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Internet has made it possible to check out information about the history and evolution of popular entertainment. One can safely say that radio shows were the first attempt at mass entertainment. Until then, it was not possible to reach out to many persons at once. Cinema and performance artists had to travel from one place to another to entertain people. Radio made it possible for a single person situated at the single spot to entertain millions of people spread all over the world.

Radio shows were completely passive and relied a lot on the listener’s.imagination. Movies came along and then came television. Television was a significant improvement over the radio because it combined visual and audio entertainment options. It was better than cinema because one could be entertained in the privacy of one’s house.

For very long time, combination of cinema, radio shows and television shows formed the crux of entertainment. It is only when newer technologies came up that people came up with newer solutions and ideas. The ability to capture audio and video on the move made reality shows possible.

A camera that can be brought into a home meant that an individual’s life could be shot without doing anything different. This set of a boom that coincided with the rising popularity of internet. Today, people can enjoy real life entertainment with the help of cameras installed in cell phones and high-speed wireless internet connections. The distinction between fictional and real life entertainment has blurred with advancement of technology.

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Satellite TV is a type of broadcasting service that allows the users to receive television signals by means of dish-shaped receiving unit. The television signals are first uploaded to the communication satellite that is electronically scrambled and prevents unauthorized downloading. These signals are received by those who have paid the subscription fee and users are provided with a descrambler and a receiving unit to receive the signals.

The actual tuning procedures are done through cables just like any other cable television services. Satellite TV is preferred more than other broadcasting methods to avoid traditional problems associated with other broadcasting methods. Normally, in traditional methods, the signals are received through the antennas in the user place. The signal is not clear in the traditional method because the signal strength largely depends upon the distance between the antenna and transmitting antennas, also various climatic factors affect the signal. In cable TV system, heavy cabling is done for transmitting proper signals and therefore it is very expensive.

Satellite TV is a better option when compared with these broadcasting services. This service is mostly preferred for its strong signal and also reduces the large amount of cabling. Earlier satellite TV systems had large receiving units. Today, advancements in the technology have reduced the size of the receiving unit and they have become compact in size. Also, these days satellite services are not direction sensitive like those earlier satellite services. The installation procedure is very easy and more economical. The quality of the signal is also greatly improved in the satellite TV services and these services are now introducing the new definition of entertainment.

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Desire for entertainment is a basic need that differentiates man from animals. Animals work in an instinctive manner and focus on their needs. They hunt to eat and survive. There is very little scope for pleasure and entertainment in their lives. They are just not built that way.

On the other hand, the human being has come a long way from the battle with nature and lives a life today that not only focus on survival but on something more than mere animal existence. Entertainment, amongst other things, makes a huge difference to the quality of life of the individual.

It would not be incorrect to say that each and every activity of man is directed towards entertainment. We don’t need to earn a lot of money just to survive on good quality food and basic requirements. However, we go ahead and try to earn a lot more money so that we can enjoy the good things in life, which invariably are related to entertainment.

From a trip to a baseball game in town to a quiet and private dinner for you and your spouse-anything can be defined as entertainment. However, if one considers entertainment as an industry, any and every activity which has an audience and which helps individuals enjoy motions is classified as entertainment. That is why we have soap operas that cater to those who love emotional and mushy stuff. A sport is a perennial favorite for the athletic and aggressive individuals. Music and reality shows have become very popular because they provide peak into the life of celebrities and other individuals who were considered unapproachable in the past.

One of the most controversial of these has to be the genre now known as reality TV. Starting its life as an attempt for true to life documentation of a situation, the reality format has since metamorphosed into something that, at its exremes, many now consider to be either grotesque or exploitative.

Reality TV is a general term that is used to describe any programming that takes as its main feature the unscripted action of a set of subjects. While at the tamer end of the scale the reality TV genre offers up documentaries that provide an insight into worlds that the view may not otherwise see, the genre also includes a number of offerings that are much less worthy.

With the prolifeation of cable and satellite television channels, there is more and more  demand for programming to fill in schedule slots – and reality TV offers a relatively inexpesive way for producers to create shows to fill these spaces.

Low level reality TV production often involves the placement of subject in situations where the darkest areas of their lives and emotions are held up to the scrutiny and ridicule of audiences. With chat shows offering participants an opportunity to air their dirty laundry in public under the guise of providing guidance, and reality based gameshows tempting people to air the least appealing sides of their nature with the lure of a desirable prize.

Love it or hate it – reality TV looks set to stay.

The days of families gathering around the wireless for the latest installment of a serial drama are seemingly long gone, with home entertainment these days being more likely to feature family members in separate rooms viewing the programming of their choice.

But does this mean that radio as a spoken medium no longer has a role to play in the evolution of light entertainment?

In short, the answer is no, radio continues to play an important role in the development of talents and personalities that provide us with distractions during our downtime.

For example, many of the stars of the screen whose faces are familiar to us would never have made it into the public consciousness without the existence of radio. For presenters, radio is often the first port of call in a career plan, allowing them to hone their on air skills before attempting to make the transition to television.

And some of the most popular television shows have some roots in radio programming, where writers and producers have tried out ideas on audiences, helping them to weed out the ones that work and latter translate them into a visual medium.

Television audiences may be disregarding of the radio as an entertainment tool, but most are unaware of what their favorite shows owe to this understated medium.

