Broadcasting and Cable Networks

History of Broadcasting and Cable Networks

Listening to radio broadcasts in the early part of the 20th century was a habitual social activity. Families would gather around the radio and listen to dramas, plays, and newscasts as a collective audience. As more people began purchasing television sets, watching television was also a social function, as friends and family congregated around the set to watch entertainment shows and newsworthy current events, sharing commentary, laughter, and tears together. Consuming radio and television content is fundamentally a social activity, and as the role of social networks evolves into the 21st century, broadcasting and cable companies are finding new ways to converge with the Internet and create innovative social experiences for viewers.

Experimental radio broadcasting began in 1906 in Massachusetts, and by 1910, radio signals were being regularly sent in California. By 1919, radio programming was being transmitted by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), which received investment funding from American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T), General Electric, and Westinghouse. These corporations remained instrumental in the development of broadcasting and cable companies throughout the century. KDKA radio began broadcasting in 1920, and RCA established its new subsidiary, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), in 1926 and the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) in 1927.

In 1945, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) was formed as an offshoot of NBC. These national radio networks began broadcasting regular television [Page 90]programming by 1946. The format of early radio and television programs became the foundation of future television content. Radio broadcasts included daytime dramas; local, national, and international news (most notably coverage of World War II); music; and comedy/variety shows. The 1940s were pivotal years in the development of television, and the Big Three networks fiercely competed during this transition period from radio to television.

In 1958, students in Little Rock, Arkansas, were educated via television during the school integration crisis. The breadth and reach of television programming exploded during the 1950s, when everything from game shows to sporting events were broadcast.

By 1948 there were 16 television stations, and advertisers had begun to take notice of the new medium after the dramatic and rapid expansion of television audiences. The 1950s witnessed television programming as a cultural force, with more sophisticated production, variety, and reach. During this time sports events were televised and the medium expanded its audience dramatically. By 1966, the three major networks were broadcasting in color. The television industry, still dominated by the Big Three networks, continued to prosper and grow throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 1985, the FOX network premiered and vastly expanded its ratings to eventually become the fourth nationally distributed network.

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