February 1939

Amos ‘n’ Andy weren’t as big on the radio in the late ‘30s as they were in the early ‘30s, but they still had a large fan base, and survived on network radio until 1960.

Still, despite all the stars on NBC at the time, the two were picked to part on the network’s test broadcasts as it got closer to regular TV programming. They and announcer Bill Hay flew from California to the New York’s World Fair site, even though NBC had prime-time stars already broadcasting from New York.

They appeared on W2XBS on February 27, 1939.

NBC’s parent company, RCA, had finished what columnist Martin Codel called “television’s first road show” in Washington, D.C. on February 2, showing off the latest in TV technology. Philco went on the road as well, putting on a closed-circuit show for conventioneers in Florida. And television was demonstrated at the International Expo in San Francisco, which didn’t get a station until the end of 1948.

Other news that month saw WLW apply for a TV license in Cincinnati, and the university station at Manhattan, Kansas, asked to stay on the air, despite outdated equipment. The university station in Iowa City carried on with its twice-a-week, quarter-hour schedule.

Wednesday, February 1
Television Shots Of Own Daughter Surprise Brown
Special to THE CONSTITUTION.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.—Representative Paul Brown, of Elberton, Ga., got the surprise of his life yesterday when he walked into the National Press Club to witness the first Washington demonstration of the RCA system of electronic television, and saw his 11-year-old daughter, Rosalind, being interviewed on the screen.
Along with other congressmen and Washington newswriters, Mr. Brown visited the club to see a now recognized wonder of the present age. He had no sooner taken his seat in the auditorium than his young daughter began gesticulating and talking before him on the screen. Nearly a mile and one-half away from the Press Club, she was being interviewed and screened near the Department of Agriculture by technicians of the Radio Corporation of America.
"Where did you go last night?" the father heard them ask Rosalind.
"Oh! I went to one of President Roosevelt's birthday parties and saw three of my favorite movie stars," replied the child.
"Who are you, and where do you live?" asked her interrogator.
"My name is Rosalind Brown. I live in Georgia, and my father is a congressman," the little miss answered. She then curtsied, waved to her unseen audience and introduced Miss Hazel Hardin, of Forsyth, Ga. (Atlanta Constitution, Feb. 2)

Thursday, February 2
W9XK, University of Iowa
7:15 to 7:30 p.m.—Television Program with WSUI, 880 kcs.

Television at N. Y. World’s Fair
RESPONDING to the rapidly mounting interest in the advent of public television, which is expected to coincide with the opening April 30 of the New York World's Fair 1939, the Radio Corporation of America has announced a decision to almost completely revise its exhibition plans at the Fair in order to increase the scope and effectiveness of the television presentation.
Original plans for the RCA exhibit building at the Fair, drawn up more than a year ago, provided six ground-floor rooms where television was to be viewed under conditions simulating these of the home. Because these accommodations are now looked upon as inadequate, it has been decided to redesign the ground floor arrangement to greatly enhance the utility of the available space. With architects working in collaboration with radio engineers, a style of television presentation wholly different from and far more comprehensive than the one at first contemplated is expected to evolve.
While detailed information about the new plans will not be available for several weeks, it is known now that two of the original viewing rooms will be retained for the purpose of presenting the Television Living Room of Today and the Radio Living Room of Tomorrow. The television living room will feature the type of home furnishing in common use today, but centering around a television receiver of the kind that will be available this Spring. The Radio Living Room of Tomorrow, decorated with the most advanced styles in modern furniture, will present in one cabinet means for receiving sound broadcasting, television, facsimile broadcasting, and for phonographic recording and phonographic record playing. This idea is from five to ten years in advance of present-day practicalities.
The RCA exhibit building, which has just been completed, is shaped like a huge radio tube affixed to a base and the whole lying on its side. Surrounding three sides of the building are beautifully landscaped gardens, where mobile television units, a motor yacht equipped with radio devices for communication and safety at sea, and a 250-foot radio antenna tower will be exhibited. (syndicated, various papers)

