• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Early Color TV

D

Dave

Guest
Just checked out Kris Trexler's impressive site on the history of color TV and wanted to pose a question:
When did your market make the switch and who was the first?
 
Seattle: KOMO-TV, then nearing three years old, trucked in two TK-41s and switched to "live local color" on February 1, 1956 (Gad! 50 years! How'd I miss that?).

One of those old cameras now stands in an automobile dealership.
 
> Seattle: KOMO-TV, then nearing three years old, trucked in
> two TK-41s and switched to "live local color" on February 1,
> 1956 (Gad! 50 years! How'd I miss that?).
>
> One of those old cameras now stands in an automobile
> dealership.
>
Just curious...Is KOMO an NBC affiliate? I'm guessing that in most markets. the NBC affiliate was the first. I know that where I grew up (greater Fort Wayne area), our ABC station was the last (WPTA/21)...In fact, for several years after 21 was broadcasting in color, we always noticed their color looked worse than the NBC (WKJG, now WISE/33) or CBS (WANE/15) stations.
 
Boston:

First to be able to transmit network color was WBZ-4 sometime in 1954. I believe they got a color film chain around 1956, and were the first in Boston with color film/slide capability.

But the first Boston station to have "local/live" color was the original Channel 5 (WHDH, no relation to the current Boston station on Channel 7 using those calls), which had TK-41 color studio cameras as far back as their first day on the air (November 26th, 1957).

They had a mobile unit which initially had black-and-white cameras (In contrast, all of their local live/tape studio programs were in color).

From time-to-time over the next eight years, Channel 5 would take out some of their studio color cameras and put them into the mobile unit. From 1958 through 1971, they had the rights to the Boston Red Sox, and broadcast some home games in color from 1958 through 1964 (I believe they began doing all televised home games in color sometime in 1965, when the mobile unit got brand-new TK-42/43 cameras).
 
Early Color TV (Boston style)

In fact, in Boston here's pretty much the timeline for local color conversions

*2 WGBH (1967) After the WGBH fire in the early 1960's, some of WHDH's color cameras and studios were used by WGBH, however the Channel 2 transmitter was not capable of color until a rebuild in 1967.

4 WBZ (1954) network/local film and slides (1956) /local live color was in 1967

5 WHDH (1957) since day one, 11/26/1957

7 WNAC (1966) Pre-1966, the few ABC shows in color (Jetsons,Flintstones and Batman) were seen in color on Channel 7 as well. But no local color on Channel 7 was available until the fall of 1966.

9 WMUR (1973) This was probably the LAST station in America to go local color. They did have network and slide color capability since 1963. As for film, not until 1973 did they have local film color ability.

14 WJZB (now deleted) Never operated in color. Was to be rebuilt for color in 1969. But a fire at the station in the spring of 1969 ended EVERYTHING, including WJZB-TV.

38 WSBK (1966) after sale to Storer 8/66, station was totally rebuilt for color.

*44 WGBX (9/25/1967) Channel 44 was originally built for color BEFORE WGBH/2.

56 WKBG (1966) after sale to Kaiser (who reactivated the station after nearly 10 years of silence)

I'm sure Joe will probably have more info.





> Boston:
>
> First to be able to transmit network color was WBZ-4
> sometime in 1954. I believe they got a color film chain
> around 1956, and were the first in Boston with color
> film/slide capability.
>
> But the first Boston station to have "local/live" color was
> the original Channel 5 (WHDH, no relation to the current
> Boston station on Channel 7 using those calls), which had
> TK-41 color studio cameras as far back as their first day on
> the air (November 26th, 1957).
>
> They had a mobile unit which initially had black-and-white
> cameras (In contrast, all of their local live/tape studio
> programs were in color).
>
> From time-to-time over the next eight years, Channel 5 would
> take out some of their studio color cameras and put them
> into the mobile unit. From 1958 through 1971, they had the
> rights to the Boston Red Sox, and broadcast some home games
> in color from 1958 through 1964 (I believe they began doing
> all televised home games in color sometime in 1965, when the
> mobile unit got brand-new TK-42/43 cameras).
> <P ID="signature">______________
Peter Q. George (K1XRB)
Whitman, Massachusetts</P>
 
Re: Early Color TV (Boston style)

> 9 WMUR (1973) This was probably the LAST station
> in America to go local color. They did have network
> and slide color capability since 1963. As for film,
> not until 1973 did they have local film color ability.

