Zwischen nytta und nöje: Fernsehen und Gemeinschaft in den Anfangsjahren von Sveriges Radio

Abstract

Officially, television was introduced relatively late in Sweden (1956). Initially it seemed to be a new and possibly unmasterable medium ill-suited for the build-up of the “folkhem”. After year-long discussions for and against there was, eventually, an agreement on the restrictions of this new, potentially detrimental and omnipotent cultural force. The Swedish Television was imbedded in the existing media structure, and became a tool for promoting the existing, national values of family and society. From the very start this new media-institution was torn between its obligations towards the state and the general public. To the latter, though, these questions were of little, or no, importance. Instead, the general public was fascinated by this new technical wonder, which very soon became the dominating “talk of the town”. In short, to ordinary people the actual programmes rather than the institutional principles and setting were of central importance.