Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

WNBQ Converts to Color T JLh .HE world's first all-color television station—WNBQ, the NBC-owned TV station in Chicago—began opera- tions on Sunday, April 15, with a nationwide audience in attendance via the television screen. The formal inauguration was announced by Robert W. Sarnoff, NBC President, near the conclusion of a broadcast of "Wide Wide World" in a program devoted to the general theme of entertainment. Watching monitors at a reception in Chicago's Merchandise Mart, home of WNBQ, was a distinguished gathering of governmental, civic, and broadcasting in- dustry leaders. Invitations to the reception, held in the Merchants' and Merchandisers' Club, were extended to officials of the Federal Communications Commission, the National Association of Radio and Television Broad- casters, and the City of Chicago, as well as to the press, officials of RCA and NBC, station managers of NBC affiliated stations and other broadcasters visiting Chicago for the NARTB Convention meeting on April 16. Following the inauguration ceremony by Mr. Sar- noff, guests were conducted on tours of the new color studios and the RCA-NBC Exhibition Hall on the 20th floor of the Merchandise Mart. Throughour the week, broadcasters were invited on guided tours of the color- converted station. Wherever they turned during the week following the inauguration, broadcasters — as well as the Chicago public—were confronted by color television. The RCA Distributing Corporation and the RCA Service Com- pany installed color receivers in dozens of locations around Chicago—in the Merchandise Mart lobby, in department stores, in bank lobbies, in hotels, etc. WNBQ provided a continuous closed circuit color feed from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m., consisting of local or network programs which were in color. Color film was trans- mitted during the times that network black-and-white programs were being broadcast. The changeover to color television by WNBQ will be heavily promoted nationally and locally. In addition to the official ceremony of "Wide Wide World," there were two other network color originations from WNBQ. "Camel News Caravan" will originate from Chicago on Monday, April 16, and "Today" will offer a remote broadcast from WNBQ two days later. "Monitor" and "Weekday" will present radio features about the event. Radio network news programs will offer coverage. Net- work programs and stars will salute the station. "WNBQ's Spectrum Spectacular," as the station's promotion campaign is known, was placed in operation «SW , f Checking over blueprints for WNBQ's conversion to color are, left to right, Henry T. Sjogren, assistant gen- eral manager of WNBQ; Jules Herbuveaux, NBC Vice- President and General Manager of the station, and Howard C. Luttgens, the station engineer. on March 19. It increased in scope and momentum until the peak day of April 15. The campaign utilized newspaper and trade paper advertisements, radio and television announcements, program features, car cards, sky writing (in three colors) and other devices for attracting the attention of the public. Broadcast an- nouncements are being made to invite the public and special groups, such as schools, to tour the new color studios after operations have been started. The station has four color television studios, five live color TV camera chains and associated equipment, and two color film camera chains. In addition, WNBQ plans call for the construction on the roof of the Mer- chandise Mart of a building with 25,000 square feet devoted to various TV production and service shops. An additional 25,000 square feet has been leased for further expansion and possible use as an outdoor color TV production area. The RCA-NBC Exhibition Hall, on the 20th floor, will have RCA color receivers which will be operating continuously. The Exhibition Hall leads into a floor- to-ceiling windowed public viewing corridor, known as the RCA Hall of Color, overlooking rhe new color studio. RADIO AGE 23