Atlanta Joins the TV Throng

There was a burning desire to get television on the air in Atlanta, it seems.

Not only did it take less than a year from when WSB applied for a TV license to when it began broadcasting, it bought the equipment for the station before it even applied for one.

WSB was owned by the Atlanta Journal, which lavished the station with large amount of ink in the paper.

The story starts in this front-pager on Nov. 30, 1947:

WSB to Install Television; Station to Cost Half Million
Plant Expected To Be Ready for Network in 1949
Television is on its way to WSB. The Journal's 50,000-watt radio station added another pioneering advance to its record of "firsts" by announcing contracts with RCA for delivery of the first television setup in the Southeast.
The program envisions construction of a new radio-television center on a 20-acre tract on Peachtree rd. opposite Rhodes Center. It will cost approximately, half a million dollars. The equipment will be installed as it becomes available, subject to FCC approval.
Result: The Voice of the South will be standing by as the Eyes of the South by the time the nation's first coast-to-coast television network goes on the air—probably in 1949.
J. Leonard Reinsch, managing director of the Cox newspapers' radio interests and radio adviser to President Truman, announced the television plans for WSB and for its sister station, WIOD, in Miami. Contracts for The Journal's station were signed by George C. Biggers, Journal president.
The contracts call for delivery of the most advanced equipment to the two stations. Two types of the new Image Orthicon cameras are included—the studio size and a portable unit made to travel on a truck to cover special events.
Both these cameras have been developed to a pickup sensitivity rivaling the human eye, engineers say. They can "see" in the studio by the light of a single candle, and can televise a night ball game or boxing bout with no more lighting than that on hand for spectators. Only two routine details remain to be worked out before installation gets under way, said John M. Outler, WSB's general manager. These are final approval by the FCC and completion of construction plans for the new center on Peachtree rd. Major units in the center will be the television tower and transmitter plant, he said.
Mr. Outler pointed out that WSB had been preparing for television over a period of years. Key personnel from the technical and program departments have been attending schools and seminars over the country, he said, to be ready for television when it arrived.
He said NBC is now at work on final plans for a television cable into Atlanta, as a part of the first nationwide network. "We will be ready when they are," he declared.
Inauguration of television at WSB is expected to revolutionize the radio habits of the South and open up a broad new field of public service. Among things to be televised will be the big sports events, presidential addresses, joint sessions of Congress, and almost any kind of special nave events, both national and local.
In becoming the first in the South with television, The Atlanta Journal Co. adds another "scoop" in the field of public information. Among others have been: the South's first sports section, first woman's department, first rotogravure, first Wirephoto service. In 1922, station WSB was born as the South's first radio station, and three years ago became the first in Georgia to employ frequency modulation (FM) broadcasting.

The Journal officially asked the FCC on Dec. 5, 1947 for a license. Broadcasting of Dec. 8, 1947 reported:

Miami, Dayton and Atlanta TV Permits Asked by Cox Stations
THREE APPLICATIONS for television were filed Friday [5] with FCC by James M. Cox Radio Stations in Dayton, Atlanta and Miami. With the announcement of filing, J. Leonard Reinsch, managing director of the Cox stations, said that contingent contracts with RCA totaling over $1,000,000 in television equipment and installation costs had been signed. If all of Mr. Cox's video and FM applications go through, all three cities will have Cox-owned AM, FM and TV outlets. Mr. Reinsch said that the channels applied for were: in Dayton, Channel 13; in Atlanta, Channel 6 or 8, and in Miami, Channel 5.
Managers Named
Robert Moody has been named manager of the Dayton video operation, James Le Gate for the Miami outlet, and John Outler Jr., for Atlanta. Mr. Reinsch, as managing director of the Cox stations, will supervise the overall video operations.
Transmission facilities in Atlanta will be located on a 20-acre tract on Peachtree St., near Rhodes Center. A 500-ft. tower will be erected. Another 500-ft. tower will be constructed on the Wilmington Pike outside Dayton forthe WHIG affiliate outlet. In Miami, the antenna will be mounted on the Miami Daily News Tower, Biscayne Blvd. Each station will be equipped with complete facilities for remotes, with mobile cameras.
Current status of FM for the Cox stations is as follows: WIOD-FM in Miami is now in commercial operation; an FM grant has been approved for WSB Atlanta, and an application is pending for WHIO Dayton.
The Cox stations are also among newspaper-owned outlets cooperating in the experimental use of facsimile broadcasting.

Almost a month later, the FCC gave its okay. The Journal's report of Jan. 9, 1948:

Television Permit Granted to WSB
Full Broadcast Schedule With Maximum Power Hoped for by Late Summer
Television broadcasts for The Atlanta Journal's radio station WSB were approved Thursday [8] in Washington by the Federal Communications Commission.
John M. Outler Jr., the station's general manager, said, he hopes to have a full schedule of daily television broadcasts in operation by late summer or early fall of this year.
He said that the FCC granted the station authority to operate with 5,000 watts power. That he said, is the maximum power of any television in the nation today.
Contracts for equipment, including a 600-foot tower and antenna, complete new broadcasting studios, and mobile units were let in December.
The studios and tower will be located on a 20-acre tract near the intersection of Peachtree and Beverly rds., N. E. Construction of the tower and studios will start immediately.
40-Mile Radius
Mr. Outler said the new station will be able to send television programs within a 40-mile radius of the tower and transmitter.
WSB will have television channel eight.
WSB will present a daily schedule of programs from its new television studios. In addition, sports, news events, and other special events will be televised by means of a mobile field unit.
Mr. Outler said that WSB will have the best television program service in America through its affiliation with the National Broadcasting Co. The NBC has pioneered the development of television in this country. WSB first applied for a television permit in April, 1931, but the permit was never granted.
New Application
A new application was made to the FCC in December, 1947.
Television will be the third of WSB’s special attractions in addition to its regular broadcasting activities.
The station started FM (frequency modulation) broadcasts in November, 1944, and orders have already been placed for Faximile equipment which will permit the station to send printed news reports directly into Atlanta homes.
Mr. Outler will be in charge of the television station with C. F. Daugherty as chief engineer.

The Journal, rather conveniently, omits the rest of the FCC’s decision, which gave a license for Channel 2 to the paper’s rival, the Atlanta Constitution, owners of radio station WCON. The Commission had approved on December 30, 1947, an application for Channel 5 from Liberty Broadcasting, leaving Channel 11 available for bids.

We hear little from the newspaper again until June 6, 1948.

