What were the first channels on the VHF frequencies to go on the air? What I mean is where was the first channel 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. And not on an experimental basis but the on air date. This information could be found on Wikipedia. I would suspect the first ch. 2 was WCBS New York (1941); KYW 3 Philadelphia (1941); WNBC 4 New York (1941); WNYW 5 New York (1941), for example.
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First channels
- Thread starter alg2468
- Start date
By current virtual channel
2: WCBW (now WCBS) New York (July 1, 1941)
3: WPTZ (now KYW) Philadelphia (September 1, 1941)
4: WNBT (now WNBC) New York (July 1, 1941; was on channel 1 until 1946)
5: WABD (now WNYW) New York (May 2, 1944)
6: WRGB Schenectady, NY (February 26, 1942; was on channel 4 until 1954)
7: WJZ (now WABC) New York (August 10, 1948)
8: WTNH New Haven, CT (June 15, 1948; was on channel 6 until 1953)
9: WOR (now WWOR) New York (October 11, 1949)
10: WCAU Philadelphia (May 23, 1948)
11: WPIX New York (June 15, 1948)
12: WBNG Binghamton, NY (December 1, 1949)
13: WATV (now WNET) Newark, NJ (May 15, 1948)
2: WCBW (now WCBS) New York (July 1, 1941)
3: WPTZ (now KYW) Philadelphia (September 1, 1941)
4: WNBT (now WNBC) New York (July 1, 1941; was on channel 1 until 1946)
5: WABD (now WNYW) New York (May 2, 1944)
6: WRGB Schenectady, NY (February 26, 1942; was on channel 4 until 1954)
7: WJZ (now WABC) New York (August 10, 1948)
8: WTNH New Haven, CT (June 15, 1948; was on channel 6 until 1953)
9: WOR (now WWOR) New York (October 11, 1949)
10: WCAU Philadelphia (May 23, 1948)
11: WPIX New York (June 15, 1948)
12: WBNG Binghamton, NY (December 1, 1949)
13: WATV (now WNET) Newark, NJ (May 15, 1948)
I thought it was interesting that both WCBW and WNBT both came on July 1, 1941. Would anyone know which station actually came on first, and at what time of day? Thanks!
take wiki with a grain of salt. Per the WCBS wiki
The station went on the air at 2:30 p.m. on July 1, one hour after rival WNBT (channel 1, formerly W2XBS and now WNBC), making it the second authorized fully commercial television station in the United States
and the WNBC wiki
The NBC and CBS stations were licensed and instructed to sign on simultaneously on July 1 so that neither of the major broadcast companies could claim exclusively to be "first." However, WNBT signed on at 1:30 p.m., one full hour before WCBW. As a result, WNBC (and essentially, NBC) inadvertently holds the distinction as the oldest continuously operating commercial television station (and television network, respectively) in the United States, and also the only one ready to accept sponsors from its beginning.
From Wikipedia:
On January 22, 1947, the station was licensed for commercial broadcasting as KTLA on channel 5, becoming the first commercial television station in Los Angeles, the first to broadcast west of the Mississippi River, and the eighth television station in the United States.
I believe KTLA was first owned by Paramount studios, later by Golden West Broadcasting (Gene Autry), and is now owned by the Tribune Media. It's interesting to me that it ended up as a CW affiliate. In major markets, most CW stations are on CBS owned duopoly stations, so it seems like CW should be on KCAL...so there is probably some history there that I am not aware of.
KTLA, though independent for most of its existence, was famous for being the first station to do live news reports, from the scene of major stories. Up into the mid 1960's - if a major story broke in Los Angeles (fire, flood, etc.), you didn't turn to one of the network O&Os, but to KTLA because you knew they would be first on the scene and reporting it live as it happened.
On January 22, 1947, the station was licensed for commercial broadcasting as KTLA on channel 5, becoming the first commercial television station in Los Angeles, the first to broadcast west of the Mississippi River, and the eighth television station in the United States.
I believe KTLA was first owned by Paramount studios, later by Golden West Broadcasting (Gene Autry), and is now owned by the Tribune Media. It's interesting to me that it ended up as a CW affiliate. In major markets, most CW stations are on CBS owned duopoly stations, so it seems like CW should be on KCAL...so there is probably some history there that I am not aware of.
KTLA, though independent for most of its existence, was famous for being the first station to do live news reports, from the scene of major stories. Up into the mid 1960's - if a major story broke in Los Angeles (fire, flood, etc.), you didn't turn to one of the network O&Os, but to KTLA because you knew they would be first on the scene and reporting it live as it happened.
4: WRGB Schenectady was granted its license for 66-72 MHz (wartime Channel 3, current Channel 4) on February 26, 1942.
5: WNEW-TV New York began operations on Channel 5 on December 17, 1945, moving from the wartime Channel 4 which was 2 MHz higher.
9: WGN-TV Chicago began regular programming on April 5, 1948, a year and a half before WOR-TV.
[doh!]Those call letters, of course, should be WABD, not WNEW-TV.[/doh!]
KPIX is the first TV station in San Francisco.
KCCC Sacramento was the Valleys first TV Station
http://www.uhftelevision.com/articles/kccc.html
KCCC Sacramento was the Valleys first TV Station
http://www.uhftelevision.com/articles/kccc.html
If you go by who was the first station on each post-war NTSC channel (current callsign and/or PSIP channel, if different, in parentheses):
2: WCBW (WCBS-TV) New York -- 3/1/46
3: WPTZ (KYW-TV) Philadelphia -- 3/1/46
4: * WRGB (Now Ch. 6) Schenectady NY -- 2/6/42
5: WABD (WNYW) New York -- 12/17/45
6: WFIL-TV (WPVI-TV) Philadelphia -- 9/10/47
7: WTVW (WJLA-TV) Washington DC -- 10/3/47
8: WSB-TV (Now Ch. 2) Atlanta -- 9/29/48
9: WGN-TV Chicago -- 4/5/48
10: WCAU-TV Philadelphia -- 5/23/48
11: WBAL-TV Baltimore -- 3/11/48
12: WICU-TV Erie PA -- 3/15/49
13: WATV (WNET) Newark NJ -- 5/15/48
* WRGB was one of two stations, along with WBKB Chicago, that did not have to move with the new (current) channel numbering after the war. Both stations occupied 66-72 MHz when first licensed as commercial stations. 66-72 MHz was wartime (1940-45) Channel 3, and was renumbered as Channel 4 in November 1945.
2: WCBW (WCBS-TV) New York -- 3/1/46
3: WPTZ (KYW-TV) Philadelphia -- 3/1/46
4: * WRGB (Now Ch. 6) Schenectady NY -- 2/6/42
5: WABD (WNYW) New York -- 12/17/45
6: WFIL-TV (WPVI-TV) Philadelphia -- 9/10/47
7: WTVW (WJLA-TV) Washington DC -- 10/3/47
8: WSB-TV (Now Ch. 2) Atlanta -- 9/29/48
9: WGN-TV Chicago -- 4/5/48
10: WCAU-TV Philadelphia -- 5/23/48
11: WBAL-TV Baltimore -- 3/11/48
12: WICU-TV Erie PA -- 3/15/49
13: WATV (WNET) Newark NJ -- 5/15/48
* WRGB was one of two stations, along with WBKB Chicago, that did not have to move with the new (current) channel numbering after the war. Both stations occupied 66-72 MHz when first licensed as commercial stations. 66-72 MHz was wartime (1940-45) Channel 3, and was renumbered as Channel 4 in November 1945.
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