Sources: New York Times. 23 Apr. 1939; New York Times. 30 Apr. 1939; Billboard. 13 May 1939; Billboard. 27 May 1939; Variety. 10 May 1939; Asbury Park Press. 6 May 1939; Television Obscurities; Old TV History
W2XBS, Channel 1 (45.25 m. c.; 49.75 m. c.) (experimentally licensed predecessor of present-day WNBC channel 4)
Sunday, April 30th, 1939
12:30-4:00PM – Opening of New York World’s Fair.
Monday, May 1, 1939
11:00 to 4:00—World’s Fair Demonstration.
Tuesday, May 2
11:00 to 4:00—World’s Fair Demonstration.
Wednesday, May 3
4:00-8:00—World’s Fair Demonstration.
8:00-9:00—First official television studio show: Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians; Richard Rodgers; Marjorie Clark and Earl Larimore in “The Unexpected,” a studio play; the Three Swifts, jugglers; a special relay from the World’s Fair grounds, Walt Disney cartoon, “Donald Duck’s cousin.”
Thursday, May 4
11:00 to 4:00—World’s Fair Demonstration.
Friday, May 5
4:00-8:00—World’s Fair Demonstration.
8:00-9:00—Variety: Ed Herlihy; Novello Brothers, whistling act; Roy Post and his lie detector, a newsreel; Mitzi Green; Josephine Huston.
Saturday, May 6
No programs scheduled
It is interesting what aired during the first week of public television broadcasting. Too bad the kinescope process was not invented until 1947, as it would be interesting seeing the earliest programming. I wonder what the “Worlds Fair Demonstration” programs consisted of?
W2XBS, Channel 1 (45.25 m. c.; 49.75 m. c.) (experimentally licensed predecessor of present-day WNBC channel 4)
Sunday, April 30th, 1939
12:30-4:00PM – Opening of New York World’s Fair.
Monday, May 1, 1939
11:00 to 4:00—World’s Fair Demonstration.
Tuesday, May 2
11:00 to 4:00—World’s Fair Demonstration.
Wednesday, May 3
4:00-8:00—World’s Fair Demonstration.
8:00-9:00—First official television studio show: Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians; Richard Rodgers; Marjorie Clark and Earl Larimore in “The Unexpected,” a studio play; the Three Swifts, jugglers; a special relay from the World’s Fair grounds, Walt Disney cartoon, “Donald Duck’s cousin.”
Thursday, May 4
11:00 to 4:00—World’s Fair Demonstration.
Friday, May 5
4:00-8:00—World’s Fair Demonstration.
8:00-9:00—Variety: Ed Herlihy; Novello Brothers, whistling act; Roy Post and his lie detector, a newsreel; Mitzi Green; Josephine Huston.
Saturday, May 6
No programs scheduled
It is interesting what aired during the first week of public television broadcasting. Too bad the kinescope process was not invented until 1947, as it would be interesting seeing the earliest programming. I wonder what the “Worlds Fair Demonstration” programs consisted of?