It can be said that new media was brought about in several revolutions and these are as followed;
1920's - Jazz music was seen as bringing modernity to American music. Due to problems such as drugs and alcohol, it was seen as slightly misleading.
The 1950's on the other hand were seen as revolutionary years within the media industry. All parts of media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and movies all entered a period of rapid change. A name which everyone knows which occurred during this time is Elvis. Sexualisation and leading women astray became very common and many people of society blamed this on public music figures such as Elvis using provocative dance moves and lyrics in order to lead women in this way.
Popular music in general can be said to have started in the 1950's. Stars like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Doris Day, Bing Crosby and Peggy Lee were all part of this pop scene during this time. However classic pop declined during this time and Rock 'N' Roll had a more forceful approach and became a major force in American record sales.
1960's - This era of Rock 'N' Roll music with figures such as Bob Dylan. This era brought electricity to music such as electric guitars which were connected to amps in order to create a louder sound and vibe for audiences. This product allowed the sell out of acoustic guitars as most people in this era were more interested in being like their idols. This time was also the time that The Beatles came to life and this band was seen as a bad example on the younger generation. Both boys and girls -including men and women after time- became infatuated with this band and the 'swagger' they had which they had never seen before. This is shown in the 1964 film A Hard Days Night which stared The Beatles and followed their life in the sense of a film. In the opening scene of this film you see the boys being chased by a gang of male and female fans. This portrayed to society the negative effect this band was having, turning society far more sexualised; relating to the abortion act and baby boom after the war.
1970's - The era of Punk and Disco music. There were threatening fears for moral values and many people believed this type of music had the wrong influence -especially punk music-. Apart form this, Disco music at this time created 'disco divas' such as Gloria Gaynor, Donna Summer and Anita Ward. The film Saturday Night Fever was released during the late 70's, including the soundtrack done by The Beegee's which was also another band which had a large impact on popular music.
Punk music was often related to American acts such as The Ramones and Blondie who made it big in the UK punk rock scene. This music also heavily influenced Punk fashion which amplified mainstream culture.
The biggest technological advancement was Amplification. This was related to the guitar shifts from percussion to the lead instrument of 'hegemonic' rock. This effectively changed the previous value of traditional instruments. Noise was in general much louder and the signers could therefore create a much more intimate relationship with their audiences. From this, microphones are now necessary for most performances of bands and singers of this day and age.
As a summary, history can be portrayed as a shift from music to musical machines.
31/01/2012
History of Broadcasting
Media Histories
- Technological determinism
- The market model
- Social conflict model such as social groups
- Liberal or Whig approaches
It can be said that even broadcasting 100 years ago offered convergence, much like it does in today's day and age.
Key Periods
1850's: Telegraphy using wire
1880: Edison shows electricity can pass through air
1890-1925: New Broadcasting technologies emerged
1901: Marconi transmits Morse code in the UK
1920: The Marconi company creates a London radio station
1926: This is when the general strike occurred. This established the relationship between the BBC and the state.
1927-1954: The era of traditional PSB (public service broadcaster)
1954-1979: The market returns to challenge the BBC and during 1954, ITV is created.
1980-2011: Politics and New Media hit Broadcasting. In 1979 was the new Thatcher Government and during this time new media became apparent. New technologies were created such as cable TV in the 80's. New Labour - free market strategy but with the role for BBC.
Importance
A main issue that is important throughout this topic is Convergence.
Within this, American telephone companies developed radio, which was originally created for point-to-point communication. After which, Marconi partners the Daily Mail in the 20's.
During this time there was a conflict of interest. The governments and military wanted secure communication and this was not possible through things like the telegraphy wire system.
It can be said that the US and the UK have different stories about the history of Broadcasting.
-The US was and is virtually unregulated and was seen as a free market.
-Commercial radio was funded by advertising.
-The British government was alarmed by the way the US were creating the 'Chaos of the ether'.
