Financial Experiments and Speculative Cultures in Early U.S. Television Production, 1945–1955
Join us for a virtual lecture by the 2024 Kenneth Karmiole Research Fellow, Pete Johnson, who used primary sources materials from the Library's Special Research Collections in support of his dissertation research at University of Texas, Austin.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, independent television producers pioneered financial and production models that laid the foundation for the industry’s economic structure, despite being overshadowed by major studios and networks. Johnson's lecture examines their financial struggles and innovations, using archival materials and case studies like Rudy Vallée’s short-lived Vallée-Video to reveal how these early entrepreneurs shaped television’s speculative culture. Though many failed, their efforts influenced the long-term development of television economics, leaving a lasting impact on the media industry.
This lecture is generously supported by the Kenneth Karmiole Endowed Research Fellowship.
About the Speaker
Peter Arne Johnson is a PhD Candidate in Media Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, where his research focuses on media industries, business history, and television studies. His doctoral dissertation traces television’s financial model from the early network era in the 1940s to the streaming era from the perspective of television production companies. Pete’s work has been published in Media Industries Journal, New Review of Film & Television, and Democratic Communiqué.
