Studebaker Corporation Essay Example

bullet nose front ends, along with the powerful Studebaker V8 engine. Consequently, Studebaker emerged as the leading car seller in the 1950s. The behavioral theory of location can help explain some of the trends witnessed in the US automotive industry during the 1950s and 1960s.

As smaller companies like Studebaker, Packard, Hudson, Nash, Crosley, Willys, and Kaiser-Fraser ceased producing automobiles, the surviving firms adopted increasingly oligopolistic—if not monopolistic—practices. General Motors, by capturing more than half of all US car sales, flirted with violations of anti-trust rules and ignored government threats to split it up, as had happened to Standard Oil and US Steel in the past (Rubenstein 16). Unfortunately, in 1954 the Studebaker Corporation merged with Packard due to financial problems. Packard, which was also facing financial difficulties, went out of business in 1958 and Studebaker struggled until 1963 when it closed its South Bend manufacturing plant. Studebaker Corporation will always be remembered as the company that built moderately priced and stylish cars for the average family. Today, Studebaker remains a standard in auto design and marketing and is remembered as one of America's first cars.

Works Cited Rae, John B. American Automobile Manufacturers: The First Forty Years. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Chilton, 1959.

The book "The Changing U. S. Auto Industry: A Geographical Analysis" was written by James M. Rubenstein and published in 1992 by Routledge, New York.

In 1950, television became a staple in American households. Families gathered around the television, replacing the radio as their preferred entertainment source. However, watching television in the 1950s required some effort. Each broadcast station required tuning using a test pattern to ensure optimum reception (Condry 25). Additionally, whenever the channel was

changed, the television had to be tuned again.

According to Hartley (86), families in the 1950s would typically choose one channel to watch for the entire night. After the broadcast, inspiring words and the national anthem were aired before the screen went blank. In this era, television was seen as a medium for transmitting real-time images, whether they were staged or not, says Hartley (86). The origins of television can be traced back to Edison's telephone oscope in 1884, which had the ability to transmit both pictures and sound. Television broadcasting started in various countries like the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, and Japan in the early 1920s (Hartley 94). However, it wasn't until the World's Fair in New York in 1939 that television became available for home use.

Between 1948 and 1953, television ownership in the United States experienced a significant increase, with more than 25 million households owning a TV. This rise was facilitated by the decreasing cost of TV sets, enabling many moderately affluent families to purchase one. Furthermore, there was an expansion in television broadcasting during this time period, resulting in a greater number of stations available, longer program hours, and a wider selection of channels to choose from. Figure 1.1 showcases prime-time schedules taken from early TV Guides (Condry 10). At first, original television programming was broadcasted live on camera. However, after Kinescope technology was introduced, most shows were pre-recorded before being aired.

Originally, shows like I Love Lucy were filmed to overcome the distance between the stars in California and the broadcasters in New York. The popularity of television led to an increase in available channels and shows. Many programs in

the United States were sponsored by large corporations, resulting in the production of the first TV commercials. The introduction of color television further solidified its position in American society as it offered improved tuning and vibrant visuals. US TV quickly became a dominant force; in 1946, only 0.2 percent of US households had a TV, but this figure rose to 2.3 percent in 1949, 9 percent in 1950, 65 percent in 1955, and eventually reached 85 percent by 1959 (Hartley 90).

The impact of television on national culture is uncertain. Some see it as a significant technological advancement, while others argue that it has caused a decline in the moral and intellectual development of children.

Works Cited:

1. Condry, John. The Psychology of Television. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989.
2. Hartley, John. Uses of Television. London: Routledge, 1999.