Kutztown XXIX Slide Show

[truetone36]

All those pre-1950 sets. I wish I could run across one of those 7" sets, but there aren't any near here as there weren't any TV stations here till 1950 in Memphis, and my local station here in Jonesboro didn't start broadcasting till 1963. The oldest sets I've found around here date from 1950-51.

[earlyfilm]

Originally Posted by truetone36

All those pre-1950 sets. I wish I could run across one of those 7" sets, but there aren't any near here as there weren't any TV stations here till 1950 in Memphis, and my local station here in Jonesboro didn't start broadcasting till 1963. The oldest sets I've found around here date from 1950-51.

Memphis TV station WMCT then on Channel 4 (now WMC-TV channel 5) began official operation on December 11, 1948.

My father drove me to the Forked Deer Hardware store just across the 'sippi river from you in Brownsville, Tennessee, where we watched some of the equipment tests broadcast before the official sign on.

The first day, just as we walked in the front door, the station either signed off or broke down. The next day we watched about an hour of test pattern, and all we heard was a tone and then a voice signing off. The third day they never got on the air, but on the fourth day I saw a military parade and a newsreel.

I think the set was a 10 inch RCA or similar looking set.

James.