from the sky. Later on, Television converged with the internet and mobile phones, making watching television available literally anywhere. Television is broken down into many different genres such as drama, comedy, and episodic/chapter series. With all of the different genres, public television struggles to find its place simply because they come off as “less attractive” (Campbell, p. 217). 

   

         Movies and film are the two base points of broadcasting media. Dating back to the late 1800s, the evolution of film helped enhanced the TV industry. Theaters were used to show the motion pictures. Thomas Edison’s kinetograph and kinetoscope made motion pictures viewable by looking through a hole. The viascope enabled filmstrips of longer lengths to be projected without interruption and hinted at the potential of movies as a future medium. Just like in the TV industry, Hollywood was known as the prime city where companies wanted their shows, movies/film promoted or showcased. Any film through Hollywood Studios turned out to be successful.

          Smaller companies later produced independent films. Eventually, Movies began to make their way into theaters and began racking in money. The older films later made a digital approach, which is shown today. Movies can be seen in theaters, DVDs, and even on blue ray. Not only did this bump up the movie industry, but it gave television an opportunity to bring people to theaters through commercials from movie companies.

        

          Both Film and TV are examples of how mass media has impacted society. With Mass media now being worldwide, many people can receive the same programs, movies, and information. For example, TV shows developed in the United States can now be translated and broadcasted online in different languages for other countries to see. With technology improving every day, Mass media will only continue to be successful with the help of the TV and Film industries.

Works Cited

Campbell, R., Martin, C. R. and Fabos, B. 2014. Media & culture. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford St. Martins.

Campbell, R., Martin, C. R. and Fabos, B. 2014. Media & culture. 9th ed.

YouTube. 2014. PHILO FARNSWORTH "SMALL SCREEN, BIG DREAMS" part 1. [Video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMwEhrRmIVE [Accessed: 14 Apr 2014].

YouTube. 2014. Edison's Kinetoscope. [Video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9qRGsgtYsA [Accessed: 14 Apr 2014].

YouTube. 2014. Edison Kinetograph Horizontal Camera Replica. [Video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjDXrsgOwUw [Accessed: 14 Apr 2014].