Color broadcasting timeline

[Charlie]

We all know that NBC started pumping out color programs in 1954. When did the other guys (CBS & ABC) start getting color stations?

I inquired with our local Beaumont CBS station (KFDM CH 6) and they told me mid-60's. I would have thought our CBS station would have had color earlier. Channel 4 (our NBC station) came online and in Living Color in 1957.

[Aussie Bloke]

I can easily say CBS were broadcasting in colour (but to a far lesser scale than NBC) in 1954 up to the late 50s but pretty much stopped colour broadcasts in the early 60s (correct me if I'm wrong anyone) but started again around 1965 when they got Norelco PC-60 plumbicon colour cameras. CBS did experimental colour broadcasts in 1951 as well with their field sequential colour system but only a smidgen of people had those field sequential colour receivers.

ABC pretty much (with a few exceptions) B&W up until 1965 when they started broadcasting colour on a more regular basis. The exceptions I know of was they telecine'd The Jetsons cartoons in colour in 1962 and in 1958 American Bandstand experimented with a couple of colour broadcasts for a couple of weeks before returning to B&W.

[Mal Fuller]

A good and complete response.

[David Roper]

I wasn't aware of the AB colorcasts. I wonder how many stations that carried it were actually capable of color at the time...?

CBS had sets to sell in 1954 just as RCA/NBC did, so they were a player in the early NTSC period despite still smarting from their own color system's stillbirth. The Eye had big plans that fall for colorcasts of many shows, both filmed and live, but ultimately the only CBS series that filmed a color episode that season was Burns and Allen. All the rest were live colorcasts via field sequential cameras using a Rube Goldberg invention known as the Chromacorder for conversion to NTSC. After the Chromacoder was retired CBS' color broadcasts were sporadic at best for the next ten years.

It was actually ABC's growing interest in color that spurred CBS on in the fall of '65. In addition to The Jetsons, ABC had been broadcasting The Flintstones and Wagon Train in color in the early 60s. The combination of the sharp growth in color set ownership and a desire not to be the odd man out led CBS to outdo ABC in total number of color hours for 1965-66 despite virtually starting from square one.

As far as my local affiliates, I know that NBC affiliate WOOD was equipped for color literally from the very start (and I still hold out hope for 15" treasures that might be lurking in area basements). The CBS station, which went on the air in 1950, is claimed to only have begun broadcasting in color in 1968, but I found some information that refers specifically to local color film capability as of that time; I am certain network shows were being carried in color a good while prior to that. The area got its third channel--an ABC affiliate--in 1962, initially all black & white but my elders' reminiscences of Batman and Ozzie & Harriet in color confirm that it was so equipped no later than early 1966.

[Steve D.]

Here's a bit more info on the 1958 American Bandstand color telecasts that originated from WFIL-TV in Philadelphia. "It was briefly shot in color in 1958 when WFIL-TV began experimenting with the then-new technology. Due to a combination of factors that included the size of the studio, the need to have as much space available for the teenagers to dance, and the size of the color camera compared to the black-and-white models, it was only possible to have one RCA TK-41 where three RCA TK-10s[1] had been used before. WFIL went back to the TK-10s two weeks later when ABC refused to carry the color signal and management realized that the show lost something without the extra cameras."

So, it seems ABC, while carrying AB on its network, did not provide a color feed from WFIL-TV. I doubt that in 1958 many ABC affliates were equipped to transmit a color signal in any case. Must have been tough to shoot a teen dance show with only one camera. The first color program on the ABC-TV network was the Jetsons which premiered in Sept. 1962.

-Steve D.

[bluenorm]

I believe Julie Andrews Cinderella was broadcasted (CBS) in color. I remembered seeing her near a TK-41. Maybe I'm wrong.

[bluenorm]

the great Sebastian 1957 with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne was broadcasted in color. in one scene you could see three guys, two pushing a TK-41 and the other carrying the cable.

