19.3 Popular Culture The Golden Age of Television and Rock ’n’ roll

Mass Media Rise Of Television Mass Media – communication that reach large audiences Television rapidly grew By 1960 close to 90% of homes have a TV Rise Of Television First regular broadcasts start 1949 With innovation of microwave relays, TV waves can be transmitted over large distances TV industry booms (“Golden Age”) Federal communications Commission (FCC) – government agency that regulates and licenses communication industry 1956 FCC allows 500 new TV stations Popular shows include- I Love Lucy and The Mickey Mouse Club

Stereotypes and Gunslingers Stereotypical portrayal of women and idealized white America Minorities poorly represented and stereotyped Critics object to effects it has on children TV glorified the western frontier with shows like Gunsmoke Violence in these shows leads to more concerns Radio and Movies Radio stations change programming to local news, weather, music, and community issues Moviegoers decrease by half with the rise of TV Movies use stereophonic sound and color to keep audiences

A Subculture Emerges Beat movement- expressed of the social and literary nonconformity of poets, artists, and writers Followers called beats or beatniks Look for higher consciousness through music, Buddhism, and sometimes drugs Read poetry at coffeehouses Mainstream Americans did not like the lifestyle

African Americans & Rock ‘n’ Roll Electronic Instruments added to blues music, created rhythm and blues Alan Freedman gave rock n roll its name and was one of the first dj’s to play it Rock n Roll was started by African Americans Its audience included white and African American teens Elvis Presley became very famous from this music and got played on all radio stations African Americans only got played on their own radio stations, not mainstream

Questions When the TV age boomed what was it called? a) The Golden Age b) Mass Media c) Beat Movement d) The Industrial Age There was over 90% of these in American homes. a) Radio b) Microwave c) Televisions d) Internet 3. Who allowed over 500 new TV stations in 1956? a) The Universal Licensing System (ULS) b) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) c) Digital TV Transition (DTV) d) Harris’s Corps (HTC) What was the first TV show that involves violence? a) I Love Lucy b) The Mickey Mouse Club c) Twilight Zone d) Gunsmoke He became famous for his music that was played all over the radio? a) Chuck Berry b) Elvis Presley c) Adam Freedman d) Bono from U2 Answers: 1) a, 2) c, 3) b, 4) d, 5) b

Notes TV picture: http://www.amigotv.eu/pb/images/img2014844da35aa75a93.jpg Gunsmoke Picture: http://www.tvland.com/photogallery/gunsmoke/index.jhtml?pageNum=1&imgNum=14&button=11#11 Beatnik image: http://image.pathfinder.com/time/digital/images/beatnik.gif