Have we really been watching TV in the same way since 1928?

Tune into Glenn's American Dream Labs specials this week to see how this fits into the future of TheBlaze.

Television has now been around for nearly a century, and yet the news-sharing and production techniques we see when we turn on the TV today is not all that different from what people saw 60 or 70 years ago. Despite the incredible advances in technology that have put television sets in nearly 97 percent of American households and made the spread of information virtually instant, we have been watching television in basically the same way since the mid-20th century.

You might wonder why anyone outside of the media industry would care about the history of TV production, but in order to understand Glenn’s plans for TheBlaze, American Dream Labs, and beyond, you will need to understand the historical context.

While single-camera broadcasts have been around since the early days of television, the introduction of additional cameras in the mid-20th century opened up a new world for TV production. Though it is widely believed that Desi Arnaz and his Desilu Productions (of I Love Lucy fame) pioneered the multi-camera setup, its origins actually date all the way back to 1928 when the BBC used three cameras to broadcast The Queen’s Messenger.

The multi-camera system allows for multiple shots of a live situation as it unfolds chronologically. Not only does such a technique speed up production times, it is especially suitable for shows that require a live audience. On the contrary, single camera shoots allow the director a lot more control over each shot (after all, there is only one camera to keep an eye on), but various takes and setups are required to ensure everything is captured properly, and the action is rarely enacted chronologically.

Arnaz and Desilu, though not the inventors of the multi-camera system, were the first to use the multi-camera setup in front of a live audience and employ 35mm film. I Love Lucy incorporated multiple cameras, used to film the action on several adjacent sets, to allow for chronological filming in front of a studio audience. Arnaz is also credited with inventing the TV rerun (aka the very system that allows us to enjoy I Love Lucy to this day).

Throughout the 1940s and 50s television shows were often performed live and not recorded. This meant that there was different programming in different time zones depending on what was available. Networks began to wise-up, however, and kinescope recordings of shows broadcast live in the east became available to be re-broadcast in the west.

Arnaz took this one step further when he approached network executives to allow Desilu Productions to put I Love Lucy on film. In 1955, I Love Lucy began re-broadcasting earlier episodes. As the New York Times observed, "The appeal of reusable filmed programs led eventually to a seismic shift in television production from New York to Hollywood, and made the program's creators millionaires."

It was this integration of additional cameras, film, and audience that paved the way for the future of TV, a future we still observe to this day. In today’s media, sporting events, news programs, talk shows, and some sitcoms utilize multi-camera shoots, while single-camera productions favor dramas, TV movies, music videos, and even commercial advertisements.

Speaking of commercial advertisements, it is remarkable to see how stagnant the formula has been, whether it be behind the scenes in the production or the onscreen objective. Since the commercial television model was approved by the FCC in 1941, advertisers in the U.S. have made use of the single-camera setup and catchy slogan to attract consumers to their product.

The very first TV commercial aired on the New York City NBC affiliate, WNBT, at 2:29PM on July 1, 1941. During a break in the action of a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies, a 10 second spot aired for Bulova watches. A Bulova watch appeared over a map of the United States, while a voiceover of the company’s slogan – America runs on Bulova time! – played in the background.

Insert video of an athlete wearing Nike sneakers with the tagline of “Just Do It,” people eating soup with a voiceover of “Campbell’s: mmm mmm good,” or a Toyota truck driving through a perilous landscape with the reminder to “Never Stop Improving” and the ads that populate our airwaves today don’t seem all that different from the Bulova commercial of 70 years ago.

Despite all the redundancy that has become the norm in television, Glenn has made it clear that TheBlaze is operating in a new age of information sharing and technology. Over the next several months, the network will experiment with new forms of production, advertising, and interaction that will turn this nearly century old formula of broadcast upside down. It will be an exciting time that will rely on YOU – your participation and your willingness to explore new avenues. Stay tuned…

POLL: Should Universities allow pro-Hamas protests?

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Just one day after Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel, which left over 1,400 people Israelis dead, 34 different student groups from Harvard University wrote a joint statement pinning the blame of Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel. In the following days after publishing this callous statement, these students staged a walkout and rallied in support of the Palestinians. As Glenn has discussed, this is not an isolated event, and campuses across the country have hosted similar rallies where antisemitic jargon like "we don't want no Jew state" and "globalize the intifada" is freely spewed.