[bluenorm]

the sleeping beauty aired on cbs 14 Dec. 1955

Tchaikovsky's ballet, with Margot Fonteyn in the title role, presented on TV in color. Only a black-and-white kinescope of this production seems to survive.

Producer showcase series
This program aired once every fourth week and was one of the most costly live shows of the 1950's. Many stars appeared on this show..

[Steve D.]

Originally Posted by bluenorm

I believe Julie Andrews Cinderella was broadcasted (CBS) in color. I remembered seeing her near a TK-41. Maybe I'm wrong.

Cinderella was broadcast by CBS from New York in color on March 31, 1957. A B&W kinescope was broadcast for western time zone viewers due to time shifting for prime time telecast on the west coast. I have the B&W kinescope copy in my collection.

[jmdocs]

Originally Posted by Steve D.

Cinderella was broadcast by CBS from New York in color on March 31, 1957. A B&W kinescope was broadcast for western time zone viewers due to time shifting for prime time telecast on the west coast.

Actually, CBS used one of their monochrome Ampex quad tape machines for the West Coast telecast. The quad tape isn't known to have survived; probably taped over in those early days of extremely scarce tape stock. The DVD release used the kine, which isn't all that great-looking even by kine standards.

[Steve D.]

Originally Posted by jmdocs

Actually, CBS used one of their monochrome Ampex quad tape machines for the West Coast telecast. The quad tape isn't known to have survived; probably taped over in those early days of extremely scarce tape stock. The DVD release used the kine, which isn't all that great-looking even by kine standards.

jmdocs,

Thanks for the correction. I guess the kine was for posterity knowing that the videotape would probably be reused. And you're right, my DVD copy of this program is pretty low quality.

Best,
-Steve D.

[Steve D.]

Originally Posted by jmdocs

Actually, CBS used one of their monochrome Ampex quad tape machines for the West Coast telecast. The quad tape isn't known to have survived; probably taped over in those early days of extremely scarce tape stock. The DVD release used the kine, which isn't all that great-looking even by kine standards.

jmdocs,

Thanks for the correction. I guess the kine was made for posterity knowing that the videotape might be erased and reused. Explains why my dvd copy is such low quality.

Best,
-Steve D.

[alespn]

Concerning the Cinderella show, it was remade around 64 or 65 on CBS with their old TK 41 cameras, I'm told. It starred Leslie Ann Warren, I believe replacing Julie Andrews. It must have been one of their first live color shows since they stopped around '58. I saw it on either PBS or the Disney Channel some time ago. Definately looked like TK41 color.

[radio63]

Originally Posted by Steve D.

Here's a bit more info on the 1958 American Bandstand color telecasts that originated from WFIL-TV in Philadelphia. "It was briefly shot in color in 1958 when WFIL-TV began experimenting with the then-new technology. Due to a combination of factors that included the size of the studio, the need to have as much space available for the teenagers to dance, and the size of the color camera compared to the black-and-white models, it was only possible to have one RCA TK-41 where three RCA TK-10s[1] had been used before. WFIL went back to the TK-10s two weeks later when ABC refused to carry the color signal and management realized that the show lost something without the extra cameras."

So, it seems ABC, while carrying AB on its network, did not provide a color feed from WFIL-TV. I doubt that in 1958 many ABC affliates were equipped to transmit a color signal in any case. Must have been tough to shoot a teen dance show with only one camera. The first color program on the ABC-TV network was the Jetsons which premiered in Sept. 1962.

-Steve D.

Steve,

I heard that one or both of these color AB telecasts were recorded on early color videotape. (By whom or what network, station, etc, I don't know. Perhaps Dick Clark had commissioned the recording himself). Have you ever heard of these shows being recorded on videotape? That would be something if they were. Although, I can hardly imagine AB being done with only one camera! I bet the show would look odd with just one camera shooting everything in the whole show!

Gilbert

[W3XWT]

I guess the next question, at least as far as the U.S. is concerned... Did the DuMont network or any DuMont O&O's originate or broadcast anything in color?