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Dr. Lee DeForest (http://www.todayinsci.com/D/ DeForest_Lee/D eForestLee1950Thm.jpg)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Powel Crosley Jr. in 1920

Powel Crosley, Jr. - Crosley Broadcasting Corp. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ en/c/cc/ Powel_crosley_circa_1920cropped.jpg)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amos 'n' Andy - WMAQ radio (http://tbn0.google.com/images? q=tbn:8isxHoaH3TubiM:http:// xroads.virginia.edu/~1930s2/ Time/1929/amosandy.jpg)

John Logie Baird (http://www.museum.tv/ archives/etv/B/htmlB/ bairdjohnl/bairdjohnlIMAGE/ bairdjohnl.jpg)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Errnst Alexanderson - WRGB-TV (http://www.wrgb.com/images/ history/ernst_alexanderson_web.jpg)

 

 

 

C. Francis Jenkins -USA- (20K bytes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charles Francis Jenkins - first U. S. television station license (http://www.tvhistory.tv/Baird-Slide-27-C-Francis-Jenkins_small.JPG)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John W. Kluge - Metromedia (http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/K/ htmlK/ klugejohn/klugejohnIMAGE/ klugejohn.jpg)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Bandstand

Dick Clark - American Bandstand (http://image.com.com/tv/images/ processed/thumb/0d/ef/7741.jpg)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frank Batten Sr.

 

 

 

 

Frank Batten, CEO - Landmark Communications (Weather Channel) (http://www.landmarkcom.com/ images/battensr.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leonard Goldenson  (http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/ G/htmlG/ goldensonle/goldensonleimages/ goldensonle.jpg)

 

 

John Reith

John Reith - BBC's first Director general (http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/ 1230000/ images/_1231593_john_reith150.jpg) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

William S. Paley (bought control of CBS in September, 1928 at age 27) (paleywillia.jpg)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red McCombs - Clear Channel Communications (http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/ news/mccombs/about/bio.asp)

Lowry Mays - Clear Channel (http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/ cms/2004/other/ lowry_mays_clearchannel.6432112.JPG)

 

 

Click to start Real Audio.

Ted Turner (bought an Atlanta UHF station in 1970, launched CNN in 1980) (http://www.jhu.edu/news_info/news/ audio-video/images/turner.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian, Ralph Roberts - Comcast (http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/ 2002/Nov-30-Sat-2002/photos/comcast1.jpg)

 

 

 

Powel Crosley Jr. in 1920

Powell Crosley - Crosley Broadcasting (http://upload.wikimedia.org/ wikipedia/en/c/cc/ Powel_crosley_circa_1920cropped.jpg)

 

Allen B. Du Mont ’24

Allen B. (Balcom) Du Mont - Du Mont TV (http://www.rpi.edu/graphic/ archives16.jpg)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorothy Stimson Bullitt - King Broadcasting (http://upload.wikimedia.org/ wikipedia/en/ thumb/2/23/DorothyBullitt.jpg/250px-DorothyBullitt.jpg)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Sarnoff - RCA  (http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/S/ htmlS/sarnoffdavi/ sarnoffdaviIMAGE/sarnoffdavi.jpg)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Malone (http://www.forbes.com/media/ faces/malone_john.jpg)

 

 

 

BROADCASTING - Business History of Broadcasters

Interesting Dates

March 4, 1877 - Emile Berliner announced his invention of the microphone.

August 30, 1881 - Clement Adler received German patent for first stereo system (for a telephonic broadcasting service).

1900 - Constantin Perskyi, Professor of Electricity at the Artillery Academy of Saint Petersburg Russia, coined the term "television" at the 1900 Paris World Exhibition's first International Congress of Electricity; may have been a French translation of Russian word ("televisija").

January 1, 1902 - Nathan B. Stubblefield gave first radio broadcast demonstration in the U.S. at Fairmont Park, Philadelphia; his voice was first to be carried on air-waves ("wireless" - without any wires used for the transmission); unable to obtain a suitable buyer for his invention, received little notice for being the first to have accomplished a voice radio broadcast.

November 25, 1905 - First U.S. advertisement for a radio receiver, offered by Hugo Gernsback of The Electro Importing Company, appeared in issue of the Scientific American;  offered the Telimco for $8.50; system suitable for sending dots and dashes, not full audio;  guaranteed to work up to one mile.

January 13, 1906 - This date is sometimes given for the first U.S. advertisement for a radio receiver; November 25, 1905 - earliest one-inch advertisement for the Telimco appeared in an issue of the Scientific American - both run by Hugo Gernsback of The Electro Importing Company of New York.

October 20, 1906 - Dr. Lee De Forest, one of "fathers of radio," announced three-element electrical vacuum tube (triode) to amplify weak radio signals (mesh, or grid, of wire placed between filament and collector "plate" in diode tube produced a large voltage-amplifying effect); June 26, 1906 - received two patents for an "Oscillation-Responsive Device"; November 13, 1906 - received two patents for an  "Oscillation-Responsive Device"; radio tube detector; January 15, 1907 - received a patent for a "Device for Amplifying Feeble Electrical Currents"; radio amplifier tube (made long-distance communication possible); February 18, 1908 - received a patent for "Space Telegraphy"; triode.

November 20, 1906 - Greenleaf Whittier Pickard, U.S. electrical engineer from Amesbury, MA,, received U.S. patent for a "Means for Receiving Intelligence Communicated by Electric Waves"; crystal detector; one of first devices widely used for receiving radio broadcasts (until superseded by triode vacuum tube). 

December 24, 1906 - General Electric inventor Ernst Alexanderson broadcast world's first radio program with song and music via his new creation, a high frequency alternator.

December 24, 1906 - Canadian physicist music Reginald A. Fessenden gave first broadcast of human voice by wireless transmission, from Brant Rock, MA; part of effort of his National Electric Signaling Company (NESCO) to develop wireless communication commercially.

December 16, 1907 - The first U.S. radio broadcast of a singer featured Eugenia H. Farrar on the occasion of departure of Admiral Robley Dunglison Evans ("Fighting Bob Evans") on a cruise with the fleet; her voice transmitted by Lee De Forest from Brooklyn Naval Yard, Brooklyn, NY.

May 12, 1908 - Nathan B. Stubblefield, of Murray, KY, received patent for a "Wireless Telephone"; wireless radio broadcasting.

March 18, 1909 - Einar Dessau of Denmark used a shortwave transmitter to talk with a government radio post -- believed to have been the first broadcast by a 'ham' operator.

January 13, 1910 - Lee De Forest, American inventor of vacuum tube, broadcast live performance of Enrico Caruso from Metropolitan Opera over telephone transmitter (heard only by the small number of electronics hobbyists who had radio receivers); 1915 - started regular nightly concerts, increased interest in radio receivers, which at the time depended on the vacuum tubes manufactured by De Forest's company.

December 13, 1910 - Lee De Forest (invented much of technology involved in early radio) arranged first opera broadcast from stage of Metropolitan Opera, featuring Enrico Caruso; Met did not broadcast over radio again until 1922.

November 14, 1911 -  Ernst F. W. Alexanderson, of Schenectady, NY, received patent for a "High-Frequency Alternator"; radio tuning system.

