Television · 1947
Television Reaches Network Scale and Mass Audiences
In 1947, television evolved from an experimental luxury into a mainstream cultural medium. Landmark news debuts, live presidential broadcasts, and televised major sports events captivated growing audiences across the globe.
- Jan 22, 1947 | KTLA | Station Launch
KTLA Sign-On
KTLA becomes the first commercially licensed television station west of the Mississippi River, launching with a gala broadcast hosted by Bob Hope.
- Mar 11, 1947 | DuMont | Children's
Small Fry Club
Hosted by Bob Emery, DuMont launches the first daily scheduled children's series on American network television.
- May 7, 1947 | NBC | Drama Anthology
Kraft Television Theatre
NBC premieres a live drama anthology series that helped establish the network playhouse format during television's early golden era.
- Sep 30, 1947 | NBC/DuMont | Sports
The 1947 World Series
Major League Baseball's championship is broadcast on television for the first time, bringing the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers to local screens.
- Oct 5, 1947 | Multi-Network | News
First Televised White House Address
President Harry S. Truman makes broadcasting history by delivering the first live televised presidential speech directly from the Oval Office.
- Nov 6, 1947 | NBC | News
Meet the Press
Co-created by Martha Rountree, this iconic news interview program debuts on NBC, eventually becoming the longest-running series in television history.
- Nov 20, 1947 | BBC | Special
Royal Wedding Broadcast
The BBC broadcasts TV coverage of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Philip Mountbatten, captivating viewers across the United Kingdom.
- Dec 27, 1947 | NBC | Children's
Howdy Doody (Puppet Playhouse)
Host Bob Smith debuts a wildly popular children's program featuring a wooden puppet that quickly becomes an iconic fixture of American TV.
Enjoyed your trip back in time?