Should Universities allow pro-Hamas protests?

While the Universities have not officially backed any of these rallies or student groups that organized them, they haven't stopped them either, which raises the question: should they? On one hand, these are American students in American Universities, who are protected by the First Amendment. On the other hand, history tells us how dangerous antisemitism is if left unchecked; and what of the rights of Jewish students to be safe on the campuses they pay to attend? Let us know what you think in the poll below:

Should Universities allow pro-Hamas protests? 

Would you feel safe if your child attended a University that allowed pro-Hamas protests?

 Should Universities allow pro-Israel protests?

Is pro-Hamas rhetoric protected by the First Amendment?

POLL: What do YOU think Israel should do about Gaza?

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Should Israel take over Gaza after defeating Hamas? This contentious historical question has resurfaced amid Israel's retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza following Hamas' terror attacks, which resulted in the greatest death of Jews since the Holocaust. Biden and the global elites have warned Israel against occupation of the Palestinian territory. When asked on 60 Minutes if he would support the Israeli occupation of Gaza, Biden said, “I think it would be a big mistake.” Today Glenn responded to Biden’s answer: “I don't think it's a mistake to occupy."

This has been a long-standing, polarizing issue that is now more relevant than ever, and we want to hear YOUR thoughts. Let us know in the poll below:

Would you support an Israeli occupation of Gaza?

Do you think the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza are justified?

Do you think a two-state solution is still possible?

Funding IRAN?! Here are the TOP 5 reasons Joe Biden should be IMPEACHED

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On September 12th, the House announced an official impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden with allegations of abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption. Naturally, the media quickly jumped to the President’s aid claiming that “there is no evidence to support these claims” and that the whole affair is a witch hunt.

If you’ve been listening to Glenn, you know that this is simply not the case. Biden has been committing impeachment-worthy deeds before he even stepped foot into the Oval Office—there’s no shortage of evidence to justify this inquiry. Here are 5 scathing reasons why Biden should be impeached:

He was responsible for the Afghanistan withdrawal disaster.

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The Biden administration began with the US's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Under his watch, Biden left thousands of US citizens and allies stranded in the Taliban's hostile regime. Countless Afghan allies have been murdered by the Taliban due to the Biden administration's negligence.

He was involved with Hunter Biden's illicit foreign business dealings.

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There is clear evidence that Joe Biden was more than aware of his son Hunter's foreign business dealings. From suspicious money laundering through the Biden family's accounts to Joe's involvement with important business meetings within Hunter's company, there is mounting evidence to warrant an impeachment inquiry.

He lied about his involvement with Hunter's business dealings.

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Not only did Biden involve himself with his son's less-than-legal foreign business ventures, but he lied to the American people about it too, claiming he had NO KNOWLEDGE of what was going on.

He failed to protect the Southern border, and actively made it worse.

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Biden singlehandedly turned the Southern border into the worst illegal immigration crisis in US history. He reversed many policies set in place by the Trump administration, resulting in 2.3 million illegal immigrants flooding into the US under his watch, a historic high.

He sent IRAN AND HAMAS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

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Biden reversed the Trump-era policy that halted all funds going into Iran. The Wall Street Journal revealed the smoking-gun evidence proving that Iran trained AND funded Hamas before its gruesome terror attacks against Israel. Moreover, shortly before the attacks, the Biden administration unfroze $6 BILLION dollars of Iran's assets as a part of a prisoner swap. On top of this, Biden resumed $200 million worth of "humanitarian aid" to Gaza that Trump had ended—because the money was being used to buy weapons for Hamas.

Top 5 economic milestones that show HOW BAD Bidenomics has made the economy

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From groceries to house prices, everything seems to get more expensive, and you can thank Biden for that. Glenn recently exposed the truth about 'Bidenomics' and the havoc it has wrought on the American economy. Here are five economic milestones during the Biden administration that expose the glaring track record of "Bidenomics:"

In July 2022, the inflation rate hit 9.1 percent, a 40-year record high.

In June 2022, gas hit an all time record high of $5 a gallon for the national average.

61 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck as of this September.

Interest rates reached a 15-year high at 5.25 percent and are still increasing.

Americans have $1 trillion in collective credit card debt, in part due to food/staple pieces being very high.