ABSTRACT
As we have argued in Chapter 1, to understand the practice of television, it is not enough simply to consider the programmes and the way they are made. It is also important to ask what are the economic, cultural, technological and political circumstances which made those particular programmes possible at that particular moment in time. Changing technologies have contributed to constant innovation, but political and social factors have been equally influential. Historical developments do not reflect inevitable progress but are the results of campaigns, arguments and economic pressures. Television is an all-inclusive, highly popular medium that is also a business, so it is not surprising that it has regularly been at the centre of political disputes and conflicts. Only by understanding its history can we understand the special qualities of the medium and the ways in which it is developing and changing. Knowing about the past throws a new light on the present.