Saturday, February 4
Short Wave Listener
By EARNEST H. ROY
A television transmitter, more powerful than any now in this country and designed for broadcasting pictures with much improved picture definition, will be put into operation within the next three months by General Electric at Indian Ladder in the Helderberg hills, 12 miles from Schenectady, N. Y.
This announcement was made by Chester H. Long, manager of broadcasting for General Electric, upon receipt of word from Washington that the Federal Communications commission had granted the company's license to construct the experimental station.
Built on top of a 1500 foot hill with an antenna strung on 100-foot towers, the new station will be at least 250 feet higher than the one atop the Empire State building in New York. To the south are higher hills which, with a directional antenna, will tend to prevent the signals from causing any possible interference with stations in New York city. With a power output of 10,000 watts, its coverage will be the area comprising Schenectady, Albany, Troy, Amsterdam and Saratoga.
Television images will be relayed from the studio at Schenectady by an ultra wave transmitter operating on 1.4 meters over the 12-mile gap to the main transmitter in the Helderbergs, where they will be broadcast on a wavelength in the 66-72 megacyle [sic] band or on about 4 ½ meters.
The voice accompaning [sic] the pictures will also be broadcast on the same band, on a frequency immediately adjoining the picture, assuring reception with less interference from static than experienced on the regular broadcast channels.
It is interesting to note that more than 250 vacuum tubes will be used in the complete television transmission equipment. This is about five times as many now used for voice broadcasting.
Although the new G. E. television station will be located only several hundred miles from Buffalo, Western New York listeners will not be able to tune in the station. Characteristics of ultra short wave stations are such that signals only travel about 50 miles. Television for Western New York is still far in the future. (Buffalo News, Feb. 4)

PLAN TELEVISION DEMONSTRATIONS
Farm and Home Week Visitors and Service Clubs To see it In Action
Demonstrations of television using the latest equipment will be shown to visitors to the farm and home week next week. In addition, special demonstrations are being scheduled for members of the civic clubs and their wives and friends during the coming week with the following schedule:
Tuesday, Feb. 7, 4 p. m., Lions club.
Wednesday, February 8, 4 p. m., Kiwanis club.
Thursday, February 9, 1:30 p. m., Rotary club.
Friday, February 10, 1:30 p. m., Co-Op club.
The new equipment at the college has been developed under the direction of M. W. Horrell, instructor in electrical engineering. Mr. Horrell will be present to explain the equipment and demonstrate it next week.
The art of television has advanced by several steps within recent years. Television is to be featured at the coming world’s fair in New York City and short broadcasts of television will be given from two broadcasting stations in New York City during the coming summer.
The new equipment at the college [station W9XAK], uses the latest 441-line high-definition type of picture. Scenes on the campus will be picked up by a camera outdoors and shown on the sceen [sic] in the laboratory, room 22, engineering building. This new television equipment has been in the process of development for several months and has been completed recently. (Manhattan, Ks., Mercury)

Sunday, February 5
Roosevelt Likely to Appear On First Television Program
Start of Regular Television Service Set for April 30
THE WORLD'S FAIR OPENS SAME DATE
By WILL BALTIN
History will be written in more ways than one on April 30. Opening of New York’s gigantic World's Fair has been set for that date, but more important is the launching of public television in the United States the same day.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt has received the invitation of World's Fair officials to deliver the opening address at the fair grounds in New York. It is therefore logical to conclude that the President's address will be televised throughout the metropolitan area in the first official television transmission. Much secrecy surrounds the RCA's plans for the initial television show, but it seems reasonable to assume that televising President Roosevelt at the fair grounds is about the best, and undoubtedly the most interesting telecast for the start of a tele service in this country.
The President's face has been transmitted via television waves on numerous occasions during RCA's experimental period — but each time the countenance has been on film. The chief executive makes an excellent television subject, his lined features and broad grin appearing almost lifelike on the television screens.
Tests have already been carried on by RCA with its experimental remote control equipment from the World's Fair grounds, and these tests are said to have been highly successful.
Last week RCA sent its equipment to Washington, D. C. when senators, congressmen and members of the President's official family were treated to a demonstration of television operation. Press reports state that the legislators were amazed at the clarity of images.
It was during the Washington demonstration that RCA officially announced it would television the next inauguration of a president in 1941. (New Brunswick, N.J., Sunday Times)
Tuesday, February 7
W9XK, University of Iowa
7:15 to 7:30 p.m.—Television Program with WSUI, 880 kcs.

