Television in the Multichannel Age

Television in the Multichannel Age is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the history of multichannel television in all its forms - from cable to direct-to-home satellite and beyond. Television in the Multichannel Age is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the history of multichannel television in all its forms – from cable to direct-to-home satellite and beyond. Chapter by chapter, the book traces the evolution of multichannel television from its community antenna (CATV) origins in the late 1940s to the communications satellites, DBS delivery systems and streaming video of the modern digital age. This volume examines the many factors that shape today’s multichannel television landscape, including government policy, groundbreaking technologies, and the great unknown – the public’s fickle programming tastes. With the help of newly discovered oral history transcripts, personal interviews, government documents, and never-before-seen photographs, Television in the Multichannel Age digs deeply into the historical archives to present a fascinating history of media that have come to play critical roles in today's society. Television in the Multichannel Age is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the history of multichannel television in all its forms – from cable to direct-to-home satellite and beyond. Chapter by chapter, the book traces the evolution of cable television from its pre-historical origins in the late 1940s to the communications satellites and DBS distribution systems of the modern digital age, both in the U.S. and internationally. Guides the reader through the history of multichannel television from its origins in the ‘40s to the modern age Discusses factors that influence today’s television landscape including government policy-making, emerging technologies, and the public’s programming tastes Concentrates on domestic multichannel technologies while considering global impacts of these technologies Includes newly discovered oral history transcripts, personal interviews, government documents, and never before seen photographs Presents a fascinating history of media that have come to play critical roles in today’s society, and in doing so invites the reader to speculate on the future of multichannel television