WSB REGULAR TELECASTS TO BEGIN IN LATE SEPT.
Initial Schedule 20 Hours a Week; Range, 45 Miles
WSB will go on the air with regularly scheduled television programs on or about Sept. 29, it was announced Saturday [5] by officials of The Atlanta Journal Co. A "test pattern" by the station will be televised on or about Aug. 22.
At the outset WSB-TV will offer approximately 20 hours a week of regularly scheduled television. The programs will have a range of 45 miles airline from the WSB-TV transmitter at Peachtree and Beverly rd.
Television dealers representing major distributing interests in the Southeast and retail interests in Atlanta were apprised of these plans at dinner meetings last Monday and Tuesday evenings given by The Atlanta Journal Co. A television program produced by WSB talent was presented at the dinners.
Technicians Sent Out
John Outler, general manager of WSB-TV, made a detailed statement of plans Saturday. He said this announcement was the consummation of 18 months of intensive effort on the part of the management and personnel to bring television to Atlanta.
"During this nine we have personally investigated television in theory and operation in every major center in the United States. We have sent technicians and program personnel to schools and given them job training in television centers. Our sincere opinion is that WSB-TV will begin operations with as much technical and program know-how as any independent station in the country. The transmitter is on location. Erection of the 590-foot tower to radiate the signals will be completed on schedule and the transmitter and studio building will be completed in the near future. It is on this basis that we are predicating a test program on the air about the middle of August."
Explaining the varied content of the WSB-TV programs, Mr. Outler continued:
"We have completed arrangements for adequate scheduling of news, sports events, film productions, remote control pick-ups of special events and a contract with National Broadcasting Co. network television programs has been made.
"Hearthstone of Family"
"We expect to bring the public football games this fall as well as other sporting events.
"The advent of television will mean a change in the home life of the community. It differs from standard radio broadcasting in that the viewing screen of the television set is the hearthstone of the family gathering. "You don't look at television incidentally. You either give it your whole attention or none. We've seen enough to know that the social impact of television is terrific. Sales potentialities are equally so. It will be an enormous influence in our way of living."
A test pattern is a picture comprising a set of lines at various angles by means of which the television receiving set can be properly installed and tuned.

An update from the Journal, June 20, 1948:

WSB-TV Site Near Completion For August Test
WSB-TV's new site at Peachtree st. and Beverly rd. is rapidly nearing completion, officials announced Saturday [19].
The two-story structure will be completed by the time of a test television broadcast in August. A roof was added to the building during the past week.
The lower level will include the television control room, announcers' booth, clients' booth, film projection room, an air-conditioning room, and a heating plant. Located on the upper level will be the administrative and programming offices.
Visitors to WSB-TV are to be provided with a spacious viewing lobby where they can watch both the video and FM transmitters in action.
The television studio, with a 20-foot ceiling, will require the height of both levels.

Journal, July 11, 1948:

FRONT SEAT FOR ALL
Mobile Unit Planned for WSB Video
A seat for everybody on the 50-yard line. A choice spot back of the Cracker dugout for every fan. No tiresome standing in crowds to see a parade. A place of unlimited vision at all outstanding outdoor events.
All of these things will be possible with the advent of WSB-TV in October, through the facilities of the modern television mobile unit.
WSB-TV will literally move to the scene of important events with their television "studio on wheels."
The huge new video truck is complete with cameras and all the myriad technical equipment necessary for televising out-of-door activities. WSB-TV's mobile unit stands a towering 110-feet high and stretches front to back more than 20 feet.
Colorful in design, the mobile television truck is plainly labeled with "WSB Television" printed across the sides.

Some closed circuit broadcasts—one for RCA dealers, another for the Kiwanis Club—took place in July. Meanwhile, on the 30th, the Journal published a picture of the station’s transmitter that had just been erected.

The New York Times broke a story on August 7 which wasn’t unexpected. The day before, WSB-TV became formally affiliated with NBC, which supplied programmes to WSB radio. It reported test patterns would begin Aug. 16 and full programming on Sept. 29.

There were dinner meetings in August where executives from Admiral, Crosley and Philco got together with local radio store owners to demonstrate what the station could put on the air. Here’s a portion of Reese Gleghorn’s story in the business section of the Journal from August 19.

Telecasts in Color
Predicted by Official Firm Working on Electronic Attachment To Be Fitted on Present Sets, Dealers Told
Atlantians may have the added thrill of seeing telecasts in color within a few years, Jack Otter, of Philadelphia, vice-president and general sales manager of the Philco Corp., said here Wednesday night [18].
Mr. Otter pointed out that color already might be on the market if the Federal Communications Commission had not decided against it.
Meanwhile, he said, Philco is working on an electronic color attachment that can be fitted onto sets now on the market. In other words, when color comes, present sets with their black and white images will not be obsolete.
Mr. Otter was in Atlanta to attend a regional meeting of more than 500 Philco dealers at the Atlanta Athletic Club. He was accompanied by several other officials from the Philco home office.
After a special telecast of the Georgia All-Star high school football game for the Philco meeting, WSB-TV received high praise from the television official.
"I have seen the inaugural programs of practically all the television stations in the country," Mr. Otter said, "but not a single one was as well presented and as well organized as the program tonight. Those WSB-TV cameramen work as if they had been at it for years."
He especially commented on the "smooth" way the cameramen followed the ball carrier during the game. He said most cameramen need months of practice to develop the proper technique in television action pictures such as sports events.
The Philco vice-president said he believes Atlanta will be on an Eastern television network by the end of 1949. A coaxial cable is now being laid southward and Richmond is already on the hookup. Until then, he said, WSB-TV and other Southern stations can get network programs by Kinetoscope recordings (filming the program and then flying or shipping the film to other sections of the country).

An editorial in the same day’s paper was aimed squarely at skittish sports club owners and managers who had read stories that TV would kill attendance at their events. Wright Bryan pointed out 28,000 almost filled the enlarged Grant Field, so the football broadcast didn’t keep anyone at home.

A full-page puff piece in the station owner’s paper mentioned games at Henry Grady stadium had also been lined up, that the programme manager had watched nearly 300 films to pick out the best ones to air, and an hour-long kids show had been developed with music, movies, puppets, fairy tales and a monkey MC. Meanwhile, Billboard of Aug. 28 mentioned the station had signed to broadcast daily Telepix newsreels assembled by WPIX in New York.

The Journal spent several days pushing closed circuit entertainment broadcasts at a department store but, there was a remote broadcast that went out over the transmitter.

ATLANTA, Aug. 31 (AP)—The Atlanta Journal’s new television station, WSB-TV, went on the air tonight with a showing of the Atlanta-Nashville baseball game at Ponce De Leon Park.
Lee Jordan, a member of the WSB staff, said this was the first time a ball game has been televised in the Southeast.
The showing was part of the preliminary tests being made prior to regular broadcasting by WSB-TV this fall.

The Journal added the station was picked up in Marietta and other places outside Atlanta, and proclaimed Cracker president Earl Mann was the first person to be televised during a live show in Atlanta during a post-game interview by Thad Horton.

Fans of test patterns were no doubt delighted to read on Sept. 8:

WSB-TV Test Pattern Schedule
Following is the test pattern schedule for WSB-TV on Channel 8:
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week, 1:30 to 5:30 p. m.
Saturday, 10 a. m. to 12 noon, and 1 to 5 p. m.
All of next week, Monday through Saturday, 10 a. m. to 12 noon, and 1 to 5 p. m.

