World Television Day

The television has always been the center of attention. In fact, many will agree that the television is the throne in one’s living room. Perhaps you are old enough to remember a time in our history when televisions showed only black and white. On the other hand, you might not have a clue about that period of time. Regardless of where your frame of reference takes you we all can agree that the television has changed our lives forever. For many of us the television is more than a means of information and entertainment. Over the years the television has transcended from merely a piece of appliance to almost a person. This personification of the television has been elevated to the status of a caregiver for many children and indeed the elderly. In fact at some point in our lives the television was our sitter. In any given society the process of socialization is critical concerning how the values and norms are passed down to the next generation. Indeed the television has been an invaluable piece of the process concerning socialization. The television (TV) is a form of mass media based on the electronic delivery of moving images and sound from a source to a receiver. By extending the senses of vision and hearing beyond the limits of physical distance, the television has had a significant influence on society. World Television Day is observed annually on November 21st. The World Television Day 2023 theme is "Accessibility". This day is celebrated to honour the importance and impact of television in our lives. We are all aware of how important television is to society and to an individual's life. We are all conscious of the significant role that television plays in both society and the lives of individuals. Almost every home has at least one television. On November 21 and 22 1996, the United Nations held the first World Television Forum. United Nations leaders recognized that the television could bring attention to conflicts, raise awareness of threats to peace and security, and sharpen focus on social and economic issues. We have witnessed firsthand how transformative and powerful the medium of television is especially in relation to the current wars between Russia and Ukraine and Hamas and Israel. The television has an unquestionable presence and influence on world politics. History of Television. The first "television" system broadcast was a straight-line by Philo Farnsworth on September 7th, 1927. The press was presented with this scientific breakthrough on January 13, 1928. Needless to say, a straight line was not mass marketable, and so by the end of the 1920s there were only a few dozen televisions in the world. All of these were in research labs. Cornell University reports that in 1936, the Radio Cooperation of America (RCA) demonstrated an all- electronic, 343 line/30 frames per second, television broadcast signaling the arrival of a completely functional television system. That summer lead to the first major broadcast using this new medium, the Berlin Summer Olympic Games, which were televised by Telefunken using RCA equipment. It was another major broadcaster the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that began the "world's first public, regular, high-definition Television station". Interestingly, England's BBC led the forefront of television consumption in the late 1930s, with broadcasts of the coronation of King George VI and Wimbledon leading to 9,000 television sets being sold. Making Television Accessible . Television is important for enhancing national identity, providing an outlet for domestic media content and getting news and information to the public, which is especially critical in times of emergencies. Television programmes are also a primary source of news and information for illiterate segments of the population, some of whom are persons with disabilities. In addition, broadcasting can serve important educational purposes, by transmitting courses and other instructional materials. During the COVID-19 that closed educational institutions the television was instrumental in providing instructional guidance to millions of students globally as other forms of teaching modalities had to be found. The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was organized by the United Nations. The WSIS was aimed at contributing to the development of a unitary global vision on an inclusive and development-oriented information society. The summit was held in two phases: the first phase took place in Geneva in Switzerland from 10 to 12 December 2003, and the second phase took place in Tunis in Tunisia, from 16 to 18 November 2005. Although a UN summit, WSIS was open to participation from the private sector, the technical community, and the civil society; the overall objective of WSIS was to contribute to bridging the digital divide between the developed and developing countries, and to facilitate the implementation of the millennium development goals. But more complex issues related to the concept of Internet governance were also discussed within WSIS. The Geneva phase finalized with the adoption of two documents: the Geneva Declaration of Principles, which underlines a set of principles to form the basis of an inclusive and global information society, and the Geneva Plan of Action, which contains several objectives and action lines related to bridging the digital divide. The Declaration also makes reference to Internet governance. Internet governance is ‘the development and application by governments, the private sector, and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet’. This definition was developed by the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG). The Tunis phase concluded with the adoption of two other documents: the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society. The two documents underline three main areas of action: the identification of financial mechanisms to be used in overcoming the digital divide, the promotion of debates on Internet governance, and the implementation of the WSIS documents. Meteoric Growth of the Television. Data on the global television market showed that there are over 1.72 billion homes with television worldwide in 2021. According to the source, this figure will continue to grow and surpass 1.8 billion by 2026. The rise of television in 1955 became higher wherein half of the US households own a television. The first Radio Cooperation of America (RCA) colour TV set, the CT-100, was produced in early 1954. It had a 12-inch screen and cost $1,000, as compared with current 21-inch black-and-white sets selling for $300. It was not until the 1960s that colour television became profitable. By the early 1980s, colour television sets had largely supplanted the use of black-and-white televisions. During the late 30s, the United States of America had 18 experimental stations running. Television continued its meteoric growth throughout the 70s and 80s. Cable television became more popular as the concept of pay-service-cable debuted with the introduction of the Home Box Office, HBO. Current innovations include the introduction of digital broadcasting (with its multitude of channels) and High-Definition Television (HDTV.) Television continues to be the single largest source of video consumption. Though screen sizes have changed, and people create, post, stream and consume content on different platforms, the number of households with television sets around the world continues to rise. The interaction between emerging and traditional forms of broadcast creates a great opportunity to raise awareness about the important issues facing our communities and our planet. Observing World Television Day is significant on the basis that it provides people with the history and significance of this electronic gadget. Additionally, the television has assisted in the process of globalization given that we get to view what is happening in the world through this gadget in real-time. As the international community commemorates World Television Day we are reminded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that World Television Day is a celebration of how television has become a symbol of connection and globalization in the 21st century. The television has been a faithful companion. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #worldtelevisionday