ABSTRACT
Television had to highlight the Britishness of the medium while both exploring the new technology and learning from the successes and failures of its American cousin. American broadcasters were locked into a commercial framework where parent companies embraced the new medium and committed capital to their ventures. The outcome suggests the extent to which the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) absorbed, adapted and sometimes ignored American developments. The BBC had long-standing relationships with several American counterparts reinforced by personal ties to individuals. Driven by advertising and commercial considerations, American executives were especially concerned about viewers’ likes and dislikes. American television pitched to the multiethnic urban audience of New York, and ultimately was dominated by its goal of reaching a mass viewership. Importantly, there was a long history of British performers reworking American musical forms and translating them to appeal to British listeners.