December 27, 1911 - Major General George O. Squier, Major in the Signal Corps, U.S. Army, of the War Department, Washington, DC, received British patent for "Improvements in or Connected with Multiplex Telephony and Telegraphy"; enabled single electrical wire to perform more than one function; principle of current carrier transmission, system for distributing radio signals over telephone and electric power lines, called wired-wireless; never utilized by AT&T or RCA; March 1922 - demonstrated technique, sent radio signals over electrical wires with no static interference and no interference from other broadcast signals; May 22, 1922 - demonstrated wired-wireless broadcasting over electric power wires borrowed from North American Company, public utility holding company, owner the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company; 1923 - granted exclusive license to Wired Radio, Inc., newly formed subsidiary of North American Company; January 1928 - Wired Radio announced plan for its own network, originating from New York.

April 14, 1912 - David Sarnoff, telegraph operator and manager of Marconi radio telegraph station on top of Wannamaker's department store in New York; learned of Titanic's sinking; stayed at his post for 72 hours, received, transmitted information on the disaster; relayed names of the rescued from the Carpathia telegraph operator to newsmen, families; 1926 - founded NBC; 1928 - created  experimental television station for NBC, became president and chairman of RCA.

January 5, 1914 - The Federal Communications Commission listened to demonstration of FM radio, free from static, huge advantages over AM frequencies (prone to interference), 1941 - first FM transmitter went into operation.

October 6, 1914 - Edwin H. Armstrong, of Yonkers, NY, received a patent for a "Wireless Receiving System" ("improvements in the arrangement and connections of electrical apparatus at the receiving station of a wireless system"..."object being to amplify the effect of the received waves upon the current in the telephone or the receiving circuit, to increase the loudness and definition of the sounds in the telephone or other receiver"). 

February 1, 1919 - The first Miss America crowned, in New York City.

October 17, 1919 - General Electric's (GE) privately owned corporation, formed to acquire assets of wireless radio company American Marconi from British Marconi, incorporated as Radio Corporation of America (RCA); later acquired by American Telephone and Telegraph (AT& T) and Westinghouse.

November 23, 1919 - The first play-by-play football game radio broadcast took place during the Texas A&M - Texas game.

November 2, 1920 - The first radio broadcast of presidential election returns done by KDKA of Pittsburgh.

April 26, 1921 - WEW in St. Louis, MO  broadcast weather report for federal government, first time on radio, 

April 29, 1921 - David Sarnoff became general manager of RCA.

October 5, 1921 - The World Series broadcast on radio for first time.

June 30, 1921 - Radio Corporation of America (RCA) incorporated.

February 27, 1922 - Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover called conference to allocate radio wavelengths (500 stations broadcasting on the same wavelength); 1921 - Americans spent about $10 million on radio sets and parts.

March 22, 1922 - Crosley Broadcasting (Cincinnati, OH) went on the air with commercial station (65th licensed radiotelephone station); call letters WLW-AM (amplitude modulation) assigned by new Federal Radio Commission; 50-watt signal received from Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, Connecticut; station's broadcast power increased to 50,000 watts over next six years; October 4, 1928 - nation's first 50,000-watt commercial broadcasting station to operate on regular schedule; April 17, 1934 - FCC granted Crosley Broadcasting authority to use 500 kW experimentally, during regular hours, with regular WLW call; May 3, 1934 - 500,000-watt transmitter put on the air (on occasion, the station's power was boosted as high as 700,000 watts); most powerful AM radio station in the world.

August 28, 1922 - First radio commercial aired on WEAF in New York City; 10-minute advertisement for the Queensboro Realty Co., for $100.

October 18, 1922 - The British Broadcasting Company formed by group of leading wireless manufacturers to sell radios; November 14, 1922 - daily broadcasting from Guglielmo Marconi's London studio; 1925 - BBC heard throughout most of UK; John Reith, Scottish engineer, general manager; 1927 - received first Royal Charter, became British Broadcasting Corporation; John Reith knighted; 1932 - opened Empire Service (forerunner of BBC World Service); December 25, 1932 - King George V gave first royal broadcast to Empire; November 2, 1936 - opened world's first regular service of high-definition television; May 12, 1937 - King George VI's coronation procession broadcast to 10,000 people; June 1937 - first Wimbledon coverage.

November 14, 1922 - BBC officially began daily domestic radio service broadcasting with the 6:00pm news read by Arthur Burrows from 2LO, Marconi House, London (Manchester and Birmingham stations went into service next day). 

December 23, 1922 - The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) began daily news broadcasts.

1923 - First American broadcasts heard in Britain.

October 11, 1923 - The first political telecast, sponsored by the Democratic National Committee, aired from New York.

February 8, 1924 - First coast-to-coast radio broadcast; Speech by Bell Telephone's vice president and chief of research at a meeting of the Bond Men's Club in a Chicago hotel was broadcast in Providence, New York, Washington, Oakland, and San Francisco, heard by some 50 million people.

February 12, 1924 - The Eveready Hour, first network radio program sponsored by advertising debuts; sponsored by the National Carbon Company and broadcast in New York, Washington, and Providence.

June 13, 1925 - Charles Jenkins invented first telecast in the U.S. of objects in motion, called it "visions by radio"; first mechanical TV system broadcast used 48 scanning lines, showed a model of Dutch windmill with its blades turning.

June 30, 1925 - Charles F. Jenkins, of Washington, DC, received a patent for "Transmitting Pictures by Wireless" ("wireless electrical agency"); electromechanical television.

October 30, 1925 - John Logie Baird made first televised transmission of moving object in London, UK; transmitter made from a tea chest, cardboard scanning discs, empty biscuit box, old electric motors, darning needles, motorcycle lamp lenses, piano wire, glue, string, sealing wax.

January 12, 1926 - Radio program Sam 'n' Henry debuted on WGN radio in Chicago; starred two white vaudeville performers, Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll; portrayed two black characters from  South looking to make their fortune in Chicago during Depression; March 19, 1928 - show moved to WMAQ, name changed to Amos 'n' Andy (WGN owned rights to prior character names); 1948 - attracted more than 40 million listeners, most highly rated comedy in radio history; 1951 - came to TV, starred Alvin Childress and Spencer Williams; first TV series to feature an all-black cast; 1953 - show cancelled; November 25, 1960 - last radio broadcast.

January 26, 1926 - John Logie Baird, Scottish inventor, gave first public demonstration of true television system to members of Royal Institution, reporter from The Times in London, launched  revolution in communication, entertainment; pictorial transmission machine (called "televisor") used mechanical rotating disks to scan moving images into electronic impulses, then transmitted by cable to a screen where it showed up as a low-resolution pattern of light and dark; 1928 - established Baird Television Development Company Ltd.; made first transatlantic television transmission from London to New York.

September 9, 1926 - Radio Corporation of America created The National Broadcasting Co.; November 15, 1926 - NBC debuted with a radio network of 24 stations, nation's first permanent radio network; celebrated launch with one of the earliest remote musical broadcasts ( nationally known bands played at several locations).

February 23, 1927 - President Calvin Coolidge signed the Radio Act of 1927 into law; transferred most of responsibility for radio to newly created Federal Radio Commission; five-person FRC given power to grant, deny licenses, assign frequencies and power levels for each licensee; divided country into five geographical zones (each represented by one of five Commissioners); February 26, 1927 - Radio Division of the Department of Commerce created in the Office of the Secretary; 1928 - issued first noncommercial TV license; some powers transferred to Department of Commerce; July 20, 1932 - Radio Division abolished, its functions transferred to Federal Radio Commission.