Thursday, February 9
W9XK, University of Iowa
7:15 to 7:30 p.m.—Television Program with WSUI, 880 kcs.

First Television Commercial Set
HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 9.—The first commercial television program in the history of radio will be broadcast by Amos ‘n’ Andy from the New York World Fair Grounds Feb. 28. The program will be transmitted by NBC in the Manhattan area through its transmitter on top of the Empire State Building. (Cincinnati Post)

Tuesday, February 14
W9XK, University of Iowa
7:15 to 7:30 p.m.—Television Program with WSUI, 880 kcs.

Wednesday, February 15
Max Gordon Believes Television Will Increase Interest In Drama
By Frank Young
NEW YORK, Feb. 15 (UP)—Max Gordon, first top-ranking Broadway producer selected to advise and assist in presenting television programs, said today that this new amusement will not hurt the theater but will increase the public's interest in drama.
The National Broadcasting company, which will launch its regular television programs this Spring, announced his appointment Tuesday [13]. Gordon said that he agreed to assist because he believes that "television offers the theater and everyone in it wonderful possibilities for development of that medium. The future of television is enormous."
Gordon's theatrical experience covers everything from vaudeville to musical comedies, from Shakespeare to farces. At present he is co-producer with Sam H. Harris of "The American Way," which followed his long- run hit, "The Women." Other Gordon shows have been "Roberta," “Design For Living," “Dodsworth" and “Three's A Crowd."
"By furthering and developing television right from the start I hope to prove to theatrical people that television be the greatest supplementary medium for their abilities," he said. “It can't hurt the theater, in fact it will help."
Television, he said, approaches the theater more than any other form of entertainment and will demand greater acting ability as compared to radio broadcasting.
“Vocal expression alone will not be sufficient and like the theater, the personality of the actor will count,” he said.
One of the biggest problems, Gordon pointed out, will be the lack of "try-outs."
"On the stage we can try out our performances for weeks in the smaller towns where we can improve and revise them," he said. “In television we will not have that opportunity. Before we put a show on the air we must be sure that it will be a success without any try-out performance whatsoever. The show may be broadcast only once, but it must click instantly if television is going to succeed.”
Gordon also said that television producers have to be more acute and more sensitive to public tastes than in any other form of entertainment.
As far as affecting theatrical attendance, he said that television “will arouse an increased interest in the theater everywhere and will serve to whet the appetite of the public for drama. This increased demand for drama will be reflected in greater attendance at theaters because stage productions are more closely allied to television in form than anything else.”
Gordon, who is a native New Yorker, ran away from home when he was 17 to become an agent for a burlesque show. After several years as a vaudeville producer he joined with Harris and Al Lewis to product "Rain," in which Jeanne Eagles was starred. Other Gordon productions have been “Six Cylinder Love" and “The Jazz Singer."

Thursday, February 16
W9XK, University of Iowa
7:15 to 7:30 p.m.—Television Program with WSUI, 880 kcs.

Friday, February 17
Television Receiving Sets Go on Sale in May
PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 17.—(AP)—A limited number of television receiving sets will be offered for public sale in May, a convention of radio dealers was told today by James M. Skinner, president of the Philadelphia Storage Battery Co.
Philco Radio and Television Corp. will make the sets and time their sale with the start of commercial television, Skinner said.
Two New York stations will begin television operations by summer. Another is now broadcasting in Philadelphia and others are to be started in Schenectady, N. Y., Los Angeles and Milwaukee, the official informed the delegates.

