History of TV

Farnsworth's company, the Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation, was bought by what huge conglomerate?

International Telephone and Telegraph

Why do you think the events around the 1954 landmark Brown v Board of Education received so little media attention even while the witch hunts of McCarthyism were still front page news?

Think it had to do with not wanting to give the black people the media attention

What other national events received extraordinary coverage that glued Americans to their TV's?

- Dr. MLKJ assassination - The Challenger explosion - Destruction of the World Trade Center Towers

What were the opposing perspectives on the value of Amos 'n' Andy as a racial breakthrough in television?

- Every character on the show was either a clown or crook, racially problematic - The show was actually funny, Nielsen ratings were through the roof

The NBC series, Dragnet, was written with a winning formula that kept it on the screen for years. What was its secret for success?

- First of it's kind - Realism - Case of the week

CH 10 NBC's I Spy differed from all previous programs in what way? What significance can be applied to I Spy and Julia with regard to TV programming?

- First series to integrate black & white stars on prime time TV where they were portrayed as equals ~ not subservient - I Spy and Julia were designed to overcome the perceived images of black people from all forms of entertainment, vaudeville TV

Escapist fantasy filled the airwaves in the '60's sitcom programming world. What were some of these series and why did the '60's viewing audience enjoy programs so much?

- Gidget, F Troop, I Dream of Jeannie, My Mother the Car, Hogan's Heroes - appealed to younger audience, escape all the war/fighting (Westerns)

Gunsmoke, the 1955 CBS western, was endorsed by what legendary star based on what unique characteristics that proved to be a winning combination for the enduring show?

- John Wayne - It's honest, it's adult, it's realistic

What elements in a sitcom about war can catapult a series like M*A*S*H* into so many years of syndication?

- Many fans were ready for an anti-war tv series, a black comedy dealing with the insanity of war - fundamental decency

whats the order of the inventors of tv

- Samuel Morse, invented Morse Code in 1836 - Alexander Graham Bell, invented the telephone in 1876 - Thomas Edison, invented the phonograph to record sound to discs in 1877 - Heinrich Hertz, discovered wave transmission through the air in 1887 - Guglielmo Marconi, transmits first wireless signal in 1895 - Nipkow, created the rotating disk image display - Lee de Forest, invented the The Vacuum Tube Amplifier in 1906

Thunder on Sycamore Street, the 1954 CBS teleplay aired on Westinghouse Studio One, had to be changed for the sponsors. What transpired and how was its affect on viewers as powerful a social statement as was the original script?

- They decided to never reveal who the unwanted neighbors were, audience members speculated everything except African American. People began to speculate when it was revealed the neighbor was an ex con.

What simple truth followed many of the sitcom spinoffs of the 1970s relative to structure? How did this "truth" broaden the TV landscape?

- a clever use of a character to rob the show of the political bite it might otherwise have had - job to entertain not preach

The Mary Tyler Moore Show set the new benchmark for what could be achieved by women in the workforce. How was this accomplished on the show?

- career vs. marriage - Mary fought to keep her innate niceness without sacrificing her ambition

The first national colorcast (the 1954 Tournament of Roses on NBC) occurred on January 1, 1954. This event was a long time coming. What was the drama behind the race to perfect the technology?

- electronic color TV creators and electro-mechanical color TV creators battled over who should have FCC approval - who could get it done the fastest

How did advancing space technology also advance broadcasting capabilities?

- launching the first communications satellite (Telstar 1) - Hughes aircraft corporation launched its own satellite ~ first synchronous satellite in space

The only network television executive to lead all three networks, how did Fred Silverman work his magic from 1970-1981?

- let two of those networks from last place to first place in ratings. - calculated cancelings - newly added shows provided the urban demographic and cutting edge social relevance

Censorship was alive and well in 1961, as demonstrated by what attitudes of Senator Thomas J Dodd connected to his chairmanship of the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency? What diminished the spotlight on Dodd?

- negative opinions on violence and TV - When Dodd "Sold Out" ~ Metromedia's courtship/sponsorship he avoided the spotlight

What were the flaws of the prototype western, The Lone Ranger, that were overlooked amid the postwar success of this trailblazing hit?

- nothing was ambivalent or complex, only black and white. - females and people of color were rarely featured and if they were they were subservient to the white male - Americans won the war against Hitler's tyranny and found solace in seeing villains get their just dessert

All in the Family erased the line in the sand for what previously tabooed topics for television series?

