Film & Television Studies: History of Television

Introduction to basic television history, theory and analysis. An historical overview of television from its invention to the present.

Open to Degree and PACE students; Crosslisted with FTS 1400 B; Total combined enrollment = 100

Course Description The class will study the history of television from its origins in radio broadcasting to the latest transformations in digital television. We will focus on television as a communications and cultural medium by analyzing the structure of the television industry, television’s role within American society, and television as a site of cultural production. The class will also introduce you to core theories in television studies as well as critical approaches to analyzing television texts, contexts, and audiences. The primary objective of this class is to provide the basic analytic skills necessary to use television history as a way to understand America’s social and cultural history and identity. At the end of this course, you should be able to… • Describe and analyze how television has shaped and is shaped by American culture at key historical moments • Learn the terminology and skills necessary to analyze televisual technology and industries, representations and texts, and audiences and receptions in their historical contexts • Connect broadcasting history to contemporary media • Analyze how social and cultural identity (e.g. gender, race, class) are implicated in television historically and how those histories implicate contemporary television