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WRGB -- GE's Station with many
"Firsts" (For America)
By way of a written request early in 1998, station WRGB was kind enough to send me an
original 1987 issue of the "24th Annual Golden
Mike Award" brochure. This glossy 12" x 36" four page
foldout publication gives a wonderful history of New York's WRGB television
station, which holds many "FIRST" records in the broadcast
industry. Part of this presentation is shown in the scans below.
(29K)
Front Cover of the brochure
(78K)
Composite of all four panels - 36 inches long
(180K)
Introductory Text Panel
(242K)
High resolution scan of the first panel. On this page, you
have the following 'firsts' mentioned:
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First private,
experimental television viewing (1926, USA)
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First successful
public television broadcast (January 1928, USA)
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US Federal
Government issues first name to WRGB, with the call letters
"W2XB", but the station is popularly known as WGY Television,
after its sister radio station. (Spring 1928)
-
First TV
Newscaster, Kolin Hager, broadcasts farm and weather reports three times
weekly on W2XB (May 10, 1928, USA)
-
WORLD's First
remote television news broadcast at Capitol Building in Albany, NY., as
Governor Alfred E. Smith accepts the Democratic nomination for President of
the United States. (August 1928)
-
First dramatic
program on television, "The Queen's Messenger", broadcast to four
television sets! (September 1928, USA)
-
First Network
Television Broadcast -- June 1939 -- Arrival of King and Queen of
England at the N.Y. World's Fair -- The picture is broadcast from New York
to Schenectady.
-
First NBC affiliate
(November 1939)
(184K)
Second Panel
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March 1942 -- W2XB is renamed WRGB, in
tribute to Dr. Walter R. G. Baker, a GE vice president and pioneer in US
television and radio.
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June 1946 -- WRGB airs its first
commercial -- for Gillette -- which sponsored the Heavyweight Boxing match
between Joe Louis and Bill Conn.
-
April 1948 -- First network newscast
reported by Douglas Edwards on the CBS television network.
(91K)
Fourth Panel
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September 1981 -
WRGB (Local Channel 6) Becomes affiliated with CBS
-
August 1983 -- GE
Sells WRGB to Universal Communications Corporation
-
March 1986 --
Freedom Newspapers, Inc., purchases WRGB
-
WRGB is recognized
as America's pioneer television station -- the oldest continually operating
TV station in the world.
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