How political conventions became sanitized, made-for-TV infomercials

[Commentary] Whether you loved Sen Ted Cruz's (R-TX) shade-throwing non-endorsement speech at the Republican National Convention or considered it poor sportsmanship, there is no disputing this: It was good television. The cheers, the jeers, the spotlight-stealing entrance by Donald Trump — the whole thing was compelling drama. But such moments are rare in an era of carefully choreographed conventions that often resemble infomercials for the Republican and Democratic parties.

Events that originated as messy nominating contests have become made-for-TV specials with predetermined outcomes, viewed by politicians as can't-miss opportunities to deliver one-sided messages to a national audience with minimal journalistic filtration. How did we get here? The history of political conventions on TV mirrors the history of the television itself. No surprise there. As TV ownership exploded from less than 1 percent of US households in 1948 to a majority in 1954, convention organizers in both major parties adapted the events to take advantage of the new medium.