April 7, 1927 - A group of newspaper reporters and dignitaries gathered at AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories auditorium in New York viewed first public display of a long distance television transmission - "operative one-way systems for television over telephone circuits and by radio" (speech by then Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover, as his live picture. voice were transmitted over telephone lines from Washington, DC).

September 7, 1927 - TV pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth succeeded in transmitting an image through purely electronic means by using  device called an image dissector.

September 18, 1927 - The Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System (later CBS) went on air with 47 radio stations; lost money in first year.

January 13, 1928 - American inventor Ernst F. W. Alexanderson broadcasted first experimental television program in Schenectady, NY (delivered poor, unsteady picture only 1.5 inches square); broadcast signal had range of 15 to 20 miles; Spring 1928 - US Federal Government issued first name to WRGB, with call letters "W2XB" (station popularly known as WGY Television, after its sister radio station founded 1922); May 10, 1928 - First TV Newscaster, Kolin Hager, broadcasted farm, weather reports twice a day, three times weekly; programs lasted from 1:30 to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays; most viewers were on technical staff at nearby General Electric (had designed system, was using broadcasts to refine its equipment); August 22, 1928 - world's first remote news telecast from State Capitol in Albany; end of 1928 - 17 more stations around country began scheduled broadcasts, designed to test  apparatus rather than attract viewers.

January 13, 1928 - Experimental television station founded from General Electric facility in Schenectady, NY, under call letters W2XB; claimed to be first U. S. television station; March 1942 -- renamed WRGB, in tribute to Dr. Walter R. G. Baker, GE vice president, pioneer in US television and radio.

February 8, 1928 - John Logie Baird's transmission of TV image received across Atlantic ocean, from Purley, England to Hartsdale, NY. 

February 25, 1928 - The Federal Radio Commission issued first television license to Charles Francis Jenkins's Jenkins Television Corporation for television station, W3XK; July 2, 1928 - went on air, broadcast from Jenkins Laboratories on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, DC; 1929 - station moved to Wheaton, MD; March 1932 - liquidated; assets acquired by Lee DeForest Radio Corporation.

September 1928 - William S. Paley (27), Philadelphia cigar manufacturer, acquired United Independent Broadcasters Inc., network of 16 independent radio stations, changed name to Columbia Broadcast System, became President of the Company; January 8, 1929 - tripled broadcasting coverage, served 49 stations in 42 cities throughout country; July 21, 1931 - began first regularly scheduled television broadcasting in country on experimental station W2XAB in New York City (broadcasted seven hours daily, seven days a week by end of year); 1933 - Paul White (news editor) organized Columbia News Service, first network news operation; 1935 - nation’s largest radio network with 97 stations; 1937 - went public; August 1940 - first color television broadcast from CBS transmitter atop Chrysler Building received in CBS building; 1941 - first FM station (147 stations by 1944); 1945 - Paley named Chairman of Board, Frank Stanton President; 1946 - first television broadcast of National Football League; November 2, 1948 - first dual radio, television coverage of political conventions; August 11, 1951 - first baseball game on color television (Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Boston Braves from Ebbets Field); July 7, 1952 - term "anchor" coined to describe Walter Cronkite's role in covering at Democratic convention; 1954 - News and Public Affairs departments of CBS Radio and Television Divisions combined, officially formed CBS News, first autonomous news organization in network television designed to serve both radio television networks of CBS; November 30, 1956 - first videotaped news broadcast (magnetic tape); 1960 - first network to broadcast Olympics; 1961 - CBS Sports became division of CBS Television Network; 1965 - fifty percent of CBS’s regular primetime schedule  broadcast in color; November 25, 1965 - first color broadcast of NFL game on Thanksgiving Day; August 19, 1965 - "CBS Morning News with Mike Wallace" first major network news program broadcast in color; 1966 - first primetime schedule all in color; 1967 - entire CBS schedule broadcast in color; April 9-17, 1967 - "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" first network news program seen via satellite; April 17, 1971 - Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. officially changed name to CBS Inc.; January 15, 1978 - Super Bowl XII (Dallas Cowboys defeated Denver Broncos) largest audience ever to watch sporting event (47.2/67 national household rating/share, highest-rated Super Bowl to date); November 21, 1980 - "Who Shot J. R.?" episode of "Dallas" most-watched television program up to that time (90 million viewers, nearly 80 percent of all television viewers); second most-watched primetime broadcast in television history; February 1994 - 204 million viewers tuned in to CBS Sports’ coverage of XVII Olympic Winter Games from Lillehammer, Norway (most-watched Winter Games in history); November 28, 1995 - merged with Westinghouse Electric Corporation; June 20, 1996 - Westinghouse Electric Corporation announced decision to merge with Infinity Broadcasting Corporation; December 1, 1997 - Westinghouse Electric Corporation changed name to CBS Corporation; launched as largest combined television, radio, out-of-home media entity in history; May 4, 2000 - merged with Viacom, name changed to Viacom Inc.; February 21, 2001 - Infinity Broadcasting Corp. merged with Viacom as wholly owned subsidiary.

September 11, 1928 - General Electric made first simulcast in Schenectady, NY; broadcast a play, The Queen's Messenger, over radio and TV at same time.

January 18, 1929 - Columbia Records was sold to a group of private investors, led by William S. Paley, a Philadelphia cigar manufacturer, for $400,000; renamed The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).

June 27, 1929 - Scientists at Bell Laboratories revealed Bell Labs Mechanical Color System for transmitting television pictures in color; used scanning disk with three banks of photoelectric cells, amplifiers, glow-tubes, color filters; receiver used three lights with filters and system of mirrors to reconstruct the image.

August 19, 1929 - The comedy program "Amos and Andy" debuted on network radio; starred Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll.

December 19, 1930 - BBC Empire Service went on air from studio in newly-built Broadcasting House in London; opened by BBC chairman JH Whitley, followed by director general Sir John Reith, with two-hour transmission for Australia and New Zealand.

June 30, 1930 - First round-the-world broadcast from U.S. used  series of short-wave radio relays, took only one-eighth of a second; carried voice of Clyde D. Wagoner; signal from W2XAD began in Schenectady, NY, relayed through Holland, Java, Australia, across Pacific Ocean, back to Schenectady.

July 31, 1930 - Radio mystery program "The Shadow" first aired; drew listening audience of about 15 million a week during its peak; featured crime-fighting superhero, the Shadow, played by three different actors during the show's 25 years; 1937-1938 - Orson Welles played the Shadow for $185 a week; show became famous for trademark opening line: "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows..."

August 20, 1930 - Allen Balcom DuMont produced first demonstration telecast of home television reception in U.S. in New York City (sets had been set up in homes beginning on January 13, 1928); half-hour program, signal traveled about six miles (greatest distance for TV transmission to date).

1931 - NBC began experimental TV broadcasts from top of Empire State Building.

February 17, 1931 - First telecast of a sporting event in Japan (baseball).

March 6, 1931 - First radio newsreel, The March of Time, debuted; associated with Time magazine, featured dramatizations of news events, complete with music, sound effects, and a stable of actors to impersonate real news figures; 1942 - shifted to straight news, with only a few dramatized events.

April 6, 1931 - Radio show Little Orphan Annie debuts, based on the comic strip by Harold Gray; first late-afternoon radio serial for children (ran until 1942).