HOME TELEVISION SOON TO APPEAR
'Few Weeks Away,' President of Phila. Company Informs Public
Television in the American home is only a few weeks away, James M. Skinner, president of the Philadelphia Storage Battery Co., declared at Palm Beach, Fla., yesterday [17].
Skinner's announcement followed one by the RCA here that it plans to place its television sets on the market starting April 30. General Electric Co. also plans to introduce its model about that time.
Because television can be picked up only within a radius of 30 miles around a broadcasting station, television is at hand for only a limited number of listeners, Skinner said.
Skinner told Philco dealers that it was his belief television never would replace radio. Philco, he said, was planning a huge program in radio this year with the largest newspaper advertising campaign it has attempted.
The owner of a television set in this section will be able to see programs broadcast by four experimental stations. RCA operates two here, W3XEP and W3XAD. Philco operates W3XE in Philadelphia and the fourth station, W3XPF, is operated by Farnsworth Television, Inc., of Pennsylvania in Springfield township above Chestnut Hill. (Camden Courier-Post, Feb. 18)

Saturday, February 18
TELEVISION STATION SOUGHT AT CINCINNATI
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (U.P.) —A request for authority to construct a television station at Cincinnati by the Crosley Corporation was taken under advisement today by the Federal Communications Commission.
The station would be the Cincinnati link in a New York-Cincinnati-Chicago television hookup planned to begin operations in the spring, a commission official said.
Authority was asked for permission to operate on 50,000-58,000 kilocycles, with 1,000 watts.

MULTI-MESSAGE CABLE PERFECTED
FCC Says Bell Laboratory Device Can Transmit Television Signals.
Washington, Feb. 18. (U.P.)— The Federal Communications Commission tonight announced perfection of a coaxial cable capable of transmitting 480 simultaneous telephone conversations and predicted its development will make possible simultaneous transmission of 5,000 telegraph messages.
The cable, about as thick as a broom handle, was developed by the Bell Telephone Laboratories in a year's experiment with a 94.5- mile cable between New York and Philadelphia, Pa.
FCC engineers said that by combining several telephone channels technicians will be able to transmit sharply-defined television signals on the cable.
Used for Experiments.
The cable, used only for experimental purposes, consists of a pair of tubes about the size of a lead pencil. Running through the center of each is a wire about the size of the lead in a pencil. The American Telephone & Telegraph and the Wisconsin Telephone Company have asked the FCC for permission to install another cable for commercial use between Stevens Point, Wis., and Minneapolis, Minn. It would be more than twice as long as the experimental cable. Length, however, would have little effect on operation of the cable, the FCC said. Commission engineers pointed out that Bell laboratories had received strong signals after looping together various channels in the experimental cable and transmitting a conversation over 3,800 miles of channels—enough to reach from coast to coast.

Portable Television Device Demonstrated in Palm Beach
First Public Display In U. S. Made; Beauty Contest Shown
PALM BEACH, Feb. 18. (UP)—The first public demonstration in the United States of television by a portable transmitter was presented today in Palm Beach.
Representatives of the Philco Radio & Television Corp. gave the exhibition in connection with a convention of the company's distributors and officials here, picking up a street scene from the social resort's famous Worth ave. and conducting a television beauty contest at the Sun and Surf club.
In the beauty contest, a portable television transmitter was set by the edge of the swimming pool and models paraded by. Judges were seated inside the club, where they watched the reproduced contestants on the television screen. Peggy Knapp was selected as the television beauty queen, with Nina MacDougald, glamor girl, backed by the Artists' and Writers' club, taking second.
Sayre M. Ramsdell, Philco vice president, said commercial television will start in a few months and a limited number of television receiving sets would be offered in May.
Portable Philco Television Goes Outdoor; Picks Beauties
TELEVISION moved closer to realization for public use when Philco’s portable television transmitter, the first mobile unit of its kind ever built, was put into service recently in an experimental display of its facility for depicting daily happenings at Palm Beach. Fla. There this remarkable instrument, which though only five feet high and about two and one-half feet wide carries equipment which usually fills an entire studio, was carried about the city, photographed interesting happenings, was rolled out to the Sun and Surf Club and used to determine the winner in the first television beauty pageant ever staged and then out to the Palm Beach Golf Club to record the play of the golf stars.
The illustrations above show the First Television Beauty Pageant. Upper right is Miss Peggy Knapp, of New York City, winner of first place as the most beautiful girl in Palm Beach, posing before the Philco Television Transmitter. Below is the Board of Judges, composed of famous artists, photographers, theatrical and radio leaders. The judges did not see the competing beauties parading beside the swimming pool, but sat before a Philco television receiver and from the moving images and the voices made their selection of Miss Knapp. Left to right the judges are: Samuel Harris, theatrical producer; Victor Keppler, photographer; Floyd Davis, artist; Ray Prohaska, artist; Al Doorn, artist; I. Levy, Columbia Broadcasting System executive.
Upper left is Cobina Wright, Jr., Manhattan cafe society songstress, seventeen-year old society girl who was chosen as "Glamor Girl of Palm Beach," and is shown singing before the television transmitter, while hundreds passed before the receiving sets in the clubhouse to see and hear the demonstration.
Lower left is A. L. Murray, Chief Television Engineer of Philco, who devised the portable transmitter for television. He is shown demonstrating the heart of the television receiver, the tube which plays such an important part, and on whose bulbous whitened end the television images appear in the receiving set. (syndicated to various papers)

