Retro: New York City, July 1, 1941 (Day one of commercial TV in the USA)

[Bob1370]

Source; New York Times, 7/1/41.

This is what TV looked llke on the first official day of FCC- licensed commercial telecasting in the United States, with two New York City stations licensed commercially on day one (and a third operating experimentally, which would finally get its full commercial license in 1944).

WNBT, Channel 1 (now WNBC, channel 4)

1:50-2:30 PM-Test Pattern
2:30 PM-Sign-on, then Baseball; Dodgers vs. Phillies at Ebbets Field
5:45 PM-Lowll Thomas news
8-9 PM-Test Pattern
9-10 PM; USO Program features Thomas Dewey (NYC Distirct Attorney, later Govenor of NY); Mrs. Winthrop Aldrich;
Uncle Jim's Question Bee; Musical Revue, Bottlenecks of 1941; Truth or Cinsequences
10 PM; Sign-off

WCBW, Channel 2 (now WCBS-TV)

2:00 PM-Test Pattern
2:30-Sign-on; Dance lessons
3:15-3:30-Children's Story
7:30-Test Pattern
8:00-News
8:15-Joan Edwards, songs
8:30-Metropolitan Museum of Art, Francis Henry Taylor, speaker
9:00-Bob Edge, interviews; Paul Schreiber, Yankees pitcher. Mrs. Gwendolyn Bloomingdale

W2XWV, Channel 4 (DuMont experimental station; now WNYW. Channel 5)

12-8 PM-Tests and selected films (no other information)

A few other experimental stations were on the air in the summer of 1941--one in New York's Capital District which became WRGB in 1942; one which became WPTZ and later KYW-TV in Philadelphia; one which became WBKB and later WBBM-TV in Chicago; and one in Los Angeles which became KTSL and eventually KCBS-TV. None of them were licensed commercially at the time and only one, WPTZ, would get a fully commercial license before the start of World War II.

TV got off to a low key start in America 69 years ago...sure did build a lot, didn't it?

 

[thathoustonradiogeek]

Funny, you would post that. It bears relation to my post about the old FM band and channel 1 here:http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=166177.0 ;D

 

[radiorob2.0]

I was actually expecting to see a listing for Joe Franklin. ;D

 

[wbhist]

I was actually expecting to see a listing for Joe Franklin. ;D

Funny . . . I was hoping to see a listing of The Late Show . . . back when that title meant a long-running movie showcase.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

OK, as long as we're (good-naturedly) riffing the subject matter...

Did the Mountain Time Zone affiliates clear these shows live
three hours earlier (NYC would have been on EDT), or were
they shipped kinnies to air a week or two late? ;D

(And what about the left coast feed?)

 

[cd637299]

Forget that....did Alaska get these shows?

cd

 

[bpatrick]

There was one particularly gross-out moment that
first day. Actress Edith Spencer, whose radio show
"Aunt Jenny's True-Life Stories," was sponsored by
Spry shortening, appeared on-camera to do a Spry
commercial; she was, I believe, stirring the batter for
a cake, licked the spoon, then put it back in the bowl.
The calls poured in, people telling her in no uncertain
terms not to do that again.

 

[bk77]

Its been a long time but back in the 1980's I can remember when HBO had aired a show with Dick Cavett called Yesteryear. One show had featured a segment on early TV and with Cavett bringing up how the then networks ( NBC, CBS & DuMont ) per agreement with New York City area churches were "not allowed" to broadcast programming at least one day of the week to keep the family unit intact. I believe the day in question was Tuesday. How long did THAT last?

With that being said, during TV's early years I wonder if there were many communities out there who had said "NO..we don't want it" to TV? Similar to the early days of rock n' roll with radio and with HBO & Showtime during the 70's with cable.

 

[KeithE4]

With that being said, during TV's early years I wonder if there were many communities out there who had said "NO..we don't want it" to TV? Similar to the early days of rock n' roll with radio and with HBO & Showtime during the 70's with cable.

I'd find it hard to believe, what with smaller cities in "flyover territory" having TV before the freeze was lifted in 1952 (Lancaster & Johnstown PA, Bloomington IN, Ames IA, Quad Cities IA/IL (probably the smallest market with more than one station at the time), and Huntington WV, among others).

It wasn't just the big markets even back then.

