Kim 1

Salt Lake Community College

Television and Cable: The Power of Visual Culture

Sambat Jerry Kim

Professor Bingham

Communication 1500

3/3/2017
 Kim 2

Sambat Jerry Kim

Professor Bingham

Communication 1500

3/3/2017

Television and Cable: The Power of Visual Culture

Imagine you were in the past, what you would do when you were

bored, or try to stay up date with the news. The answers might be impossible

because we did not have the technology or any innovation back then. Not

until late 19th and 20th century, people started curious about things and

wanted to improve the quality of life. It began with the radio served as a

communication for people across the nation between Atlantic to Pacific

Oceans. After television invented and became popular, people stopped listen

to the radio and switch to television. You can watch movies, news in a small

screen TV, instead of listen to the radio. Every year people change and the

same as media, they change with us. Nothing is permanent, when new

innovation come out, it will replace by the new one.

According to the Media and Culture book Controlling Content-TV Grows

Up, By the early 1960s, television had become a dominant mass medium

and cultural force, with more than 90 percent of U.S households owning at

least one set. Televisions new standing came as its programs moved away

from the influence of radio and established a separate identity (Campbell

193). Radio might be powerful, but not powerful enough like Television.

People can view images and listen to sound at the same time. It became
 Kim 3

successful and a big influences because people can relate or participate

when they watch TV. Its not like radio; all you can do is listening. There are

no images to influence people and people seem to engage when they see

and heard the sound. The books showed that around 1960s, televisions

became popular and almost every family owned a TV.

As television provides several channels to the audiences to view, and it

was not enough for the people. Those channels have certain amount hours

that they broadcasted from news to entertainments. Around 1970s cable TV

started to developed to meet the consumers demand. Cable Services, Cable

consumers usually choose programming from a two-tiered structure: basic

cable services like CNN and premium cable services like HBO. These services

are the production arm of the cable industry, supplying programming to the

nations six-thousand-plus cable operations, which function as program

distributors to cable households (Campbell 197). People always look for

something better, thats when cable comes in to place. Cable divides into

many sections such as Basic or Premium services.

The Basic Cable Services has about 100 channels including the local.

Channels include from government, education and entertainment. Some of

the companies depend on these channels and pay couple cents per view.

Some people prefer Basic Cable because its cheap and also include 100

channels plus. But if they want a better one, they will choose Premium. The

Premium Cable Services is better than Basic because they offer variety of

special channels that the Basic did not provides. The best things that
 Kim 4

Premium can offer are no advertising. They also provide channels like HBO

which people can watch original series from this channel. The exist of cable

not only give people freedom to watch any show they want, but its also

convenient. Compare to old days, they have to rely on local channels or basic

channels that the government provides.

Based on the information from www.worldtelevisionday.tv 9 reasons the world loves TV

said,

Television is a fantastic educational tool. It broadens knowledge of different cultures, promotes

tolerance and global understanding of international issues. Through current affairs, discovery,

lifestyle, cooking shows and childrens programs, television encourages scientific and cultural

curiosity. I agree that since the invention of Television, it impacts and influences people.

Personally, I enjoy the Discovery and History channels because I learned so much from these

channels. I dont have to travel to other countries to learn, I can learn it at home.

According to www.tvproviders.com why is Cable TV important? Said, Cable TV has

had a ripple effect on society. During the Internet boom of the 90s, cable TV was among the first

providers to offer broadband service to residential consumers. Cable TV has also given people in

every corner of the United States access to the same news and political diatribe. The viewer can

choose between liberal or conservative news feeds. Its true when TV was invented, channels

were limited, and only big broadcast companies allow their channels to view. Cable has changed

how people spend their time to watch TV. It gives them a lot of freedom to browse any channels

of their own interest.

Since Television existed, it has played a big role in our society. It gives good and bad

influences. www.encyclopedia.com Televisions impact on American Society and Culture

 Kim 5

mentioned, Studies have shown that television competes with other sources of human

interactionsuch as family, friends, church, and schoolin helping young people develop

values and form ideas about the world around them. It also influences viewers' attitudes and

beliefs about themselves, as well as about people from other social, ethnic, and cultural

backgrounds (Gale). Of course, it makes a difference. It educates people and inspires people on

their daily lives.

TV and Cable influences in the 21st century. As many people are involving with TV and

Cable, they receive the information from the news. Information from www.britannica.com the

21st century said, Televisions role on September 11, however, was like nothing that had been

seen before. Hundreds of cameras were focused on one burning tower in Manhattan when a

second tower was hit by a jet aircraft. That crash, along with the subsequent collapse of both

buildings, was broadcast live to millions of stunned viewers, and then replayed countless times

throughout the following hours and days (Thompson). September 11 was a big event in the

American History, but because of TV and Cable, it attracted a lot of people around the nation and

international just to watch the scene over and over again. At the time internet was not popular

yet, people have to rely on TV for news. September 11 event was witnessed by millions of

people how TV provides information for them.

Almost 6 decades, Television and Cable have impacted the community, society and

people. It provides information, educate people and unite people under one screen. Because, we

live in the 21st century, the world of fast-changing environment and new innovation creates in

every second. It made TV and Cable have to adapt to the new media. People dont depend on TV

or Cable like they used because of the computer and the internet. It served better, convenient and

cheaper. People dont like to stay in one place to watch TV or their show. They can watch their
 Kim 6

TV Show, movies and news on the internet. Internet has changed our viewing habits in many

ways. We also dont rely on Cable network anymore. People can download an App to watch it on

their phone anytime and anywhere.

Works Cited

Campbell, Richard. Media & Culture 10. Bedford/st.martins 2016.

"Why Television?" World Television Day. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.

"Why Is Cable TV Important?" TVProviderscom. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.

Gale, Thomson. "Television's Impact on American Society and Culture." Television in American

Society Reference Library. Encyclopedia.com, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.

Allen, Steve, and Robert J. Thompson. "Television in the United States." Encyclopdia

Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 28 Nov. 2016. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.