- racism, abortion, homosexuality, birth control

The life and death excitement of dramatic stories had been a staple of broadcasting since the early days of radio, but until the 1970s, none of it resonated with audiences in any meaningful way. What elements were now being injected into episodes to change this pattern?

- relevance in how it dealt with current issues - struggles of the poor - help children learn/read - send to back to libraries

The beloved I Love Lucy show was a game changer in more than one way for programming. What were these innovations that created a new TV language still in use today?

- rerun - rerun syndication

When confronted with criticism from his own network, how did Norman Lear respond to his critics?

- that the show was real and that that it was this reality in series television that was long overdue. - television had given us soulless vanilla for almost two decades and the message in that was very clear

The saga of Roots riveted the American audience to their TVs for eight unprecedented nights. Considering the state of race relations in 1977 America, how did this miniseries not only prevail but capture viewers hearts?

- transform racial oppression into "white guilt"? - it was uniting people of all colors - it started a dialogue

Aaron Spelling was brought to ABC to raise ratings. What was the essential element in his scripts to attract more viewers? Give an example of this slant on series television.

- trying to grab male demographic - women; one who would "jiggle" when commanded to do so. - Charlie's Angels - would wear clothes so that they're breasts and butt could be seen shift - Charlie's Angels - would wear clothes so that they're breasts and butt could be seen shift - The more T&A the higher the ratings

The 1970s shift in programming from escapist to relevant reflected what attitudes in the youth demographic that were being courted by prime time television?

- views on hippies, more lax - styles and roles crossing gender lines

Under the leadership of Sarnoff, what were the three business deals in the late 1920's that cemented RCA as the "media king" it was destined to become?

1) radios in cars with GMRC 2) combination with Victor Talking Machines, who made phonograph 3) combing with Film Booking Office to put RCA sound systems into new movie theaters

with the creation of the fcc in 1934, what changes were made in radio licensing

5 commissioners for each geographical zone, no obscene language on air

On what basis did San Francisco based philanthropists Everson and Gorrell fund the research of Philo Farnsworth in 1926

50-50 partnership and set farnsworth up in a lab, theyd split any profits that came from their venture

Double Entendre

A word or phrase open to two interpretations, one of which is usually risqué or indecent.

The Movie of The Week concept emerged in the early 1970s. In your opinion, does the MOW still have a place in TV viewing?

Absolutely

What did Bonanza bring to westerns that was different from typical western programming up to that point?

At the forefront of NBC's color programming was Bonanza

what other variety shows made their mark in the 1950s, one of which inspiring the first spin-off series

Cavalcade of Stars, Jackie Gleason Show, the Honeymooners, all skit comedy shows

How did NBC's Laugh-In sustain its popularity while poking fun at the status quo from 1968-1973, when other comedy shows with political overtones, such as The Smothers Brothers series, were short-lived in comparison.

Combined silly with meaningful or sexy with political ~ always a balance ~ political antiestablishment messages safely wrapped in silliness, avoiding the in your face sarcasm like the Smothers brothers.

How did Walter Cronkite get credit in some quarters for helping to end the Vietnam Conflict?

Cronkite's comments simply became the final straw in Johnson's appraisal of his chance for reelection ~ Cronkite declared a war over. He also investigated the legitimacy of the war.

What do you know about Marin Luther King, Jr's I Have a Dream speech?

Delivered in 1963 and addressed the racism of the time in a hopeful way, looking to a better future.

Watching the launching of the first American to orbit the earth rocketed the space race into living rooms. Apart from the launch itself, what else was important about that event?

Equally important was the fact that Television had been invited to watch.

What was the end result of the US Justice Departments insistence in 1930 on untangling the ties between the RCA, GE, AT&T, and Westinghouse?

GE and Westinghouse withdrew from RCA and NBC boards

who were some of the stars of this era that jumped from the NBC ship

Godsen and Cornell (Amos 'N' Andy), Bergen, Mccarthy, Skelton, Benny

Why was the light hearted role of Marlo Thomas' That Girl in 1966 considered a landmark in television programming?

It was about the life of a single girl.

What role did television play in the 1962 decision of President John F. Kennedy to confront Russia's building of missile sites in Cuba?

It was announced on a global broadcast. Prepared a worldwide audience for the prospect of atomic war.

What presidential campaign was the first to be televised on radio and television?

