Unit 2
The State of the Art

In Unit 2, we continue our discussion of the early development of television, concentrating on the technological advances that made the medium possible. We also begin to consider some of the issues that inform critical views of television, such as the effect of production values on the construction of meaning within television programs, and the role of the television author.

Objectives

After completing this unit, you should be able to

1. identify the major contributions to television technology.
2. discuss the difficulty of determining ownership of any technological invention, especially television.
3. discuss how the methods of production in the television industry produce meaning.
4. discuss the role of the author in the television production process.