-An epidemic of broadcasting was stated by the British post office official.
-In 1922, the government was putting pressure on people, and through this, these manufacturers created the BBC.
-Newspapers wanted to stop the BBC as the new wave of broadcasting was putting newspapers out of business.
As a whole commercial interests prevailed in the US and the UK was far more political in general.
The BBC and the General Strike
The BBC was established in 1926 and at this time there was a national crisis. Lord Reith who was the founder of the BBC and he was its first general manager when it was set up as the British Broadcasting Company in 1922. He had a strong vision to inform educate and entertain the public. The BBC was not profit driven and was funded by TV licenses. The monopoly going on at the time allowed Reith to use television scheduling as a strategy to improve. There was a variety of popular and serious programming and a sense of cultural consensus around the home countries. Regional accents were banned and there was a strict regulation of political news coverage.
During the 30's life at the BBC was strict. They liked to maintain a certain standard and therefore all workers had to wear smart suits and in general had an extremely strict dress code. At this time, many employees were dismissed for divorce. Although this can be seen as a bad point, some good points came from this time at the BBC and this was that there were many exciting opportunities for the young.
Between 1945-1979 the market returns to challenge the BBC and the BBC then launches television services in the late 30's. The swinging 60's were known for things such as drugs and a sense of rebellion, this is shown through the use of pirate radio in the 60's.
Social Changes
- WW1: Universal male sufferage - votes for women.
- Communism - Revolution
- Social and Political changes
- The General Strike
- Cheapness and Accessibility
- Commercial: because of the interest of manufacturers and the way advertising shapes the way the BBC developed.
Elements of PSB's (Public service broadcaster)
- Funded by television license fees
- No advert breaks
- Non-profitable, therefore putting audiences first
- Inform, educate and entertain (Reith's values)
- Used for reasurrance for government to public
- Established a national culture
- Impartiality: enshrined in a notion of Britishness
It is important throughout to remember the importance of context, including social, economic and political issues going on at the time. As without these issues, such problems may not of occurred.
26/01/2012
Bored O'Clock
This is just a short blog post relating to my past couple of days being full of illness once again; yes i know, i am always ill. Much to my resentment, my parents are pretty certain I am anaemic, so I have to go get a blood test next Wednesday evening. I have a phobia of needles, quite badly where I end up screaming the place down, so that will be fun. In a way I am kind of hoping it comes positive as it might explain my tiredness, lack of energy and Reynolds, oh not forgetting my poor immune system. After having my seminar in Philosophy on Tuesday, choking half way through resulting in me not even being able to finish my paper, being ill is finally getting my down. The fact is, I put a lot of effort into creating that paper, and after not being able to breathe in the middle of it just puts me down. Good luck comes to those who put the effort in?- not so much. On the up-side being ill as allowed me to do many of the following this;
1. Read LOTS
2. Watch films such as Goodfella's that I haven't seen in years
3. Get organised - wardrobe especially, and for those other females, feel pity on me as you must know how hard it is to throw prised possessions out.
4. Eat tons of junk food as I have nothing else to do. The whole look in the fridge, see nothing, look in the cupboard, nothing. Then back to the fridge again, hoping that something has appeared.
5. Make a to-do list of all of the other things I can do when I'm THIS bored
6. Try doing a zumba work out- which is not advisable when your ill as you end up nearly fainting.
The amount of other useless thing's I have done throughout the past couple of days could go on forever, but this is post must be as boring to you as it is to me. Oh not forgetting I had to miss yesterday's Council meeting just incase I stopped breathing again and were sick everywhere. I mean, it might of made it more interesting though? So, that's actually another thing I have to add on my to-do list; go to another council meeting.
1. Read LOTS
2. Watch films such as Goodfella's that I haven't seen in years
3. Get organised - wardrobe especially, and for those other females, feel pity on me as you must know how hard it is to throw prised possessions out.