1932 - Canadian Broadcasting Act created Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRBC); November 2, 1936 - Canadian Broadcasting Act replaced the CRBC with a Crown Corporation, the CBC; 1940 - CBC symbol showing radio waves and a map of Canada is adopted; 1941 - Formal opening of CBC News Service; 1946 - opening of first CBC FM stations in Toronto and Montreal; September 6, 1952 - Canadian television broadcasting began, CBFT Montreal (bilingual); September 8 - CBLT Toronto (English).

February 15, 1932 - George Burns and Gracie Allen make their U.S. radio debut as regulars on the Guy Lombardo Show.

March 29, 1932 - Jack Benny debuts on a fifteen-minute radio program hosted by a Broadway columnist for The New York Daily News named Ed Sullivan; May 2, 1932 - Jack Benny's first radio show debuted on the NBC Blue Network (sponsored by Canada Dry); aired for more than 20 years and evolved into a popular TV show; Benny was born Benjamin Kubelsky.

August 22, 1932 - The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) began its first experimental TV broadcast in England.

January 30, 1933 - Station WXYZ (Detroit) broadcast first episode of ''Lone Ranger'' radio program (total of 2,956 episodes over 21-year run); created by station-owner George Trendle, writer Fran Striker; televised version of The Lone Ranger, starred Clayton Moore as masked man; became ABC's first big hit in early 1950s (remaibed on air until 1957).

June 26, 1933 - Kraft Foods sponsored Kraft Music hall, two-hour radio program; part of a promotional push to introduce its new salad dressing, Miracle Whip; ran from 1933 to 1949, featured singer, actor Bing Crosby as host; May 7, 1947 - sponsored Kraft Television Theater on NBC with play called Double Doors; show ran for 11 years.

March 24, 1934 - Radio program Major Bowes' (theater owner and variety-show producer) Original Amateur Hour debuts, launches a national craze among amateur performers hoping to hit the big time; 1935 - Frank Sinatra appears on show.

June 19, 1934 - President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Communications Act of 1934 into law; Act replaced Federal Radio Commission with Federal Communications Commission (FCC); transferred regulation of interstate telephone services from Interstate Commerce Commission to FCC; July 1, 1934 - The Federal Communications Commission replaced Federal Radio Commission as regulator of broadcasting in United States.

March 22, 1935 - Television broadcasts begin in Berlin, Germany, with a low definition, 180 lines system.

April 16, 1935 - Marian and Jim Jordan launch Fibber McGee and Molly, a show about an incessant teller of tall tales and his wife who gets him out of trouble; 1943 - top-rated radio program in the nation (ran until 1959).

1934 - North American Company first tested  wired-wireless technology by bringing music into homes in Cleveland under the name Muzak Corporation (name invented by Retired Major General George O. Squier, a la Kodak); 1936 - Wired Radio Inc. renamed Muzak with plan to provide businesses, not individuals, with background-free music; 1938 - Warner Brothers acquired Muzak Corporation from the North American Company; 1939 - William Benton, founder of Benton & Bowles Advertising Agency and publisher of the Encyclopedia Britannica, acquired Muzak; 1954 - Muzak switched from records to tapes; 1956 - Muzak began broadcasting on FM subcarriers (SCAs) as a second means of distribution to phone lines; largest user of phone line networks in the world; 1957 - 150 franchises in the U.S. and abroad. Muzak was acquired by Wrather Corporation; 1972 - acquired by TelePrompter Corporation; 1981 - acquired by Westinghouse; 1986 - acquired by The Field Corporation, owned by department store heir, Marshall Field V; 1992 - acquired by Centre Partners, an investment group based in New York City.

January 6, 1936 - Porky Pig makes his world debut in a Warner Brothers cartoon, "Gold Diggers of '49"; 1937 - Mel Blanc joined Warner Brothers, became the famous voice behind Porky as well as the Warner Brothers characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester, and Tweety.

April 24, 1936 - Group of firemen responding to an alarm in Camden, New Jersey, is televised; first time an unplanned event was broadcast on television, anticipated development of live TV news coverage.

June 10, 1936 - First coaxial cable telecast transmitted 1.5 miles from Radio City, New York City to transmitter on top of Empire State Building; October 5, 1936 - first intercity telecast in U.S. using coaxial cable transmitted from New York City to Philadelphia; September 4, 1951 - first U.S. coast-to-coast telecast made between New York City and San Francisco.

November 2, 1936 - BBC began the world's first high-definition television service from studios and transmitters at Alexandra Palace, in north London; range about 35 miles; February 1937 - Marconi-EMI won the contract with a 405-line transmitting system (vs. 240-line Baird system) which was more mobile, flexible and easy to use.

November 3, 1936 - The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is established.

December 17, 1936 - Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his wisecracking dummy Charlie McCarthy debut on Rudy Vallee's popular radio show; became a hit radio star with his own show for more than 20 years.

January 25, 1937 - First broadcast of Soap Opera "Guiding Light" on NBC radio.

February 11, 1937 - For the first time, all three major radio networks (CBS, NBC, Mutual) simultaneously broadcast a program, a benefit concert from Radio City Music Hall for the American National Red Cross.

February 17, 1938 - First public experimental demonstration of Baird color television was transmitted from Crystal Palace to the Dominion Theatre, London.

April 19, 1938 - RCA-NBC launches its first regular TV broadcasts  from the Empire State Building, five hours a week; few TV sets existed to receive the programs.

July 11, 1938 - Radio drama Mercury Theater on the Air debuted; dramatic anthology program featured Orson Welles and John Houseman (founders of the Mercury Theater in New York); best remembered for 1938 broadcast of The War of the Worlds, a fictional drama about a Martian invasion in Grovers Mill, New Jersey; aired on Halloween, sparked a panic among listeners who believed the play was a real news broadcast.

August 26, 1938 - A tape recorder (sapphire stylus engraved Millertape invented by James Arthur Miller of the Miller Broadcasting Company) was used for the first time in the U.S. to send a radio broadcast; 1,000 foot section of tape could carry a 15-min program (edited by cutting); first program to use sound tape was transmitted by WQXR, the Interstate Broadcasting Company, in New York City.

October 30, 1938 - The radio play ''The War of the Worlds'' (H.G. Wells' 19th-century science fiction novel), starring Orson Welles (23 years old), aired on CBS; live drama, employed fake news reports, panicked an estimated million listeners who thought its portrayal of a Martian invasion was true; panic broke out across the country; terrified civilians jammed highways in New Jersey seeking to escape the alien marauders; news of the real-life panic leaked into the CBS studio, Welles went on the air as himself to remind listeners that it was just fiction. Federal Communications Commission investigated the program but found no law was broken.

November 11, 1938 - Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin's ''God Bless America'' on network radio.

April 30, 1939 - The New York World's Fair, billed as a look at ''the world of tomorrow,'' opened; first day of television broadcasting in New York; Roosevelt first president to appear on television (broadcast was beamed to only 200 television sets).

August 26, 1939 - Major league baseball was televised for the first time as experimental station W2XBS broadcast a doubleheader between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.

December 27, 1939 - The Glen Miller Show debuts on CBS radio; 1944 - his plane from England to Paris disappeared, never found (age 40).

January 7, 1940 - Gene Autry's musical variety show premieres on CBS radio, where it will run for the next 16 years.

February 25, 1940 - New York City station W2XBS televised a hockey game for the first time.

February 28, 1940 - The first televised basketball game was shown, from Madison Square Garden in New York.

