Nation-building and TV

Guests: Stewart Anderson, Ph.D., History Professor at BYU; Melissa Chakars, Ph.D., History Professor at Saint Joseph’s University. Co-Authors of “Modernization, Nation-Building and Television History”  Television is Top of Mind this hour. Viewing is on the decline here in the US, believe it or not – being replaced slowly by the entertainment now ubiquitous on other screens - our computers, tablets, phones.  But wind the clock back to the heyday of television in the 50s and 60s, when only a few channels were available and that seemed sufficient. From Eastern Germany to far-flung Soviet Siberia, television played an important role in developing national cultures – even strengthening governments.