4. Eat tons of junk food as I have nothing else to do. The whole look in the fridge, see nothing, look in the cupboard, nothing. Then back to the fridge again, hoping that something has appeared.
5. Make a to-do list of all of the other things I can do when I'm THIS bored
6. Try doing a zumba work out- which is not advisable when your ill as you end up nearly fainting.
The amount of other useless thing's I have done throughout the past couple of days could go on forever, but this is post must be as boring to you as it is to me. Oh not forgetting I had to miss yesterday's Council meeting just incase I stopped breathing again and were sick everywhere. I mean, it might of made it more interesting though? So, that's actually another thing I have to add on my to-do list; go to another council meeting.
20/01/2012
One of those days
Now it's the end of my first week back at Uni, I have to admit, it's quite nice to be back. Being honest, even having work to do is a bit of fresh air, considering I've spent a month bored out of my brain with nothing to do. Unfortunately, after today I have decided I haven't had one of the favourite weeks of my life. This morning our normal lessons were cancelled and we had to go into Uni for a 15 minute one-to-one chat with our lecturers. Something I was quite looking forward to as I wanted to find out a bit more about my recent exam results. Leaving my house an hour and a bit before my meeting, I was feeling quite positive about today. There is one particular road near Uni that I park down but as I was coming up to this road I noticed it had been blocked off due to building/road works. Feeling a bit panicked-as I do not know my way driving around Winchester- I found the back way to get to the Uni, unfortunately this was blocked off too. Knowing my time was running out to get to my meeting I followed the diverted traffic and ended up about 15 minutes away from the Uni, in an industrial estate completely lost. To be honest, I am a fairly good driver but when it comes to not knowing where I'm going in a place I hardly know, I begin to get way to stressed. Looking at the time: 10:44 I realise I have a minute until I have to be at the meeting, and there was definitely no way I was going to make it. Thank god for new smart phones, having an Iphone allowed me to find Winchester Uni's number and ask them to put me through to Chris/Brian. Although I think the University of Winchester is up there with the best, the reception were pretty unhelpful, putting me through to a number that didn't even work! Not going to lie, by this point I was realising this day wasn't going to go as I planned, leaving 45 minutes before I had to didn't make a difference, and my story was probably going to seem as unbelievable as one that entailed a dragon and my famous father taking me to Uni on his private jet that crashed. Yeah, so thought many of you might enjoy reading about my awful day, if anything it's allowed me to de-stress a little. Now for reading some Philosophy which is bound to cheer me up;doubtful.
18/01/2012
A tale of two Revolutions
As today was my first Philosophy lecture of the new year, I thought it would be a good idea to stick to my plan and start blogging straight after the lecture, in order to make sure I revise my notes quickly. Normally, if i leave things to long I find it difficult to get back into what I was actually learning about. So, today's lecture was based upon a tale of two revolutions and two perspectives (which will be covered in a later blog). Those two perspectives were that of Dickens (Urban) and Cobbett (Rural).
The French revolution was the turning point in European politics, however the Industrial revolution transformed Britain and the whole world. (For those who are unsure of what the Industrial revolution is, it is the idea of the factory and mass production.)
The act of union in 1707 with Scotland, allowed the first British Empire to come together, therefore creating the United Kingdom. When Scotland attempted to set up a colony in Central America in 1698, it ended up in disaster therefore meaning their chances of being an empire vanished.
Darien - New Calediona - cost 1/5 of Scotland's wealth, however the place was full of malaria and most of the settlers there fell sick with fever. Due to this, Scotland never fully recovered as they were financially ruined. They surrendered sovereignty in the 1707 act of union with England, therefore allowing the British Empire to be created.
