June 1937

NBC finally told the world, in June 1937, when it would begin regular television programming. It wouldn’t be for two more years.

The radio network’s parent company, RCA, signed a deal with the organisers of the New York World’s Fair to operate a TV studio on the fairgrounds.

Variety was extremely disdainful about the idea, calling it “a stunt.” Time proved the editorial wasn’t boffo. It did mark a significant date in American television history.

The announcement also overshadowed one from the other side of the country. W6AXO not only began broadcasting sight and sound together (instead of airing TV audio on Mutual-Don Lee radio stations) but set up a regular schedule of programming.

Back in New York, an experimental TV station was shut down after a very short life. NAB Reports revealed W2NXT was authorised on July 21, 1936 to broadcast just above the AM radio band at 2,000 kcs. It received an extension but when National Television Corp. tried to have its license amended, the FCC shut down the station.

Elsewhere, General Electric, which put W2XCW and W2XAF on the air, was making preparations to go back into the television business, eventually using the call letters W2XB and the better-known WRGB. In Kansas City, it was announced W9XAL would resume broadcasts. And in Spokane, there was a proposal for an educational TV station at Gonzaga University.

In Chicago, the head of Zenith indulged in his favourite pasttime—bashing television. If you read quotes from him over the next ten years, he consistently says television is not ready (even after he opened TV station W9XZV which operated sporadically) and Zenith would not sell TV sets (which the company manufactured). After World War Two, he pushed a pay TV scheme which fizzled out.

Below are some highlights for the month, including a feature story outlining a surprise experimental broadcast from W2XBS. It included a Fleischer Popeye cartoon.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1937
FCC Stops Visual Test on 2,000 kc.
THAT the FCC intends to stick to its mandate against television experiments in the so-called continental shortwave band, was indicated June 2 when it denied the application of National Television Corp., New York, for authority to continue operation of a television station [W2XNT] on the frequency band 2,000-2,100 kc. with 500 watts unlimited time.
Last year the FCC promulgated rules specifying that television experiments be restricted to the ultra-high frequencies where practically all of the operations now are going forward. National Television and Purdue University were authorized to continue temporarily in the continental band. In its June 2 action the FCC not only denied National Television the authority for amendment of its special temporary authorization but also entered its final order denying the application of the company for a construction permit to establish and operate a television station on the 2,000-2,100 kc. band.
Purdue University has been experimenting in the 2,000-2,100 kc. band in connection with rural coverage by visual stations. Whether it ultimately will go to the ultra-high frequencies in the region of 40,000 kc., where other television experimenters are harbored, is not revealed at this time but will probably develop upon consideration of its application for renewal.
In the case of National Television, the FCC action of June 2 means that the company no longer has authority to operate experimentally in the television band. It does not have authority to experiment in the ultra-high frequencies. The National Television case was the subject of a hearing before an examiner last year who recommended adversely on its application. (Broadcasting, June 15)

THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1937
1st Reception Of Television Here Reported
Van Heuvel Picks Up Half-Hour Program on Daily Home News Set
By WILL BALTIN
The first successful reception of television signals in this city has been accomplished by Norman Van Heuvel, local radio engineer, with the picking up of a 30-minute variety program broadcast by the Radio Corporation of America from its Empire State building transmitter in New York City.
Employing the small-sized cathode ray tube, with which he has been experimenting in the construction of The Daily Home News and The Sunday Times television set, Van Heuvel was able to pick up and easily discern the broadcast Tuesday night, which included a variety of newsreels and other motion picture shots.
It was the first time any television signals have been picked up here by an amateur experimenter. The initial reception was witnessed by Mrs. Van Heuvel and her brother, Oliver Brown, as well as the set's builder.
"It was really amazing." said Mrs. Van Heuvel today in describing the scene. "We were all so excited afterward that we hardly slept that night.”
Last summer, Van Heuvel was engaged by The Daily Home News and The Sunday Times to build the first local television set, in view of the growing interest to this new invention. Lack of diagrams and details for construction handicapped the engineer to some extent but research and study of available design of sets made the construction possible.
Since early in February, RCA has been broadcasting periodic television programs from its Empire State transmitter. Shortly after that time Van Heuvel completed the sound portion of the television receiver and was amazed at the strength of the signals, in view of the reports that television signals broadcast on ultra short waves, can only carry as far as the horizon line. New Brunswick is virtually on the New York horizon line.
With the sound receiver completed, the engineer then embarked on the most difficult portion of construction—the sight receiver. Three weeks ago the set was ready for a test and Van Heuvel prepared for his experiments. Here again he was hampered because RCA had discontinued its television broadcasts for the present. Each night efforts were made to pick up the signals but there were no broadcasts.
Tuesday night another attempt was made and at 9:30 o'clock, Van Neuvel was almost startled off his chair when the RCA emblem appeared on the screen and the television program began. He immediately called Mrs. Van Heuvel and Oliver Brown into the room and the three of them watched the broadcast.
Van Heuvel withheld any comment on the reception until yesterday afternoon when he informed The Home News of the successful experiment.
"The set is by no means completed," he said today, "and experiments will continue to improve the wide range amplifier. While the pictures received were slightly distorted, they wen easily discernible. I shall now devote by attention to building a wider range amplifier."
Van Heuvel emphasized that there will be no public demonstration of the set until all work is completed. At present he is making use of a three-inch screen cathode ray tube. This is only for experimental purposes. With the achievement of clearer definition in the pictures through the refinement of the wide range amplifier, Van Heuvel expects to use the new 9 by 12 inch screen cathode ray tube.
The local experimenter has devoted practically all his spare time to the construction at the set during the past three months. He has set up his experimental laboratory at his home in Colonial Gardens and all work has been accomplished there. Last week a special antenna was erected at his home for the television experiments.
Pictures televised from the air and received here included motion pictures of a recent track meet in which races, hurdling and pole vaulting were shown. They also included a swimming meet, with fancy diving as one of the highlights. This was especially well received at the Van Beuvel home. A Popeye comedy was then shown and the program was concluded with pictures of a boxing match.
When the finishing touches are made in the equipment and as soon as RCA releases a definite schedule of television broadcasts, expected in the near future, the Home News-Sunday Times set will he made available for public inspection at special demonstrations which are being planned. (Home News, New Brunswick, N.J., June 3)

GONZAGA BUILDS TELEVISION SET-UP
Construction of a powerful television and shortwave radio transmitting and receiving station is under way at Gonzaga University.
An experimental station, described as one of the most powerful amateur setups in the west, will be in complete operation by the end of the summer, E. McNulty, S. J., of Gonzaga engineering department, told the Chronicle today. The story was revealed in connection with the announcement of a summer course in television, which will start Tuesday evening. It was also announced Gonzaga will offer a four-year electrical engineering course with a department in radio and television next semester.
In two weeks. Gonzaga will put into operation a 1000-watt short-wave transmitter,” Mr. McNulty said. “We will be able to project the Gonzaga programs to all parts of the world.”
By fall, Mr. McNulty anticipates, Gonzaga will have its radio experimental license, Gonzaga now holds an amateur license, permitting the school to broadcast under the call letters, W7FFF.
Working in conjunction with the new 1000-watt short-wave transmitter, television pictures can be transmitted a distance of 15 miles. Mr. McNulty said.
Students enrolling in the summer television course will aid in the construction of the new equipment. (Spokane Chronicle)

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 1937
Officially inaugurating its new television sound channel transmitter, the television division of the Don Lee Broadcasting System will broadcast two "sight and sound" programs today in observance of the first anniversary of the opening of its high definition television demonstrations to the public. The new transmitter is of the latest grid-modulated design and reproduces sound frequencies from 40 to 10,000 cycles with fidelity. Observing the same schedule as of a year ago, when the Don Lee television organization gave the first public demonstration in the nation, the programs will be aired from 3 to 5 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Periodic broadcasts have been witnessed by guests at a receiving set under normal home conditions at a location 3 ¾ miles north of the transmitter. More difficult reception was successfully received during April of this year in Pasadena, a distance of ten miles from the television broadcast station, W6XAO, with a mile of hills of three peaks intervening. (Grace Palmer, Hollywood Citizen-News)

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1937
New Television Schedule Inaugurated by Don Lee
West Coast Bureau, RADIO DAILY
Los Angeles — New sight-sound television broadcasts announced by Don Lee Television Division include: Monday, 9-10 a.m. (PST), Tuesday, 10-11 a.m.; Wednesday, 11-noon; Thursday, noon-1 p.m.; Friday, 1-2 p.m.; Saturday, 2-3 p.m. Evening broadcasts daily 6:30-7:15. The images are televised on 45,000 kilocycles (6-2/3 meters) with sound broadcast on new frequency of 54,300 kilocycles (5 1/2 meters) with new transmitter of latest grid-modulated design reproducing sound frequencies from 40 to 10,000 cycles.

TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1937
KXBY Resumes Tele
Kansas City — KXBY has resumed its series of daily quarter-hour broadcasts in connection with experimental television broadcasts made by First National Television School, which owns and operates the radio station. Broadcasts were temporarily discontinued a month ago when station moved to new studios in the Fidelity Bldg. (Radio Daily)

WORLD SERIES BY TELEV
Moss Prepares To Open B’way Theatre With Telecasting Of Baseball Classic An Attraction
New York.—Scenes of the world series next fall will be the first televised entertainment offered to a theatre audience in the United States by B. S. Moss, who returns today from London with telecasting devices which he will install in his 600-seat Broadway and 49th street theatre.
The devices will permit televised entertainment on a full sized screen of events within a 25 mile radius. The new Moss house will open about October 1, using the baseball classic in television as the opening attraction. Moss' decision to show television will be the first actual attempt on the part of any theatre or chain to augment its regular policy with immediate and direct coverage of any event of the day.
The newsreel theatre circuit being organized by Jack Connolly and Courtland Smith, former Pathe News executives, is based on the eventual use of television in circuit theatres which are to be spotted in key cities in United States and Europe. The duo is intending to equip the theatre for television, but Moss' action is the first announced move for immediate use of telecasting in a theatre in this country.
Whether Moss will be able to continue the use of television as a feature of his theatre will depend upon the ability to set up equipment at events being held within a radius of 25 miles of New York. Telecasting is not possible beyond a 50 mile radius because, the earth's parabola blocks television beams, which cannot follow the earth's surface. (Hollywood Reporter)

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1937
W2XBS, New York (NBC)
4:15-5:00 p.m.—Broadcast from NBC Television Studio (sound on WJZ and other NBC Blue stations).

Radio-Tele Bldg. at World Fair
RCA to Erect Structure Covering All Branches of Broadcasting--New 441 Line Television Shown
David Sarnoff, RCA president, and Grover Whalen, president of the 1939 New York World's Fair, yesterday [17] in the NBC television studios signed an agreement whereby RCA will construct a building at the fair which will cover all branches of radio and television.
Signing of the agreement was televised to the New York area through the NBC television transmitter, W2XBS, in the Empire State Building. The voice transmission was sent out over the NBC-Blue network. This is the first time the signing of a contract has been televised and the first time the sound which accompanied the picture has been sent out over a national network simultaneously with the televised broadcast.
It was also the first time that the press had witnessed the new 441-line television picture and all agreed it was a definite improvement over the 343-line image of a year ago. RCA gave a demonstration for the Institute of Radio Engineers some weeks ago, but that was a private showing.
The building to be erected at the Fair will be of ultra-modern construction and will be linked directly with the NBC television transmitter in Manhattan. Outstanding fair events will be televised and shown to the visitors for the first time in radio history.
In making the announcement of RCA participation, Sarnoff said that Lenox R. Lohr, NBC president, would be in charge of the RCA family's participation in the fair. Lohr was formerly head of the Chicago Century of Progress Exposition.
After the ceremonies were televised, Lohr stated that when television is perfected no actors will be allowed to read from scripts. Sarnoff, Lohr and Whalen all read their speeches from paper and as a result only the tops of their faces were visible to the reporters present.
Lohr also estimated that RCA would spend over $1,000,000 for the fair building and equipment. The building will be known as the "World of Tomorrow." Some of the press representatives present were under the impression that the conclave was to be a television demonstration, but Lohr denied that it was. He said that the television receivers which picked up the program in the NBC board room and O. B. Hanson's office were hurriedly wired together at Camden and sent to New York for this occasion.
Betty Goodwin, NBC television announcer, opened and closed the television ceremonies. (Radio Daily, June 18)