On Monday, Sept. 13, the pattern began airing Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. On Thursday, the 16th, there was another broadcast.

First Football Telecast in South Made by WSB-TV
The Atlanta Journal and WSB recorded another historic first Thursday night at Atlanta’s new Henry Grady Stadium. With some 5,000 people looking on, WSB-TV telecast the first football game in the South.
Using two cameras, WSB-YB was on top of every pass, ground play and tackle. The equipment was perched high atop the stadium, with the giant microwave relay pointing toward the WSB-TV tower on West Peachtree.
Public reaction was favourable, and as in other WSB-TV telecasts, long-distance reception was reported. During the first football telecast, WSB-TV’s receptionist received enthusiastic calls from as far away as Winder.
Thad Horton, WSB-TV sports director, was at the microphone, and the entire telecast was under the direction of Mark Toalson, WSB-TV production director.

The station made its debut on September 29, 1948 on schedule. We’ll skip the summary of the speeches contained in the Journal’s back-patting story the next day.

WSB-TV RAISES THE CURTAIN ON DRAMATIC ERA OF TELEVISION
By ROBERT H. McKEE
WSB-TV drew up the curtain Wednesday night [29] to give Atlanta an exciting glimpse of its future through television. It was the dedication of WSB-TV's ultramodern facilities on West Peachtree for daily programs of telecast. It was inauguration of this new service—the dawn of an era of mighty transformations.
The initial program over WSB-TV was in keeping with the tempo of modern-day Atlanta. It moved briskly in presenting a score of personalities representing the state, the city, the station and the new South.
WSB-TV's brilliant staff culminated months of preparation and study with an impressive demonstration of ability. They performed like veterans in new techniques rich with promise of things to come.
Cox, Biggers Speak
Speaking before the lights in behalf of The Atlanta Journal, WSB-TV and the newspaper and radio organization headed by Governor James M. Cox were: James M. Cox Jr. vice-chairman of the board of The Atlanta Journal Co.; George C. Biggers, president of The Atlanta Journal Co.; Daniel J. Mahoney, of Miami, a director of The Journal; Leonard Reinsch, director of the Cox radio properties, and John M. Outlet Jr., general manager of WSB and WSB-TV. [speeches omitted]
It fell the lot of Announcer John Cone to utter the momentous, words at the outset: "WSB television is on the air!"
This was followed by the national anthem and songs by the Baptist choir directed by John Hoffman.
Niles Trammell, president of NBC, not present in the flesh, was there in image as his enthusiastic greetings and congratulations were brought to the WSB-TV screen. WSB has long been an affiliate of NBC, the finest of networks.
The crack news staff of WSB and WSB-TV gave a demonstration of the concise and fast-moving newscasts that have made them famous throughout the South. Jimmy Bridges provided commentary for a newsreel and then presented a summary of latest news.
Walter Paschall, head of the news staff, introduced his colleagues and gave a preview of what's ahead for WSB-TV viewers in news graphically presented. Lee Jordan explained what goes into a newsreel. Marionettes
Don and Ruth Gilpin, operating from behind a cleverly contrived stage, made their marionettes become life-like as they danced, strutted, gesticulated and filled in the interludes.
Thad Horton and Dorothy Kirby sat at a table with three sports figures and engaged in a lively discussion of football, baseball and golf. Wedged in between them were Bobby Dodd, Georgia Tech head coach; Earl Mann, president of the Atlanta Crackers, and Howard (Papa) Beckett, for 30 years golf pro at the Capital City Country club.
Mr. Reinsch started off the formal program with a cheery "good evening" and Mr. Outler presented heads of the WSB-TV staff. These included C. F. Daugherty, chief engineer; Frank Gaither, commercial manager; Marcus Bartlett, program director; M. K. Toalson, production director, and Mrs. Alwilda Lindsey.
Bill Packem, a newcomer to the staff, served as master of ceremonies, and Dr. Ruben T. Lagemann, of the department of physics, Emory University, had an entrancing look at his TV program, "Science Is Fun." Eli Fritsch, attired in awe-inspiring get-up, let viewers in au a secret. It has to do with WSB-TV's famous talking monkey.
The "Sunshine Boys" were on twice, once attired in business suits and against in cowboy get-up seated on logs around the makin's of a campfire. Their songs have often been heard on WSB.
Mayor Hartsfield took advantage of his brief appearance before the lights to plug for TV shows at the Municipal Airport. "That's how we get programs," laughed Mr. Outler.
Brad Crandall and Elmo Ellis directed the program, which had been in course of preparation for weeks. It went off without a hitch.
Telepix and Telenews pictures (newscasts) will be flown in daily for presentation on your channel 8—WSB-TV.
Each of those appearing before the cameras first had to submit to makeup. For most of them, it was first experience at being made up for television.
As a nightcap the picture "Cheers for Miss Bishop," starring Martha Scott and William Gargan, was thrown on the screen.

Over a year later, the cable still hadn't been laid from Richmond to Atlanta.

