Over-the-air television

Terrestrial television or broadcast television is a type of television broadcasting in which the television signal is transmitted by radio waves from the terrestrial (Earth based) transmitter of a television station to a TV receiver having an antenna. The term is more common in Europe, while in North America it is referred to as broadcast television or sometimes over-the-air television (OTA). The term "terrestrial" is used to distinguish this type from the newer technologies of satellite television (direct broadcast satellite or DBS television), in which the television signal is transmitted to the receiver from an overhead satellite, and cable television, in which the signal is carried to the receiver through a cable.

Terrestrial television was the first technology used for television broadcasting, with the first long-distance public television broadcast from Washington, D.C., on 7 April 1927. The BBC began broadcasting in 1929 and had a regular schedule of television programmes in 1930. However, these early experimental systems had insufficient picture quality to attract the public, due to their mechanical scan technology, and television didn't become widespread until after World War II with the advent of electronic scan technology. The television broadcasting business followed the model of radio networks, with local television stations in cities and towns affiliated with television networks, either commercial (in USA) or government-controlled (in Europe), which provided content. Television broadcasts were in black and white until the 1960s, when color television broadcasting began.

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