While Paley was aggressive in his advertising strategy (that literally paid off for the company), his main achievement was recognizing future stars and signed stars like Bing Crosby and a strong news team led by Edward R. Murrow. Paley was at first hesitant to enter the world of television broadcasting, but when it did, it maintained strong first-place finishes in the ratings for almost 20 years thanks to hits like I Love Lucy, Ed Sullivan, and Gunsmoke.

The network did hit a speed bump with Joseph McCarthy and his followers named the station the Communist Broadcasting System. It also required loyalty oaths from all of its employees. Murrow fought this with his 1954 investigation of McCarthy, See It Now. Unfortunately, CBS officials disliked Murrow after this and one of the greatest news men of all time resigned in 1961. The impressive news department became shouldered for the likes of entertainment programming, such as when the 1966 Senate hearings on the Vietnam War were not broadcasted; instead, reruns of I Love Lucy were aired. Head of News division Fred Friendly resigned shortly after.

Soon the FCC became suspicious of RCA’s dominance in the broadcasting field and began investigating NBC’s procedures. Fearing a monopoly, the FCC forced the company to “divorce” it’s two high-powered networks. NBC-Blue was sold and eventually became ABC. NBC wasn’t a huge money-maker for RCA; it accounted for only a quarter of the company’s profits. However, NBC played a much more important role for RCA: it gave Americans a reason to go out a purchase a television from RCA.

The 50′s and 60′s saw NBC in a consistent second-place finish behind CBS. While the company focused on prime-time dramas and comedy-variety programming featuring a wealth of modern stars (Bob Hope, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis), NBC is also credited with developing the “magazine concept” of advertising. Whereas companies before had merely sponsored an entire program, the commercials now appeared within the programming, like one sees within the pages of the magazine.

ABC started back before television, when the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, reported problems with NBC radio in the late ‘30’s. The FCC was concerned that NBC owned two networks  (NBC-Red and NBC-Blue). The FCC recommended that the two stations undergo “divorcement,” and the Blue Network was sold to Edward Noble’s American Broadcasting System. ABC was born, and the three power networks became NBC, ABC, and CBS, with ABC coming in third place in the broadcasting battle.

By 1951, Edward Noble and ABC were almost bankrupt. ABC was sold to Leonard Goldenson and United Paramount Theaters. Goldenson had spent his prior career at Paramount Pictures. Goldenson made a smart business move by agreeing to help fund Disneyland in exchange for 35 percent of the park. Goldenson also agreed to a Walt Disney TV series that became the network’s first big hit. By 1964, the network was number one of the three networks thanks to shows like Bewitched and The Addams Family. Unfortunately, the network only stayed number one in the ratings for a few weeks. It wasn’t until 1970 that the network experienced its first number one show, Marcus Welby, M.D.

ABC made history by airing network television’s first miniseries event, Rich Man, Poor Man. ABC then became famous in the mid-seventies for titillating programming like Charlie’s Angels as well as another successful miniseries, Roots.

After the war, CBS developed a color system that ran at a higher scanning rate than the monochromatic standard that already existed. They petitioned the FCC in order to commercialize their system. Unfortunately, since the system was not currently compatible, it meant that consumers would have to carry the cost of the switch. Some argued that broadcasters would lose their existing monochromatic audience because they would not have switched to the color system yet. Around the same time, the Radio Corporation of America, or RCA, developed its own system of color television. Recognizing that every day without a decision would ultimately be more costly for the American public, the FCC controversially went with CBS’s design in 1950. However, the Korean War caused a limited number of color receivers to actually be produced, and CBS was forced to discontinue color broadcasting just four months after they began broadcasting in color.

American Bandstand originated in Philadelphia’s WFIL-TV in 1952 under the name Bandstand. The show was hosted “live” by Bob Horn, a well-known local DJ. As Bandstand’s success grew, Bob Horn began hosting in front of the cameras while Dick Clark played disk jockey. Bob Horn was then arrested for drunk driving right in the middle of WFIL’s large campaign against drunk driving. Dick Clark then took over the show.Dick Clark should be given monumental credit for insisting that the show become racially integrated when he took over the show from Bob Horn, given that many of the recording artists played on the show were black. Clark took the program to ABC in 1957 and succeeded in getting the network to pick up the newly renamed American Bandstand. It first aired in August of 1957.  The show aired at 3 PM, a perfect match for its target audiences: the teens were at home and adults were at work.

Cable television often showed movies starting in the mid 50’s and running into the 70’s. However, movie fans often hated these reshowings because of the constant breaks for commercials and the way the movies were cut and modified for time. AMC quickly gained a following of movie fans eager to get away from the chopped movie showings of regular cable.

The station originated with the advent of cable television in the 1980’s. In October 1984, the station began as a pay channel that offered movies from the ‘30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. When the station reached seven million subscribers in 1987, the station became a cable network “basic tier” station. By 1989, AMC’s subscribers had doubled. In 1991, it had 39 million subscribers.

Critics, no doubt movie lovers themselves, fell in love with AMC’s constant programming of vintage classics, everything from classic actresses and actors to unknown discoveries. They compared it to the rise of MTV, which seemed frenetic, loud, and overcomplicated when compared to the serene classic movies and sensible advertising strategies of AMC.

By 2002, AMC had decided to change its format and become more of a standard movie channel. Primetime broadcasting was usually more modern movies, and movies made before 1970 aired in the off-times. Advertising became a part of the network, and the network explained that their advertisers demanded more modern movies.