As a whole, England did extremely well from the French Revolution and took out all the positives from the situation Although many borders were changed and the French began causing a fair bit of havoc, the UK stood back as they originally did not want to get involved. In order to beat the French, income tax was created, however much to our dismay, income tax never actually got abolished after the French were beaten. During this period of the French Revolution, the British Navy became the dominant force in Europe, therefore destroying French trade and created an uproar in British exports. This happened to such an extent the British manufactures were clothing the French army themselves. Ultimately, with other European armies occupied, the British began building their empire.
Now for something I find particularly interesting; The transatlantic trade (or as some know it, the slave trade). Within the transatlantic trade, British ships went to Africa to retrieve slaves, then took them on their ships to America. After which, these slaves were swapped for cotton, and the cotton was taken back to places such as Manchester.
During the 16th Century there was said to be 1 million slaves. In the 17th Century, 3 million slaves. 18th Century, 7 million slaves. Not only this, but places such as Liverpool, Bristol and Glasgow were at the centre of this slave trade, which now in the 21st Century seems quite unbelievable.
The end of the war meant the end of this boom period where money was flying in and everything was going pretty well for Britain as an empire. However after the war ended mass unemployment became obvious and there was a steep fall in wages all around Britain. In response to this, the Government brought in Corn Laws which were around from 1815, then were repealed in 1846. The date of 1815 is something to remember as this was the year of the Battle of Waterloo.
Corn Laws
The Corn Laws were made by the Government in order to help the British Empire come out of the financial problems they were in after the war. These laws put tax on all the food that comes into the United Kingdom. By doing this, it was an attempt to save farms in the UK, hoping that due to foreign foods being far more expensive, people would buy local produce, therefore resulting in farmers still having their jobs. A downside to this law was that many people could not afford any produce as it was too expensive. During this time, politicians were debating about what to do in order to save farmers and the British Empire from the recline; this is much like the American's do now. The Corn Law created enclosures, which had ended the idea of landholding peasantry. Ultimately, there was nothing to stop the transfer of workforce from non-industrial to industrial.
In whole, the enclosures act kicked poor people of their land and put them into cities such as Manchester, as there was nothing left in the country for them. This therefore meant that larger farm owners (much like big corporations now) could buy their land and earn far more money. At this time population had been rising very slowly, from 5 million people at the end of the 17th Century until Middle of the 18th Century. However after 1770, it began to rise dramatically, doubling every fifty years after that. The enclosures act ultimately ruined Hampshire and it can be said to have never recovered from this. After this act, Hampshire became merely large fields as most of the men who owned this land went into the army.
Now for the Industrial Revolution which is when England became the 'workshop of the world'. During this time Manchester went from 17,000 to 18,000 people from 1760 to 1830. This and the city itself was seen as revolutionary and was something that had never been seen before. Manchester was central of the Industrial Revolution and in 1850 it was the most important place on Earth! Much to do with the slave trade, cotton was key in the Industrial Revolution and this raw material came from the slave plantations in the American South. Consequently, the conditions in many towns became dire and most people lived in slums, with cholera being quite common. Many described these towns as hell on earth and was full of rickets and people with chest infections.
During this time, politics was used to try and reform society. The policy of brutal repression on any sort of dissent and strict penal penalties was effective for the short term. The Peterloo Massacre in 1819 was when a cavalry charged at a crowd of 60,000 people in Manchester who were demanding parliamentary reform. During the Peterloo Massacre, 11 people died. Although this was a terrible time, The Guardian newspaper began through this event which some may say can shed a slight bit of positive light!?
Back to the important bits, the protesters demanded that growing industrial towns of Britain should have the right to elect MP's. At this time, less than 2% of the population had the chance to vote. This was mainly because the political system was based on 'rotton boroughs' and were extremely corrupt. An example of this is the Village, Old Sarum which had 2 votes and 2 MP's, however Manchester-being the biggest and most important city-had none. The elite noticed that there was a problem and create a reform act in 1832 so people could start having a fair chance of electing MP's.
Ultilitanianism is an idea of happiness as pleasure and the absence of pain. It is extremely appealing for many people as we judge actions often by their consequences and favour those that promote the happiness and reduce the pain.