Here’s a rundown of programming for the first week, plus a review of one of the shows.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1948
8:00-10:30—WSB-TV Debut: Salutes from NBC and WIPX in New York, Sports interlude with Thad Horton and Dorothy Kirby, Jimmy Bridges and Lee Jordon with the news, the “Sunshine Boys” and the Baptist Hour Choir directed by John Hoffman, review of “Monkey Business” marionettes, feature film “Cheers for Miss Bishop” starring Martha Scott and William Gargan, speeches by prominent Georgians including M.E. Thompson, Herman Talmadge, R.L. (Shorty) Doyle, Mayor Hartsfield, Miss Ira Jarrell, Dr. Goodrich C. White and Fred Moore.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 30, 1948
4:00—Pantry Party. 4:20—News (Telepix). 4:30—“The Lost Jungle” (Serial Chapt. 1). 5:00—“Monkey Business” featuring The Three Bears (Iwerks, 1935). 5:30—News (Telenews and AP Pictures). 6:05—Sign off. 7:20—“Here Comes the Circus.” 7:30—News (AP and Pictures). 7:35—Enid Day. 7:50—Roosevelt vs. Smith (football from Grady Stadium). 9:45—News (Telenews and AP Pictures). 10:00—Sign off.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1948
4:00—People on Peachtree. 4:30—News (Telepix). 4:40—“The Lost Jungle,” Chapter 2. 5:00—“Monkey Business” featuring “Molly Moo Cow and the Indians” (Van Beuren, 1934). 5:50—News (Telenews and Pictures). 6:05—Sign off. 7:15—“Moose” (film). 7:25—News (AP and stills). 7:30—Philco Touchdown. 7:50—Grady vs. Savannah (football with Thad Horton). 9:45—News (Telenews and stills). 10:00—Sign off.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1948
2:10—News (Telepix). 2:20—Georgia Tech vs. Tulane (football with Thad Horton). 5:00—Serial, “Law of the Wild,” Chapter One. 7:30—News (Football scores and stills). 7:40—Old Timers (Yesterday Lives Again). 7:50—O’Keefe vs. Murphy. 9:45—News (Telenews and stills), 10:00—Sign off.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1948
3:30—Weekly News Review (WPIX News). 3:50—Tele-Travels “Washington, D.C.” 4:00—Georgia vs. North Carolina (football with Wally Butts). 4:45—Telenews Weekly. 5:05—Sign off. 7:17—Music, “Maria Elena,” Johnny Long Orchestra. 7:20—News. 7:30—Stephen Foster Melodies, “Oh Susanna” (film). 7:46—“Employ Disabled Vets” (film). 7:47—Kennel Kings (Paramount, 1933). 7:57—Music, “Come Back to Sorrento,” Al Donahue Orchestra. 8:00—“Swiss Family Robinson” with Freddie Bartholomew, Thomas Mitchell, Edna Best (feature film). 9:35—Telenews Weekly review. 9:55—Sign off.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1948
4:30—News (Telepix News). 4:40—“The Lost Jungle,” Chapter 3. 5:00—“Monkey Business” featuring “Three Little Kittens” (aka “Rough on Rats,” Van Beuren, 1933). 5:50—News (Telenews and stills). 6:05—Sign off. 7:30—News (Telepix and stills). 7:45—Wonder World, “Camera Magic” (film). 7:55—Behind the Scenes in Television. 8:00—“Clean Waters” with Paul Weir. 8:26—“My Reverie,” Larry Clinton and Orchestra. 8:30—“Charade Parade,” live studio show. 9:00—Camel News Theatre (NBC film). 9:10—Sign off.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1948
4:30—News (Telepix). 4:40—Big League Baseball. 4:50—Arcade Varieties. 5:00—Children’s Corner, “The Lost Jungle” Chapter 5, “Happy Hoboes” (Van Beuren, 1932).

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1948
4:00—People on Peachtree with Bill Packham. 4:30—Telepix News. 4:50—Music (film). 5:00—“Children’s Corner” featuring “The Lost Jungle” Chapter 6, “Sinbad the Sailor” (Iwerks, 1935). 5:50—News (Telenews and stills). 6:05—Sign off. 7:30—Telepix News (and stills). 7:45—“Science is Fun” with Dr. Robert Lagemann. 8:00—“4-H Club Dinner.” 8:30—Georgia Tech vs. Tulane football game with Bobby Dodd (film). 9:15—Armchair Playhouse, “The Scarlet Pimpernell” with Leslie Howard. 10:55—Telenews. 11:05—Sign off.

WSB-TV PANTRY PARTY MOVES SHOPPERS TO TEARS
Plunging fearlessly, as into an icy shower, WSB Television invaded a grocery store Thursday afternoon [30].
A crew of technicians drove the tremendous mobile unit into the parking lot of the Kroger store at Boulevard and North ave. They unloaded the sleek television cameras and set them up inside somewhere between the grapefruit display and the pork-and-bean shelf. They were also just west of a vat of iced shrimp which gently ... uh ... poignantly brought to mind the sea.
Floodlights were quickly set up to beam on another section of the store, between the apples and the mustard. This was the stage.
The place was studded with babies. Infants in buggies and strollers. Infants in arms (one of these mercilessly beating upon his father's ear). Infants in the carts designed to hold groceries. This, last, according to a notice prominently displayed on the wall, was forbidden . . . but everybody was much too busy to enforce anything.
• • •
WSB-TV's first women's show, "Pantry Party" was under way, and while it must said for the babies that not one of them cried, two housewives burst into tears at the outset of the program and continued to weep for half-an-hour. It was not entirely unprovoked. Master of Ceremonies Bill Packham opened the show by setting them up at a table and promising a prize to the one who peeled the most onions while the show went on. The prize, incidentally, was not a box of hankies (logical under the circumstances) but a bag of groceries.
Two clerks were given two saucers full of flour—it was a contest to determine which could blow the flour out of his saucer first and pick up the hidden coin with his teeth. In the middle of this a couple of die-hard shoppers went resolutely about the business of trying to buy groceries. But business for the time being was out cold.
The ladies, with the onions wept.
Store manager, J. T. Jessee, was asked to demonstrate his salesmanship to a stranger picked from the audience. The stranger, by the wildest coincidence, turned out to be his district manager who regarded the whole thing with a glacial eye. Jesse sold a can of peas for television using the intensity of a man trying to beat a murder rap.
The housewives howled, but the ladles of the onion contest wept on. People were beginning to shun them.
Over near the soap flakes a baby in a buggy slept peacefully.
• • •
THE FINAL CONTEST was a race between four women to add a column of numbers. One of them whipped out the answer like a calculating machine leaving the other three still poised with fingers against thumbs. And the onion ladies wept.
Since nobody cared to count up the onions afterwards, they both were awarded prises, and the show was over.
The crowd began to clear. The lights were turned off. Veteran M. C. Peckham laid aside the mike and unaccountably mopped his forehead—it was not a hot day.
And clerk Homer Jones (who should go far some day) with tears streaming down his face, offered to wrap up free onions, already peeled, for any ladies in the crowd. (Edith Hills Coogler, Journal, Oct. 3)

One other note: WSB-TV included an animated spokes-cartoon when it began broadcasting. He was Oscar, a talking potato chip, who “worked” for the Frito-Lay Company. Oscar had been appearing in print ads in the Atlanta Constitution as early as 1944.

Does anyone have any idea who animated these Oscar commercials? Were they really limited animation? A company in Atlanta named Beeland-King Film Productions was making animated spots, and H.W. Lay and Co. was one of its clients, but it didn’t start until 1953. The company's agency was Liller, Neal and Battle out of Atlanta, but that's all I can find out. I imagine that a cartoon potato chip was more entertaining than Molly Moo Cow.

The Tribulations of KLAC-TV

One day of test patterns was enough for one TV station before it went on the air.

Not only that, the new station was already being sold.

Today that station occupies Channel 13 in Los Angeles.

The FCC received an application for what was to be made KLAC-TV on June 18, 1946. Here’s Variety’s brief blurb.

Thackery Tele Bids
Washington, Jan. 22
Dorothy S. Thackrey, New York publisher, has filed applications for television stations in Los Angeles and Frisco.
Mrs. Thackrey, operator of the New York Evening Post, owns WLIB, New York, and recently purchased standard [A.M.] stations in California. She also has pending applications for FM stations in Los Angeles and Frisco.

Thackery had purchased KMTR Los Angeles, which she renamed KLAC (raising objections at the FCC from KFAC Los Angeles), and KYA in San Francisco.

