• ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Woof, TV’s were already a popular concept before WW2 in the US, but their development was halted by the war. However once the war ended, television exploded in popularity with the establishment of a dedicated signal network, and it was a staple item in almost all homes by the mid/late 40’s.

      The South African regime was good if you were a Boer emerald mine owner. If you were anyone else? Not so much.

      • Dolores [love/loves]@hexbear.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        TV’s were already a popular concept before WW2 in the US

        “In 1945, there were probably fewer than 10,000 sets in the country. This figure soared to about 6 million in 1950, and to almost 60 million by 1960” -“Television.” The World Book Encyclopedia. even that 6 million is hardly a “staple” in a country of 151 million. you gotta remember that for how enormous the amount of film there is pre-war, it was all for movie theaters, not home broadcast

        • ComradeSalad@lemmygrad.ml
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Yes, but don’t forget that you usually had 4-8 people per household, if not more, so its not like everyone is getting their very own individual television.

          Also I wasn’t saying that television was massive, I said the concept of them were and there was immense research and development into the technology. Effort that was redirected because of the war. There was great interest into the technology and as soon as production was shifted from military to civilian goods, the number skyrocketed.

          “In 1946, 7,000 TV sets were sold; in 1948, 172,000 sets were sold; and in 1950, 5 million sets were sold. In the year 1950 per the United States Census, just under 20 percent of American homes contained a TV set, but by 1960 the figure had reached 90 percent.” -Encyclopedia Britannica.