Monday, February 20
TELEVISION LICENSE HEARING IS ORDERED
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—(AP)—The communications commission ordered today a hearing on the application of Kansas State college of agriculture and applied science for renewal of a television experimental license [W9XAK].
The commission granted a temporary license but said the hearing was ordered because "the applicant appears to be using equipment behind the present state of the art. No hearing date was set.

Tuesday, February 21
W9XK, University of Iowa
7:15 to 7:30 p.m.—Television Program with WSUI, 880 kcs.

TELEVISION NOT TO BE GENERALLY IN OPERATION FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS
GREAT STRIDES IN TELEVISION HAVE BEEN MADE IN ENGLAND
New York.—Commercial television is still at least five years away, according to Major Lenox Lohr, president of the National Broadcasting Company, who added this week that it would be logical to raise this figure to 50 years by basing the estimate on the experience of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The latter induced the public to buy television receivers at the rate of 2,000 a year during the first two years the sets were offered. If it be assumed that Americans would buy at a ten times greater rate, that would mean only 20,000 sets per year. If sponsored television depends upon the sale of 1,000,000 receiving sets, it might take 50 years for television to become an advertising medium.
Lower Costs Sought
Major Lehr placed the figure at five years despite these figures because he expects abnormally rapid development in this country. He emphasized, however, that excessive production costs will hold back television several years. With respect to the cost of televising broadcasts, the NBC president revealed that the network is planning to approach the American Federation of Musicians, the American Federation of Radio Artists, and similar organizations with a separate and lower scale than that now prevailing for regular radio broadcasting.
Major Lehr branded as false the rumor that either NBC or Radio Corporation of America might set up a separate television corporation. Such a move would be for too expensive at the present time, he said. NBC will continue to handle television, but steps are being taken to make possible a shift to a separate television unit when and if the need arises. (Union City Evening Times, Feb. 21)

Thursday, February 23
W9XK, University of Iowa
7:15 to 7:30 p.m.—Television Program with WSUI, 880 kcs.

Friday, February 24
RCA TELEVISION EXHIBIT DRAWS BIG FAIR CROWDS
The RCA Manufacturing Company announced yesterday [24] that more than 12,000 men, women and children attended the company's television exhibit the opening day of San Francisco's Golden Gate International Exposition.
Of the visitors witnessing the first public demonstration during the two-day celebration which marked the opening of the exposition, approximately 10,000 were televised. It was estimated that one out of every 12 in the crowd of 150,000 visitors the first day, saw the exhibit.
Fifteen persons filed before the lens of the television camera every minute for 12 hours. In the reception room, four television receivers showed the results of the broadcasts.
The RCA exhibit has 5000 square feet of floor space and there Is a complete staff to direct tours of the displays. (Camden Courier-Post, Feb. 25)

