C-Scott, Marc ORCID: 0000-0003-0038-0501 (2019) What is television? (Re) Defining the medium. MediaArXiv. pp. 1-26.

Abstract

This paper will discuss the difficulties that have and will continue in defining the medium of television. The term has for many years been used to describe an entertainment medium which is part of the mass media landscape. It was first discussed, in the context of the medium of television, in a paper presented by Constantin Perskyi, at the International Electricity Congress during 1900. Almost thirty years later, as television broadcast tests commenced in Britain, the United States and Australia, there was still confusion and debate as to whether television was the correct term to use for the new medium. The contemporary misconception of defining television is made evident when its definition is reviewed within dictionaries, which consists of multiple definitions. This multipurpose approach and the new media landscape, which includes streaming and video-on-demand, has only created greater confusion. The evolution of television as a platform, institution and popular cultural has historically created difficulties in defining television. The increase of media convergence will exacerbate the difficulty in answering, what is television?

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