 

[cd637299]

@bpatrick....The calls were rolling in about the licked spoon? How many people had TV in their homes? Was TV shown in a public place, and the people called later? That's interesting.

cd

 

[visaman]

... the then networks ( NBC, CBS & DuMont ) per agreement with New York City area churches were "not allowed" to broadcast programming at least one day of the week....I believe the day in question was Tuesday. How long did THAT last?

For NBC, it was for the entire run of Happy Days on ABC.

 

[Stanislav]

Its been a long time but back in the 1980's I can remember when HBO had aired a show with Dick Cavett called Yesteryear. One show had featured a segment on early TV and with Cavett bringing up how the then networks ( NBC, CBS & DuMont ) per agreement with New York City area churches were "not allowed" to broadcast programming at least one day of the week to keep the family unit intact. I believe the day in question was Tuesday. How long did THAT last?

I never heard of such an agreement here in the U.S. However, Iceland for many years had such a "TV-free" day (theirs was Thursday, IIRC) to encourage families to do something together that evening other than staring at the boob tube. Eliminating that prohibition was quite a controversial issue.

With that being said, during TV's early years I wonder if there were many communities out there who had said "NO..we don't want it" to TV?

Again, not in this country, but there are notable examples abroad of conservative forces vehemently opposing the introduction of television.

In the republic of Ireland, religious and conservative figures were very leery of television and its potential impact on the morals of the population. Some politicos also decried the cost of setting up a television network (the economy in Eire wasn't in great shape at the time), considering TV a "luxury service" that the Irish people could do without. Fact was, though, that many in the country were already using fringe antennas to pick up marginal signals from the BBC and ITV, and it was ultimately felt that they needed to counteract this British influence spilling across their borders.

In South Africa, opposition to the introduction of television was even more virulent and hyperbolic, with the prime minister likening TV to atom bombs and poison gas ("they are modern things, but that does not mean they are desirable") and their communications minister declaring that television would only come to the country "over [his] dead body." The state Dutch Reformed Church condemned TV as "the devil’s own box, for disseminating communism and immorality." There were concerns in the era of Apartheid that imported programs might depict "race-mixing," and make the black population dissatisfied with their lot in life. The white government might also have taken pause at the effect TV had in covering racial strife in the U.S. South during the sixties. (Although a state-controlled service in South Africa would certainly have had the power to control both program choices and news coverage to their advantage.) Another consideration was protecting the Afrikaans language and culture from the undue influence of English. South Africa ultimately started a television service in 1976, one of the last economically advanced countries to do so.

 

[Stanislav]

BTW, while we "modern" folk may laugh at the "primitive" programming in 1941, I'd still rather watch anything on this schedule (even the test pattern) than a modern-day infomercial or reality show.

 

[Tim L]

BTW, while we "modern" folk may laugh at the "primitive" programming in 1941, I'd still rather watch anything on this schedule (even the test pattern) than a modern-day infomercial or reality show.

Interesting comment, Stanislav:

I'd mentioned this before (May have even posted the schedule here before) but here's is the schedule for the first full week of WJAN-TV 17, Canton, Ohio (Now WDLI-TBN) January 9-13, 1967. Like Most startup UHF stations at the time, they had limited broadcast hours (no weekends at first) plus all Black and White Shows..Tell me you wouldnt prefer this type of schedule on TV Land nowadays..At the time (1967) people probably said, "I'd rather watch 3, 5, and 8 (Cleveland) than these old shows"

Monday, January 9, 1967
4:30 Tall Man
5PM Shotgun Slade
5:30 News
6PM Ray Milland
6:30 Thriller
7:30 News
8PM Movie-Dragon Wells Massacre-1957
9:30 News


Tuesday, January 10, 1967
4:30 Wide Country
5:30 News
6PM Bachelor Father
6:30 Johnny Midnight
7PM Soldier Of Fortune
7:30 News
8PM Movie-Junior Miss 1945
9:30 News

Wednesday, January 11, 1967
4:30 Kit Carson
5PM Restless Gun
5:30 News
6PM Love that Bob
6:30 Checkmate
7:30 News
8PM Movie-TBA
9:30 News

Thursday January 12, 1967
4:30 Overland Trail
5:30 News
6PM Pride Of The Family-Paul Hartman Sitcom
6:30 M Squad
7PM Coronado 9
7:30 News
8PM Movie-TBA
9:30 News

Friday, January 13, 1967
4:30 State Trooper
5PM Tales of Wells Fargo
5:30 News
6PM Leave it to Beaver
6:30 Riverboat
7:30 News
8PM Movie-TBA
9:30 News

 

[mleach]

Its been a long time but back in the 1980's I can remember when HBO had aired a show with Dick Cavett called Yesteryear. One show had featured a segment on early TV and with Cavett bringing up how the then networks ( NBC, CBS & DuMont ) per agreement with New York City area churches were "not allowed" to broadcast programming at least one day of the week to keep the family unit intact. I believe the day in question was Tuesday. How long did THAT last?