April 17, 1940 - DuMont received a license to operate New York's second television station; November 1940 - inaugurated New York City's experimental W2XWV; station broadcast throughout World War II; May 2, 1944 - granted a commercial license; call letters changed to WABD (Du Mont's initials); May 19, 1945 - received license first station in Washington DC, known as experimental W3XWT; August 9, 1945 - first DuMont network telecast occurred when DuMont's New York and Washington TV stations were linked via coaxial cable for an announcement concerning the dropping of the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki; April 26, 1946 - granted a commercial television license for a Washington station, WTTG-TV, channel five; 1947 - broadcats first network program, "Walter Compton and the News" (aired simultaneously on WABD and WTTG); 1955 - Du Mont Broadcasting incorporated; 1958 - renamed Metropolitan Broadcasting; New York station call letters changed to WNEW; 1961 - renamed Metromedia (after John Kluge gained control of the company).

July 27, 1940 - Bugs Bunny made his debut in the Warner Bros. animated cartoon ''A Wild Hare.''

1941 - FCC licensees allowed to sell air time for advertisements or other commercial purposes;

March 1, 1941 - Nashville radio station W47NV begins transmitting, first station in the country to receive a license for FM radio transmission.

April 2, 1941 - Radio sitcom Life of Riley debuts starring William Bendix as a bullheaded family man; ran for 10 years on radio and about six years on television.

Mid-1941 - President Roosevelt established the U.S. Foreign Information Service (FIS), named speechwriter Robert Sherwood as its first director; December 1941 - FIS made its first direct broadcasts to Asia from a studio in San Francisco; February 24, 1942 - beamed first broadcast to Europe via BBC medium- and long-wave transmitters; announcer William Harlan Hale opened the German-language program with the words: "Here speaks a voice from America, name took hold; June 1942 - Voice of America (VOA)  had twenty-three transmitters and 27 language services;  February 17, 1947 - begins its first radio broadcasts to the Soviet Union.

May 2, 1941 - The Federal Communications Commission agreed to regular scheduling of TV broadcasts by commercial TV stations to begin July 1; start of what would become network television.

July 1, 1941 - NBC broadcasted first TV commercial sanctioned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Bulova paid $9 to advertise its watches on the air during a Dodgers-Phillies game 

July 1, 1941 - NBC granted FCC's first commercial TV station license for WNBT in New York.

February 24, 1942 - The Voice of America went on the air as a  multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

August 2, 1943 - Edward J. Noble, who acquired rights to Life Savers in 1913, grew Life Savers Incorporated from fledgling mint candy company into global food business with sales of $20 million in the mid-1950s, and who already owned American Broadcasting Company, bought a network division from NBC for $8 million (in a Federal Trade Commission-mandated divestiture), promptly renamed it American Broadcasting Systems; December 25, 1944 - FCC transfers owned-station licenses, ratifies  change of network to American Broadcasting Co.; June 14, 1945 - name of network changed to American Broadcasting Company, Inc. (ABC).

October 8, 1944 - ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'' made its debut on CBS Radio; October 3, 1952 - "Ozzie and Harriet" premiered on television (ran until 1966).

1945 - FCC reserved 20 FM channels, between 88 and 92 MHz, for non-commercial, educational broadcasting; represented 20 percent of broadcast band.

December 9, 1945 - Oscar Brand's radio show, "Folksong Festival" debuts on WNYC radio; December 9, 2005  - won Guinness Book of World records as longest-running radio show with the same host (60 years); beat Alistair Cooke's "Letter from America" (58 years).

 1946 - "Geographically Speaking", first commercially sponsored TV show, debuted with backing of Bristol-Myers.

May 9, 1946 - First variety show on TV, hour-long "NBC's Hour Glass," premieres.

June 1, 1946 - Television licenses were first issued in Britain (financed BBC's domestic radio and TV services); sold at Post Offices at a cost £2, included radio (radio-only licenses then cost £1); September 1, 1939 - TV service was suddenly blacked out for defense purposes, suspended for duration of WW II; June 8, 1946 - television re-opened to cover the Victory Parade; November 1922 - first radio license fee began, cost 10 shillings (50p); April 1, 2002 - license fees cost £112.00 for color and £37.50 for black and white.

October 27, 1946 - Debut of first television program with a commercial sponsor ("Geographically Speaking", a travel show, sponsored by Bristol-Myers); ran until December 1, 1946.

November 7, 1946 - Tradio Inc., of Asbury Park, NJ publicly exhibited the first U.S. coin-operated television (25 cents) in New York City.

1947 - Dorothy Stimson Bullitt purchased KEVR, small Seattle AM radio station with almost no listeners; negotiated swap for call letters KING (King County, WA); 1948 - received license for FM station, KING-FM, broadcast classical music; 1949 - purchased 8-month-old ABC affiliate television station, KRSC-TV, renamed it KING-TV (1959 - became NBC affiliate); 1961 - Stimson (son) assumed presidency; 1992 - acquired by Providence Journal; 1998 - acquired by A. H. Belo.

January 22, 1947 - KTLA-TV in Hollywood, CA, first commercially-licensed television station west of Mississippi River, went on air as Bob Hope signed the station on with a special program billed as "Western Premiere of Commercial Television"; originated from small garage on Paramount Studios movie lot; 1939 - Paramount Pictures started KTLA as experimental station W6XYZ under the guidance of television pioneer Klaus Landsberg.

April 16 1947 - National Broadcasting Company in New York City demonstrated the first zoom lens for the television camera; November 23, 1948 - Dr. Frank Gerard Back patented the Zoomar lens, patented as a "varifocal lens for cameras".

June 16, 1947 - Dumont Television Network's "News from Washington" was first network news; parent company DuMont Laboratories, broadcasting-equipment and set manufacturer; founded by Dr. Allen B. DuMont.

November 6, 1947 - "Meet the Press" premiered on TV; oldest program still on television.

December 27, 1947 - The children's TV program ''Howdy Doody'' debuted on NBC.

January 1, 1948 - Warner Brothers-Pathe took first U.S. motion picture newsreel in color, using the Cinecolor process, at the Tournament of Roses and Rose Bowl Game, Pasadena, CA; January 5, 1948 - started showing this first color newsreel to theatre audiences.

January 18, 1948 - Original Amateur Hour, spin-off of a popular radio show, Major Bowes' Amateur Hour, debuts; aired for 12 years; one of few programs aired by all four early TV networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and the ill-fated DuMont network).

February 16, 1948 - NBC-TV aired its first nightly newscast, ''The Camel Newsreel Theatre''; consisted of Fox Movietone newsreels.

April 19, 1948 - ABC television network went on the air.

August 10, 1948 - Candid Camera, produced and hosted by Alan Funt, debuted.

September 21, 1948 - "Texaco Star Theater" with Milton Berle premiered on NBC-TV.

November 23, 1948 - Frank G. Back, of New York, NY, received a patent for a ""Varifocal lens for cameras" ("for use in connection with moving picture cameras"); zoom effects for television cameras; Zoomar lens was adjustable for close-ups or long-distance shots without requiring the camera be moved toward or away from the object televised; eliminated having to use a lens turret with multiple focal length lenses.

November 25, 1948 - Ed Parsons, electronics equipment, ran radio station in Astoria, OR, invented cable television; picked up usable signal on roof of John Jacob Astor Hotel; set up antenna, strung  cable across street to his living room; installed set in hotel lobby attracted so many people that guests could not reach registration desk; put set in store window across street, brought signal to it with coaxial cable - first recorded use of coaxial to carry television.