HBO soon faced competition from other premium networks like Showtime. Showtime was able to get exclusive deal with Paramount Pictures’ movies, leading HBO to seek an exclusive partnership with other movie companies, such as Columbia Pictures and 20^th Century Fox. In 1990, HBO launched HBO Independent Productions, which was dedicated to creating original television series. The first show HBO Independent Productions created was Roc for FOX. The company went onto develop programming for other networks, including 1991, after HBO acquired Citadel Entertainment.

HBO recognized the increased popularity of home video rentals and launched its own line in that area called HBO Home Video. The line was launched in 1984 with Thorn EMI Entertainment and was originally called EMI/HBO Home Video. HBO has been lauded numerous industry awards over the year, including cable TV’s highest honor, the Golden Ace. In addition to its regular programming, HBO also runs Cinemax and owned 50% of the Comedy Central station. HBO is operated in many countries all over the world in a variety of different languages. The network has had such achievements as creating the first made-for-TV pay-per-watch movie (the movie was The Terry Fox Story). In 1986, HBO was the first to begin using full-time scrambling in order to fight piracy.

Today, HBO still provides the newer movies that made the network famous, but it’s now known just as much for its original programming like The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire. HBO also produces many critically acclaimed movies and mini-series each year that earn the network numerous Emmy awards.

The Muppet Show first aired in 1976 and aired until 1981. While it aired, it was broadcasted in over one hundred countries. The show was unique not only for the fact that its cast of characters were comprised entirely of puppets (save a weekly guest star), but also in its ability to captivate both children and adults. It was truly programming that the entire family could watch.

The show featured classic Muppet characters that are still known today to modern audiences, including Rowlf, the piano-playing mutt and Statler and Waldorf, two elderly audience members who get their kicks heckling the Muppets onstage. No Muppet Show history can get by without mentioning Hensen’s counterpart, Frank Oz. While Jim Hensen performed the “straight man” of the Muppets, Kermit the Frog, Frank Oz was responsible for the zanier characters like Fozzie Bear and Miss Piggy. One of the Muppet Show’s cult favorite characters, the Swedish Chef, was performed by both Oz and Hensen. Hensen would do the voice while Oz performed the Swedish Chef’s hands.

The Canada International Film Festival is a great event for a wide variety of different reasons. For one thing, it gives a lot of people who do not have the connections to any major studios the chance to show off the movies that they passionately create on a regular basis. There are filmmakers all over the world, working on budgets that look less like shoestrings and more like dental floss, because they have something to say. For a lot of these people, it is not about the money, but simply about the love of creating something artistic in the medium of film. Of course, they can make some money if they win an award, and it can also be a great jumping off point to launch a more mainstream career.

Another reason why it is great to be at the Festival is because Vancouver is a great city. Before the shows start, you can check out fun things to do in town by checking out Canada 411. Once the Festival begins, it gets even better, because you can go to all sorts of different seminars and forums with filmmakers (and ask them questions), as well as plenty of parties full of like-minded people.

The show got off to a rocky start in its first season due to perpetually low ratings. M*A*S*H  took off the next year, however, landing in the top ten of all programs. The show never dipped out of the top twenty programs for the rest of the show’s run.

M*A*S*H was an incredibly innovative program. It maintained a zany, madcap tone while still focusing deeply on the show’s characters. While the show was billed as a comedy and indeed often maintained a light tone throughout the episode, the show constantly dealt with tragic themes and moments. The show excelled at striking a balance between serious and comedic elements within a half-hour format.  This format came to be known as the “dramedy.”

One of the most famous moments in the series’ (and indeed, television’s) history was the historic departure of Lt. Col. Henry Blake. While other show’s characters left the show (the character of Trapper was “discharged” early on due to a contract dispute with the character’s actor, Wayne Rogers). When Blake’s character left the show, the show reported that his plane was shot down. There were no survivors on the plane, meaning that Blake’s character had died. The public outcry to his death was so severe that the producers promised to never anything like it ever again on the show, but the event proved to the public that here was a comedy unafraid of the harsh realities of war.

Another way M*A*S*H was historically significant to the television industry is that it was one of the few sitcoms of its day to be filmed on location instead  of indoors with a live studio audience. The show also embraced outside-the-box cinematic filming techniques, like long shots and tracking shots.

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Much like music broadcasting channels are dedicated to music, Food Network is all about food: cooking food, food origins, recipes, how food is made, and food-based reality competitions. The company didn’t appear out of thin air. So how did Food Network get started, and how did it become what it is today?

The Origins of Food Network

April 19, 1993 marks the founding date of the TV Food Network. After a few years, the channel shortened its name to Food Network, but the company’s legal name remains Television Food Network, G.P. Reese Schonfeld, a television heavy-hitter who also co-founded CNN, created the network under the guidance of Trygve Myrhen (The Providence Journal President). Reese Schonfeld became the network’s Managing Director.

The Original Lineup

Modern fans of the network will perhaps best recognize Food Network star Emeril Lagasse, who was part of the original lineup with his show Essence of Emeril. Emeril remains a fan favorite television cook today and is known for his signature phrases of “Bam!” and “Kick it up a notch!” Culinary fans will no doubt recognize Jacques Pépen, a legendary French chef and television personality. Other stars in the original Food Network lineup included Debbi Fields, David Rosengarten, Dr. Louis Arrone, Donna Hanover, and Curtis Aikens. Interestingly enough, Robin Leach, host of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, was also seen on Food Network in its original year. Food Network then acquired the rights to the Julia Child library the year after.

