FSEM 101 - Television in America

Does Netflix count as television? How does HBO get away with controversial content? Can the FCC censor what we watch? What is the FCC? This FYS will explore the history of TV in three phases: the network era; the 1970s-80s in which cable television loosened networks’ hold on consumers; and the current “on-demand” moment that has further destabilized traditional ideas of audience and content delivery. We’ll also study how culture and identity (ex. issues of race, gender, sexuality, class, etc.) have impacted TV. Watching TV shows from I Love Lucy to Breaking Bad, and crafting projects from writing a TV line-up to tracking the history of network news, students will learn to critically engage (while still enjoying) a medium that has powerfully shaped American life.

Credits 1