November 29, 1948 - Children's show Kukla, Fran and Ollie premieres on prime time network TV; featured puppets Kukla, Ollie (a dragon), and others, with live actress Fran Allison as host; one of the two most important series made in Chicago, along with Garroway at Large, during the city's period as an important production center for network programs in the late 1940s; 1957 - show cancelled; 1969-1971 - PBS revives series.

December 6, 1948 - Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, one of TV's first amateur talent shows, debuts; show discovered numerous stars (Rosemary Clooney, Pat Boone, Steve Lawrence, Connie Francis, Patsy Cline); 1955 - Elvis Presley flunked his audition; July 1958 -  show canceled.

January 11, 1949 - NBC links its East and Midwest TV networks; 1946 - NBC launched its first TV network by transmitting programs from its New York station to its Philadelphia and Schenectady stations; September 1948 - opens its Midwest network; September 1951 - opens West Coast network, creating the country's first coast-to-coast network.

January 17, 1949 - The Goldbergs (from a nearly 20-year-old popular radio program of the same name) debuts as television's first situation comedy (ran until 1954); adventures of a middle-class Jewish family in the Bronx; starred Gertrude Berg and Philip Loeb.

January 25, 1949 - National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presents its first industry award ("Emmy") at Hollywood Athletic Club in Los Angeles; most of the awards were for programs produced by TV station KTLA; award for most popular program went to Pantomime Quiz Time; puppeteer Shirley Dinsdale and her puppet Judy Splinters won award for Outstanding TV Personality.

January 31, 1949 - The first TV daytime soap opera, ''These Are My Children,'' was broadcast from the NBC station in Chicago.

April 1, 1949 - First TV variety show starring an African-American cast debuts; Happy Pappy starred Ray Grant as master of ceremonies; first aired on local television in Chicago.

July 29, 1949 - BBC radio begins broadcasting.

November 26, 1949 - "Twenty Questions" had its TV premiere.

February 16, 1950 - TV game show What's My Line debuts on this day in 1950; produced by game show magnates Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, ran for 18 years, longest-running prime-time game show in the history of television.

August 19, 1950 - The American Broadcasting Company aired the first Saturday morning television shows for children, Animal Clinic and Acrobat Ranch.

October 11, 1950 - Federal Communications Commission authorized the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) to begin commercial color television broadcasts.

October 15, 1950 - The first American radio paging service, Aircall of New York City, sent the first page to a doctor who was on a golf course 25 miles away via a six-ounce pocket radio receiver; call numbers repeated in numerical sequence on the air at least once per minute within a 30-mile radius.

October 28, 1950 - The Jack Benny Show, starring Jack Benny, premieres (it ran for 15 years).

1951 - Hallmark Cards sponsored 'Hallmark Presents Sarah Churchill', 15-minute weekly interview series hosted by Sir Winston Churchill's daughter; Hallmark Hall of Fame debuted on NBC with world premier of Gian Carlo Menotti's Christmas opera 'Amahl' and the 'Night Visitors', first original opera commissioned for television.

January 1, 1951 - Zenith Radio Corporation started test transmissions of the first pay television in the U.S. to a limited group of subscribers ( 300 families chosen from 51,000 applicants) in Chicago, Illinois for 90 days; signal could only be viewed by people having the "key signal" sent to them by telephone; company sold over 2,000 program views in the first month, not enough to sustain the commercial venture.

May 1951 - Leonard H. Goldenson, President of United Paramount Theatres, agreed to acquire the $25 million, 14-station ABC network pending FCC approval from Edward J. Noble [Lifesavers candy founder].

June 25, 1951 - Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) televised  one-hour premiere of commercial color television; not compatible with existing black-and-white TV sets, failed commercially; October 20, 1951 - CBS color broadcasts ended.

June 28, 1951 - "Amos 'N' Andy" premiered on TV, the first series to have an all-black cast.

October 15, 1951 - Situation comedy ''I Love Lucy'' premiered on CBS; first long-running sitcom hit; starred comedian Lucille Ball and her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz; turned couple's production company, Desilu, into multimillion-dollar business; 1960 - Ball became president of company.

December 24, 1951 - NBC broadcast Gian Carlo Menotti's ''Amahl and the Night Visitors,'' the first opera written specifically for TV.

January 3, 1952 - Television series Dragnet debuts, launched a long legacy of realistic police drama on TV; December 1951 - first appeared on TV as a drama on an anthology show called Chesterfield Sound-Off Time; one of the first series to be filmed in Hollywood, not New York; episodes based on real cases from the Los Angeles Police Department; each half-hour segment concluded with the capture of the perpetrator by a short update on what happened at the suspect's trial. Subsequently, other police dramas became popular: 1960's - The Mod Squad, 1970's - Hawaii Five-O.

January 14, 1952 - NBC's ''Today'' show premiered.

October 7, 1952 - Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV (now WPVI), Channel 6 in Philadelphia, hosted by Bob Horn, called Bob Horn's Bandstand; July 9, 1956 - Dick Clark (26) named new host.

February 1, 1953 - "General Electric Theater" premiered on TV.

February 9, 1953 - "Adventures of Superman" TV series premieres in syndication.

December 24, 1953 - Dragnet becomes the first network series with a regular sponsor when Fatima cigarettes signs on to back the show (debuted on radio in 1949); program was one of the first dramatic series in a medium that had been dominated to that point by anthology shows.

January 1, 1954 - Station WNBT, of the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), placed first color mobile television units in the U.S. in operation to broadcast first color telecast originating from the west coast (Tournament of Roses parade hosted by Don Ameche in Pasadena, CA); viewed by the audiences in 21 cities (with remaining cities showing the program in black and white).

March 9, 1954 - The first color television commercial was broadcast, for Castro Decorators of New York City.

March 25, 1954 - RCA announced the production of color television sets.

September 27, 1954 - ''Tonight!'', hosted by Steve Allen, made its debut on NBC-TV; July 1957 - Jack Paar became host; October 1, 1962 - Johnny Carson became host; May 1992 - Jay Leno became host.

October 27, 1954 - Disneyland, Walt Disney's first television series, premieres on ABC; presented a rotating selection of cartoons, dramas, movies, and other entertainment; ran for 34 years under various names (Walt Disney Presents, The Wonderful World of Disney); longest-running prime-time series on network TV.

November 7, 1954 - "Face the Nation" debuted.

1955 - Commercial TV started in Britain.

March 7, 1955 - Peter Pan, starring Mary Martin, airs, first Broadway play to be televised in color.

June 7, 1955 - TV game show The $64,000 Question debuted; spin-off of radio game show The $64 Question; started with contestants answering a question worth $64, with each subsequent question worth double the amount of the previous one; instant hit.

September 18, 1955 - Ed Sullivan's popular talk show (started in 1948), originally called Toast of the Town, changed name to The Ed Sullivan Show.

September 22, 1955 - Start of Independent Television (ITV) service in UK, first commercial television network in United Kingdom; initially only from Crystal Palace transmitter in Croydon on channel 9 to London area only; potential coverage of 10m viewers; broadcast first commercial on television in Britain for Gibbs SR toothpaste; owned by four shareholders: ITV PLC(40%), Daily Mail and General Trust(20%), Reuters(20%), and United Business Media(20%).

October 3, 1955 - ''Captain Kangaroo'' premiered on CBS and ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' premiered on ABC.

1956 - Ray Dolby invented videotape recorder.

