Blog # 2 Cable and Satellite Television and Its Effects

The history of cable television is a very interesting one, as the preconceived notations many would have based on the creation of cable television are wrong. As we learned in class lecture, all TV was originally broadcast through antennas, but there were several areas that could not pick up the signals from these antennas. We learned that Robert Tarlton started the first CATV network and it was known as "community antenna television". In the beginning, cable just started off as a way to rebroadcast analog channels that could not be picked up by the antennas. In the 1970s, TV broadcasters began using satellites to bounce their signals back down to CATV companies. This allowed for more channels to be broadcast than just the channels that were not able to receive through regular antennas. Once the creation of more channels came about, there were several channels that decided to only be broadcast through cable television, essentially creating cable television as we know it. In the 1990s there was an emergence of DBS television through satellites. Satellite television has had a significant impact on society because it has become "...the most significant competitor to cable today."(Uri 207) Satellite subscription service is steadily rising. "Based on the 2004 FCC Annual Cable Price Survey, 83.0% of households in the United States that subscribe to a subscription television service use cable television although DBS subscriptions are growing." (Uri 207) This has proven to be revolutionary because it shows how television has evolved beginning with simple analog broadcasts channels, then the move to cable television, and now the takeover of satellite television. Many people prefer satellite over cable television because there is a broader selection of channels. Being able to directly satisfy the consumers’ needs is important because it is the pathway to more revenue. This is probably why satellite companies are so successful because they are able to satisfy a much greater range of the average consumer. The creation of cable and satellite cable has proven to be beneficial  for both the consumer and cable companies. The consumers are able to enjoy the constant developments of the cable companies for entertainment purposes and the cable companies are able to enjoy the monetary benefits and become prosperous successful companies. 

Citation

Uri, N. D. (2006). The Market for Subscription Television Service in the United States. Engineering Economist, 51(3), 205-236.

 

Communication Technology- Cell Phones Blog 1

I think a really interesting communication technology is the cell phone and how fast it is developing. In class we discussed that the first cell phones had batteries that were actually bigger than the phone itself. Now days the phone batteries are small enough to fit into the palm of your hand and they're extremely thin. This is really interesting because not only do they take up less space they are actually able to perform better than cell phone batteries from the early 70s. The development of the distance that you are able to receive reception from a cell phone is interesting also because we went from being able to only able talk a short distance to being able to make international calls. I think others should be interested in the development of the cell phone because the improvements and changes being made are happening rapidly. Almost every couple of months there is a new phone coming out with better capabilities and this allows us to expand technologically.