EOTO: REAX (Television)

Television has been the forefront for entertainment for decades. It was first created in 1927 by Philo Farnsworth and Vladimir Zworykin, both inventors weren't the first to attempt to create a system similar to what we know now as the television. In Erica Williams' EOTO presentation we're introduced to John Baird, a man from London who would be the first to demonstrate on such a system, John Baird system would even be sold but could never compete with the system made by Philo Farnsworth and Vladimir Zworykin. 

Philo Farnsworth

Once Farnsworth and Zworykin had created and got their invention off the ground, studios began ‘broadcasting’ to this new television set; some of these studios are studios that are well known even today. The National Broadcasting Company (also known as the NBC) would be the first, and other stations like CBS, ABC, and the BBC would follow soon after. These stations weren’t originally television stations either, Williams discusses how many of these stations took the risk to transfer from radio to television. 

Unfortunately the television wasn’t the perfect system Philo Farnsworth and Vladimir Zworykin thought it would be. The price of the system was too steep for a normal American family to afford. The start of World War One would coincide with the release of the television, also affecting the amount of sales for the television. 

Another problem with television is censorship. Since for a long time there was no way to regulate what was shown on television, many Americans would be subjected to different “disasters” occurring on T.V. Such events include the terrorist attacks of 9/11, John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the challenger explosion and other natural disasters. Many viewers could have potentially been children or families hoping to enjoy the news, this would create a generation who is desensitized to the world.