History of British and American Television

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This module approaches the history of television from an institutional, formal and cultural perspective. In examining the inception of television broadcasting in the UK and the USA, students will encounter concepts such as the 'public service' ethos that characterised the former, and the commercial prioritisation marking the latter, and, as the module progresses note the adjustment of such positioning over time through comparative assessment. The history of television in Ireland will also be established within these conceptual parameters. In addition to tracing television from its origins to the 'post-network' age, students will also consider the future of television, examining emerging models of television distribution such as 'on demand' broadcasting, and consider the implications new providers such as Netflix have for established television channels as well as the impact of new media platforms such as Twitter and YouTube on older formats.