World Television Day: Celebrating the screen that changed the world

MUMBAI: Every evening, millions of living rooms around the globe glow with the familiar light of a television screen. For decades, this box—once bulky and wooden, now sleek and borderless—has shaped how the world learns, laughs, debates, dreams and connects. On 21 November, World Television Day, we celebrate not just a device, but a global storyteller, educator and unifier.

Why the world marks this day
In 1996, the United Nations declared World Television Day to recognise television’s growing influence on global opinion. The UN saw TV as more than entertainment: it was a mediator of dialogue, a platform for public awareness and a catalyst for diplomacy. Even today, in an age of smartphones and instant notifications, television remains one of the most trusted sources of information.

The screen that reaches the unreachable
While digital platforms dominate urban chatter, a large part of the world still depends on TV for essential information. In developing countries, television often bridges the digital divide, delivering election updates, weather alerts, national announcements, education programmes and public health campaigns to millions who lack stable internet access.

Television continues to be the one medium that enters homes effortlessly—regardless of age, literacy or location.

A century of reinvention:
From the mechanical experiments of the 1920s to today’s ultra-HD smart screens, television has constantly reinvented itself.
●  The first full-fledged colour telecast in India took place on 15 August 1982, with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Independence Day address.
●  This was followed later that year by the 1982 Asian Games, which brought widespread colour broadcasting to Indian homes.
●  The 1990s saw the explosion of satellite channels, opening the doors to global entertainment.
●  The 2000s introduced reality TV, daily soaps and 24×7 news cycles.
● In 2000, this website – indiantelevision.com was launched, followed by tellychakkar.com a few years later. 
 

Today, TVs double as gaming consoles, OTT gateways and smart home controllers.
What began as a single-channel pastime is now a personalised, interactive global experience.

The power of shared storytelling
Television has created cultural moments that transcend borders.
Whether it was Ramayan uniting Indian families every Sunday morning, the world pausing to witness the 1969 moon landing or global fandoms obsessing over Friends and Game of Thrones, TV has shaped collective memory.
Television also elevated presenters who became icons—Oprah Winfrey, David Attenborough, Walter Cronkite, Prannoy Roy and Barkha Dutt, guiding viewers through stories that shaped the world.

News that changed history
Live news is television’s most powerful contribution. The medium brought global audiences face-to-face with defining moments:
●  The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989
●  The 2001 attacks in New York
●  Elections across democracies
Wars, peace agreements, breakthroughs and tragedies in real time
Television transformed news into a shared global experience, influencing public  opinion and political discourse like no medium before.

And in India, television became a window to moments that shaped the nation:
●  The 1999 Kargil War, where live reporting brought the frontlines into Indian living rooms
●  The 26/11 Mumbai attacks, covered minute by minute as the nation watched in shock
●  The 2014 general election results, which ushered in a new era of political communication
●  The Ayodhya verdict and Ram Mandir developments, which gripped viewers across the country
●  The Covid-19 pandemic coverage, from nationwide lockdown announcements to relief efforts
Television once again transformed news into a shared national and global experience.

Sports: The world’s favourite spectacle
From the Olympics to the FIFA World Cup, from Wimbledon to the IPL—television turned sports into a global festival. Innovations like slow-motion replays, drone shots, multi-angle coverage and HD cameras elevated how fans experienced games. Today, sports broadcasts remain among the most-watched content in television history.

A billion-dollar advertising playground
Television revolutionised marketing through powerful visuals and iconic jingles.
Even in 2025, TV ads remain the backbone of high-impact brand campaigns—from Super Bowl commercials to festive season advertising in India. Despite the rise of digital advertising, TV still delivers scale and unmatched reach.

TV vs OTT: A clash or coexistence?
When OTT platforms arrived, many predicted the death of television. Instead, both evolved to coexist.
Smart TVs have turned living rooms into hybrid entertainment hubs, where traditional channels sit alongside Netflix, YouTube, Hotstar and FAST channels.
Television isn’t fading; it’s transforming.

The road ahead
The future of television promises even greater innovation:
AI-powered recommendations, interactive broadcasts, immersive sports viewing, VR-driven channels and smarter integration with home ecosystems.
As long as people crave storytelling and shared experiences, television will remain a powerful companion.

On this World Television Day, we honour a medium that has informed, entertained, united and connected humanity for nearly a century.