World Television Day 2021: History, significance and all you need to know

World Television Day 2021: While the digital medium has emerged as a major platform to create, post and consume content, television continues to be the single largest source of video consumption.

World Television Day is celebrated across the globe on November 21 to mark the increasing impact of the early 20th-century invention in the contemporary world. The UN General Assembly proclaimed November 21 as World Television Day to recognise the impact of the ‘idiot box’ on decision making by bringing the world attention to conflicts and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues.

Television was acknowledged as a major tool for informing, channelling and influencing public opinion. (File photo for representation)

“World Television Day is not so much a celebration of the tool, but rather the philosophy which it represents. Television represents a symbol for communication and globalization in the contemporary world,” says the United Nations’ website.

The UN General Assembly decided November 21 to be marked as World Television Day since the first World Television Forum was held on November 21-22 in 1996. Leading media figures met for the two-day summit to discuss the growing significance of television and to consider how they might enhance their cooperation. The medium was acknowledged as a major tool for informing, channelling and influencing public opinion.

World Television Day: What makes ‘idiot box’ so loved

While the digital medium has emerged as a major platform to create, post and consume content, television continues to be the single largest source of video consumption and the number of households with television sets continue to rise globally.

“The interaction between emerging and traditional forms of broadcast creates a great opportunity to raise awareness about the important issues facing our communities and our planet,” the UN website says.

Invented in 1924 by John Logie Baird, the electronic device was introduced in India after almost three decades with the help of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation. The government owned-Doordarshan remained the only national channel for the next three decades before private and foreign broadcasters were allowed to engage in limited operations under the new economic reforms introduced by the Narsimha Rao government in 1991.