During the second half of the 20th century, the developments in television broadcasting exerted an immeasurable influence over our social, cultural and economic practices. This volume presents an overview, written by leading media scholars, which traces the history of broadcasting in two major centres of television development and export: Great Britain and the USA. With this integrated format, "The Television History Book" encourages readers to make connections between events and tendencies that both unite and differentiate these national broadcasting traditions. From the origins of the public service and commercial systems of broadcasting to the contemporary period of technological and economic convergence, this book provides an accessible overview of the history of television technology, institutions, policies, programmes and audiences.

Author Biography

MICHELE HILMES is Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has written several books on broadcast history, including Only Connect: A Cultural History of Broadcasting in the United States (2001) and Radio Voices: American Broadcasting 1922 to 1952 (2001). She is currently at work on a history of the mutual influence and opposition between US and British broadcasters during radio and television's formative years. Associate Editor: JASON JACOBS is Senior Lecturer in the School of Film, Media and Cultural Studies, Griffith University, Queensland and the author of Body Trauma TV: The New Hospital Dramas (2003).