The Commission began hearings on May 20, 1946 in Los Angeles. Originally, 13 companies had applied for commercial licenses. Five withdrew: Walt Disney Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Fox West Coast Theatres, Warner Bros. Broadcasting Corp. and Consolidated Broadcasting Corp. That left Television Productions Inc. (Paramount), Hughes Productions, Earle C. Anthony, Don Lee System, NBC, the Times-Mirror Co., ABC, and Thackrey vying for seven licenses; Lee was already on the air with W6XAO and Paramount with W6XYZ.

The May 28 sitting of the Commission, setting a resumption date of June 20 in Washington. The Hollywood Reporter noted:

The last of the applications to be heard was that of Dorothy Thackrey, owner of the New York Post and station KLAC here, who read from a prepared statement and said that she was prepared to take a substantial loss in the initial operations of a video outlet here but believed the medium to have a limitless future and one that would become self-sustaining.
Mrs. Thackrey said her primary interest "in television, radio and newspapers is to provide the widest possible public service by utilizing and making available the most effective means of mass communications, and to improve the quality and quantity of public information." She said that a television outlet should serve for effective expression of pertinent shades of viewpoint on current political, economic and social matters, without imposition of partisan views.
Mrs. Thackrey's testimony was abetted and paralleled by the testimony of her husband, Ted Thackrey, and Don Fedderson, vice president and manager of KYA, San Francisco, and KLAC, Los Angeles. The latter will manage the video station if granted.

The Thackreys looked set—when it came to a station in San Francisco. There were six channels available and six applications. The FCC cancelled all hearings, and decided to make an announcement about the Bay Area after the Los Angeles situation was settled. But Broadcasting then reported on Dec. 9, 1946:

TWO TV WITHDRAWLS BY DOROTHY THACKREY
WITHDRAWL of television applications for New York, San Francisco, without prejudice, leaving one for Los Angeles stand, sought of FCC by Dorothy Thackrey interests. Don Federson [sic], vice president-general manager, West Coast operations, said action taken since “full justice could not have been done with all three stations or even two.”
If Mrs. Thackrey obtains Los Angeles grant, he added, “concentrated effort” will be made in that operation. “It is entirely possible that Mrs. Thackrey may later request reinstatement of applications for New York and San Francisco, perhaps one at a time,” said Mr. Federson.

It wasn’t long before an FCC decision came down. On December 20, 1946, the commission granted licenses to Thackrey as well as Earle C. Anthony, the Times-Mirror, Television Productions, ABC and NBC. Thackrey was assigned Channel 13.

Variety reported on March 26, 1947 that KLAC’s television operations were expected to start by year-end with television baseball in summer 1948 (the radio station had rights to air games of both PCL teams). Billboard’s update in its Oct. 18, 1947 issue is that the debut was “still many months away.”

Meanwhile, Dorothy Thackery was having second thoughts about television altogether. Billboard, in a story dated Nov. 29, said MGM had begun talks to buy KLAC and KYA, mainly for the TV license because Paramount had a station in Los Angeles. About a month later, the trade paper said the deal looked dead as MGM lost interest, and an offer from film producer Jack Wrather was turned down since Thackery wanted to sell both radio stations and Wrather only wanted KLAC.

With no news about getting the TV station on the air, reports swirled in the early months of 1948 that CBS, oilman Ed Pauley and Warner Bros. were either interested, or in talks, to buy Thackery’s West Coast operations. Variety broke a story on April 28 that Warners had paid $800,000 for the Tv license and the two radio stations. “Ridiculous” and “not a word of truth” was Thackrey’s response (Broadcasting, May 3). Variety came back on May 26, saying the amount was $1.1 million. No comment from Thackery. Finally, Broadcasting reported on June 28 the sale documents had been filed with the FCC the previous week, though it took almost a month for the Commission to announce it. Thackery told the commission she wanted to sell out to devote full time to her newspapers.

There were attempts to stop the sale, but we’ll set aside that story.

The man in charge of the station, Don Fedderson, was known later for syndicating Liberace and making him a household name across the U.S., and then for putting My Three Sons on television. He wasn’t going to waste any more time getting KLAC-TV on the air. First, a report from Billboard, May 1, 1948:

KLAC-TV To Bow In Mid-September
HOLLYWOOD, April 24.—KLAC-TV, local indie owned by Dorothy Thackrey, finally unveiled tele plans this week with the announcement that the station planned to he airborne by mid-September. Station Manager Don Fedderson said the outlet had acquired a new site on Mount Wilson and that construction of the transmitter would begin within two weeks. Plans call for delivery of the transmitter by July 31.
KLAC tele progress has been stymied because the previous transmitter site required considerable work to prevent settling of building and land erosion. New land parcel was leased to KLAC by the U. S. Forestry Service and previously had been earmarked for FM operation of KWKW, Pasadena indie. Because of an application for increased power, now pending before the Federal Communications Commission, KWKW has withdrawn its FM application and relinquished the land.

Variety, on April 28, said construction of the transmitter had begun.

Here’s Broadcasting of July 5:

Start of KLAC-TV Now Set for Fall
IN SURPRISE move last week, Don Fedderson vice president and general manager of KLAC Hollywood and KYA, San Francisco, announced that former station's video station would be on the air by the latter part of September.
Previously the station was not considered likely to be on the air before early 1949.
Summing up the spirit of the push he pointed out that the station's transmitter sight [sic] was underway and that construction costing $65-70,000 would be sped up to meet the new scheduled opening. This, he said, would be finished in 12-14 weeks as against the usual six to nine months required.
Ground was also broken last week for an additional studio on the property of KLAC which will provide an additional 15,000 square feet of space at an estimated cost of $15,000.
To make certain that the stepped-up schedule is met, Mr. Fedderson is headquartering in Los Angeles for several weeks. Engineers of KLAC are already being schooled in video methods by Paul C. Schulz, chief engineer of KYA-KLAC who recently returned from the RCA television school for engineers.
When Mr. Fedderson was queried on the fact that a contract for purchase of the Thackrey stations had been filed with the FCC by Warner Bros., he offered "no comment" pointing out that his only responsibility was getting the station on the air. In August he said the sales staff would begin to seek business and that a strong likelihood existed that advertisers would be offered an AM-television package rate.
As further preparation, he said that James McNamara, news director, and Fred Henry, assistant manager, both of KLAC would spend the month of July looking in on other station operations in the East and Midwest.

An update from Variety on July 28:

KLAC Sets Sights On Sept. Preem; Accent To Be on Disk Jockeys
Hollywood, July 27.

NBC Television Arrives in Chicago To Stay

NBC had some experience with television in Chicago in the 1930s. In February 1931, the network bought WENR radio which had visual station W9XR attached. It decided not to renew the TV license that year. Then it bought a half interest in WMAQ, which had a telecasting station named W9XAP. NBC stopped operating it in March 1933; it was interested in electronic television, not the outdated mechanical type in Chicago.

