TV as a Cultural Phenomenon

TV is a 20th Century phenomenon. Yet, in 1940 2/3 of the UK had never even set eyes on a television set. TV became increasing popular as years past, people enjoyed the idea of home entertainment rather than having to go off to the theatre. As TV became more popular, it also became more affordable. By the 1960's 72% of people had access to a TV. There were two main channels that dominated the screens during this period, BBC and ITV, unlike the plethora of channels available to us today. In the 60's, TV was seen as a dominant cultural force which had the power to affect people's lives. Left wing politics was hostile to this idea. They argued that TV was Dope and that people were being brainwashed. Despite this, people saw television as a real sense of nationality and togetherness. It was a ritual to sit in front of the television. It was an opportunity for families to get together and watch key events, such as the coronation of the queen and the world cup final. Even if you didn't have a TV yourself, you would go over to your neighbours and watch it on theirs.

We see today the rivalry today between the BBC and ITV and this has been going on for many years. People trusted and accepted the BBC. It was factual and represented high culture. ITV on the other hand, began to show American quiz shows such as 'Opportunity knocks'. This created a watching culture of Americanism and Commercialism. The BBC would teach and ITV would entertain.

There was a competition between populism and elitism starting to develop. ITV became so popular that the BBC had to act. The BBC decided to compete with ITV and put on 'Social Realist Plays' that paved the way for soap operas like Eastenders. Soap operas like Eastenders and Coronation Street became the most popular genre on TV. People could identify with soaps, thus TV was beginning to move from a luxury item to a necessity. Coronation Street started on the 9th September 1960 and is still going strong. Within a year, 20 million people tuned in to see Ken Barlow and co strutting their stuff! We can see the first example of Fandom developing. It became a regional identity. Even the then prime minister Harold Wilson stated that he loved the show in order to keep the voters happy!

One key idea I took from the lecture is that TV is thought provoking. I disagree with R. Hoggart's point that TV is anti-culture and hostile to intellectual activity. TV can be liberating. It can be argued that it is the main source of how people understand the world beyond their own experience. Meanings and messages are encoded and decoded whilst watching TV. Meaning just doesn't happen, it's an ongoing process. It all comes down to the creativity of the audience. The Cultural industry wants us to be commodity consumers and TV does show growth of a commodity culture. e.g. "TV dinners" and the "Tea-V-Tray." Stereotypes are created by TV.

In conclusion, TV is key in how people view the world. The original message may be portrayed as something else. We don't know how the audience will respond. For example, Fandom is evident when we see Star Trek and Dr Who conventions. People respond to things they enjoy. Fan's of TV create more than the text.