Food Network in the Kitchen vs. Food Network Nighttime

Food Network divided its programming into two types: daytime and nighttime. Daytime programming is largely how-to cooking shows, which include favorites like Everyday Italian, Cooking for Real, 30 Minute Meals, and Paula’s Best Dishes. Food Network Nighttime is devoted to food-related programming like Chopped, Iron Chef America, and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Food Network Nighttime has also launched a string of cooking or food-related reality competitions like The Next Food Network Star, The Next Iron Chef, Worst Cooks in America, and The Great Food Truck Race.

I use these music stations as background music when I am studying or working and love the variety I can find. I do not listen to one specific type of music, I love rock, country, rap, pop and even the occasional jazz and classical so I can have all of these types of music available at my fingertips.

One of my favorite sections of stations is the decade channels. I can listen to top hits from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s 90’s or 2000’s. I rotate through these pretty frequently and always hear songs that I had long forgotten about. This is a great way to expose yourself to new or new to you music and become a well rounded music fan.

There are also stations that are geared towards children. I love to put one of these stations on when my daughter is just hanging out and playing or reading. This will allow her to have some noise and entertainment without putting on the television that will likely distract her from her play and encourage her to watch TV.

If you have never checked out these stations I encourage you to do so. You will likely love them as much as I do. Without a doubt this is a great thing to play at your next party or when you have company also. Nothing inspires conversation like great music, and if your guests are not a fan of the same music you are you can change the entire mood by changing the station.

Public television generally plays children’s programming during the day. The shows they air are some of the most iconic and recognizable anywhere. Most of us grew up watching Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood or depending on your age maybe Barney. These shows are still staples on the lineups of Public television stations everywhere, but new shows have been developed that provide new educational opportunities and familiar characters to a new generation of children. Popular shows now include Curious George, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Fetch with Ruff Ruffman.

Getting into the cable stations, the Disney company owns multiple that cater to children.  The regular Disney channel features programming that appeals to all children. Playhouse Disney is a station that is geared towards preschoolers, and Disney XD is geared towards older children.

Nickelodeon has the same format. They offer the traditional Nickelodeon station as well as Noggin for young children and Teen Nick for teenagers. There is bound to be a Nickelodeon or Disney channel that appeals to your children.

Other than these stations that are well known, there are many other smaller stations that provide quality entertainment for children. Cartoon network shows mainly animated features, Discovery Kids is an educational station that offers mainly science programs, and Sprout is a station that is exclusively for preschoolers. No matter what age, there is sure to be a station that appeals to the interests of your children.

Children love being able to watch their favorite movies or television shows while they are travelling, as it is often easier for them to focus on television than to try and read in the car. Reading in the car is great, but for many people it gives them an upset stomach feeling that television watching doesn’t seem to cause.

Parents love the fact that their children are kept busy, and will likely be less disruptive and won’t bother each other as much. It can be hard for children to sit still for such a long trip, but with the portable DVD combo, they will at least have entertainment to help them pass the time along the way.

Just because the children are watching television doesn’t mean they are going to zone out and watch something mindless. There are many great educational programs that are available for kids on DVD. Many of the popular shows on public television like Sesame Street are available on DVD, so you can feel good that your children are watching something wholesome that will hopefully teach them as they watch.

Over the last couple of years the DVD/TV combo has become much more affordable. When they first became popular you could expect to pay a few hundred dollars for a nice setup, now you can find the simplest versions for under $100 at your local discount store. This is certainly a good investment if you spend much time riding in the car with your children.

You can program the DVR to record your favorite program on a one time basis, or set it up to record the entire series. The programs are recorded onto the hard drive of the DVR itself so you don’t have to deal with bulky video tapes or DVDs that get scratched and don’t play well.

I like to set up my DVR to record all the episodes of my favorite shows. I can set it up one time, and then I never have to remember to do anything again. I come home, sit in my favorite chair and I have access to episodes of my favorite TV shows.

This is a great thing for families. If you are a parent you know your children want to stay up late to watch a special program sometimes. With the DVR you don’t have to be a bad guy by keeping them from their favorite show, but you don’t have to compromise their sleep either.

Another great benefit of the DVR is that most of them have a built in intuitive guide that will allow you to search through different programming categories to find new programs, or ones you didn’t realize aired. I love to search through the different offbeat sports events and find programs I may have otherwise missed. I love watching gymnastics and cheerleading competitions, neither of which air very often, and now I don’t have to worry about missing out when they do air.  I really do not know what my family did before the DVR, I believe we watch less TV, but we watch it much smarter now and get more enjoyment out of the time we spend in front of the television.

Nearly every television sold today is a flat screen. These have become very popular because they can be easily hung on the wall or still displayed in an entertainment cabinet like they have been traditionally. Flat screens are thinner and weigh less, enabling them to be more easily moved around and adjusted according to personal preference.

HDTV is very popular, many stations are now broadcast in high density, which gives a cleaner, sharper picture and is the closest thing to a true movie experience available in the home. It is getting harder to find non-HDTVs, and this will likely continue to go even further in this direction in the future. HDTV has become more affordable as it has become more common, making it a great choice for anyone looking at purchasing a new TV.

Three dimensional television is a concept that is still being worked out. There are televisions available in 3d, but the amount of programming available is still very small, and the 3d effect is not as pronounced and enjoyable as it is in a theatre.

As you can see, there are lots of things that you have to consider when looking for a television, but most importantly is finding one that fits your home, your lifestyle and your budget. When everything is said and done, your family will enjoy whatever you bring home, as long as it allows them to gather around and spend time watching family programming together. The television can bring families together in a way that the computer or other electronic gadgets cannot.