Slides but not film?

A film chain was normally made up of two 16mm film
projectors and one slide projector shooting via a
multiplexer into a vidicon camera.
 
Re: Early Color TV (Boston style)

> > 9 WMUR (1973) This was probably the LAST station
> > in America to go local color. They did have network
> > and slide color capability since 1963. As for film,
> > not until 1973 did they have local film color ability.
>
> Slides but not film?
>
> A film chain was normally made up of two 16mm film
> projectors and one slide projector shooting via a
> multiplexer into a vidicon camera.
>

This was based upon the old TV Factbook which had all the facts and figures of practically every TV station (including local color) in America including facility rosters including VTR (high and low band), slides, film etc.. I noticed myself that the funny thing about WMUR was that their ID slides were always seen in color. But any film presentation always seemed to be always in black and white. Then again, WMUR probably had very little product that was actually in color. Even the Popeye cartoons (the ones which were syndicated in color) were shown in black and white on Channel 9. It was a unique operation. I even saw Channel 9 operate without an audio carrier. They continued with their regular afternoon schedule WITHOUT audio, BUT super-imposed on the screen "WE HAVE LOST OUR SOUND!". This was in early 1973! The WMUR of 1973 has no bearing of the high tech station it is now in 2006. <P ID="signature">______________
Peter Q. George (K1XRB)
Whitman, Massachusetts</P>
 
Re: Early Color TV (Boston style)

> > > 9 WMUR (1973) This was probably the LAST station
> > > in America to go local color. They did have network
> > > and slide color capability since 1963. As for film,
> > > not until 1973 did they have local film color ability.
> >
> > Slides but not film?
> >
> > A film chain was normally made up of two 16mm film
> > projectors and one slide projector shooting via a
> > multiplexer into a vidicon camera.
> >
>
> This was based upon the old TV Factbook which had all the
> facts and figures of practically every TV station (including
> local color) in America including facility rosters including
> VTR (high and low band), slides, film etc.. I noticed myself
> that the funny thing about WMUR was that their ID slides
> were always seen in color. But any film presentation always
> seemed to be always in black and white. Then again, WMUR
> probably had very little product that was actually in color.
> Even the Popeye cartoons (the ones which were syndicated in
> color) were shown in black and white on Channel 9. It was a
> unique operation. I even saw Channel 9 operate without an
> audio carrier. They continued with their regular afternoon
> schedule WITHOUT audio, BUT super-imposed on the screen "WE
> HAVE LOST OUR SOUND!". This was in early 1973! The WMUR of
> 1973 has no bearing of the high tech station it is now in
> 2006.
>

While 1973 is indeed rather late for any station to go color, I think I can even top WMUR.

I have seen listings in old TV Guides from as late as 1975 that still say that WBOC-TV channel 16 in Salsbury, Maryland was airing their local news in B/W.

First in local Color in the mid-Atlantic..

Maryland: Baltimore's WBAL-TV 11 ( early 60s )
DC: WRC-TV 4 ( late 50s )
Virginia: Norfolk/Portsmouth's WAVY-TV 10 ( around 1965 )
West Virginia: Huntington's WSAZ-TV 3 ( around 1965-1966 )

I got this info from old copies of TV Guide. If there were other stations doing color before these, it wasn't mentioned in TV Guide.
 
> Just checked out Kris Trexler's impressive site on the
> history of color TV and wanted to pose a question:
> When did your market make the switch and who was the first?
>
I don't know when my local affilates became color, but considering that NBC was owned by RCA, they would be the first in most markets to go color.
 
Re: Early Color TV (Boston style)

I could be very wrong about this, and I have nothing but my memory to back me up ('nuff said?) but when I lived in CT in the early 80's I think WATR-20/Waterbury (now WTXX) still did their local news (5 minutes at 11:00 p.m.) in black and white. When they switched from their NBC affiliation to go independent, I believe that's when they went color. Anyone from CT able to back this up one way or the other?

