Cultural and Social Impact of Television, 1950s Flashcards
BBC and ITV
WW2
Invented in 1920s, but not a mass medium until post WW2
Before 1939 - broadcast to 12,500 homes in London, stopped in war (until 1946)
1950 - 4% households, 1955 - 40%, 1970 - 95%
BBC and ITV
Coronation
1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
Broadcast live to 8 million people
TV license holders doubled to 3 million
BBC and ITV
Monopoly
Television Act (1954) ended monopoly of BBC
Allowed commercial channels
1955 - ITV funded by advertising
BBC and ITV
ITV Ideology
Effort not to impose values or attitudes on the viewer
Offered entertainment
Imported American sitcoms, critics sceptical of ‘Americanisation’
BBC and ITV
Restriction
Television Act (1964) - Forced ITV to screen at least two plays and two current affairs programmes a week + daily news broadcast
Creation of BBC2 in 1964 to broaden appeal
Impact of Television
Family Life
1979 - average 16 hours of TV per week in summer, 20 hours in winter
Most popular leisure pursuit - Central Statistical Office
Popular among all social groups + classes
1970s - 23% of leisure time watching TV (double Italy, Belgium, Sweden)
Impact of Television
Class Divisions
Exposed class divisions
Middle class preferred BBC, judged ITV as ‘common’
Working class preferred light entertainment and soap operas (ITV)
Television in 1960s
Hugh Greene
Appointed as Director General in 1960
Huge shift in programming + tone
Wanted to move away from elitism
Television in 1960s
Plays
Wednesday Play (1964-70) helped to launch careers of writers + directors
Promotion of ‘social realism’
Television in 1960s
Themes
Up The Junction (1965) - home abortion
Cathy Come Home (1966) - homelessness
Watched by 10 million people
Abortion Act (1967) passed in the wake of Up The Junction, influenced debate or discussion of topics
Television in 1960s
Mainstream Tastes
Most popular shows among w/c were soaps e.g Coronation Street (December 1960)
Attracted audiences of 20 million in first year
Television in 1960s
Changing Attitudes
That Was The Week That Was launched 1962, challenged elitism and ridiculed snobbery
Over 12 million viewers per week
Til Death Do Us Part - intended to satirise racist right wing views, but backfired
Television in 1970s
Popular Shows
Variety shows, former music hall acts like Morecambe and Wise, and family friendly sitcoms
Over 20 million people tuned in to Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special (1977)
Television in 1970s
Classic Comedy
Dad’s Army and Fawlty Towers
One of most popular was The Sweeney (police drama)
Trust in police low - Times exposed corruption (1969), but show popular with public and attracted audiences of 19 million and influenced opinions
Poll in 1977, 75% of public thought the police were fundamnetally honest
Television in 1970s
Homosexuality
Are You Being Served? (1972-1985) helped to change attitudes
Overtly camp ‘Mr Humphries’
Audiences of over 22 million people weekly in late 1970s
Spectator Sports + Cinema
Decline of Tickets
Declining ticket sales for sporting fixtures, notably football
Sportsview (BBC, 1954), Grandstand (BBC, 1958), Match of the Day (BBC, 1964), and World of Sport (ITV, 1965)
Peak of 41.2 million tickets, 1948-49, and fell to 24.6 million by 1979-80
Spectator Sports + Cinema
Widening Access
1966 - World Cup Final watched by 32 million people
Estimated that 33% households owned TV in 1956, 97% by 1979
Spectator Sports + Cinema
Cinema
Peak in 1946 - 1.64 billion cinema admissions
1979 - just 55 million