I never heard of such an agreement here in the U.S. However, Iceland for many years had such a "TV-free" day (theirs was Thursday, IIRC) to encourage families to do something together that evening other than staring at the boob tube. Eliminating that prohibition was quite a controversial issue.

With that being said, during TV's early years I wonder if there were many communities out there who had said "NO..we don't want it" to TV?

Again, not in this country, but there are notable examples abroad of conservative forces vehemently opposing the introduction of television.

In the republic of Ireland, religious and conservative figures were very leery of television and its potential impact on the morals of the population. Some politicos also decried the cost of setting up a television network (the economy in Eire wasn't in great shape at the time), considering TV a "luxury service" that the Irish people could do without. Fact was, though, that many in the country were already using fringe antennas to pick up marginal signals from the BBC and ITV, and it was ultimately felt that they needed to counteract this British influence spilling across their borders.

In South Africa, opposition to the introduction of television was even more virulent and hyperbolic, with the prime minister likening TV to atom bombs and poison gas ("they are modern things, but that does not mean they are desirable") and their communications minister declaring that television would only come to the country "over [his] dead body." The state Dutch Reformed Church condemned TV as "the devil’s own box, for disseminating communism and immorality." There were concerns in the era of Apartheid that imported programs might depict "race-mixing," and make the black population dissatisfied with their lot in life. The white government might also have taken pause at the effect TV had in covering racial strife in the U.S. South during the sixties. (Although a state-controlled service in South Africa would certainly have had the power to control both program choices and news coverage to their advantage.) Another consideration was protecting the Afrikaans language and culture from the undue influence of English. South Africa ultimately started a television service in 1976, one of the last economically advanced countries to do so.

As far as the United States goes, No, not with TV but it was the case here in America with just about everything else ranging from movies to radio to amusement parks to dancing. I myself have heard the term "filthy passion pits" to describe those old drive-in theatres and of course I am sure all of us have seen those old black&white movies from the 50's of towns trying to stamp out that "devil's music" rock & roll. In 1957 the small town of Mount Jackson, Virginia actually passed a law that banned not only the sell of such "trash" within the town limits but that law was quite blunt when it came to the town's radio station WSIG-AM 790 as well "...music of this type will not be allowed per-the town of Mount Jackson to air over WSIG radio station"..even though, of course the town had no ownership at all when it came to WSIG.

The problem whenever any of these things are brought up today its the same when one brings up those old "blue laws", even if such opinions/laws are out of date and had long since been changed, they can still get one's dander up. About ten years ago on DCRTV.com someone had brought up that 1957 WSIG 'law" only to get a flood of responses from those living in Mount Jackson including former employees of the radio station screaming that no such rule was ever the law there. Even the town council wrote in and agreed with them. Imagine their surprise when they looked further only to discover this, well law was still on the books even though WSIG had long since left that town in favor of nearby Harrisonburg. Dittos with Jersey City, New Jersey with rock music. I have seen online posts from those who live there who deny all of it even though there is that movie clip from the 50s showing that city's mayor ( or was it the chief of police ?) doing just that..trying to pass a law banning rock.

I guess all of this is simply a case of "pride". A lot of people don't want their towns and cities to come across as being "weird" by being against such things and considering that a lot of Catholic churches accoss the country over the years often had outings at various amusement parks, I am sure they do not want to be reminded that there was a time 100 years ago when some within that chruch felt that roller coasters and ferris wheels were "machines of satan". Going back to television, if there was a community someplace that tired to stop the development I am sure that bit of info is dead and buried and that bit o'info would stay there.

I have to admit that I have always found it interesting that two of the inventors of who had made TV a reality, Philo Farnsworth and Vladmir Zworykin seemed to have this love/hate relationship with television in their later years. But then again it was the same with radio too with Lee DeForest, Edwin Armstrong and Guglielmo Marconi.

