I was one of the early fans of television back when there was very limited programming. In 1946 or perhaps 1947, "Mac" McEwan from the "corner store" about which I have written numerous columns, set up a television room in the back of his store and opened it to us kids. It was a perfect combination: We would sit and watch what was the first or nearly first TV set in the area, and Mac sold a lot of Kern's soda, Coke, Pepsi, potato chips, etc. I remember watching "Frontier Playhouse" on channel 3, WPTZ. Every afternoon at 5 we would watch Ken or Kermit Maynard, Bob Steel, the "Three Mesquiteers" and other class "B" westerns followed by "Burn 'em up Barnes, a 12 chapter serial. It was here that we watched the news casts of John Cameron Swayze or Douglas Edwards. The scan above shows a very early "TV DIGEST." In the very early years of commercial television, the programming started around 2 in the afternoon, and shut down around 10 or 11 PM, the rest of the hours we watched what was known as a "test pattern" which was transmitted for station identification, and so that television installers and service people could adjust sets and antennas. Our very first television set was an ADMIRAL with a 10 inch screen. Try as we might, we could only get channels 3, 6 and 10, while Art Sneath our next door neighbor got the same channels plus New York channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11, and a less clear WATV channel 13. We called Bond's Electric on Hamilton Avenue where we purchased the set, and they called Pierce Phelps in Philadelphia to rectify the problem. Bottom line: Art Sneath's Philco was a more sensitive set, costing about 100 dollars more.-
Ralph Lucarella said... HI TOM....THOSE EARLY TV SHOWS FROM PHILLY AND THE TEST PATTERNS WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR 7 INCH TV SET IN 1946. I REMEMBER ED McMAHAN SELLING KITCHEN APPLIANCES IN FRONT OF THE 5 AND 10 CENT STORE ON THE BOARDWALK IN ATLANTIC CITY. ERNIE KOVACS HAD A COOKING SHOW AND THE OTHER BIG ATTRACTION WERE THE FIGHTS. I RECALL THE MAGNIFIERS THEY SOLD TO ENLARGEN THE SCREEN. YOU COULD NOT WATCH AT AN ANGLE WITH THEM. IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE HOW FAR TV HAS COME THRU THE YEARS. REGARDS.
- Michael said...
Hey Ralph:
You forgot the everpresent multi color plastic sheet you put over the TV screen; gave you instant color tv.
We got our first 11 inch tv in 1946
when dad had his first stroke, and lost his legs. When the championship fights came on we had standing room only not only in the house but looking through the door,and front window.
Ike Williams in laws were neighbors, and had easy access to our living room each time Ike fought.
I luagh today at the 52" behemoths they are selling as home tvs today.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my Jersey friends and family
Mike Kuzma 
Tom Glover said...FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS AND ALSO FRIDAY NIGHT MIDGET CAR RACING FROM FREEPORT RACEWAY IN LONG ISLAND NEW YORK ON WPIX CHANNEL 11.I REMEMBER GILLETTE "BLUE BLADES" AS THE SPONSOR. REMEMBER THIS JINGLE: "TO LOOK SHARP EVERY TIME YOU SHAVE,
TO BE SHARP AND BE ON THE GO,
JUST BE SHARP, USE GILLETTE BLUE BLADES FOR THE QUICKEST SLICKEST SHAVE OF ALL." WOW, WHAT MEMORIES.
TOM GLOVER
HI TOM....THOSE EARLY TV SHOWS FROM PHILLY AND THE TEST PATTERNS WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR 7 INCH TV SET IN 1946. I REMEMBER ED McMAHAN SELLING KITCHEN APPLIANCES IN FRONT OF THE 5 AND 10 CENT STORE ON THE BOARDWALK IN ATLANTIC CITY. ERNIE KOVACS HAD A COOKING SHOW AND THE OTHER BIG ATTRACTION WERE THE FIGHTS. I RECALL THE MAGNIFIERS THEY SOLD TO ENLARGEN THE SCREEN. YOU COULD NOT WATCH AT AN ANGLE WITH THEM. IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE HOW FAR TV HAS COME THRU THE YEARS. REGARDS.
ReplyDeleteHey Ralph:
ReplyDeleteYou forgot the everpresent multi color plastic sheet you put over the TV screen; gave you instant color tv.
We got our first 11 inch tv in 1946
when dad had his first stroke, and lost his legs. When the championship fights came on we had standing room only not only in the house but looking through the door,and front window.
Ike Williams in laws were neighbors, and had easy access to our living room each time Ike fought.
I luagh today at the 52" behemoths they are selling as home tvs today.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my Jersey friends and family
Mike Kuzma
FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS AND ALSO FRIDAY NIGHT MIDGET CAR RACING FROM FREEPORT RACEWAY IN NEW YORK ON WPIX CHANNEL 11.I REMEMBER GILLETTE "BLUE BLADES" AS THE SPONSOR. REMEMBER THIS JINGLE: "TO LOOK SHARP EVERY TIME YOU SHAVE,
ReplyDeleteTO BE SHARP AND BE ON THE GO,
JUST BE SHARP, USE GILLETTE BLUE BLADES FOR THE QUICKEST SLICKEST SHAVE OF ALL." WOW, WHAT MEMORIES.
TOM GLOVER
I love reading about these great memories and stories! Thanks everyone for sharing. It sounds like TV has definitely come a long way in the last 65 years. I wonder what it'll be like 65 years from now.
ReplyDeleteIn our house at 459 So Olden we had the first TV in the neighborhood. On Friday nights all the kids would catch the early show at the Greenwood or Olden and rush back to gather on our front porch and watch whatever was on through the two front windows. Ralph, that TV did have a magnifier and it made it easier to see the fights from the windows. We were a collection of Villa Victoria, St. Anthony's, Jr 2 and whoever we met along the way home.
ReplyDeleteHi Tom: My father never missed the Friday Night fights. The Rev. Elmer Walker lived next door and he always came over to our house to watch with my father. The rest of the family found something else to do while the "guys'' enjoyed the mathes.
ReplyDelete