We had around 13 channels available, and at the time it seemed amazing. I could watch the normal “big 3 stations” like my friends, but we also got access to TBS which showed what seemed to me to be awesome old television shows and great movies. I developed an early love of James Bond and Elvis from watching movie marathons on TBS.

Another station that we had access to was WGN, the Chicago station. I was from Atlanta, and the Braves will always be my team, but Chicago comes in a close second after watching them play throughout the 1980s. WGN also aired Bozo the clown, which was admittedly corny but was still watchable in my youth.

When I was ten years old we got what may have been the greatest television station imaginable to my young self: Nickelodeon. This station was amazing, and I would have watched it 24 hours a day if my parents allowed it. I couldn’t imagine a station that was completely devoted to kids. I could watch cartoons, and comedy shows that were made for kids just like me. And the commercials were as good as the shows. After eight p.m. the station turned into Nick at Night and aired old black and white shows like Mr. Ed and Get Smart.

Today there are hundreds of stations to choose from and I sometimes still can’t find anything to watch. I wish I could see television through the eyes that I had as a child again and truly appreciate all of the programming options.

The television station was founded in June of 1986 by Joseph Segel, and it went on the air in November of the same year. At first the station only ran from 7:30 PM until midnight and on weekends, but extended its reach to 24 hours a day in 1987. The first full-year sales for the company were over $100 million dollars, which set a record for a new company.

The company was purchased by Comcast, the cable company in 1995 which gave them control of the corporation. They would continue to hold the majority of shares until 2003 when they sold their portion to Liberty Media.

The business has suffered some setbacks with the prevalence of internet shopping, but the station is still pulling a profit and will likely remain on the air for many years. The company rebranded itself in 2007 with a new tagline “iQdoU?”  This advertising campaign was supposed to reflect QVC’s place in the digital age, and inspire consumer interest. Overseas sales have been one of the strong points of the company and they will likely continue to expand into further markets when the opportunities present themselves.

The format of the programs themselves have remained somewhat similar throughout the history of the company. There are hour long programming blocks which focus on a particular category of product that is available for purchase. Many of their hosts have been with the company for many years, at least one (Jane Traecy) has been with the station since it launched back in 1986. The hosts help bring personality and familiarity to the shows, and make them entertaining as well as commercial.

From the beginning, ESPN has broadcasted its newscast SportsCenter, which has aired over 30,000 episodes to date. The offices of ESPN are located in many different cities across the United State but the majority of the broadcasts are from the studio in Bristol, Connecticut.

ESPN bills itself as being a world leader in sports broadcasting. Unlike many cable stations, ESPN has not strayed far from its roots and airs mostly live or tape delayed sports events and sports news programming. From time to time they do air documentaries, films and series, but they all have a strong tie to sports and do not pull away from the traditional sports broadcasting that ESPN is known for.

ESPN airs programming 24 hours a day, year round with no filler programming such as infomercials. Since the launch of ESPN and the popularity it has reached, there have been other ESPN stations created. ESPN 2 features sports that may not have as much mainstream popularity as the traditional big four (Football, Basketball, Baseball and Hockey.)  Another ESPN owned channel is ESPN classic. This is a station that broadcasts replays of old, iconic sports events. One example of such programming would be the replay of an old Super Bowl. The telecasts sometimes has commentary added, giving a new perspective on the old telecasts.

The Game Show Network originally launched on December 1, 1994 and the first show ever aired was Match Game 73. During the first few months the station didn’t air any “real” commercials but aired commercials for the station, public service announcements and commercials for Sony products, which was then the parent company of the network. After the network became more popular, traditional commercials were added to the lineup.

The station went through a rough period during 1997 and 1998 when the network lost the rights to much of their programming. During what was called “The Dark Period” the station aired The Price is Right, one season of Family Feud, and some lesser known game shows by Sony.

In early 1998 the station got the rights back to many of the programs that were most requested by their fans. They also started creating original game shows during this period. From 1998 through 2008 the station flourished. They developed many successful programs, continued airing many of the classics and also bought the rights to several newer game shows such as: Win Ben Stein’s Money and The Amazing Race.

During this period Poker also flourished on GSN. This caused some controversy among fans, but poker began filling large blocks on the schedule which brought more viewers to the station. Game show fans did not like missing out on game shows at the expense of poker, but the station saw huge ratings for their original program “High Stakes Poker” and for the World Poker Tour which moved over from The Travel Channel. Poker may not be a traditional game show, but it has found a home on GSN, and will like not be going anywhere soon.

When the station first launched, it aired older movies and syndicated television shows. They also had partial rights to Sunday Night Football, airing part of the regular season telecasts and distributing feed to local stations in their own markets.

Beginning in 1995, the station also aired WCW Nitro. During the peak of Wrestling’s popularity this was the highest rated weekly program on cable television. WCW Nitro defeated Monday Night Raw for 83 straight weeks until 1998.

TNT was well known in the 1990s for their late night B movies. Every Saturday night they would host a pair of horror films and provide running commentary, trivia and jokes. These movies were very popular among viewers and oftentimes these events would have guest hosts such as Penn and Teller.

Starting in the late 1990s, TNT started creating their own original series, the first major success they found was with Witchblade, which ran for two seasons.

In June 2001 TNT relaunched themselves with a new logo and the slogan “We Know Drama.”  At the time they were playing network dramas like Law & Order and NYPD Blue. As time went on, they picked up shows such as: Angel, Charmed, ER, Without a Trace, Judging Amy, and Las Vegas.

In 2004 TNT started broadcasting in high definition. It was the first Turner channel and one of the first on cable to offer high definition television.

