Television · 1943
Television On the Air During World War II
As global conflict froze civilian electronics manufacturing, television survived through scaled-back broadcasts, civil defense training, and military transmissions. Stations in the United States and occupied Europe demonstrated the medium's resilience even under strict wartime constraints.
- Station Launch / France / May 1943
Launch of Fernsehsender Paris
German occupying forces began broadcasting from the Eiffel Tower, establishing a high-definition television station aimed at troops and hospitals.
- Live Variety / DuMont / United States
W2XWV Live Sunday Broadcasts
Allen B. DuMont's experimental New York station W2XWV maintained regular weekly live television shows despite wartime equipment restrictions.
- Local Programming / GE / United States
WRGB Schenectady Live Dramas
General Electric station WRGB produced original live studio plays, puppet shows, and musical performances for upstate New York viewers.
- Public Service / NBC / United States
WNBT Civil Defense Instructions
NBC flagship station WNBT broadcast specialized training programs for air raid wardens and emergency responders throughout New York City.
- News Broadcast / CBS / United States
WCBW Wartime News Telecasts
CBS television station WCBW delivered televised war updates using chalkboards, maps, and live commentary to track Allied troop movements.
- Military Broadcast / Germany
Berlin Lazarett-Fernsehen
German television maintained limited daily transmissions broadcast specifically to wounded soldiers recovering in military hospitals around Berlin.
- Sports / Philco / United States
WPTZ Penn Football Telecasts
Philadelphia station WPTZ telecast live University of Pennsylvania college football games from Franklin Field using experimental cameras.
- News Film / NBC / United States
WNBT Military Newsreels
WNBT aired edited combat newsreels detailing the North African Campaign and Allied invasion of Sicily for early television set owners.
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