[Steve D.]

This is one of those questions that can have several answers depending on which formula you use. Pete knows I am an avid CT-100 fan. However, my criterion for which company produced the first consumer color set, is still who first had a set in the stores for sale to the public. That was Westinghouse in Feb. 1954. Even though RCA Victor produced 10 times as many 15" sets, they were't available for sale until April '54. As for Admiral, I haven't seen proof yet as to when their sets,if any, were actually offered for sale. RCA, Westinghouse, Stromberg-Carlson, Sparton, Arvin ect. all have SAMS folders. This suggests that they made at least a large enough run of 15" color sets to warrant the SAMS coverage. Westinghouse had an extensive advertising push for their H-840CK15. Including a full page color ad in Life mag. And many local dealer newspaper ads in the larger TV markets. RCA also had several national and local newspaper ads for their CT-100. I'm not sure if the CT-100 was ever pictured in an RCA brochure. I would also like to see the CT-100 production tour brochure that Pete refers to in his post. Anyone have that in their collection? Also, I have read that Gen. Sarnoff of RCA, was absolutely livid when he was beat to the punch by Westinghouse which used the 15GP22 tube. This after RCA spent milions developing the 15GP22 tri-color picture tube and the chassis that ultimatly became the CT-100. The General cracked the whip and got the CT-100 lines rolling well ahead of planned production dates. He then scrapped the planned 19" color models and a crash program was instituted for the 21" color set. He would not be denied the first large screen color tv.


-Steve