In 2008, they retooled their logo once again, with it appearing mostly in silver and gold. They also decided to focus on more original programming, with plans to have at least three nights of original primetime programming each week.

The station was launched on February 13, 2009. It filled the gap in the television schedule that was formerly occupied by Toon Disney. The station is advertising-supported, and airs commercials for Disney products as well as many non-Disney products and Network promos.

It has been said that the XD in Disney XD does not officially stand for anything, but was chosen because it looked cool. However, many people assume that XD stands for Xtreme Disney Xtreme Digital.

The channel is a spin off of the original Disney Channel and thus airs some of that channel’s programming. In fact, re-aired episodes of The Suite Life on Deck and Phineas and Ferb are some of the top rated shows on Disney XD.

In addition to airing these replays, Disney XD has successfully launched several of their own programs. Current top performing shows include:  Zeke and Luther, I’m in the Band, Pair of Kings, Kid vs. Kat, and Kick Buttowski. Many of these shows have become huge hits for the station.

Another thing Disney XD has become well known for is airing a movie daily at 5:00 PM. This is not a traditional time to air movies, but many parents appreciate that the movie finishes in time for dinner and bed, instead of running during prime time like most stations.

Disney XD has been a good success for The Disney Company since launching in 2009, and will certainly continue to be a major player in the youth market. A HD feed of the station is available in some markets, but there is not an official HD version of the station.

When the station was first launched it was called the Madison Square Garden Network and was one of the first nationally televised channels. In the early days they played a variety of college and professional sports and only ran in the evenings.

In 1979 the name changed to USA and it ran children’s programs and talk shows during the day and switched to sports at night. In 1982 the station began running  24 hours a day and phased out the sports. Low budget movies, Hanna-Barbara cartoons and syndicated shows became the norm.

Throughout the mid 1980s USA became known for broadcasting game shows throughout the day, and continuing the variety of programming they were known for in the evenings. In the 1990s the same pattern continued but the station started feeling pressure from the expanding cable lineup.

At this time the USA network retooled their current strategy and dumped the game shows and children’s programming. They started competing with local stations by playing syndicated dramas and court shows during the day and movies and original programming in the evening.

The USA network is now well known for their original programming which includes Psych, Burn Notice, the 4400 and Royal Pains. The USA network is not the home of WWF Raw. The syndicated shows House and Law and Order Special Victims Unit are some of the most watched syndicated programs on cable television and get great ratings for the network, helping attract new viewers.

The DVR or Digital Video Recorder is an electronic device that is changing the way that people watch television. In a nutshell, this device is the modern-day equivalent of the traditional VCR, which is capable of recording and playing television shows and movies without requiring the use of tape. Everything is stored in a digital format.

The DVR device takes recording and watching television to an entirely new level. This device makes it possible for you to pause the television, rewind, watch in slow motion, fast forward and instantly replay live television broadcasts. Whether you are watching a pay-per-view movie, a live sporting event, the news or just any ordinary television show, these extra options can really come in handy.

The Digital Video Recorder device is proof that television is evolving. People can now record their favorite shows and watch them later, fast forwarding through commercials. They can pause the show they are watching to answer the phone or to stop and eat a meal, then start the recording right back up, fast forwarding through commercials to catch-up to the live television. Some DVR services offer significant buffer capabilities, meaning that you can pause and replay television on the channel that you are watching as many as several hours behind the live television feed.

Above all else, the Digital Video Recorder technology makes it possible for you to take control of the television you watch more than ever before. By buffering the signal from the satellite, you can pause, rewind, fast forward or slow-motion the television show that you are watching, and then you can simply resume the program so that you are watching it without missing a thing. Nobody wants to miss a favorite show due to unforeseen circumstances, and the DVR system makes it possible not to. Record favorite shows when you are not around to watch them, then queue them up and watch them any time that suits you.

The television is an invention that has been evolving significantly over time. Rather than being created and developed by a single inventor, the television is actually the product of a wide variety of very bright minds and decades of hard labor and creative determination. Here is a little bit of history about the television, especially leading up to the plasma televisions that we know today.

A little Television-Related History

Televisions weren’t commercially available until the late 1920’s. However, the idea of transmitting images was being worked on as early as the late 1870’s. Many of the first units were electro-mechanical in nature, using varying means to capture, transmit, and recreate images. The first television system using electronic scanning of the pickup and display devices was invented by Philo Farnsworth in 1927, and was demonstrated to the press September 1st 1928. Television was first used practically in Germany with regular broadcasts happening by 1929. The 1936 Olympic games were also broadcast to stations in both Leipzig and Berlin for the public to view. Regular commercial programming did not occur in the United States until 1948 due to the fact that television was not introduced to the general public until 1939 and World War 2 broke out preventing large scale manufacture.

The basic principles for plasma television were first described in 1936 by one Kálmán Tihanyi, which later went on to become the first flat panel display system. Experiments began in 1931 culminated in color television in 1940, the work of Mexican inventor Guillermo González Camarena. He was also the inventor of the remote control, which has become a standard feature of television sets.

It doesn’t take much to find awe and surprise in how the television was invented and developed. This particular electronic device has come a long way through the years.

The television set is an invention that did not come about as the result of a single inventor. Instead, many different people working separately and together contributed to the design and development of this unique and revolutionary electronic device. The development and evolution of the television can be traced back as far as 1831.

Back in 1831, Joseph Henry along with Michael Faraday was working with electromagnetism. The work that they did jumpstarted the “electronic communication” era.