1956 - John W. Kluge, formerly in food brokerage business, assembled investment group, purchased Metropolitan Network, former DuMont stations; named company Metromedia; low-cost producer, programming strategy of re-running old network situation comedies, low budget movies; grew into largest independent television business in United States; acquired Ice Capades, Harlem Globetrotters, music publishing companies, Playbill magazine, highly profitable direct mail advertising division, syndication rights to M*A*S*H; 1984 - structured a $1.3 billion leveraged buyout; 1985 - sold seven Metromedia International Group television stations to Rupert Murdoch for $2 billion (served as basis for FOX television network); 1995 - formed Metromedia International Group Inc., global communications company to sell all forms of mass communication to citizens in Eastern Europe, former Soviet Republics).

April 2, 1956 - Soap operas "As the World Turns", "The Edge of Night" premiered on television.

August 9, 1956 - First statewide, state-supported educational television network went on air in Alabama.

October 29, 1956 - ''The Huntley-Brinkley Report'' premiered as NBC's nightly TV newscast.

November 3, 1956 - The Wizard of Oz is shown on television for first time; viewing audience estimated at 45 million people.

November 26, 1956 - "The Price is Right" premiered on TV.

January 21, 1957 - NBC taped, broadcast President Dwight D. Eisenhower's second inauguration ceremonies; first nationally televised videotaped broadcast in U. S.

May 1, 1957 - Larry King's first radio broadcast.

May 4, 1957 - Alan Freed hosted "Rock n' Roll Show", first prime-time network rock show.

May 6, 1957 - Last broadcast of "I Love Lucy" on CBS-TV.

June 23, 1957 - The Roy Rogers Show aired its last episode after running for more than a decade.

July 29, 1957 - Jack Paar's Tonight show premiered..

August 5, 1957 - ABC began broadcasting series nationwide, nightly, Monday-Friday evenings; renamed American Bandstand, hosted by Dick Clark (27); September 7, 1963 - broadcast weekly on Saturday afternoons; September 5, 1987 - ended association with ABC; October 7, 1989 - final show aired.

October 4, 1957 - Leave It to Beaver debuted; typical 1950s "wholesome family" comedy presented the life of the Cleaver family from the perspective of seven-year-old Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver.

March 11, 1958 - Charles Van Doren finally lost on TV game show "21".

December 19, 1958 - The first known radio broadcast from outer space transmitted. President Eisenhower's voice issued Christmas greeting from pre-recorded tape on recorder aboard orbiting space satellite.

January 9, 1959 - Rawhide premieres, starring Clint Eastwood as a cattle-driving cowboy = one of 30 western series on in the 1959-60 TV season, up steadily since the debut of Gunsmoke (1955); 1966 - Rawhide cancelled.

June 18, 1959 - First telecast transmitted from England to U.S.

September 12, 1959 - Bonanza debuted; first western televised in color.

October 2, 1959 - "The Twilight Zone" premiered.

November 2, 1959 - Charles Van Doren admitted to House subcommittee that he had questions and answers in advance of his appearances on NBC-TV game show ''Twenty-One.''

January 25, 1960 - National Association of Broadcasters proposed that disc jockeys accepting payment from record labels for broadcasting particular songs would be charged a $500 fine and spend a year in prison; 1938 - Variety magazine coined term "payola" for this practice of pay for play; big-city DJs equated this to the tip a headwaiter would receive for giving a patron a good table; 18th century - composers in England sold their songs outright, didn't receive royalties, relied on bribes to get their songs performed so they could sell new ones; result: amendment to the Communications Act of 1934 outlawed pay-for-play.

May 19, 1960 - Alan Freed, seven other DJs arrested on suspicion  of taking radio payola (commercial bribery); 1959 - charged with 26 counts of commercial bribery, fined; Communications Act of 1934 amended; outlawed pay-for-play.

September 19, 1960 -"The Twist," by Chubby Checker, hit top of the charts.; only song to top the chart twice-No. 1 again in 1962; stayed on charts for 39 weeks, launched a national dance craze.

September 30, 1960 - Flintstones premiered, first prime time animation show.

October 17, 1960 - Charles Van Doren, former contestant on popular TV game show "Twenty-One," was arrested along with 13 others, including television producers Dan Enright and Al Freedman, for perjury.

April 14, 1961 - First live television broadcast from Soviet Union.

April 29, 1961 - ABC's "Wide World of Sports, debuts.

May 9, 1961 - Federal Communications Commission chairman Newton N. Minow condemned TV programming as a ''vast wasteland'' in a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters.

June 1, 1961 - Federal Communications Commission received first notifications of regular stereo FM broadcasting operations from WEFM Chicago and WGFM Schenectady; authorized FM stereo broadcasting to begin in the U.S.; FCC adopted stereo FM broadcasting standards co-invented by Carl Eilers of Zenith.

March 7, 1962 - Beatles made their broadcasting debut on BBC radio; March 8, 1962 - Beatles, with Pete Best, TV debut (perform "Dream Baby" on BBC).

April 16, 1962 - Walter Cronkite replaced Douglas Edwards as anchor of CBS Evening News.

April 24, 1962 - MIT executed the first satellite relay of a TV signal.

October 2, 1962 - Johnny Carson succeeded Jack Paar as regular host of NBC's "Tonight Show"; 1953 - show first appeared on New York's local NBC affiliate, hosted by Steve Allen, network began airing the show nationally in 1954; 1957 - Allen left the show; 1992 - Carson announced he would retire, replaced by Jay Leno.

February 20, 1963 - General Telephone and Electronics Co. (GTE) demonstrated a television receiver and transmitter operated by a laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radion) beam in Bayside, NY; laser provides a narrow high-intensity light beam that can be focused and directed over long distances; May 14, 1963 - Laser light beam link first carried TV signal from a studio camera during network broadcast of "I've Got a Secret"; GTE scientists Samuel M. Stone and Louis Richard Bloom created communication system; signal used to modulate a laser beam that traveled two feet to a receiver that decoded the signal from the beam; relayed via the control room for national broadcast; laser light beams now routinely used to transmit signals along optical fibers.

September 2, 1963 - ''The CBS Evening News'' was lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes.

September 12, 1963 -"Leave It to Beaver" aired last episode (debuted in 1957).

February 9, 1964 - The Beatles made their first live American television appearance, on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

April 19, 1965 - First all news radio station (WINS 1010 AM in New York City) begins operating.

May 2, 1965 - The Early Bird satellite was used to transmit television pictures across the Atlantic Ocean.

November 8, 1965 - The soap opera Days of Our Lives debuts on NBC in the United States.

March 3, 1966 - Postmaster General, Anthony Wedgwood Benn, announced in the House of Commons that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) planned to begin broadcasting television programs in color from the following year; would make Britain the first European country to have a schedule of color programs; cost of production would be paid from a higher license fee for the use of color televisions, beginning with four hours of original programming per week in color; service expected to expand to 10-12 hours weekly within a year. A new color receiver then cost about £250. Black and white reception would be unaffected.

January 10, 1967 - The first educational television network launches, called National Educational Television (70 independent, affiliated educational stations interconnected to show a live broadcast of President Lyndon Johnson's State of the Union address).

February 23, 1967 - Washington Week aired locally on WETA in Washington, DC; longest-running public affairs program on PBS; January 1969 - first local program to air on new Public Broadcasting Service; 1974 - won Alfred duPont–Columbia University Award for outstanding journalistic achievement; 2007 - carried by 90 percent of 306 PBS stations around country, reaches 97% of U.S. television households.

