Television was not invented by a single inventor, instead many people working together and alone over the years, contributed to the evolution of television.
In the 1920's, Scottish inventor John Logie Baird patented the idea of using arrays of transparent rods to transmit images for television. Baird's 30 line images were the first demonstrations of television by reflected light rather than back-lit silhouettes. John Logie Baird based his technology on Paul Nipkow's scanning disc idea and later developments in electronics. On May 11, 1928, General Electric began the first regular broadcast station, WGY, in Schenectady, New York. These milestones paved the way for the coming television revolution. The high cost of the technology prevented the television from becoming widespread until the Fifties.