NBC World’s Fair Inking Ceremony Proves Unflattering to Television
NBC and New York World's Fair officials got together on a stunt broadcast last week. On paper it was a natural. As it came out, however, it was decidedly a nag of another hue.
What the World's Fair got was the, valuable ballyhoo of a nationwide broadcast. What NBC got was an unfavorable impression of television.
Spark that set the whole shebang off was NBC's contracting to pay $29,339.82 for a site of 81,699 square feet at the New York World's Fair of 1939. Plot of ground will be used to erect an exhibit showing the story of radio and its future and housing studios for both radio and television.
To ballyhoo that deal, as well as to plug its television progress, NBC staged the stunt. David Sarnoff, RCA president; Grover Whalen, World's Fair prez, and Lenox R. Lohr, NBC prexy, inked contracts for the deal as the stars of a television broadcast.
Ceremonies were, broadcast over a national hook-up, with glowing speeches by the three principals. Also broadcast by television for the RCA and NBC execs who have television receivers in their offices and homes. Was said later it was the first ceremony of official nature ever sent out by television and the first television broadcast also aired by radio. Daily and trade paper reporters watched and heard the ceremonies via receivers in the NBC offices.
As a demonstration of practical television, the stunt left plenty to be desired. In fact it might be called an expose, rather than a demonstration. The image, reflected in the raised top of the receiver, is about seven, by nine inches in size. Lohr stated during the ceremony that television reproduction is now as satisfactory as 16 mm. film projection in the home, but the demonstration hardly bore him out.
Flicker Still Present
Same flicker that has characterized previous television images was present, possibly even more accentuated. Focusing was faulty, with outlines and images blurred. Lighting seemed to provide the most trouble, frequent blinks flashing on the tube end.
Still, all three principals in the show were easily recognizable.
Aside from the technical difficulties still unsolved by television, the demonstration highlighted one point that has frequently been mentioned in regard to practical television. That is the program angle. While the broadcast may have sounded interesting and impressive via radio, it was tiresome as reproduced by television.
Lohr explained after the demonstration that the transmitting equipment had been virtually tossed together at the last minute to comply with his and Sarnoff 's sudden decision to televise the ceremonies of sighing the Fair contract. Paraphernalia was dismantled to permit some experiments several weeks ago and the intention was not to reassemble it until late this month, Lohr said, adding that the result of the hurry job was a number of television flaws.
In their speeches accompanying the signing, Sarnoff, Lohr and Whalen all did a Gaston-Alphonse routine about 'so honored to have you with us,' 'so happy to reach this agreement,' etc. Boiled down, the speeches simply meant that RCA and NBC had contracted to spend bundle of coin to ballyhoo their radio and television achievements and facilities to the 50,000,000 (estimated. by Whalen) who will visit the Fair.
How vague the whole thing is at present can be judged from the fact that the question of whether RCA-NBC have the site for one or two seasons in return for their $29,000 hasn't been decided. (Variety, June 23)

FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1937
RCA Television Tubes Installed at KC Plant
Kansas City — Four RCA electronic television tubes and equipment, to make the newly established 441-line television station here [W9XAL] the first to be so equipped west of Philadelphia, have been installed by Midland Television Inc.
Midland's station will be used in connection with the school opening in the fall, but eventually will be employed by KMBC when commercial television makes its bow. (Radio Daily)

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 1937
GE to Build Television Transmitter in Albany
Schenectady, N. Y., June 22.
Installation by General Electric of a short wave, high-frequency transmitter for television broadcasting will begin within five weeks, the first step being, the erection of a 20-foot tower atop the State Office Building, Albany, the tallest structure in this section. Permission for the installation was obtained from FCC some months ago.
Willard J. Purcell, chief engineer of WGY, will supervise the work. Equipment to cost about $20,000.
When completed, the transmitter will send out the 'quasi-ocular' radio wave, which for a long time has been the problem child of television. The Albany transmitter will operate on a five to seven meter range, with a receiving radius of approximately 30 miles. (Variety, June 23)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1937
Radio-Television Exhibit By Westinghouse at Fair
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. will present an exhibit and demonstrations of the latest developments in radio and television, among other things, at the New York World's Fair in 1939. The company has just signed the first formal contract for exhibit space in a building to be erected at the Fair. (Radio Daily)

THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1937
NEW YORK CITY—A report by the Radio Corporation of America is to the effect that nearly fifty television sets are in practical use by executives and engineers of the company, and that they receive daily broadcasts from the experimental station in the tower of the Empire State Building. (Saline County Record, and others)

THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1937
Television Far Away, States Comdr. McDonald.
Addressing a recent world convention of Zenith Radio dealers in Chicago, the assertion that television has proved "a colossal flop" in England was made by Comdr. Eugene F. McDonald Jr., president of Zenith Radio Corp., in applying June 30 for a construction permit for an experimental television station in Chicago [W9XZV]. The London public, said Comdr. McDonald, noted not only as a radio manufacturer but also as an explorer, is complaining bitterly because of the lack of acceptable programs while paying about $450 for television receivers.
"Television is just around the corner—for stock salesmen only," said Comdr. McDonald. He said it was a long way off for general use in the home. His company, he said, has been working on television in its laboratories for several years, but he stated the art has many economic and technical problems yet to be solved. Zenith, he said, has refused and will continue to refuse to be "stampeded" into prematurely placing on the market its television apparatus. (Broadcasting, July 15)