 

[Stanislav]

I guess all of this is simply a case of "pride". A lot of people don't want their towns and cities to come across as being "weird" by being against such things and considering that a lot of Catholic churches accoss the country over the years often had outings at various amusement parks, I am sure they do not want to be reminded that there was a time 100 years ago when some within that chruch felt that roller coasters and ferris wheels were "machines of satan".

You could make a looong list of things that were considered "sinful" or "morally corrupt" when first introduced, but no one bats an eye at now. When bicycling first became popular, many were outraged at the notion of women riding the things. Since long skirts were impractical for biking (not to mention potentially dangerous if they got caught in the gears), and a bike could hardly be ridden sidesaddle, it really accelerated the trend towards women wearing bloomers and other pants-like "unladylike" garments for leisure.

One of the strangest examples is standard time. When fixed, uniform time zones were first proposed and implemented, many of a religious bent found the notion downright blasphemous. "When God puts the sun overhead, it's Noon, and no government types can tell me otherwise!"

 

[oldiesfan6479]

One of the strangest examples is standard time. When fixed, uniform time zones were first proposed and implemented, many of a religious bent found the notion downright blasphemous. "When God puts the sun overhead, it's Noon, and no government types can tell me otherwise!"

Better not even mention daylight-saving time, or you'll likely be branded
a witch and burned at the stake.

(Let me just twitch my nose and be rid of these yokels! ;D)

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

... the then networks ( NBC, CBS & DuMont ) per agreement with New York City area churches were "not allowed" to broadcast programming at least one day of the week....I believe the day in question was Tuesday. How long did THAT last?

For NBC, it was for the entire run of Happy Days on ABC.

. . . That is, until early 1983 when Mr. T and "The A-Team" on NBC knocked out Happy Days from Tuesday night ratings supremacy.

 

[Ultimajock]

... the then networks ( NBC, CBS & DuMont ) per agreement with New York City area churches were "not allowed" to broadcast programming at least one day of the week....I believe the day in question was Tuesday. How long did THAT last?

For NBC, it was for the entire run of Happy Days on ABC.

. . . That is, until early 1983 when Mr. T and "The A-Team" on NBC knocked out Happy Days from Tuesday night ratings supremacy.

...oh? Seems to me Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater interrupted that '41-'83 time span ;-) ...

 

[Gregg]

>>>WNBT, Channel 1 (now WNBC, channel 4)
1:50-2:30 PM-Test Pattern
2:30 PM-Sign-on, then Baseball; Dodgers vs. Phillies at Ebbets Field
5:45 PM-Lowell Thomas news
8-9 PM-Test Pattern
9-10 PM; USO Program features Thomas Dewey (NYC Distirct Attorney, later Govenor of NY);
Uncle Jim's Question Bee; Musical Revue, Bottlenecks of 1941; Truth or Consequences
10 PM; Sign-off

WCBW, Channel 2 (now WCBS-TV)
2:00 PM-Test Pattern
2:30-Sign-on; Dance lessons
3:15-3:30-Children's Story
7:30-Test Pattern
8:00-News
8:15-Joan Edwards, songs
8:30-Metropolitan Museum of Art, Francis Henry Taylor, speaker
9:00-Bob Edge, interviews; Paul Schreiber, Yankees pitcher. Mrs. Gwendolyn Bloomingdale


--Interesting how both stations signed on for a couple of afternoon shows, then signed off till evening.

--Regarding the Lowell Thomas newscast on NBC at 5:45pm... I assume that was simply Thomas reading his radio newscast, possibly at the same time it aired on the radio. Is my memory faulty or do I remember Lowell Thomas on CBS Radio in the 70s or 80s? Didn't know he was on NBC in the 40s.

--Can you imagine the expense and difficulty of televising a baseball game on the first day of Commercial TV? Having TV cameras set up at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn and getting the signal back to the station in Midtown? My dad says before he had a TV in his home in the 50s, he remembers taverns and bars advertising that they had TV, so guys could go there, buy some beers and see the game if there was no TV at home. I guess it was only when the wife wanted to see Milton Berle or daytime soap operas that families spent the money for a TV at home.

--TV broadcasting was so novel that the newspaper even listed the Test Pattern! On early TV Guides, they didn't list test patterns or the sign on or sign off, but if the Sermonette or Sign On/Sign Off Newscast lasted more than 5 minutes, it would get listed in TV Guide.


Gregg
[email protected]