History of Television II: The Transition From Network Broadcasting to Streaming

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course charts the transformation of US television from the network era of the 1970s and 1980s to the present day. We will explore the broadcast networks' responses to the new competition posed by original cable programming and satellite tv, as well as the rise of multichannel and streaming platforms in the digital era. Though the central focus is on US television cultures and infrastructures, we will also explore the increasingly international and global reach of the medium. We will also consider the ways in which the legacy of broadcasting informs current debates about internet regulation and broadband access. Throughout, the course explores the medium as a central arena for the negotiation of public life, ranging from electoral politics to the medium's engagement with, and participation in, shifting cultural norms of race, gender, and nationhood. Screenings and case studies will include examples of scripted prime-time series, but also local, daytime, documentary/reality, sports, and non-US programming.