menu szukaj
Weekly Online Magazine
ISSN 2544-5839

new articles each monday
zamknij
advertisementbanner Amazon

2.06.2005 History of the media

The Fourth Estate in America: The Irresistible Charm of the Glass Screen

Urszula Sienkiewicz, article provided by SAGA Foundation

While war raged in Europe, a new craze took hold in the United States. In just a few years, a new idol took the prime spot in American homes—the television.

Television quickly became the most popular medium in the U.S., profoundly influencing both the social and political life of the country from its earliest days. Millions of American families sat in front of the glass screen daily to glimpse into the lives of the rich and famous.

Almost from the start, private stations funded by advertising dominated television in the United States. Offering free access to programs, they gradually took control of the audiovisual media market. By the 1950s, three commercial networks—NBC, CBS, and ABC—controlled 90% of the market. This situation continued until the early 1980s, when cable television appeared. Although it was paid and transmitted via satellite, it offered a much wider array of programming, from 24-hour movie channels to Ted Turner’s Cable News Network (CNN), and even continuous weather updates. Notably, MTV quickly captured the hearts of nearly all American youth. By 2000, cable subscriptions had spread to over 70% of U.S. households, while only 30% still preferred terrestrial networks.

Popular cable television, based on fiber-optic technology, was initially developed in 1948. Originally, it extended terrestrial station coverage to mountainous and remote areas that couldn’t receive standard broadcasts. Satellite transmission was officially approved by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) in January 1973, marking the official start. New technology provided cable broadcasters with affordable and efficient methods to broadcast across wide areas.

A pioneer in this field was Home Box Office, a movie channel owned by Time Inc., which began distributing popular films via satellite in December 1975. This strategy also led to the success of Ted Turner, then owner of a local Atlanta station. His station became known as a "superstation" with interstate reach by reflecting signals off satellites to broadcast across the U.S. This same technology allowed him to launch CNN in 1980, the world’s first 24-hour news channel. By 1993, the power of cable television in the U.S. was undeniable, with MTV alone drawing 46 million daily viewers and operating 32 branches worldwide.

advertisement

Cable’s success was also due to its ability to attract viewers with specific interests. Since the 1970s, new thematic programs gained popularity. Cable broadcasters introduced a program for the deaf (Silent Network, using sign language) and special educational broadcasts for high school students (Channel One, founded in 1988 by Christopher Whittle).

Advancements in technology, digital systems, and the expansion of the U.S. fiber-optic network are paving the way for new interactive solutions. Today, viewers can participate actively in shaping programs. Popular "Movies on Demand" services, for example, allow viewers to choose from thousands of films and watch them at a convenient time.

But the U.S. television market isn’t just about commercial and cable channels. Public broadcasters, though fewer in number, continue to serve the public. There are currently 349 independent public stations in the United States. These stations are affiliated with three central organizations. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), created by Congress in 1967, manages federal funding for public stations and independent producers. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), established in 1969, handles program distribution and manages the satellite system that serves all public broadcasters. The National Association of Public Television Stations (NAPTS) assists public broadcasters in market research and strategic planning.
Evangelical clergy in the U.S. have also taken on a role similar to public television. Supported by voluntary donations from viewers or church members, they operate non-commercial evangelical stations.

Public television in the U.S. is partly funded by taxes paid by viewers. With 100 million people watching weekly, public television funding covers nearly three-quarters of its needs. The most popular public television program is "Sesame Street," which has drawn not only children learning to read and write but also adults fondly revisiting their favorite childhood characters.

The power of television is immeasurable. Today, 98.2% of U.S. households have at least one television, with an average of 2.4 TVs per household. Seven in ten Americans rely on television for information about the world. This influence is often used by different groups for various purposes, not always ideal. For years, there has been an ongoing debate in the U.S. about violence and sex on screen, the negative impact of certain programs on children and youth, and the climate of fear that consumption-driven society fosters. Television producers and large corporations benefit from this, while ordinary people bear the consequences.

Read all articles in the series The Fourth Estate in America.

Share the article:

dodaj na Facebook prześlij przez Messenger dodaj na Twitter dodaj na LinkedIn

COMMERCIAL BREAK

See articles on a similar topic:

The Fourth Estate in America: I Write, Therefore I Am...

Urszula Sienkiewicz
The press in the United States, extensively discussed before, has another intriguing niche that cannot be overlooked when talking about American media. Magazines: weekly and monthly publications for enthusiasts.

The Press in Historical Perspective

Agnieszka Osińska
Researchers trace the prehistory of modern press back to ancient times when primitive forms of mass communication began to emerge.

The Fourth Estate in America

Urszula Sienkiewicz
Success, prestige, power, but above all, big money - these are the first words associated with the world of media in the United States. Do American media truly wield such influence over business and politics in the USA that they can be called the "fourth estate" without hesitation?

The Fourth Estate in America: The Elder Sister of Television

Urszula Sienkiewicz
The early 1920s brought Americans a new, inspiring source of information—radio. Almost every household, in both big cities and suburbs, welcomed the magical wooden box that provided entertainment like never before.

The Beginnings of Periodical Publishing in Poland

Bartłomiej Dwornik
The first printed works - non-periodical "flyer newspapers" - appeared in Poland in the early 16th century. They were published only for significant occasions to describe these events, sometimes even in verse.

Playboy. The History of a Magazine Entertaining... Everyone

Małgorzata Dwornik
It was 1953 when young journalist Hugh Hefner took out a mortgage loan and convinced 45 shareholders to finance his idea for an erotic magazine named Stag Party. However, when STAG Publishing threatened to sue for trademark infringement, Hefner changed the name to PLAYBOY.

The History of Radio Broadcasting

Agnieszka Osińska
Radio emerged almost simultaneously with film at the dawn of the 20th century, as the growth of the press pushed culture past the so-called second threshold of mass distribution. Alexander Popov and Guglielmo Marconi are considered its pioneers, though only Marconi succeeded in patenting the invention.

More in the section: History of the media

community

Facebook LinkedIn X Twitter Google RSS

Work in media

United States
New York • Washington DC • Los Angeles • Chicago • Houston • Phoenix • Philadelphia United Kingdom
London • Birmingham • Manchester • Liverpool • Glasgow • Edinburgh Canada
Toronto • Ottawa • Monstreal • Calgary Australia
Sydney • Melbourne • Brisbane • canberra Ireland, New Zealand, India

advertisement





Reporter shopping

Reporter shopping

Affordable laptops, notebooks and netbooks
Affordable laptops, notebooks and netbooks
for writing
Digital SLR and compact cameras
Digital SLR and compact cameras
for photographers
Books and e-books about media
Books and e-books about media
for reading
Video drones and flying cameras
Video drones and flying cameras
for pilots
Gimbals for stabilizing video
Gimbals for stabilizing video
for those on the move
Software and apps for creative work
Software and apps for creative work
for nerdy ones
More occasions

advertisement
Read books and e-books

Read books and e-books

Okładka Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
Okładka Media Control. The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
Media Control. The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
Okładka The 40-Day Social Media Fast
The 40-Day Social Media Fast
Okładka Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies
Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies
Okładka Mass Communication: Living in a Media World
Mass Communication: Living in a Media World
Okładka Beyond The Feed: A Social Media Success Formula
Beyond The Feed: A Social Media Success Formula
more books and e-books

Reporterzy.info

More about us

Our tools and services

Contact


© Dwornik.pl Bartłomiej Dwornik 2oo1-2o24