Tomorrow (June 9th) marks the 65th anniversary of the arrival of commercial television in New England, with next Saturday (June 15th) marking the 65th anniversary of commercial television in Connecticut.
On June 9th, 1948, WBZ-4 in Boston went on the air for the first time. Six days later, on June 15th, WNHC-6 in New Haven (now WTNH on Channel eight) became New England's second commercial television station and the first in Connecticut. On June 21st, WNAC-7 in Boston became Boston's second commercial TV station and the third in New England.
I would suspect that all three stations wanted to get on the air on or by June 21st, since the 1948 Republican Convention in Philadelphia began that day. It was the first to receive widespread live TV coverage; although the 1940 GOP conclave was televised in Philadelphia (where it was held) and also fed to New York and Schenectady. The Democrats held their convention a month later in the same city.
In fact, some published accounts had San Francisco as the leading contender to host both 1948 conventions, but Philadelphia won out because holding the conventions there would allow for live TV coverage up-and-down the East Coast from Boston to Richmond. Had the conventions been held in "SanFran", they would only have been televised there......had one or more of the three TV stations there holding construction permits accelerated their plans to go on the air in-time for the conventions.
So in effect, commercial television in New England is a "senior citizen", as noted in the title of this thread, because it's been around for 65 years.
On June 9th, 1948, WBZ-4 in Boston went on the air for the first time. Six days later, on June 15th, WNHC-6 in New Haven (now WTNH on Channel eight) became New England's second commercial television station and the first in Connecticut. On June 21st, WNAC-7 in Boston became Boston's second commercial TV station and the third in New England.
I would suspect that all three stations wanted to get on the air on or by June 21st, since the 1948 Republican Convention in Philadelphia began that day. It was the first to receive widespread live TV coverage; although the 1940 GOP conclave was televised in Philadelphia (where it was held) and also fed to New York and Schenectady. The Democrats held their convention a month later in the same city.
In fact, some published accounts had San Francisco as the leading contender to host both 1948 conventions, but Philadelphia won out because holding the conventions there would allow for live TV coverage up-and-down the East Coast from Boston to Richmond. Had the conventions been held in "SanFran", they would only have been televised there......had one or more of the three TV stations there holding construction permits accelerated their plans to go on the air in-time for the conventions.
So in effect, commercial television in New England is a "senior citizen", as noted in the title of this thread, because it's been around for 65 years.