In 1862, the first still image was transferred when the Pantelegraph was invented by Abbe Giovanna Caselli. He became the first ever person to transmit a still image across wires.

In 1873, May and Smith, scientists, were experimenting with selenium coupled with light. What this revealed was that there was a possibility for images to be transformed by inventors into electronic signals.

A civil servant in Boston, George Carey was thinking as early as 1876 about completed television systems. In the year 1877 he managed to put forward some drawings for an electronic device that he called the selenium camera, and this was going to make it possible for people to see by way of electricity. During this same era, a man named Eugen Goldstein coined the “cathode rays” term in order to describe the light that is emitted when electric currents are forced through vacuum tubes.

In the late 1870s, engineers and scientists like Figuier, Paiva and Senlecq were all in the process of suggesting various alternative designs for a devide known as a Telectroscope.

This was just the beginning, though. The true television system has not even been fully realized by this era, but inventions were coming a long way, and inventors were well on their way to finding a way to make their dreams come true.

The technology necessary to bring the television concept to fruition was quickly being developed, and dreams of viewing pictures on an electronic device were quickly coming to life. By 1880, things were really beginning to pick up steam. More and more inventors were becoming interested in the concept of the television, and this meant that some of the best and brightest possible minds were on the case.

In 1880, inventors Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell were both creating theories about using a telephone device that would be capable of transmitting the image as well as the sound. The Photophone invention from Alexander Graham Bell used light in order to transmit the sound of the callers, and he hoped that he could advance his device to the point where it was also sending images.

George Carey, in 1880, managed to build a rudimentary system making use of light sensitive cells as well.

In 1881, a man named Sheldon Bidwell began to experiment with a Telephotography invention that was quite similar in nature to the Photophone that Alexander Graham Bell had invented.

In 1884, Paul Nipkow began to send images across wires by using technology involving a rotating metal disk. He called this the electric telescope, and pointed out that it had 18 different lines of resolution. This was a big step in the right direction moving toward television development, and yet was very far away from the televisions of today as we know them.

Once again, this was still just the beginning when it came to the development of technology involving the television set. While technological inventions were moving along quickly during this era, it would still be a long time before the true television set was developed in any sense close to what we now know as the television set.

The 1900s is when things really began to move in terms of television invention, evolution and development. In the Paris World’s Fair, the first ever International Congress of Electricity saw the light of day. Constantin Perskyi, a Russian inventor, was the first person ever during this era to use the term television to refer to the invention that has been in development for so many years.

Evolution of the Television in 1900 and Beyond

Soon after the year 1900, the momentum really began to shift away from discussions and ideas and into actual physical development of these television systems. There were two major paths that were pursued by these inventors in the way of developing television systems.

Inventors were beginning to build mechanical systems for televisions based on the rotating disks that Paul Nipkow had invented, and other inventors had begun to build electronic systems that were based on cathode ray tube technology. This technology was independently developed in the year 1907 by an English inventor named A.A. Campbell-Swinton along with the help of a scientist by the name of Boris Rosing.

An American inventor named Charles Jenkins, working with a Scotsman named John Baird began to follow this mechanical model. On the other hand, Philo Farnsworth in San Francisco and a Russian emigrant named Vladimir Zworkin began to advance the electronic concept for television development.

Eventually it was the electronic television system that won out, replacing the mechanical television system concept. Both systems had a lot of merits, but the electronic system using the cathode ray tube technology was proving to be the simpler and straighter forward concept, and so it was better received in comparison to the mechanical model. By now, it was clear that the first mechanical and electronic systems were well on their way in terms of development.

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1906 brought about the first ever mechanical television system, while the early electronic television systems were not seeing development until 1907 or so. Lee de Forest is responsible for inventing an Audion vacuum tube, which proved to be essential when it came to the development of electronics. This Audion tube was the first ever vacuum tube that actually had the ability to create amplification for signals.

The First Mechanical and Electronic Television Systems

Boris Rosing was responsible for combining the disk from Nipkow with the cathode ray tube concept in order to build the first ever mechanical television system in 1906.

In 1907, Boris Rosing and Campbell Swinton suggested using cathode ray tubes for the purpose of transmitting images through wires. Independent from one another, they both managed to successfully develop a way to reproduce images by way of electronic scanning methods.

Evolution into 1923

The iconscope was patented in 1923 by Vladimir Zworkin. This was a television camera tube that was based on the ideas conjured up by Swinton. The iconscope was known as an electric eye, and it became the cornerstone for all further development of the television. Zworkin later went on to develop the kinescope, which was the receiver for the purpose of picture display.

Moving Silhouette Images in 1924 and 1925

Charles Jenkins worked with John Baird, from America and Scotland respectively, and each managed to demonstrate that images could be mechanically transmitted across wire circuits. John Baird became the first person ever to transmit a moving silhouette image across a mechanical system, which he did based on the Nipkow disk system.

Charles Jenkins built what was known as a Radiovisor. In 1931, he went on to sold it in kit form to consumers who could put it together. During the same era, a color television system had been developed and patented by Vladimir Zworkin.

In 1926, John Baird operated a television system that utilized 30 lines of resolution with a frames per second rate of 5.

In 1927, the Bell Telephone Company and the United States Department of Commerce conducted the first ever use of a television over long distance, which they held between New York City and Washington D.C. on the 9th of April. The Secretary of Commerce at the time, Herbert Hoover, was especially impressed.

During this same era, Philo Farnsworth filed a patent for the first ever complete electronic television, which at the time was known as an image dissector.