Tinkering with iconoscopes and electronics during the 1930s culminated with the company putting a station on the air in New York in 1939 for the World’s Fair, going commercial as WNBT in July 1941. RCA and NBC had bigger plans, with Chicago a part of them. Here’s the Chicago Tribune’s version of events, published March 4, 1944:

NBC CHIEF SEES MIDWEST CHAIN FOR TELEVISION
Chicago to Be Hub of Giant System.
BY LARRY WOLTERS.
A midwest television chain, with Chicago at its hub, is projected as part of the post-war television plans of the National Broadcasting company, Niles Trammell, president, disclosed yesterday. Trammell envisioned the formation of a television network radiating outward from Chicago which would include Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Des Moines, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Cleveland.
A television station now in operation in New York and another to be built in Washington will form the nucleus of an eastern network, he said. A Pacific coast chain also is planned, eventually to be linked with the two other sections to form a cross country system.
File Construction Applications.
Applications for construction of NBC television stations in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles have been filed with the federal communications commission. The chain has leased the top of the Civic Opera house for its local television transmitter.
W-G-N, Inc., recently announced plans for building a television station. The station filed an application for a construction permit with the FCC and placed an order for a transmitter and auxiliary television equipment with the General Electric company for delivery after the war or as soon as priorities permit.
Requests Zenith Frequency.
NBC, in its application for a Chicago television station, requested that it be assigned to channel No. 1, covering 50 to 56 megacycles, which is assigned to W9XZV and WTZR, television stations of the Zenith Radio corporation. The former station has been operating experimentally continuously since March 30, 1939, longer than any New York station, it claims.

An overview of the Chicago television situation was provided in Television magazine's issue of October, 1945. Regarding NBC, Frederick A. Kugel said:

This is an application for a commercial station to operate on channel 4, using CA equipment with 3 kw power, visual and aural. The NBC transmitter will be located at the Civic Opera House, 20 North Wacker Drive and the video studios at the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago.
NBC plans service to 4,143,345 people in the Chicago area. The net's original request was for channel 1, already held by Zenith in Chicago. In April 1944, Zenith informed the FCC it would oppose any attempt by NBC to take away Channel 1 on which its experimental station W9XZV is licensed to operate. NBC subsequently amended its application. NBC has estimated its Chicago station will cost $202,500 with monthly operating expenses around $6,500.

On May 4, 1946, the FCC announced commercial video grants had been awarded in Chicago to NBC (Channel 5, 76-82 mc) and Zenith (Channel 2, 54-60 mc); Zenith gave up its construction permit in January 1947. The eventual NBC station was WNTC through 1946. The call letters were changed to WBNY in 1947 and the station was granted numerous extensions by the FCC into 1948 to get on the air.

Broadcasting of Dec. 12, 1947 indicated the station was no where near ready.

NBC’s Chicago TV Plans Move Ahead
Executives to Confer This Week On Constructing Facilities
SERIES of conferences dealing with construction of NBC Chicago television facilities will be held this week in New York. I. E. Showerman, vice persident in charge of Central Division, and Howard Luttgens, the division's chief engineer, will meet with Frank E. Mullen, NBC executive vice persident; O. B. Hanson, vice president in charge of engineering, and Noran Kersta, network's television manager.
Studio, central control and some engineering facilities for WNBY, NBC's proposed Chicago television station, will be constructed in the Merchandise Mart, which presently houses Central Division headquarters. Transmitter and antenna will be located atop Chicago Civic Opera Bldg.
Network's first video newsreel coverage of a Chicago event took place Dec. 5 when an NBC television cameraman filmed highlights of the International Livestock Exposition for showing on the eastern five-station network. Films of the exposition's Parade of Champions and other exposition highlights were then flown to New York for developing, editing and dubbing-in of sound, and were shown on the video hookup the following day.
Under supervision of William Drips, NBC director of agriculture, event was photographed from the floor of the International Amphitheater by Jack Leib, NBC Chicago video cameraman. A 35-mm. newsreel camera, using some 2,000 feet of film, was utilized to telecast the farm show highlights.
Earlier [BROADCASTING, Dec. 8] Mr. Mullen, who attended the exposition, predicted that NBC television would cover the annual livestock show by 1949 at the latest through extension of the network's video link as far west as Chicago.

There was a final name change. The Hollywood Reporter, March 5, 1948:

NBC’s Chicago Video Call Letters Changed.
CHICAGO.—NBC’s television station here will be known as WNBQ, call letters reminiscent of the company’s pioneer broadcasting station WMAQ, it was announced yesterday [4] by I E. Showerman, NBC voce-president and general manager of the Central division.
Previously, the company’s Chicago video station had been assigned the call letters WNBY. NBC management felt that in time there might be some confusion in the Chicago area because of the phonetic similarity between this call and WMBI, the call letters of the Moody Bible Institute’s broadcasting station.

It was pointed out in Broadcasting’s March 8 edition that NBC discovered the WNBQ call was already assigned to a 25 watt relay transmitter operated by the network’s Central Division engineering department for special events and news relay work.

NBC had two goals: to open a station in Chicago and to internet its stations into a radio-like network. The latter depended on A.T. and T. to build the links. Let’s follow along through the pages of Broadcasting. First, June 21, 1948:

WNBQ SET TO INSTALL ITS VIDEO FACILITIES
PLANS for the Sept. 1 video debut of WNBQ, NBC's Chicago outlet, were advanced last week by arrival of the television transmitter and preparation for erection of the antenna soon after July 1.
Although a shortage of steel caused delay in shipment of the antenna and its base, Chicago network officials last Wednesday expected delivery before the weekend. The antenna, 70 feet high and 631 feet above ground level, will serve both TV and FM stations from the roof of the Civic Opera Bldg.
NBC's original plan to convert space into one huge two-floor room has been altered to include two rooms of one story each. Television and FM transmitters, now in storage until construction work is completed, will be housed in one room. Headquarters for both operations will be located on the 42nd and 43rd floors of the building.
Meanwhile, electrical contracts have been let, and installation of power cables and other lines will begin soon. A special video cable from the transmitter site to Illinois Bell Telephone Co. headquarters nearby will be laid to connect with existing cable between the Merchandise Mart, NBC AM studio site, and the phone company office.

August 16, 1948:

NBC LEASES 20,000 SQ. FT. MORE IN MERCHANDISE MART
NBC Chicago sparked its drive for fall opening date of its key video outlet, WNBQ, with lease of 20,000 sq. ft. of additional space in Merchandise Mart headquarters. Network plans to enlarge Studio A, largest in its Chicago plant, for television.
Video technical and administrative staffs will be quartered in added first and second floor space of Mart, with some 14,000 sq. ft. on first floor used for storage rooms, work shops, shipping room and video field engineering shop and office. Production offices-directors, engineers and administrative personnel-will be constructed in the 6,000-sq. ft. areas on second floor.

August 30, 1948:

WNBQ, NBC'S TV STATION READY TO BEGIN TESTS
WNBQ, NBC's Midwestern video outlet in Chicago, will operate a mobile unit, with cameras, transmitter and receivers, at National Television and Electrical Living Show sponsored by Electric Assn., Chicago, at city's Coliseum Sept. 18 to 26, for visitors wishing to see themselves televised. RCA is cooperating with NBC in presentation.