New Poor Law Act (1834) describes that no able-bodied person was to receive money or other help from the Poor Law authorities except in a workhouse. Bentham, wanted to make a solution to the poor, that is so bad they wouldn't want to do it. He created the idea of the workhouse which enabled the poor to go there, and they would give them just enough food so they are surviving day to day, yet that amount of food is slowly killing them. The saying slow and steady wins the race definitely does not apply to this.
The French revolution was the turning point in European politics, however the Industrial revolution transformed Britain and the whole world. (For those who are unsure of what the Industrial revolution is, it is the idea of the factory and mass production.)
The act of union in 1707 with Scotland, allowed the first British Empire to come together, therefore creating the United Kingdom. When Scotland attempted to set up a colony in Central America in 1698, it ended up in disaster therefore meaning their chances of being an empire vanished.
Darien - New Calediona - cost 1/5 of Scotland's wealth, however the place was full of malaria and most of the settlers there fell sick with fever. Due to this, Scotland never fully recovered as they were financially ruined. They surrendered sovereignty in the 1707 act of union with England, therefore allowing the British Empire to be created.
As a whole, England did extremely well from the French Revolution and took out all the positives from the situation Although many borders were changed and the French began causing a fair bit of havoc, the UK stood back as they originally did not want to get involved. In order to beat the French, income tax was created, however much to our dismay, income tax never actually got abolished after the French were beaten. During this period of the French Revolution, the British Navy became the dominant force in Europe, therefore destroying French trade and created an uproar in British exports. This happened to such an extent the British manufactures were clothing the French army themselves. Ultimately, with other European armies occupied, the British began building their empire.
Now for something I find particularly interesting; The transatlantic trade (or as some know it, the slave trade). Within the transatlantic trade, British ships went to Africa to retrieve slaves, then took them on their ships to America. After which, these slaves were swapped for cotton, and the cotton was taken back to places such as Manchester.
During the 16th Century there was said to be 1 million slaves. In the 17th Century, 3 million slaves. 18th Century, 7 million slaves. Not only this, but places such as Liverpool, Bristol and Glasgow were at the centre of this slave trade, which now in the 21st Century seems quite unbelievable.
The end of the war meant the end of this boom period where money was flying in and everything was going pretty well for Britain as an empire. However after the war ended mass unemployment became obvious and there was a steep fall in wages all around Britain. In response to this, the Government brought in Corn Laws which were around from 1815, then were repealed in 1846. The date of 1815 is something to remember as this was the year of the Battle of Waterloo.
Corn Laws
The Corn Laws were made by the Government in order to help the British Empire come out of the financial problems they were in after the war. These laws put tax on all the food that comes into the United Kingdom. By doing this, it was an attempt to save farms in the UK, hoping that due to foreign foods being far more expensive, people would buy local produce, therefore resulting in farmers still having their jobs. A downside to this law was that many people could not afford any produce as it was too expensive. During this time, politicians were debating about what to do in order to save farmers and the British Empire from the recline; this is much like the American's do now. The Corn Law created enclosures, which had ended the idea of landholding peasantry. Ultimately, there was nothing to stop the transfer of workforce from non-industrial to industrial.
In whole, the enclosures act kicked poor people of their land and put them into cities such as Manchester, as there was nothing left in the country for them. This therefore meant that larger farm owners (much like big corporations now) could buy their land and earn far more money. At this time population had been rising very slowly, from 5 million people at the end of the 17th Century until Middle of the 18th Century. However after 1770, it began to rise dramatically, doubling every fifty years after that. The enclosures act ultimately ruined Hampshire and it can be said to have never recovered from this. After this act, Hampshire became merely large fields as most of the men who owned this land went into the army.
