Describe the impact of television in the 1950s and early 1960s.

. Describe the impact of television in the 1950s and early 1960s Television had a major impact in the way that people in Britain spent their leisure time in the 1950s and early 1960s. People would spend their disposable income buying television sets. This meant people spent more time in the house than ever before. People no longer needed to go to major events, they could watch them on the television without the hassle of transportation to the event on the cost of the ticket. For example, the first scenarios of this were the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the 1953 'Matthews' FA Cup Final. People no longer paid as much attention to the radio, television was the craze. In 1954, the Independent Television Authority (ITA) was set up. People didn't have to pay a separate licence fee for the channel, instead revenue was obtained through advertisements between programmes. The television become so popular in many households that people lives were decided around the TV schedule eg. Toddlers Truce between 6pm and 7pm. Competition increased the quality and choice of the programmes on TV. Pop music shows entered the listings, impacting on the lives of young adults and teenagers. Soap operas such as Coronation Street were set up in the early 60s and situation comedies were imported from the USA. Adults took immediate liking to the shows. The programmes even changed the current

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Media Studies
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