The Chicago Tribune picks up the story on September 19, 1948.

Chicago's next television station, WNBQ, a NBC affiliate, will begin transmitting its test pattern this week. A 22 kilowatt station, WNBQ will occupy channel 5. Test programming is to get underway shortly with full operations following soon thereafter.
Studios will be located in the Merchandise Mart and the transmitter facilities on the 42d and 43d floors of the Civic Opera building. The antenna tower, atop the Civic Opera building, will be 625 feet above street level.
Hub Of TV Network
WNBQ will be hub of NBC's midwest network of six stations. Cities in the net are St. Louis, Detroit, Milwaukee, Toledo, and Buffalo, it was announced by I. E. Showerman, central division vice president.
Jules Herbuveaux, NBC's central division television manager, said when the network tie is made, probably by Jan. 1, 1949, such programs as Star Theater, the Lanny Ross show, Television Playhouse, NBC newsreel, Theater Guild, and Television Theater probably will be seen in Chicago.
Studio Atop Mart
NBC's studio A in the Merchandise Mart, scene of major audience radio broadcasts, will become WNBQ's main television studio after conversion is completed.
The network recently leased 20.000 square feet of additional space in the Mart for its television operations and hired 60 additional employes.
Film projection and news commentary studios will be constructed on the 19th floor. Workshops, dressing rooms, and engineering and administrative offices will occupy space on the first and second floors.

In the meantime, Chicago’s third station, ABC’s WENR-TV, had just begun regular programming.

While Chicagoans got a signal from Channel 5 the following day, they didn’t get the big show of the day from WNBQ. The ABC and NBC Midwest networks both signed on that evening. While WENR-TV broadcast the extravaganza in Chicago, WNBQ wasn’t yet connected to the NBC counterpart.

More from Broadcasting, Sept. 20, 1948:

NBC-TV Order
ANDREW CORP., New York office, has announced it has received orders from NBC to supply and install television lines at WNBQ Chicago and WNBK Cleveland. Two outlets, key points in proposed NBC midwest TV network, are expected to begin operation shortly. Firm's engineering group also was selected to insure sound transmission line installation.

That circuit came in handy, as WNBQ was able to pick up Games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series from Municipal Stadium. Broadcasting of October 11, 1948 revealed the station needed special permission of the FCC to carry the games and the pre-game activities. Meanwhile, the FCC granted yet another extention to Jan. 20, 1949 for completion of the station's studios. Broadcasting mentioned on Oct. 18:

Studio A Goes TV
WORK is underway in Chicago to transfer NBC's largest audience studio, Studio A at the Merchandise Mart, into a television theatre for presentation of WNBQ (TV).
video programs. Network's key Midwest TV station is scheduled to take the air at year'end. NBC has leased an additional 20,000 square feet on the first and second floors.

There was something else besides a test pattern on Oct. 31. The station began to air Philco Television Playhouse Sunday nights at 9, which was piped down the Midwest network via kinescope. The first presentation was “Counselor-at-Law” starring Paul Muni. The following Sunday was “Angel in the Wings,” the first complete production of a hit Broadway musical, starrinng Paul and Grace Hartman and Hank Ladd, who appeared in the stage production.

Election Night was Nov. 2, 1948, and there was no way WNBQ was going to be off the air that evening. The day before, Broadcasting reported:

WNBQ'S FIRST LIVE PROGRAM SCHEDULED WNBQ CHICAGO, new NBC video station, will present its first live programming Tuesday night. News Commentator Clifton Utley will appear before its cameras with a series of visual election analyses on state and local issues. Mr. Utley's remarks during the final five minutes of each half-hour will supplement a schedule of NBC election night telecasts carried to Chicago by Midwest coaxial cable from WNBK (TV) Cleveland.

The station began adding other test programming. On November 14, Sunday broadcasting began at 7 p.m. with “Stop Me,” followed by “American Song” at 7:30 p.m. and ending with an NBC Newsreel at 9 p.m. The highlight that night was Philco Television Theatre’s adaptation of Elmer Rice’s Pulitzer Prize-winning story “Street Scene” about the tenement- dwelling daughter of a New York City stagehand who killed his wife and his wife’s lover (the milkman). Broadcasting wrote in November 15, 1948:

NBC CHICAGO ADDS THREE TV SHOWS
IN LINE with NBC's plans to link its Eastern and Midwestern TV circuits Jan. 12, Jules Herbuveaux, TV manager at the network's Central Division, last week announced addition of three shows to the program schedule of WNBQ Chicago, expected to begin full-time programming Jan. 8.
Field telecasts, he explained, will make up the majority of the live programming until NBC Chicago Merchandise Mart video studios are completed in February.
Bigelow-Sanford Carpet Co., New York, through Young & Rubicam, same city, began sponsorship of WNBQ's first mid-week program Thursday [18] with Floor Show, starring Dunninger,the mentalist, and Paul Winchell, ventriloquist, 8:30-9 p.m. CST. Chicago telecast is a kinescope recording of the original show televised on the network's East Coast video hookup, and is being piped from WNBQ via co-axial and the NBC Midwest TV circuit.Additional Sunday features supplement the programming.

And from Broadcasting, November 29, 1948:

CHICAGO LIVESTOCK SHOW TO BE ON TV
REMOTE telecasts of the International Livestock Exposition from Chicago's International Amphitheater began Saturday as the annual livestock classic opened its 10-day session. WNBQ, NBC's Chicago outlet still operating on an experimental basis, will telecast judging of the grand champion steer tomorrow (Tuesday, 2-3 p.m. CST) under sponsorship of Allis-Chalmers.
The exposition, conducted in conjunction with the International Horse Show and the National 4-H Club Congress, is also being televised by WGN-TV Chicago.

Despite going days at a time without anything but a test pattern, the station had viewers. Variety of December 1, 1948 wrote:

Chicago, Nov. 30.—Ratings on Chi's four tele stations, released by Jay & Graham Research on the basis of dairies in 450 tele homes, give WBKB the largest share of audience during the week of Nov. 1-7. The Balaban and Katz station was credited with 36.7%, as against 29% for WGN-TV, 24% for WENR-TV, and 10.3% for WNBQ, which is in its experimental stage.

On January 4, 1949, the FCC granted another extension to WNBQ to complete its studios as of July 20th. But the station began full-time broadcasting before that. Broadcasting said on January 10 that WNBQ would “convert from its experimental operations of the past three months to a fulltime commercial basis Wednesday.” That was January 12, 1949. But the station was on the air the night before, when the link Niles Trammell predicted in 1944 became a reality.