Kennedy vs. Nixon

what was the danger of McCarthyism and how did Edward R Murrow's CBS show, See It Now, begin to expose this threat

McCarthyism was the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason (particularly relating to communism) without proper regard for evidence. Murrow's show started the public to turn on McCarthy and its threat to democracy

The very popular, edgy comedic variety show. The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a casually to censorship and "the powers that be." What were the "powers" and issues that led to this landmark series' cancellation?

Network CEO William Paley ~ caught wind of White Houses' disapproval ~ the show was critical of the political mainstream and sympathetic to the emerging counterculture.

The Nat King Cole show has all the 'right' ingredients to be a 'crossover' black to white success but was ultimately unplugged by what southern social upheaval?

New integration laws for education - the south had a negative view on it - show had to be canceled because they had to make their primary viewers happy

Why was the radio audience more impressed with one candidate while the TV audience had a better reaction to other?

Nixon sounded better on radio but Kennedy looked more together on TV (Nixon looked sick and sweaty).

What was the significance of "The Sketch" made by a 15 year old Philo Farnsworth?

Philo Farnsworth sketched a design for the TV in a grade school at the age of 15 in the school science fair. His teacher was astonished and confirmed that his design had potential. It would later be used in court to prove that Farnsworth invented the electronic tv

Although not the first U.S. President assassinated, Kennedy was the first to die on national television. What was the American experience with the 70 hours of unprecedented coverage?

Provided uninterrupted, noncommercial coverage of the unfolding events. Heartbreak and disbelief ripped through the nation ~ presidents funeral captured 93% of the viewing audience.

what did the 1939 anti trust legislation do to shake up the broadcasting industry, thus causing the advent of another future giant, ABC.

RCA was forced to sell Blue network company (formerly NBC Blue) which became ABC

What bright idea of RCA's David Sarnoff turned a hostile competitive industry into friendly customers with the added perk of making RCA much richer?

RCA would provide its entire pool of patents in return for a percentage of sales from the companies purchasing the patents. basically selling the patents

In the technological tug-of-war between mechanical and electronic TV, what was the most significant advantage that landed Farnsworth's electronic system the victory?

Refresh rate and therefore lack of flicker. [maybe also, BBC wanted to see both mechanical and electrical sets together, electrical was way better and won]

Televising the 1968 Democratic National Convention curtailed voter turnout that year rather than increasing participation. What happened to turn away so many voters, thus altering the course of American history?

Riots outside the democratic debates ~ faith in our government process had been dangerously eroded.

Each generation struggles with the balance if freedom of speech and the best interests of specific groups, such as children, or national security. Do you think there can be a balance or should the scales tip in favor of one or the other?

Should balance ~ so long as not censoring opinion

Red Skelton and Ed Sullivan grabbed great ratings for CBS in the variety show arena. What did each series bring to the small screen that was such a hit in American living rooms

Skelton brought pantomime and characterizations. Sullivan brought great reporting.

Among the many inspired youth, three young Freedom Marchers caught in the dream lost their lives due to the prejudices of 1964 Mississippi. How did this event manifest itself into one of TV reporting's finest hours?

TV changed itself when they covered hot-topic events surrounding the struggle for civil rights. Whites = slowly more sympathetic towards blacks.

post WWII brought home GI's and gave them what opportunities to thrive

The GI bill created a middle class

What were the original shows that fit into the "police procedural" genre?

The Streets of San Francisco

Televised events such as Nikita Khrushchev's 1959 visit to the United States brought home to Americans in a positive way the personality of this leader of out nemesis, the Soviet Union. How did that same outreach of televised events, three months earlier, prove to be an embarrassment to the United States?

The US lied on National TV about being aware of a spy plane in Russia - they thought pilot Francis Gary Powers was dead but was in fact alive.

To what does the heading, "Double Entendre" refer?

The battle for color television vs. the battle for color supremacy (African Americans)

Our American history books all mention Rosa parks and the 1955 bus incident in Montgomery, Alabama. What was it about this strike for civil rights that was so memorable?