1928 Television Evolution and Beyond

In 1928, the Federal Radio Commission issued a television station license for the first time. W3XK was issued to Charles Jenkins.

In 1929, Vladimir Zworkin demonstrated the first ever practical electronic television system, which could handle both transmission as well as reception of television images using a kinescope tube.

During this same area, John Baird opened the first ever television studio, but the image quality that he was capable of producing was still poor.

The first television commercial was broadcast in the year 1930 by Charles Jenkins.

The BBC began its regular television transmissions in the year 1930 as well.

By 1933, w9XK was owned by Iowa State University, and they began to broadcast television programs twice weekly in cooperation with a radio station known as WSUI.

By 1936, there were approximately 200 television sets currently in use across the globe. Coaxial cables were introduced in 1936 as well, using pure copper wire or copper-coated wire to transmit telephone, television and data signals over short and long distances. AT&T was the first television company to lay experimental coaxial cables.

And this was only the beginning because now there are more than a billion television sets worldwide.

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At the beginning of the twentieth century, the methods that brought people news were vastly slow and sometimes unreliable. For many people living in the United States of America, the news came in the form of newspapers and word of mouth from those who had traveled to a larger city or had access to a telegraph. News from overseas such as the United Kingdom or Europe came via telegraph or letters or foreign diplomats. Most people were content with the slow pace of receiving bad news from around the world.

Then, the radio came with its static sounding voices, music, and programming. Now, we could broadcast news from Europe and Asia over radio waves. This meant that people in the United States of America could get news about World War I much quicker. Many families learned about the sinking of the Titanic via the radio. Besides bringing bad news faster,  the radio had various shows for kids, parents, and grandparents. Weekly shows told stories about interesting characters, and many people tuned in every night to hear these programs.

With the success of the radio, the home television came in its black and white format. Fuzzy pictures gave way to brilliant technicolor to high definition flat panel screens. In the beginnings of television, new shows came on once every evening. So for thirty minutes a day, a person got bad news. Now, the news has its own 24 hour channels constantly talking about and rehashing the bad news of the day. We can never escape the onslaught of bad news from the television. Television and news media has come a long way and is here in our homes to stay.

It’s 2 a.m., and you finally admit that you can get to sleep. Stumbling out of bed, you may go to fridge or better yet the couch. Hmm, what is on now? Really bad movies, new shows, and the home shopping channels. Hoping that something boring like shopping will put you to sleep, you flip to the home shopping channel. Immediately, you are greeted with perky, happy women exclaiming their love for a beautiful, handcrafted rhinestone bracelet. The shimmering jewels sparkle in the camera friendly lighting. You sit up looking at the stunning bracelet. Mmm, my wife , girlfriend, mother would really love that you think as you pick up the phone ready to dial the number so you can get the introductory price, but you pause. Questions swirl through your mind: is this a good deal for designer jewelry? Why is this jewelry maker  advertising on this home shopping channel? How much money does the seller get versus the shopping channel?

Those questions may or may not make you reconsider your jewelry purchase. But you still want to know how much money the jewelry maker actually makes versus the network channel? Sure, the shopping channel gets more than a fair share of the profit, but the jewelry maker does have some good incentives for being on the shopping network. First, the jewelry maker gets potential new customers. If you had been able to sleep, then you may have never heard of this product. The jewelry maker can get a larger customer pool by working with the shopping channel. Secondly, the more customers the jewelry maker gets then he or she can buy a better time slot on the home shopping channel. Thus, bringing more revenue to the network, this leads to more sales and more profits. So, in reality, the relationship between the jewelry maker and home shopping channel is a win/win for all involved.

Over 91 thousand miles of cable plant has been laid in this state. Cable companies continue to modernize their systems with fiber optic cable, providing better system capability and increased channel capacity. Cable programming and services will increasingly be showcased through the continued advancement of other significant technological advancements, such as digital compression, interactive video and high-definition television (HDTV).

The new generation of cable technology, such as modems, digital set tops and Internet telephony, is also moving the cable industry toward greater “interoperability” with other communications technologies. Cable products that work with other communications services will increasingly allow cable customers to shop competitively at retail stores for innovative and reasonably priced products.

CCTA continues to support and showcase efforts to develop cable technologies that improve the value of subscriber services and better position the industry in a competitive environment. In a world where new technologies can impact public policies, CCTA uses its legislative, regulatory and legal expertise to assure that competitive policies include review and discussion of any critical technologies on the horizon.

CableNET®
Each year CCTA presents a major educational exhibit of cable technology at its Western Show convention. CableNET® continues to demonstrate the power of the cable industry’s hybrid fiber coaxial systems and its expanding telecommunications and entertainment applications, as well as the potential for consumer retail sales.

CableLabs®
Supported by cable operators in California, and throughout the nation, CableLabs® was created in 1989 to establish a long-term industry commitment to research and to develop the next-generation cable technologies, such as HDTV and fiber optic transmission systems. CableLabs® cosponsors the annual CableNET® exhibit with CCTA to demonstrate and promote technologies that will increase the integration of cable with computer, consumer electronics and broadcast industries for the benefit of cable consumers.

High Tech Cable
In addition to CCTA members which operate cable systems in the state, there are over 400 “associate members” involved in the development, manufacturing and distribution of software and hardware for the cable industry. As a result of converging and interactive technologies and Internet applications, companies such as @Home Network, WINK Communications, CableData, PowerTV, Inc., and Macrovision Corporation are developing a high tech workforce in California based on cable industry growth.