Thanks!

>
> While 1973 is indeed rather late for any station to go
> color, I think I can even top WMUR.
>
> I have seen listings in old TV Guides from as late as 1975
> that still say that WBOC-TV channel 16 in Salsbury, Maryland
> was airing their local news in B/W.
 
Re: Early Color TV (Boston style)

Peter wrote:

> I'm sure Joe will probably have more info.

Actually, I think I have only one additional tidbit: Some time after Storer bought WSBK-38 (but probably not long thereafter), they got a full-color mobile unit. I'm not 100% sure, but I have heard that until they moved to 83 Leo Birmingham Parkway (late 1968 or early 1969?), that for local color programs, they would park the truck outside the 25 Granby Street facilities (actually leased from the Archdisosce of Boston, the former station owner), put the color cameras into the studio, and run cables from the cameras to the truck.

Until the move to Leo Birmingham Parkway, I believe there were occassional black-and-white local public-affairs shows on WSBK, taped when the color remote truck was otherwise occupied.
 
In Syracuse,I know the old WNYS-9 didn't go studio color til at least the mid-60's likely late 60's. The old WHEN-5/CBS had color studio cameras before rival NBC affiliate WSYR-3. WHEN bought GE color studio cameras in about 1965 - part so f them were made at Electronics Park in Liverpool. WSYR had the old TK-43's til the mid 70's, then switched to Marconi's. They kept one TK-44 up on a scaffolding to shoot the long shot from behind the audience seats down the built-in bowling alley. But ch. 3 broadcast net color and local film in the 50's.
I distnctly remember being in WCNY/24 public TV in 1969, and they had the same color cameras as ch. 5.

Down the road, I know that WICZ/40 in Binghamton didn't get color studio cams until 1977. I've heard along about 1968, WWNY/7 in Watertown went studio color, when they moved into 120 Arcade St.

> Just checked out Kris Trexler's impressive site on the
> history of color TV and wanted to pose a question:
> When did your market make the switch and who was the first?
>
 
> > Just checked out Kris Trexler's impressive site on the
> > history of color TV and wanted to pose a question:
> > When did your market make the switch and who was the
> first?
> >
> I don't know when my local affilates became color, but
> considering that NBC was owned by RCA, they would be the
> first in most markets to go color.
>
True and in 1985 They were the first to go stereo
 
Re: Early Color TV (Milwaukee)

In Milwaukee, WTMJ-TV broadcast its first color program from NBC, "Amahl and the Night Visitors" on 20 December 1953. The first locally produced color program was broadcast by WTMJ-TV on 18 July 1954. The first commercially sponsored color program was broadcast 2 days later. WTMJ-TV used RCA equipment.

WTMJ-TV was the only station broadcasting in color until WITI-TV went on the air on 21 May 1956. WITI was the first station to use the Du Mont Vitascan color system. (Making TV in the dark). It used the system - as well as the Du Mont flying spot scanner that came with it, to broadcast color programs through the end of 1957. WTMJ-TV had gone to all-color for its studio operations, and the Du Mont system produced an inferior color picture. WITI went to monchrome thereafter. (Besides, there weren't that many color sets in homes.)

I'm told that one other station, in Minnesota, used the Vitascan system, but that WITI was the pioneer.

> Just checked out Kris Trexler's impressive site on the
> history of color TV and wanted to pose a question:
> When did your market make the switch and who was the first?
>
 
> > Just curious...Is KOMO an NBC affiliate?
>
> KOMO now is an ABC affiliate but in 1956 was NBC.

Correct. KOMO lost the NBC affiliation to KING in 1958, thanks to then owners the Bullitt Sisters, who wanted to dump ABC for a stronger network at the time(In this case, NBC).
 
> Just checked out Kris Trexler's impressive site on the
> history of color TV and wanted to pose a question:
> When did your market make the switch and who was the first?

BIRMINGHAM, ALA.: WBMG-42 was first with a color film chain when it signed on in late 1965. First with color cameras was WAPI-13 (now WVTM) which put a film chain and TK-42s into service at the same time in April 1967. WBRC-6 followed soon thereafter.