The entire African American community united over this in a successful boycott - Rosa Parks challenged the segregation law

the adventures of Ozzie and Harriet brought what kind of entertainment to television during its 13 seasons on ABC

a real family, first reality show

what did Earl "Madman" Muntz and Milton Berle have in common in 1948 and 1949 that helped propel television into American households

both used outlandish physical comedy to achieve very high ratings

As CBS gained a foothold into strong programming, what kinds of shows were appealing to radio audiences in the 40s

comedies

what did the Show of Shows have going for it that made it so popular in 1954

comedy writing gold

In the 30's decade, the radio show, Amos 'n' Andy topped NBCs strong list of stars and shows. How was this series pivotal in the expansion of the NBC Blue network west of Kansas City, making the show a national sensation

expanded NBC Blue coast to coast

why wasn't early 1930's television an instant success

expensive, people didnt see the use for it yet, still hard to send signals through obstacles

The first year of research in San Francisco yielded what results?

farnsworth quit his job

the radio to tv transition of the 1949 series, the Goldbergs, soon started to be affected by the political climate of the early fifties in what way

fired the lead actor Loeb because of political pressure

although not the earliest anthology show on the scene, Playhouse 90s popularity appealed to audiences on what levels

first drama

what specialists were asked for the lifetime top 100 events

from every field immaginable

What did RCA's participation in the 1939 World's Fair do for the reputation of David Sarnoff ?

he claims himself to be the father of tv and introduces it to the world

how did WWII affect the dissemination of news on the radio? trace the introduction of Newman Edward R Murrow to the early days of broadcast news

he did interviews for evening news, then did the same thing in Europe, got really big covering the news, gave CBS a legitimacy

When AT&T left the RCA combine in 1924, how did Sarnoff use AT&T's anti-Semitism against them to resolve their patent sharing issues which ultimately led to the acquisition of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC)?

he spread the word that AT&T was anti-semitic and they went to court, it went in RCAs favor because the lawyers were jewish

What 1969 milestone in human history helped to restore Farnsworth's attitude about his invention that married sight to sound?

image dissector was used by neil armstrong to send shots of the moon landing

What role did Farnsworth have after the acquisition

invented and improved, radar sweep, submarine detectors, radar calibration equipment

Why was David Sarnoff 's idea of point-to-mass product considered so revolutionary over the current point-to-point product?

meant one person could speak to millions rather than just one on one

To become branded "The Inventor of Television," what legal action took place to determine the title?

patent battle

how did the growing popularity of television affect other entertainment mediums in the early 1950s

people who advertised were getting more buisness, people were leaving their buisnesses to sell tv's, sporting events had a sharp decline in viewers

why did the CBS broadcast of Orson Welles War of the Worlds cause such a panic? what did his unprecedented show illustrate to the radio programming world

people who tuned in late thought it was real and it went without commercial interruption

what was the red scare and how did it affect the motion picture, radio and television industry

pointing the finger of communism to everyone, red channels of report on "communists" in radio and television, many people got blacklisted.

Bill Paley at CBS raided top talent form NBC in the late forties by using what tactics

promised the stars twice thier income

What was the sequence of events that led R.C.A., formed in 1919, to begin its ascent as a private American monopoly of radio transmission?(3 things)

rca buys out american marconi and with it sarnoff kdka starts broadcasting election results and music over the air creates radio netweorks with a monopoly over it all

Farnsworth's patent application was divided into three applications which covered what inventions?

scanning system or image dissector (television camera), electric oscillator system, and television receiving system

How did the tragedy of the Titanic contribute to the unfolding of the possibilities of global communication and a future key player

showed the need and importance for regulation of radio, and its ability to impact the world

twilight zone creator Rod Serling was driven to write this innovative, award winning series because of what restriction placed on him as writer

sponsers censoring his material

Bill Paley was pursuing what end when he stumbled onto the business of programming, a passion that led to the formation of CBS?

sponsoring a local radio program with ads for his familys cigars

how did the 1958 Twenty One game show rigging scandal reshape the relationship between programs and their sponsors

sponsors were more suspicious of where their money was gong

how did nipkows disc allow advances in the transmission of images for electromechanical tv

the Nipkow disc brought the concept of scanning into play

what televised event in 1947 stirred mounting interest in the medium of television among americans

the worlds series

television, coined in 1907 referred to what technology

transmission of images

What was Sarnoff 's response to witnessing first hand Farnsworth's image dissector ?

unimpressed, thought he could make the tv without infringing on farnsworth's pattents

How was American Marconi able to expand under the Radio Act of 1912? What role did WWI play in the expansion of wireless technology?

wanted to create a monopoly after WWI to keep track of everything

Bill paley's knack for talent and assessment for growth included his awareness of women as a target audience. what insights did he observe that parlayed into advertising dollars

wanted waves to be jealous of who they saw on tv, cast beautiful people