Posted on 02/01/2004 7:02:19 AM PST by Jack Bull
WBZ-TV signed on for the first time on June 9, 1948, as New England's first commercial television station, beating WNHC-TV (now WTNH) in New Haven, Conn., to the air by a week. As part of the Westinghouse family of stations, WBZ-TV joined the NBC television network. The station's studios and transmitter were housed in a state-of-the-art facility at 1170 Soldiers Field Road in Boston's Brighton neighborhood, along with sister station WBZ 1030.
WBZ was a New England television pioneer, presenting live broadcasts of Boston institutions such as the Red Sox, as well as daily local newscasts. The ``Boom Town'' kids' show, starring Rex Trailer, was an early favorite.
On August 31, 1954, channel 4 went dark suddenly as Hurricane Carol sent WBZ-TV's 680-foot self-supporting tower toppling over the studios and across Soldiers Field Road.
______________________
We got our first TV in '54 but without power, we didn't know about WBZ's tower falling till much later.
There was so little on the tube it didn't matter, anyway, especially because we learned to fly (plywood "wings") in Hurricane Carol.
I remember the Rex Trailer show ("Boomtown") as well as Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo (when they were just getting started and everything about them was fresh and new).
I can still remember watching "Eyewitness News" on Channel 4 (still in the 1960s) and seeing weatherman Don Kent (now that was a meterologist) give real weather forecasts. He would take his magic marker and cover the map with real isobars, wind direction/speed symbols, and whatnot. His weathermaps were always a work of art and he never talked down to you. He always assumed that his viewers were up to speed on basic meterological terms (and if you weren't, it was implied you would pick up a book on your own and learn). It was Don Kent that instilled in me a love for the weather that I carry to this day. I wonder if today's TV meterologists have the same impact on kids today. I doubt it.
I remember themes from shows of those days like "Leave It To Beaver" and "Bewitched" and "I Dream Of Jeannie" and "Beverly Hillbillies" that whenever I hear them, I am brought back in time to those days. Those shows, while nothing to challenge the intellect, were generally wholesome shows that reinforced morals. Nothing like the loud, brassy and obnoxious characters you see on sitcoms today. No wonder civility is all but gone from our society. It is now okay to wear sweats and sneakers everyday, curse up a storm and be a fat slob like Roseanne Barr or Michael Moore.
In those days, TV stations didn't operate around the clock. They usually went off the air an hour or so after the 11PM news. Some of the UHF stations went off earlier than that. You'd see that circular test pattern and that told you that the station was off the air for the night.
LOL! That's very good!
How about, "I'd rather be lucky than good?"
I'd rather be good and lucky.
Radio was first for me and I still preferred it for a while after we got the TV because there was more on it.
In order to get TV here, telephone poles from NYC to Boston had to be installed and manually wired; how exciting must that have been?
Remember Buster Brown? Pluck your magic twanger, Froggy?
After a while I grew to like TV so much I'd watch this
"Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck." ----- - Don Schula, Miami Dolphins football coach
Princess Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring and Uncle Bob over there with Clarabelle?
Yeah. But this year's victory celebrations are gonna be overshadowed by Punxsutawney Phil!
WoooHooo!!! Spring is almost here!!!
Panthers beat the spread or outrightly win the game in an ("under" - 38 points) game. Panthers 17 -- Pats 16
Sure is, at least here. My new baby is going to get her first real workout today for the Super Bowl. I predict gunfights for the comfortable chairs in the gameroom, but "first come first serve" will be strictly enforced. 
George Jetson never had it so good. Hope I don't run out of dip.
Yeah but don't forget: "You move your feet, you lose your seat". Plan ahead.
Panthers 24
Pats 10
Heck, I don't know either. That's why I asked.
We got our first one in '54 too. The screen was round. I think our neighbor made the thing!
First thing I saw on it was a Cleve. Brownie/Steeler game!
Yoi, double yoi.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.