History of Television in the UK
Mass media is a relatively new term coined in 1920 with the creation of radio transmission that had the ability to broadcast sound to audiences across long distances. But the first form of communication to large audiences was probably through the performers in the art of drama in Ancient times. As technology evolved, so did the platform for sharing news. With the invention of cinema and film reels, news was shared on newsreels at cinemas and places of public gatherings.
Today, the art has modified and through the birth of television, performers still share news and entertainment to large audiences around the world. The early technology that would lead to the modern television can be traced to discoveries by Willoughby Smith in 1873 and Paul Gottlieb Nipkow in 1884. Nipkow proposed and patented the first electromechanical television however; it wasn’t until 1907 that the design was made practical by amplification tube technology. This new technology was the beginning of a new era of mass communication and opened door for media that had never been possible.
Television was first broadcast in the United Kingdom in 1936 but did not begin to catch on in Britain until 1947. The BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation, was the first television station launched in the UK with regular broadcasts beginning in 1929 with a limited range of twenty-five miles. Advances continue to make the television signal stronger and farther reaching, making it available to increasing number of households.
One of the first BBC televised events to stimulate the interest of large numbers of people was Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. It is estimated that up to 27 million viewers tuned in to watch the event. This was a historic day in television as it was the first time the number of viewers had surpassed radio audience numbers.
Today, television is the primary mode of mass communication and is the media of choice for businesses, politicians as well as the entertainment industry. With ever improving high definition televisions and cable technology, television viewership continues to rise making it a highly profitable mode of communication.