| The first television sets were part electrical and part | | | | Wheaton, Maryland, Charles Jenkins' W3XK |
| mechanical, consisting of spinning discs that replicated | | | | transmitter started tests followed by |
| the action of a larger spinning disc in the studio. The | | | | regular programs in July 1928.These broadcasts were |
| first moving images - of a ventriloquist's dummy - | | | | never really meant or designed for wide public |
| were transmitted by Scot John Logie Baird in 1925.In | | | | consumption, |
| 1927 the first tv show was aired. It was a | | | | however, some enthusiasts managed to build crude |
| demonstration by Bell Telephone | | | | receivers and got to enjoy the |
| Labs and AT&T with contributions from various | | | | output. Charles Jenkins' estimated that W3XK had an |
| executives of these companies | | | | audience of 20,000.Many incorrectly quote the BBC's |
| and a speech by the secretary of commerce, | | | | The Man with the Flower in his Mouth from |
| Herbert Hoover.This was followed by many ad-hoc | | | | 1930 as being the first broadcast play, but it was |
| broadcasts from Whippany, N. J. These were | | | | actually The Queen's Messenger, |
| experiments and were picked up by just one tv set | | | | written by J. Harley Manners and directed by |
| - at Bell Laboratories, New | | | | Mortimer Stewart. This was aired on |
| York City. These broadcasts consisted of images | | | | WRGB in 1928.It must be noted that in those early |
| transmitted using radio waves | | | | days television screens were about 3 |
| and sound transmitted via cable. They were not | | | | inches by 3 inches. So small, in fact, that most |
| entertainment shows - just | | | | output consisted of a person's |
| a few engineers and scientists testing out the new | | | | upper body. "Radio with pictures" is what it was |
| medium.The first shows that aired to the public were | | | | called, and that was |
| those of WRGB (known officially | | | | not far off! The images consisted of varying shades |
| as W2XB but popularly known as WGY's Television). | | | | of pink or brown, depending |
| Broadcasts were | | | | on the illumination used. The presenters and |
| beamed locally to Schenectady, N.Y. This happened | | | | performers would often need to wear |
| to be the home town of | | | | dark lipstick and green makeup so that their |
| television (and radio) pioneer Ernst Alexanderson. | | | | features would not be bleached in |
| Schenectady was also the home | | | | the extremely bright studio lights. True color |
| of just four television receivers. The early WRGB | | | | television came later. The |
| broadcasts usually consisted of a | | | | spinning discs were eventually replaced by all-electric |
| person sitting in a chair not doing very much except | | | | systems. All tv shows, |
| the odd hand or face | | | | including dramas, were live to air - there was no |
| movement or a drag on a cigarette. In fact, | | | | videotape or digital recording |
| watching people smoke cigarettes | | | | in those days!These pioneering broadcasts were |
| seems to have been the main feature of early tv | | | | effectively experiments (and were licensed |
| test transmissions!The first scheduled tv shows, and | | | | as such by the federal government). Most viewers |
| from what I can make out, the world's first | | | | were either wealthy and curious |
| regular tv shows were farming and weather bulletins | | | | or were hobbyists. It is unlikely that television had |
| aired twice a day, 3 days | | | | any real worth as an |
| per week on WRGB. These broadcasts were simply | | | | entertainment or information medium in these early |
| extensions of the output of radio | | | | days. The extent to which |
| station WGY. The first remote location broadcast, or | | | | television could expand and could be networked was |
| outside broadcast, took | | | | severely hampered by a lack |
| place in 1928, once again by WRGB. The subject of | | | | of a national standard for telecasting. There were |
| this broadcast was Governor Al Smith's | | | | also many technical |
| acceptance speech of the Democratic nomination | | | | difficulties not least with the revolving disc system. |
| for office President of the United States. | | | | It wasn't until the |
| Due to inclement weather, the ceremony was | | | | forties when these issues had been ironed out that |
| switched from outside to an indoor | | | | tv took off in earnest.The rest, as they say, is |
| location and the short notice didn't allow enough time | | | | history, but a very rich history indeed. Have a look |
| to test the lighting and | | | | at and you see what I mean.Vernon Stent is the |
| equipment. Hence the resulting live pictures were of | | | | marketing consultant to |
| poor quality. Meanwhile, in | | | | specializing in old tv shows. |