Gary Edgerton's Presentation Of Television

The introduction of television casted a wave of change in the lives of the American public. In Gary Edgerton’s The Columbia History of American Television, he described the uprising of television, “involved the most extensive and ballyhooed series of public relations events ever staged around any mass medium in American history. “ (Edgerton, p.1) The first presentation of television played a pivotal role in how the American public adopted the new medium of technology and communication. I will explore the grand manner of how television was presented to the American public during the early years by the direction of David Sarnoff, and televised special on the 1939 World’s fair. In addition, how this presentation of television generated the acceptance

The coverage of the opening ceremony of the 1939 World’s Fair showcased to the American public its offerings. This special was able to reached a large audience and gave its audience the first ever televised appearance by a sitting President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Before this point the American public could have only have had heard FDR words over the radio, and if the public desired an image of FDR, the public who have needed to buy the newspaper the next day. The televised appearance of FDR emphasized the implications that television can carry, especially if a virtuous message is to be delivered. When FDR inaugurated the World’s Fair, he touched on themes of progress and world peace. His words were able to reach a larger audience than those who were in attendance. In 1939, New York Times recorded that, “Reports from receiving outposts scattered throughout a fifty-mile radius of New York indicated that the spectacle of television was highly successful and the new industry have been launched in the World of Tomorrow.” (Edgerton, p. 14) At the time it projected that 100 to 200 receivers were tuned in, and that 1,000 witness the spectacle. These numbers only complement the projected 600,000 spectators at the fair and the millions listening to live coverage on radio. This grand manner in which television was presented to its viewers set the precedent that it can provide the public a larger picture of what is happening in other parts of the country. With the first public look at television being of an important event like the World’s Fair, the public experience firsthand the power of television as a resource for information. The promise of providing information made by television here, set the outline of RCA’s campaign to have television to be