September 24, 1967 - First broadcast of 60 Minutes on CBS-TV.

October 14, 1968 - The first live telecast from a manned U.S. spacecraft was transmitted from Apollo 7; Captain Walter Schirra, Jr., Major Donn Eisele and Major Walt Cunningham showed views of the satellite and views through the windows.

November 7, 1967 - President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill establishing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

December 22, 1968 - Apollo VIII, a manned spacecraft, transmitted the first U.S. live telecast from outer space at 3:01 pm; earth appeared as a blurred ball of light; craft was 139,000 miles from earth, 31-hr 20-min after launch.

November 3, 1969 - The Public Broadcasting System debuted when a few local educational TV channels united.

November 10, 1969 - ''Sesame Street'' made its debut on National Educational Television (predecessor to the Public Broadcasting Service); brainchild of Joan Ganz Cooney, former documentary producer for public television, to create programming for preschoolers that was both entertaining and educational; set in  fictional New York neighborhood, included ethnically diverse characters and positive social messages;  hired puppeteer Jim Henson to create cast of characters (Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Big Bird); estimated 8 million weekly viewers in U.S. alone.

July 31, 1970 - Chet Huntley retired from NBC, ended "Huntley-Brinkley Report".

September 21, 1970 - ''NFL Monday Night Football'' debuted on ABC with a game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns; 2006 - show moved to ESPN (also a Walt Disney Company); production cost: 1970 - $8.5 million for ABC; annually - $550 million for ABC; 2006 - $1.1 billion. for ESPN.

November 20, 1970 - "Wall Street Week" debuted (created by Anne Truax Darlington, producer with Maryland Public Broadcasting); ran for 32 years; attracted largest audience on public television (about 6 million viewers by mid-1980s); first economic commentary on television.

January 10, 1971 - Masterpiece Theater debuts on PBS.

May 3, 1971 - National Public Radio started broadcasting; "All Things Considered" premiered on 112 National Public Radio stations.

May 9, 1971 - Last episode of The Honeymooners airs; aired only 39 episodes in its familiar sitcom format, running for only one season; filmed in front of a live audience and broadcast at a later date.

June 6, 1971 - "Ed Sullivan Show" last broadcast on CBS-TV.

April 2, 1973 - CBS radio begins news on the top of the hour 24 hours a day.

September 23, 1973 - The world's first Ceefax teletext service began on BBC Television.

October 11, 1975 - ''Saturday Night Live'' made its debut on NBC; George Carlin as host comedian.

November 6, 1975 - "Good Morning America" premiered on TV.

April 22, 1976 - Barbara Walters becomes the first female nightly news anchor on network television; signs a record-breaking five-year, $5 million contract with ABC; highest paid TV journalist to date.

September 4, 1976 - Lillian Lincoln Howell founded station KTSF in San Francisco, began transmitting from San Bruno with Chinese and Japanese programming; largest and oldest Asian-language television station in the U. S.

April 2, 1978 - The nighttime drama, "Dallas" premiered on television.

November 24, 1978 - David Letterman makes his first guest appearance on The Tonight Show; 1982 - had his own late-night comedy talk show, Late Night with David Letterman; 1993 - launched Late Show on rival network CBS when NBC chose Jay Leno as host of Tonight Show.

March 19, 1979 - C-Span, staff of four, first televised coverage of U.S. House of Representatives live to 3.5 million households; no formal budget, approximate expenditure about $500,000; September 13, 1982 - programming expanded to 24 hours a day; June 2, 1986 - C-SPAN 2 aired live proceedings of U.S. Senate during television test period; July 29, 1986 - Senate voted in favor of permanent televised coverage of its proceedings; January 5, 1987 - C-SPAN 2 programming expanded to 24-hours-a-day; November 22, 1988 - inaugurated international telecasts with Queen Elizabeth II's speech to State Opening of Parliament; April 1989 - launched Booknotes, weekly, hour-long interview program with authors of public affairs books; January 1997 - C-SPAN offered live, video web coverage of House and Senate on Internet; September 12, 1998 - Book TV debuted on C-SPAN 2, 48 hour, weekend literary programming block dedicated to nonfiction books; January 22, 2001 - C-SPAN3 launched as national digital cable network, offered live coverage of national events on weekdays, long-form history programming overnights and weekends; November 12, 2001 - C-SPAN Radio reached national audience with advent of satellite radio; December 2004 - 801st, final Booknotes program aired, concluded 15-year run.

September 7, 1979 - The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) debuted on cable TV.

June 1, 1980 - Cable News Network made its debut.

March 6, 1981 - Walter Cronkite signed off for the last time as anchorman of "The CBS Evening News."

March 24, 1981 - ABC's nightly Iran Hostage crisis program ("The Iran Crisis--America Held Hostage: Day xxx") renamed Nightline, anchored by Ted Koppel.

August 1, 1981 - Music Television, (MTV), music video cable channel, debuted as an operation of Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment Company (WASEC), a joint venture of Warner Communications and American Express; programming format created by Bob Pittman, one of most successful radio program directors ever; developed concept of all video channel - record-company-produced videos programmed as records on a radio station; (later became president, chief executive officer, of MTV Networks); 1984 - companies divested WASEC; renamed MTV Networks Inc.; first MTV Video Music Awards show; 1985 - MTV introduced new channel, VH-1, Video Hits One; 1986 - MTV Networks Inc. acquired by Viacom Inc.; renamed MTV Networks.

February 1, 1982 - ''Late Night with David Letterman'' premiered on NBC.

May 2, 1982 - Weather Channel went on the air; 10 months from concept to live broadcast (24 hour cable weather station); created by former WLS-TV Chicago chief meteorologist and Good Morning America forecaster John Coleman; took idea to Frank Batten, CEO of Landmark Communications.

November 2, 1982 - Channel Four, public-service television and radio broadcaster in United Kingdom, began transmission; established to provide fourth television service to UK that would break only television services in UK: 1) duopoly of BBC's two established television services, 2) ITV, single commercial broadcasting network; originally a subsidiary of  Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), now owned, operated by Channel Four Television Corporation, public body established in 1990 for this purpose, began operating in 1993, following abolition of the IBA.

January 17, 1984 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the private use of home video cassette recorders to tape TV programs did not violate federal copyright laws; decision paved the way for the success of video store chains like Blockbuster.

March 1985 - News Corporation acquired 50% of TCF Holdings, the parent company of the 20th Century Fox movie studio for $250 million; May 1985 - agreed to pay $1.55 billion to acquire independent television stations in six major U.S. media markets from John Kluge's company, Metromedia; October 1985 - Rupert Murdoch announced intentions to form an independent television system to compete with three major U.S. television networks; May 6, 1986 - Murdoch along with newly-hired Fox CEO and chairman Barry Diller and comedian Joan Rivers announced plans for "FBC" or the "Fox Broadcasting Company", with WNYW in New York as flagship station; October 9, 1986 - Fox network launched; broadcast to 96 stations reaching more than 80 percent of the nation's households.

March 18, 1985 - Capital Cities Communications acquired American Broadcasting Cos. (ABC) for $3.5 billion.

December 11, 1985 - General Electric agreed to acquire RCA and National Broadcasting Co. for $6.3 billion; deal engineered by RCA chairman (former Atlantic Richfield president) Thornton F. Bradshaw; largest acquisition in history outside oil business.

April 5, 1987