TV was not a reality in everyone’s daily life until the 50s. World War II halted the interest in TV for a time as all of the production of every country around the world went toward the war effort. Networks were also more concerned with news and with dispersing serious information until the 1950s. As prosperity improved and people were able to spend more money on entertainment, TV took on a bigger role in people’s lives.
How Many Channels Existed in 1950?
CBS opened its first production facility in the 1950s, and they were not the only private production company that did so. There were four networks in the 1950s, NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont. These networks worked with 37 operating stations, with 86 more stations under development. TV programming was more focused on informational content during this period, and there was no 24-hour entertainment cycle. The world of TV has changed a lot since this period of time.
The exact number of television channels that existed in the 1950s is difficult to specify due to variations in local stations and changes over the decade. In 1950, there were less than 100 stations across the U.S., but by 1960, that number had grown to over 500.
Today, there are about 33,000 TV stations operating in the world. This means that you can watch TV at any time of the day and within any category with ease. The world’s interest in leisure time activities has changed a lot since the 50s, and there have been so many technological changes as well that the number of channels has exploded. Interestingly, with digital streaming being an option, there has not been a measurable change in the commitment of people to cable TV as their main source of entertainment either. This might be due to the way that these channels are often bundled with internet access.
Since TV stations and networks are privately owned in the US in most cases, the kinds of content that can be produced can vary widely. There are some requirements as far as what the content can contain and what topics can be discussed, but a lot of the management of the networks and their shows is pretty hands-off. There are pros and cons to this kind of private ownership, but it is possible that more TV networks will join the fray as digital media becomes more and more affordable to create.
The question of what counts as a channel can be hard to answer these days as well, but most people feel that content production that is consistent and which appears alongside cable television channels is enough to qualify. With YouTube and other streaming services creating their own scheduled programming as well, there are lots of ways of looking at what a channel really is these days.
The 1950s Saw the Rise of Multiple TV Channels
As the world changed following World War II, in the US in particular, there was a sudden uptick in the number of TV networks making television programming. More and more of the channels that viewers could access were showing things that were entirely entertainment based as well. The concept of a 24-hour television reality was far from the norm, but over time the number of TV stations has increased dramatically to meet this need.
This article was last updated on June 30, 2023 .