Saturday, February 25
Movies of London Television Are Snapped in United States
By C. E. BUTTERFIELD.
(Associated Press Radio Editor)
NEW YORK, Feb. 25.—Movies of television from London are being snapped on this side of the Atlantic.
Nothing to brag about as to quality or entertainment, nevertheless they provide a record for scientific study and demonstrate that the pictures do get over here after traveling something like 3,000 miles.
While there's a vague possibility that some day transatlantic television might be a practicability, nothing is yet certain that this will develop. Anyway, that would require special apparatus at both ends.
Right now, though, at London there has been no special effort to reach this country. The pictures are those of the regular daily television broadcasts from Alexandria palace of the programs put on by the British Broadcasting company.
Research Engineer.
The American camera man is the research engineer, D. R. Goddard, of Riverhead laboratory staff of the Radio Corporation of America. He has been investigating the possibilities of transatlantic tele-reception for more than two years, but only recently has he tried copying the images on a movie film.
He believes the reception is due to a freak condition brought about by the prevalence of sun spots, now beginning to recede from the height of an 11-year cycle. The signals can be picked up only during it half-hour period daily, around 11 a. m., E. S. T.
Goddard uses a specially designed receiver. It has at least 40 tubes; he doesn't keep a close count. Then there's a special directional antenna pointed at England.
Equipment. Used.
Part of the receiver is a regular television cabinet with kinescope reproducing tube. The rest is in racks much the same as a broadcast transmitter. The camera is set up before the tube, photographing whatever appears thereon. Goddard is quite enthusiastic over his accomplishment, and has made a lengthy study of reception on the ultra short waves which are used for television, particularly on frequencies above 40 megacycles.
The images he has brought in wouldn't give anyone a thrill. It’s nothing like a movie show. Only at flashes do the images resolve themselves into a recognizable signal. At times they go to pieces, that is out of synchronization; at others they appear as if an artist with a shaky hand were at work. As many as four images at a time, each overlapped, often impress themselves on the kinescope.
Describes Pictures.
Goddard expresses the opinion that this multiple image is due to the varying paths the signals take from London. While the pictures never hold themselves steady, unusually good reception of the sound part of the transmission has been effected.
Images he has photographed—he tried a still camera before he shifted to a movie machine—are good enough at times to differentiate between men and women, to spot the moving lips of a singer and the like.
Goddard is going right ahead with his research. It is giving him valuable data on the behavior of television signals from the long-distance standpoint. Besides London, he also has picked up Berlin and Rome.

Monday, April 27
Amos and Andy Appear on Television Program
New York. Feb. 28 (AP)—Amos and Andy now are television as well as radio artists. They went before the electric camera in a special demonstration at the New York World's fairgrounds Monday afternoon [27].
The test, first planned for Sunday but postponed because of rain, was their first experience in visual broadcasting. It was separate from their regular program at night which also came from the fairgrounds.
Amos and Andy, who are Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, appeared before the camera with Grover A. Whalen, president of the fair. The pickup was made by the N. B. C. mobile television transmitter, relayed by air to the Empire State building and thence sent by special cable to receivers in the Radio City studio.

Television
It was announced on a recent Amos 'n' Andy broadcast out of New York that Bill Hay had made the first private commercial experiment with a "television sales bulletin." Mr. Hay opened and ate a can of beans. The announcement leads to some interesting speculation.
First, of course, will a television audience sit and watch Mr. Hay consume a can of beans, scour his teeth or chase dandruff from his hair?
In the matter of televised foods, will the sponsors keep Emily Posts around to see to it that foods are consumed with proper etiquette? It would be disastrous, I should say, if Mr. Hay was caught eating beans with his knife. Will the television executives frown, do you suppose, on my bathtub scenes which might reveal for the television audience such a peek-a-boo scene as a beautiful blond lathering herself with her favorite soap?
Just how far will the potential television sponsor be able to go in depleting commercial scenes in the home?
My own notion is the television executives will have to concoct much more attractive methods of selling by picture than are now employed in selling by sound. If they don't, television may not become as popular as expected. Certainly there is nothing very romantic in watching an announcer devouring a fork full of beans. (Robert S. Stephan, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Mar. 5)

Tuesday, February 28
W9XK, University of Iowa
7:15 to 7:30 p.m.—Television Program with WSUI, 880 kcs.