Now for the Industrial Revolution which is when England became the 'workshop of the world'. During this time Manchester went from 17,000 to 18,000 people from 1760 to 1830. This and the city itself was seen as revolutionary and was something that had never been seen before. Manchester was central of the Industrial Revolution and in 1850 it was the most important place on Earth! Much to do with the slave trade, cotton was key in the Industrial Revolution and this raw material came from the slave plantations in the American South. Consequently, the conditions in many towns became dire and most people lived in slums, with cholera being quite common. Many described these towns as hell on earth and was full of rickets and people with chest infections.
During this time, politics was used to try and reform society. The policy of brutal repression on any sort of dissent and strict penal penalties was effective for the short term. The Peterloo Massacre in 1819 was when a cavalry charged at a crowd of 60,000 people in Manchester who were demanding parliamentary reform. During the Peterloo Massacre, 11 people died. Although this was a terrible time, The Guardian newspaper began through this event which some may say can shed a slight bit of positive light!?
Back to the important bits, the protesters demanded that growing industrial towns of Britain should have the right to elect MP's. At this time, less than 2% of the population had the chance to vote. This was mainly because the political system was based on 'rotton boroughs' and were extremely corrupt. An example of this is the Village, Old Sarum which had 2 votes and 2 MP's, however Manchester-being the biggest and most important city-had none. The elite noticed that there was a problem and create a reform act in 1832 so people could start having a fair chance of electing MP's.
Ultilitanianism is an idea of happiness as pleasure and the absence of pain. It is extremely appealing for many people as we judge actions often by their consequences and favour those that promote the happiness and reduce the pain.
New Poor Law Act (1834) describes that no able-bodied person was to receive money or other help from the Poor Law authorities except in a workhouse. Bentham, wanted to make a solution to the poor, that is so bad they wouldn't want to do it. He created the idea of the workhouse which enabled the poor to go there, and they would give them just enough food so they are surviving day to day, yet that amount of food is slowly killing them. The saying slow and steady wins the race definitely does not apply to this.
16/01/2012
New Years Resolution - Blog More
So, this being my first blog of the year I'm already feeling guilty that I haven't blogged before this. I mean, it's already half way through the first month. Oops. Better late than never I suppose. Although the name of the post relates to New Years resolutions, I personally don’t believe in them in the slightest. People can make those changes any day of the year and shouldn’t need a New Year to do so. As this is my first blog after the holidays I do feel I should tell you a tiny bit about my time off. Being honest, I didn't do much that was productive and spent a lot of the time catching up on my sleep -meaning I didn't hear the word mornings for a month- and watching Christmas films and daytime TV. Although I still feel extremely child-like around the Christmas period and wish I could still write letters to Father Christmas, I still get that slight disappointing feeling on Christmas Eve when I realise it's no way near as exciting as it used to be. Bummer. However, I was a very lucky girl getting lovely presents such as a new camera, Amazon kindle, Pandora bracelet and my favourite present of all- a Harry Potter collectable wand. Yes I am a nerd and I love it.
Now, Christmas seems like a lifetime ago, yet a lifetime away to wait for next Christmas. As I live at home and commute to University, my Christmas may not of been as special as those who got to go back at home and spend the time with loved ones that they have missed. I get to see those loved ones all the time still, so I suppose I may take advantage of that a little. I’m probably going to leave this post at that as It’s probably one of the most uninteresting things I have ever wrote, and you have ever read –if anyone even reads this-. However, from now on expect to be reading lots of new post, hopefully one a day, if I stick to my plan I have now.
Now, Christmas seems like a lifetime ago, yet a lifetime away to wait for next Christmas. As I live at home and commute to University, my Christmas may not of been as special as those who got to go back at home and spend the time with loved ones that they have missed. I get to see those loved ones all the time still, so I suppose I may take advantage of that a little. I’m probably going to leave this post at that as It’s probably one of the most uninteresting things I have ever wrote, and you have ever read –if anyone even reads this-. However, from now on expect to be reading lots of new post, hopefully one a day, if I stick to my plan I have now.
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