The Story of Television

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Outline and evaluate the key factors which led to the development of television and a public service
2. Undertake an analysis of primary historical source material
3. Write a coherent and properly-referenced essay

This module will explore the history of television from technical, social, cultural, and political perspectives. It will trave the history of television from its origins in the late 19th Century through to the present day at a point when the whole nature and purpose of television is being questioned.

The aim of this module is to provide students with a clear understanding of the origins and development of television from technical, social, cultural, and political perspectives and to equip them with analytical skills in relation to basic primary source material.

Lectures and seminars will cover the following topics:

1) Origins and the international race for television
2) 1929-35: Baird and the BBC
3) 1936-39: BBC Television: a new era
4) Post-war: big events and a rival service (ITV)
5) 1950s: The origins of Children’s Television
6) 1960s: Sex, Class and Realism
7) 1970s: A changing landscape
8) 1980s/90s: The rise of neoliberalism
9) The multichannel era
10) Television Futures

This module is at CQFW Level 5