Television today: Less an object, more a phenomenon

This article analyses the evolution of the phenomenon of television from its beginnings to the present day, exploring how this reality has adapted to social and technological change. Using a documentary analysis methodology, this exploratory study proposes four main phases: the early years, the maturing years, the technological transition and the present and future. The analysis suggests that, in each new phase, television has not completely broken with its past but has ‘only’ adapted and/or added new features to what was already there. Compared to the past, television is no longer so dependent on a specific device, place and time but is increasingly diluted across a variety of devices, places and times. This study concludes that television is less and less an object of communication and more and more a phenomenon of communication. Less an object, more a phenomenon – this is what television is today, and this also seems to be a clear and growing trend for what television will be in the future. This evolution also calls for a renewed notion of public service – less focused on devices and more on phenomena.