Here is one story and part of a second about it from the Tribune of Jan. 12:

East Linked to Midwest by Television
The eyes of television broadened their range last night from the Mississippi to the Atlantic, an area in which a quarter of the nation's citizens live.
Four video networks—ABC, CBS, DuMont, and NBC—combined to present a 90 minute inaugural program over a coaxial cable linking the east coast and midwest television facilities of the American Telephone and Telegraph company's Bell system. Thirty stations in 14 cities televised the show.
Four Chicago stations carried the four networks' top talent. They were THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE'S station, WGN-TV, affiliated with both DuMont and CBS television networks; WNBQ, WENR-TV, and WBKB.
Areas Linked For First Time
For the first time, television viewers in Chicago could see events happening in New York or other eastern cities. Similarly, eastern viewers could see and hear Chicago's Mayor Kennelly commending the new industry.
The new cable's official opening was made possible by completion of a $12,500,000 link between Philadelphia and Cleveland. Before that, there were eastern and midwest networks. The eastern unit connected Boston, New York City, Newark, N. J., Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Va., Schenectady, N. Y. and New Haven, Conn. The western unit united St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Toledo, Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo, N. Y. The new link added Pittsburgh, where WDTV went on the air for the first time last night.
All save Newark, Schenectady, and New Haven were connected last night.
Last night's show was a long step toward coast-to-coast TV hookups. The cable that made the eastern-midwest hookup possible contains eight wires—each about the size of a pencil lead. A single pair can carry as many as 600 simultaneous telephone conversations or two television programs, one in each direction.
LeRoy A. Wilson, A.T.& T. president, pointed out during his appearance on the program that the Bell facilities were built primarily for long distance telephone service, but serve TV also.
14 Cities Answer Roll
Wilson's appearance followed a roll call of the 14 cities in the combined network and an exchange of felicitations by presidents of the four networks. Wayne Coy, chairman of the federal communications commission, hailed from Washington the possibilities of the new medium in furthering education, arts, sciences, news' dissemination, and entertainment.
The congratulations were followed by fun and drama. During 15 minute segments allotted to each network, televiewers saw and heard Arthur Godfrey of CBS, Ted Steele's orchestra of DuMont, Milton Berle of NBC, and Stand By for Crime, a whodunit on ABC. The ABC program was the only portion of the show to originate in Chicago. The new cable goes on a commercial basis today, with the four networks taking turns.
* * *
WNBQ, NBC affiliate which went off experimental status last week, will tie into the cable for a host of east coast programs. Among those announced are [Philco] Television Playhouse, [Kraft] Television Theater, Lanny Ross show [for Swift Premium], Boxing [sponsored by Gillette] from Madison Square Garden, [Texaco] Star Theater (Milton Berle), Quiz Kids, Meet the Press [for Maxwell House], and [Admiral] Broadway Revue. There are others but these appear to be the best. All won't be available immediately but they are on the way. Quiz Kids, for instance, with the same mental moppets heard Sunday afternoons, will he seen for the first time here on video at 8 p. m. Jan. 25. A different panel of precocious youngsters will appear on subsequent shows, however. In all, WNBQ will telecast at least 15 hours this week.

The station expanded its programming, mainly thanks to New York, before the end of the month. Variety wrote on January 19:

Chi WNBQ Gets Up To 20-Hr. Week Sked Fast
Chicago, Jan. 18. Addition of six NBC Chi produced tele programs and several commercial network shows to WNBQ's schedule, boosts station's operations to over 20 hours weekly in its third full week. New network telecasts added include Colgate Theatre, Phil Silvers Show, Americana and Chesterfield Supper Club.
NBC Chi productions include Irna Phillips' These Are My Children, Walt's Workshop, debuting Jan. 24, Clifton Utley and the News, teeing off on same date, The Weatherman, five-minute spot which began Monday (17) and Take a Dare, an audience participation half-hour teeing off Wednesday (19).

Here is the programming for the first week of full operations:

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1949
8:30—Coaxial Cable Opening.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1949
4:30—“Howdy Doody” (NBC). 6:50—Camel Newsreel Theatre (NBC). 7:00—Custard Pie Theatre (debut). 7:30—“You Are An Artist” with John Gnagy (NBC). 7:45—Paris Fashions with Faye Emerson. 8:00—Kraft Television Theatre, “Miranda,” comedy about a mermaid and the complications she causes in a doctor’s life, with Betty Ann Nyman, Beverly Roberts and Richard Kendrick, Gage Clarke, Peggy French, Leora Thatcher, Michael Garrett and Sue Ellen Blade. (NBC). 9:00—NBC Television News. 9:15—Musical Miniatures.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 1949
6:50—Camel Newsreel Theatre (NBC). 7:00—The Phil Silvers Arrow Show, with Harry Salter's orchestra. Guests—Joey Faye, Jack Gilford (NBC). 7:30—The Lanny Ross Show, from Chicago, sponsored by Swift-Premium, with Harry Simeon’s orchestra. Guests—Martha Wright, singing star of “Music in My Heart”; Peter Donald, comedian featured as Ajax Cassidy in Fred Allen’s radio show, and Penny and Marvin, dancers. (NBC). 8:00—Feature film. 8:30—“The Bigelow Floor Show” with Dunninger and Paul Winchell (NBC). 9:00—Grand Marquee.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 1949
6:50—Camel Newsreel Theatre (NBC). 7:00—Film serial. 8:00—Feature film, “Scandal in Paris” with George Sanders, Signe Hasso, Carole Landis and Akim Tamiroff. 9:00—Gillette Cavalcade of Sports. Boxing from Madison Square Garden, Vince Foster vs. Tony Pellone (NBC). 10:00—Chesterfield Supper Club with Perry Como (NBC).

SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1949
No programming.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 1949
6:30—Richard C. Harkness, news. 6:45—“Paris Cavalcade of Fashion” with Faye Emerson. 7:00—Feature Film. 8:00—Philco Television Playhouse, hosted by Bert Lytell, “Ramshackle Inn” with Zasu Pitts (NBC). 9:00—Review of the News (NBC).

MONDAY, JANUARY 17, 1949
4:30—Howdy Doody (NBC). 6:45—The Weatherman. 6:50—Camel Newsreel Theatre (NBC). 7:30—Screen Magazine (NBC). 8:00—Colgate Theatre Hour, “Fancy Meeting You Here.” Betty Garde stars as a nurse who is changing boyfriends and rents the same apartment with a girl and a boy from a scheming landlady. Also features Mary Wickes, Nancy Marquand, Peggy Van Vleet and Brooks West. (NBC). 8:30—“Americana” with Ben Grauer and a panel of high school students, sponsored by Firestone (NBC).

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1949
4:30—Howdy Doody (NBC). 6:45—The Weatherman. 6:50—Camel Newsreel Theatre (NBC). 7:00—Texaco Star Theatre with Milton Berle. Guests—Carmen Miranda, Tony Martin, Florence Desmond, Paul and Palette Trio and the Unger Twins (NBC). 8:00—Feature film. 8:30—Three Musketeers. 9:00—Hour of Fear, “Secret of Stamboul” with James Mason.