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Period: to
Golden ages of tv and radio
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The creation of the RCA
The RCA was originally British Marconi dominated radio. But once WW1 started, the U.S. Navy took possession of the radio and after the war refused to give it back up. This would ultimately this lead to a bond between private corporations and the U.S. government as they realized it would have better use for the military and for personal use. https://www.wearebroadcasters.com/radio100/moments/33.asp#:~:text=The%20Radio%20Corporation%20of%20America,%2C%20Westinghouse%2C%20and%20other%20players. -
Birth of early commercial broadcasting
airtime was available to anyone who wanted to pay, and the U.S. broadcasting systems weren't commercial yet. Broadcasting was still a useful tool, especially with the diversity of American population at the time. This overall created a division and tension between the government and citizens.
https://dhwordpress.ramapo.edu/discovering1920s/blog/2023/02/01/the-first-commercial-radio-broadcast/ -
FCC Approves Commercial Television
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issues licenses for commercial television stations. This marks the formal beginning of commercial television in the United States.
https://stephens.hosting.nyu.edu/History%20of%20Television%20page.html -
Industry
During the 1940s through the 1950s was a time when the industry just started to grow in the golden ages of television. In the beginning years, there was single sponsorship and benefits. Single sponsorships are ad agencies, which consist of program producers. The other single sponsorship is Network which consists of time broker. Benefits during this time was sponsorships and the "gratitude factor" and ads that are incorporated into shows. -
The quiz show scandal
Sponsors rigged several shows to get higher ratings. The revelation that several popular quiz shows, including "Twenty-One" and "The $64,000 Questions" were rigged.
The scandal leads to widespread public outrage, congressional hearings and significant changes in how television networks handle quiz shows, marketing a major shift in television ethics and regulations. -
First televised presidential debate
The first televised presidential debate was between Kennedy and Nixon in 1960. This debate underscores televisions growing influence on politics and public perception.
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-debate-that-changed-the-world-of-politics