1950

• A total of 101 television stations are operating.
• Some 4,835,000 television sets are installed.
• In The Lonely Crowd, published this year, social scientists David Riesman, Nathan Glazer, and Reuel Denney argue that the mass media is a powerful force in shaping behavior and enforcing conformity.
• On February 21, the Justice Department files a civil antitrust suit charging Lee and Jacob Shubert with monopolizing U.S. theater ownership.
• On April 13, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warns radio stations that present editorial opinions on controversial issues that they have a "duty to seek out, aid and encourage the broadcast of opposing views."
• On October 2, Charles Schulz's comic strip Peanuts begins appearing in newspapers across the country. This is Schulz's second try at syndicating the cartoon. His strip was previously rejected by several major...