Short-lived experiments were conducted in the 1960s with cable and British television reached the colour period in 1967 on BBC. The 1980s was marked by the arrival of new kinds of television such as the cable and satellite televisions (Burton, 2000, pp. 278-280). By 1984, there were approximately 5700 cable television systems in the US and 34 million homes taking the cable services (Dunkley, 1985, p. 14). The 1990s was seen as a year where the digital TV came in place in 1999, leading to an expansion in the number of channels available (Burton, 2000, p. 284).
In Australia, the history of television started back in 1949 where Australian Broadcasting Control Board (ABCB) was established (Cunningham & Turner, 1993, p. 20). Television had diffused rapidly in the US and Britain in the late 1930s but for obvious reasons, it was delayed by the Second World War. In 1956, television began in Melbourne with stations such as General Television Network Pty Ltd (GTV 9) and HSV 7 and one Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) station. The Broadcasting & Television Act was also established at the same time. The beginnings of Australian drama production were within the period of 1964-75 and the introduction of colour television, satellite uses and VCRs from 1975-87. Since 1987 till late 1990s, community and pay TVs were introduced into Australia and from 2001 onwards, digital television was brought in as well (Cunningham & Turner, 1993, pp. 23-30).
In the early days, people use television mainly for dissemination of information across borders and television programs were telecasted in black and white. Today, as people become more affluent, entertainment for the public became a trend. Improvement in broadcasting and receiving equipments provided much clearer pictures than in the past. Technological advances have also helped in improving the quality of telecasts whereby people are able to enjoy programs that are telecast in colour.
More importantly, television is utilised by people to receive current news of the world events in the comfort of one’s home or workplace. It serves as a convenience and necessity, pertaining to the advantages of possessing a television set in each household in contemporary society where one can receive a thorough coverage of news without having to be physically present at an event. As television has been effective at reaching large audiences, advertising a product on television is one of the ways in which people make use of it. By doing so, the public is conscious of the existing product in the market. Not only that, television also allows political candidates to “advertise” themselves during elections and serve as a prime platform to inform citizens of their countries with respect to government policies and issues.
With technology developing through the years, closed circuit television is used in schools to demonstrate a lesson in progress to students in other classes concurrently. Also, it is used in monitoring activities and movements in hospitals of today. Digital TV is another use in which it has the ability to receive more than one channel at a time and make channels partly interactive with shopping channels available. It is said that ‘digital TV is expanding a viewer’s experience’ (Burton, 2000, p. 297). With such advanced technology, the social uses of television have expanded since the early years.
The relationship of social context and television invention is very much of an importance. The role of television is critical to the nature of a society. The performance depends on decisions taken in the media and these decisions in turn are more or less influential to people in the society.
Television power as a medium of social communication was so great that it altered many of our institutions and forms of social relationships (Williams, 1990, p. 11). In the past, with the invention and introduction of television, people in villages and homes gather together to enjoy a program as possessing a television set in each household is not possible since television is costly at that period of time. It thus fostered a closer bond in the relationships among the people as they gathered together. However, with the vast economic development through the years, people are able to afford a television set at home. By 1985 in Britain, 98 per cent of the households had acquired television sets with nearly 50 per cent having two or more sets (Dunkley, 1985, p. 14). People now prefer to watch television programs in the comfort of one’s home or workplace. Social relationships can slowly diminish, as communication is no longer restricted to face-to-face interactions (Betteridge, 1997, p. 600). On top of that, with the bringing in of laptops and video cassette recorders (VCR), television is now used for playing of electronic games and recording of a telecast in one’s home. People would rather spend their weekends and leisure time staying in with the company of the television and electronic games. This can inevitably cause a breakdown in communication among people.
The global advance of television technology brought with it a ‘multinational industry’ where globalization is seen as ‘a process in which complex interconnections are rapidly developing between societies, institutions, cultures and individuals world wide’ (Barr, 2000, p. 31). Unlike the past, television can now put people around the world in touch with one another. Companies can conduct meetings and conferences by video-conferencing, therefore saving time and promoting productivity. It enables information to be disseminated at a faster pace to a large population. As a result, global communications and relationships are enhanced, with it creating an informed democracy.
With the television industry expanding, the role and status of women in a contemporary society have changed with educational opportunities. Prosperity and education brought more jobs and financial independence for the women from 1970s onwards. Women are thus seen as a profitable group of television audience. Education was also expanded with new universities opening in the 1960-70s and this marks an increase in children having opportunities in receiving higher education (Burton, 2000, p. 267). With the invention and development of television, it brought about economic development and it was because of this that made job and educational opportunities possible for the people of today. In the present days, television also serves as platforms for debates in the aspect of education.
Social change that arises from the feminist movement, changing patterns of women’s work and the demands for equality and fair treatment for the Aboriginal people has trickled through to media industries. These people were unable to voice out their objections and views and were often not regarded to be a part of the audience. Aboriginal communities demanded some form of local control of English language broadcasting which threatened to bombard their communities with Western values. It was perceived as a threat to their struggle in maintaining their languages and culture (Meadows, 1994, p. 135).
The demands of these people led in the mid 1980s to an Aboriginal controlled commercial television licence being awarded in Central Australia (Cunningham & Turner, 1993, p. 327). Due to the unhappiness rising from the Aboriginal people, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) television policy provided at least 50 per cent of its programming schedule to be in languages other than English, maintaining its training and employment programs for the Aborigines. Regional television broadcasts were also used with subtitles included in television programs as well as culturally appropriate forms of broadcasting emerging which are related to the push for a cultural future (Meadows, 1948, p. 183).
In July 1988, the launch of the Australia’s communication satellite, AUSSAT, now known as Optus, brought modern communication technology such as television broadcasting into remote Australia for the first time. The two way communications between the white Australian community and Aboriginal communities have been enhanced since then (Meadows, 1994, p. 132).
Television plays a distinctive role in the social and cultural life of contemporary Britain. It is a forum where the nation speaks for itself, where the different cultures and groups that make up our society can see themselves represented and from which majority obtain information that they require as citizens (Lewis, 1989, p. 1). Television brings together cultural groups and raises a level of group consciousness through a distinctive use of language and cultural symbolism (Ball-Roreach & Cantor, 1986, p. 38). All these would not have been possible without the invention of television. It is through television medium where a wide range of cultural activities can reach people in their homes. In a social context, television is seen as an institution of production and distribution of news and information to the public and as a medium for broadcasting. From a cultural point of view, it is seen as a text, where programmes are shown and as an audience where it broadcast and narrowcast groups and individuals.
In contemporary society, television continues to attract strong academic interest. It can lead to the homogenization of a society as ideas and messages are transmitted around the world within the shortest time frame. If television had not been invented, some social and cultural events would not have occurred. Thus, television was seen as a medium in portraying social and cultural significance in a modern society. Without television, group interactions would not be possible. Also, without television as a medium in its informational function, party politics would not have existed (Temple, 1975, p. 5). Overall, television is seen as a primarily source of education, entertainment, music and conversation which is reasonably accessible on an equitable basis.
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