The technical objectives of broadcasting have created whole industries and new technologies. Telecommunications, satellite TV, radio and other mediums have been born out of the need to broadcast. Thousands of jobs, countless new innovations and increased access to broadcast feeds world wide have come out of the technical objective of broadcasting.
The government has had an important role to play in broadcasting objectives. New departments such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulate broadcasters and broadcasting technology. The aim of the FCC is to not only regulate what is broadcast (content), but how it is broadcast (signal). The broadcast signals must be safe and not cause damage to other machines.
The implications to society of the technical objectives of broadcasting are great. The ease of access to broadcast signals grows daily. This increases the access to information globally. It improves communication, spreads knowledge and creates industries for jobs. The health effects of broadcast technology are not fully conclusive. Some studies suggest prolonged exposure to some broadcast signals can lead to illness and disease.
The environment has also been impacted by the technical objectives of broadcasting. Transmission towers stand in once vacant forests. The cosmos is littered with satellites. The airwaves are crowded with signals. The long-term effects on the environment do not seem too serious, yet broadcast technology is still in relative infancy; who knows what the future may bring.