Core Chapter Idea • Section 13.1
Television is a recent invention developed to transmit sound as well as visuals; several pioneers contributed, and John Baird is generally regarded as the father of television.
The lesson begins by showing how different television is from older mass media. Radio, print and cinema already existed before television, while the idea of television had existed for a long time before the technology became practical. Inventors worked on ways to transmit both sound and pictures so that a person could see and hear events from a distant place.
Major early milestones
1936 • First Television Service
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of Britain began the first television service in the world.
1939 • Television in the United States
Television broadcasts began in the US. Britain and the US were ahead in the race, while wider broadcasting in other countries developed mainly in the 1950s.
1953 • Successful Colour Programme
The first successful programme in colour was transmitted by CBS in the USA. Earlier television broadcasts had been in black and white.
Early television and its “golden age”
Early television viewing was primitive compared with present-day viewing. Limitations of the early camera forced actors and anchors to work under very hot lights. Early broadcasts were in black and white. Over the next two decades, television gradually matured and became an important medium of entertainment through popular shows.
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How the medium changed
The textbook explains that television moved from being described as “radio with pictures” to developing a unique style of its own. This period is described as the “golden age” of television.
In the present-day description given in the lesson, television is one of the powerful means of mass communication. It can provide education, information and entertainment, and has become an integral part of daily life.
Why This Concept Matters for Written Exams: Remember John Baird, BBC in 1936, US broadcasts in 1939, wide international growth in the 1950s, the successful colour programme in 1953, and the idea of television moving from “radio with pictures” to a medium with its own style.
Core Chapter Definition • Section 13.2
Television began in India on 15 September 1959 as an experiment under All India Radio (AIR).
The first Indian television broadcasts were very limited. There were only two one-hour programmes a week. AIR handled these initial broadcasts. Early programmes were generally educational and were aimed at school children and farmers. Community television sets were placed in Delhi’s rural areas and in schools around Delhi so that these programmes could reach groups of viewers.
From experiment to development tool
By the 1970s, television centres were opened in other parts of the country. A major landmark followed with the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE), conducted between August 1975 and July 1976. The Government of India used the American satellite ATS-6 to broadcast educational programmes to Indian villages. Six states were selected and television sets were distributed there.
SITE
Satellite Instructional Television Experiment
SITE was an important step in using television for development. Programmes were produced mainly by Doordarshan, then a part of AIR, and were telecast twice a day. Topics included agriculture, health and family planning, along with entertainment through dance, music, drama, folk and rural art forms.
Institutional and national milestones
1976 • Doordarshan separates from AIR
Doordarshan, which had been the television arm of All India Radio, became a separate department.
1982 • National coverage and colour
Coverage of the Ninth Asian Games was a major milestone. Doordarshan provided national coverage for the first time through INSAT 1A, and transmission was in colour for the first time.
1983 • Huge expansion
The Government sanctioned a large expansion of Doordarshan. By the end of the 1980s, transmitters could cover around 75 per cent of the population. Programmes such as Hum Log, Buniyaad and Nukkad became immensely popular.
Prasar Bharati and the growth of Doordarshan
In 1997, Prasar Bharati, a statutory autonomous body, was established. Doordarshan and AIR were converted into government corporations under it. Prasar Bharati was established as the country’s public service broadcaster, working through AIR and DD, and this was intended to provide greater autonomy. The lesson also notes that Prasar Bharati had not succeeded in shielding Doordarshan from government control.
The chapter states that about 90 per cent of India’s population can receive Doordarshan programmes through its network. Doordarshan has grown from its modest beginning as a part of AIR into a major broadcaster with around 30 channels, including regional language satellite channels, state networks, an international channel and channels such as DD National, DD News, DD Sports, DD Gyandarshan, DD Bharati, Loksabha Channel and DD Urdu.
Why This Concept Matters for Written Exams: Learn the milestone sequence 1959 → SITE 1975–76 → Doordarshan separate in 1976 → Asian Games, national coverage and colour in 1982 → expansion in 1983 → Prasar Bharati in 1997. Also remember the satellites ATS-6 and INSAT 1A and the role of SITE.
Core Chapter Idea • Section 13.3
Private television channels entered the Indian television scene mainly in the 1990s, ending Doordarshan’s earlier monopoly over the television audience.
The lesson explains that communication satellites help bring satellite television signals to homes. Earlier, television antennas could be affected by heavy rain or rough weather. Communication satellites improved the situation and made a large number of channels available through satellite and cable systems.
How satellite television entered India
Before private channels appeared, Doordarshan was the only channel available to the vast majority of Indian viewers. This changed in the 1990s. The coverage of the Gulf War by the American news channel CNN helped propel the arrival of satellite television in India. Satellite dishes were used to receive CNN signals, and cable operators quickly adopted satellite broadcasting.
1990s
Private-channel chain
Gulf War coverage by CNN → satellite dishes receive signals → cable operators adopt satellite broadcasting → private channels expand. The lesson presents this as the path through which satellite television became established in India.