The first station in Alabama to go full-color was not a Birmingham station, as one might think. WCOV-TV 20 in Montgomery (then CBS) began full colorcasting somewhere in the 1965-66 time frame, beating the NBC affiliate WSFA-12 which to this day is a lopsided #1.

MEMPHIS: WMCT-5 (NBC, now WMC) was first, not sure on date. WREC-3 (CBS, now WREG) was color by spring '68, going by their feeds to CBS the day MLK was slain. In a montage of animated IDs I have somewhere is one for WMCT, with a Pepper jingle "First in color ... channel 5!", followed by the station's trademark riverboat whistle.

LITTLE ROCK: A 1967 Ark. Edition TVG shows color icons for all the network stations: KARK-4 (NBC), KATV-7 (ABC), and KTHV-11 (CBS). However, Arkansas Educational Television KETS-2 was still totally monochrome until 1973, even running "Sesame Street" and the other usual suspects in B/W!

SAVANNAH: Back in '00 I heard a news item about the 30th anniversary of our ABC station, WJCL-22. Unless I heard wrong, it said that WJCL was the first station to colorcast local programming. If that's true, then our dominant VHFs - WSAV-3 (NBC) and WTOC-11 (CBS) were still in lively black & white well into 1970 (22 went on the air that Summer).
 
Maryland & Virginia

> While 1973 is indeed rather late for any station to go
> color, I think I can even top WMUR.
>
> I have seen listings in old TV Guides from as late as 1975
> that still say that WBOC-TV channel 16 in Salsbury, Maryland
> was airing their local news in B/W.
>

You are right about WBOC. Actually they would have stayed B/w for awhile longer had Baltimore's WMAR not do an upgrade to their equipment in 1975. When WMAR got new cameras, they sold ( I heard even donate ) thier old color equipment to WBOC.

BTW...with the new gear, WMAR was able to do live on the scene news reports in 1975.


> Maryland: Baltimore's WBAL-TV 11 ( early 60s )
> DC: WRC-TV 4 ( late 50s )
> Virginia: Norfolk/Portsmouth's WAVY-TV 10 ( around 1965 )
> West Virginia: Huntington's WSAZ-TV 3 ( around 1965-1966 )
>
> I got this info from old copies of TV Guide. If there were
> other stations doing color before these, it wasn't mentioned
> in TV Guide.
>

Hagerstown's WHAG went color when that station signed on in 1970.

In Richmond, I think WWBT ( then WRVA-TV ) was color in by 1967 with WTVR and WXEX not too far behind. Norfolk, yes WAVY was the first to go color and I think WTAR ( WTKR ) followed a year later.

I seem to recall reading that WVEC didn't go color until either the late 60's, perhaps 1970. WYAH I know was in color in 1969 as there is a scene of an old Jim & Tammy Faye Bakker program that was featured in the film "The Eyes of Tammy Faye". The clip was in color.

Don't know about Roanoke, but Harrisonburg's WHSV ( then WSVA-TV ) went color in 1968 when that station joined ABC full time.

Most of the Baltimore and Washington stations was color by 1966/ 1967. Even WTTG !!
In fact in one of their anniversaries, WTTG made a claim that they were the first local station to go color in 1962. However I don't think that is correct though.

Baltimore's WMET ( channel 24 ) was B/w until that station signed off for good in 1972.
 
Re: Maryland & Virginia

> You are right about WBOC. Actually they would have stayed
> B/w for awhile longer had Baltimore's WMAR not do an upgrade
> to their equipment in 1975. When WMAR got new cameras, they
> sold ( I heard even donate ) thier old color equipment to
> WBOC.

Donated probably IMO. I read where WMAR and WBOC were both owned by the Baltimore Sun in those days. WBOC has since been sold to Draper Communications and WMAR has changed hands a couple of times since 1975 too. Scripps Howard now owns it.
>
> BTW...with the new gear, WMAR was able to do live on the
> scene news reports in 1975.

Wonder when WBAL and WJZ achieved that capability?

ixnay
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom