The Invention of the Transistor and the British Media Landscape - Article Example

The invention of the transistor has changed the British media landscape Introduction John Bardeen and Walter Brattain discovered in transistor at Bell Labs in 1947 while investigating the nature of surface states and ways to reduce their presence (Lewis and Luciana, 2005).1 Since then the invention has led to transformation and development in various areas and fields. The new transistor radios could make use of dry cells as they consumed less power, were more reliable and inexpensive, much lighter, and smaller than the old wireless sets so that people could easily carry them around. The transistor caused a revolution in the way radio broadcasting could be used (Vardhan, 2002)2 Transistors have infiltrated every area of science and industry, from the family car to satellites, etc. (www.scribd.com).3 The invention of transistor changed the computers development by replacing the large, cumbersome vacuum tube in televisions, radios and computers thus shrinking the electronic devices (www.dia.eui.upm.es).4 The present paper briefly documents the changes in British media after 1950s after the invention of transistor. Transistor and Media in Britain Sjoberg (n.d) mentions that transistor changed the way information was received earlier to the discovery. The transistor made it possible for the individuals to take ones radio to whatever place which was not possible in the case of television. And moreover electronic media use outside the households was only possible with transistor.5 It is further stated that application of frequency modulation technique for superimposing audio signals on the VHF carrier was a serious development in radio broadcasting in 1950. This facilitated the people to listen radio with great digitized audio at better frequency. In 1960, a geostationary communication satellite was yet another innovation in radio technology, the idea which was conceived by British scientist Arthur C. Clarke. It is pertinent to mention that an innovation called stereophony was developed in the late 1950s and used in the United Kingdom for sound broadcasting (Vardhan, 2002). The changes in the technology used to produce and transmit radio have been linked to the rise of an autonomous youth culture and the introduction of portable transistor radio in early 1950s (Chignell, 2009)6. The invention of transistor has resulted in audio digitization which was first introduced Alec Reeves of England which is known as pulse code modulation. As a result of the most cost effective audio digitization of analogue audio signal, broadcasting of additional data with added values to traditional voice and music was possible which enabled multimedia broadcasting (Vardhan, 2002). Transistor revitalized the radio broadcasting of BBC in 1960s when the mediums value to the advertisers was becoming all too clear. The transistor made the radio more attractive to the listeners through background medium (Stokes and Reading, 1999, p.66)7. Fleming and Wilby (2002, p.25) mentioned that radio is adaptable and continues to remain popular because of its ability to adapt changes despite challenges from other media which has been possible due to the technological advancements like stereo broadcasting, the transistor radio, and the use of FM and digital frequencies with better sound quality. However it is important to mention that since the discovery of transistor in 1948, it was not widely used in Britain until 1960 when the nation was more affluent.8 As the group viewing of the broadcasting on television declined in most of the families, they were spread out it in the houses where men were glued to the television sets and women carried their transistors listening to the radio which still remains a powerful motive for number of complaints in Britain. However the invention has provided mobile, cheap device which could from one place to another without much effort giving quality sound and good number of channels along with FM (Shaw, 1999, p.37).9 Curran and Seaton (2003, p.275) mentioned that television became the principal mass medium while other media were demoted and the transistor radio, walkman, and radio recorder became popular media accessories which was during the period 1940 to 1980. However later due to the technological advancement more innovative devices entered in the Britain’s market and desktop computers became the mass media, the internet and web came into their own, television channels, - satellite, cable and digital terrestrial – mushroomed, production techniques changed across the media and computer and video games were more popular among the young.10 The transistors made radio more portable at the time when society was becoming increasingly mobile and younger generation was emerging as a distinct consumer group which was mainly targeted by the electronic equipment manufacturers. Later Digital Audio Broadcasting was developed in Britain by BBC engineers in 1970s (Curran and Seaton, 2003, p.26). This broadcasting system was developed in order to overcome the limitations of simple broadcasting system which results in impairment of the signal due to selective fading, production of echoes, and Doppler frequency drift when addressing a mobile receiver. Further World Space Radio was developed due the efforts of Marconi and Arthur Clarke, reviving the traditional radio service through the medium of satellite (Vardhan, 2002). The invention of the transistor has resulted in development of more advanced technologies that eventually replaced the existing popular media. The devices prepared in modern era are based on the technological improvement of transistors which were instrumental in manufacturing devices like transistor radio, digital technology for audio, etc. which changed the people viewed the British media. Conclusion The invention of transistor was a phenomenon which led to so many developments in the field of science and technology. Throughout 1950 to 1970, there were important discoveries in Britain by various scientists with regard to audio, digitization and improving the quality of sound. The transistor also became the important form of media, mostly women, carrying the device wherever they went and listening to the radio which aired various channels. And moreover the invention was an important factor in revitalizing the BBC services which has literally fell down during the 1940s. The transistor led to the development of much flatter computer and other devices through improvement in the devices shrinking the equipments. References 1. Chignell, H., 2009. Radio Studies. In: Blackwells Encyclopedia of Cultural Theory. Oxford: Blackwell. 2. Computers History and Development, www.dia.eui.upm.es 3. Curran J and Seaton J (2003) Power without responsibility: the press, broadcasting, and new media in Britain, Ed. 6, Routledge, US 4. Fleming C and Wilby P (2002) The radio handbook, Ed. 2, Routledge, US 5. Lewis L.R. and Luciana J (2005) Digital Media: An Introduction, Pearson Prentice Hall, University of Michigan, UK 6. Scribd, (2010) Introduction to Transistors, http://www.scribd.com/doc/25373201/Introduction-to-Transistors 7. Shaw C (1999) Deciding what we watch: taste, decency, and media ethics in the UK and the USA, Oxford University Press, UK 8. Sjoberg, U (n.d.) The Changing Media Environment, Lecturer at the University of Lund, http://www.ehu.es 9. Stokes J.C. and Reading A (1999) The media in Britain: current debates and developments, Palgrave Macmillan, UK 10. Vardhan H (2002) Radio Broadcast Technology, Resonance, p.53 - 63 Read More