STAR, Zee and the end of monopoly
Hong Kong-based STAR (Satellite Television Asian Region) entered into an agreement with an Indian company, leading to the birth of Zee TV. The lesson identifies Zee TV as the first privately owned Hindi satellite channel of India. The agreement did not last long, but many other private channels soon emerged. A Supreme Court ruling in 1995, stating that the airwaves were not the monopoly of the Indian government, gave further impetus to their growth.
| Category |
Examples given in the chapter |
What the chapter says |
| Regional channels |
Sun TV, Asianet, Eenadu TV |
Regional channels appeared during the growth of private television; almost all major Indian languages have television channels. |
| International channels |
CNN, BBC, Discovery |
International channels also became available to the Indian television audience. |
| Other channel categories |
24-hour news, religious, cartoon and movie channels |
The chapter notes that these different categories provide varied choices for viewers. |
Why This Concept Matters for Written Exams: Remember the 1990s as the period of private-channel growth, CNN’s Gulf War coverage as a trigger for satellite television in India, Zee TV as the first privately owned Hindi satellite channel, STAR’s full form, and the 1995 Supreme Court ruling about government monopoly of airwaves.
Core Chapter Idea • Section 13.4
Television has the power to influence our outlooks. Its influence can have both positive and negative results.
Positive impacts described in the lesson
Teaching and Education
Television can be an excellent teacher and can be used as a medium for mass education. The SITE experiment is given as an example.
Information and Awareness
Television can open new horizons by giving viewers information about events in distant countries and by creating awareness of issues such as environmental pollution and global warming.
Entertainment and Relaxation
Television provides entertainment and can also be used as a tool for relaxation.
Negative effects and concerns
The textbook uses the term “couch potato” for people who spend most of their time in front of a television set. Too much television can distract people from reading, sports and household activities. Because television viewing is a sedentary activity, the lesson states that it can also lead to obesity. Catchy advertisements may tempt people to buy products, contributing to excessive consumerism.
S
Stereotype
A stereotype is an oversimplified, standardized image of a person or group. The lesson gives examples such as women characters being repeatedly shown spending most of their time inside the house, or a “madrasi” portrayal in Hindi comedy that may have little relation to a South Indian person.
The lesson also discusses studies on television violence and children. It says that the general assumption derived from these studies is that increased exposure to violence can make children think such behaviour is acceptable. Watching violent programmes has been linked with aggression in both adults and children. The adverse effects are described as greater for children who have experienced violence, poverty or neglect. Some television programmes can also induce fear in children.
The chapter’s overall conclusion
Television itself is described as neither good nor bad; it is another medium of communication. The positive and negative effects depend upon how the medium is used. This balanced conclusion is central to the chapter’s discussion of impact.
Why This Concept Matters for Written Exams: Be able to state two positive impacts, explain “couch potato,” define stereotype, describe the lesson’s discussion of violent content and children, and conclude that television’s effects depend on how the medium is used.
Core Concepts • Section 13.5
Television content can be delivered through terrestrial transmission, cable networks and direct broadcast satellite; newer platforms include mobile viewing and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).
The traditional method described in the lesson is terrestrial transmission. An antenna connected to the viewer’s television receives signals telecast by the broadcaster’s transmitter. Other delivery methods include cable networks and direct broadcast satellite.
Cable distribution and channel types
The chapter describes cable distribution in India as a chain beginning with the signal sent by the broadcaster to the cable operator. The cable operator then relays the signals to homes. There are free-to-air channels, for which the broadcaster does not charge the cable operator, and pay channels, which charge a certain amount per subscriber per month.
| Delivery / channel form |
Explanation from the chapter |
Examples or details given |
| Terrestrial transmission |
Traditional broadcast method using an antenna to receive signals from the broadcaster’s transmitter. |
Identified by the chapter as the traditional method. |
| Cable network |
Broadcaster sends a signal to the cable operator, who relays it to homes. |
Free-to-air and pay channels can be carried through the cable system. |
| Direct broadcast satellite |
Another delivery method through which television content can reach viewers. |
Listed among the newer delivery methods. |
| IPTV |
Allows television viewing on computers and mobile phones through an internet connection and a set-top box. |
Users can watch, record and share experiences; a cell phone can schedule recording. |
| Mobile TV broadcasting |
Allows viewers to watch television programmes while travelling through new delivery platforms. |
The chapter describes mobile viewing as a reality in India. |
Internet, audience participation and television’s response
The lesson says that mobile viewing has already become a reality and that many major Indian channels provide video clips of their programmes through their websites. Internet or new media has created a new world of communication and a challenge for television. The chapter notes that new media allows greater audience participation.
IP
Internet Protocol Television (IPTV)
IPTV lets consumers watch television, record programmes and share experiences using an internet connection and a set-top box. The lesson highlights the resulting increase in choice, control and convenience.
Television has responded to the challenge of the internet by developing audience-backed shows in which the audience decides the winner. Reality television is another new trend. The lesson gives Indian Idol, Big Boss and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa as examples.
Finally, the chapter identifies delayed feedback as one disadvantage of television as a medium, while the internet is described as an interactive medium. Television has therefore begun to package both its content and its delivery in a more interactive manner.
Why This Concept Matters for Written Exams: Define terrestrial transmission, pay channel and IPTV; distinguish free-to-air from pay channels; identify delayed feedback as a drawback of television and new media as an interactive medium; and give the chapter’s examples of reality television.