A sign of the times; a herald of the times, in the Times<\/em>:\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

An advertisement by General Electric from early 1945, promoting GE’s television network, through station WRGB in Schenectady, New York.\u00a0 Relying far more on explanation than illustration (that illustration being a simple map), the ad connotes pride in General Electric Television’s recent past, describes the then current scope – in terms of geography and content – of GE’s network, and includes a hint about a future where, “millions of families throughout American can look forward to television in their homes after the war.”\u00a0 (They had no<\/em> idea…)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

In the context of today – 2017 – where accessing information can be done near instantaneously, an intriguing highlight of the ad is mention of a broadcast of the 1944 <\/span>Democratic and Republican National Conventions, “derived from films flown to New York.”\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The ad thus implies – without needed to explain the steps involved – the use of photographic (motion picture) film to record these events, and, the use of aircraft to transport said film to New York for development, after which images would be broadcast to GE’s audience.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Technology not only collapses space, it collapses time.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

____________________<\/span><\/p>\n

The text of the advertisement is presented below…
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>TELEVISION NETWORK<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

five years old today<\/span><\/p>\n

JUST FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY \u2013 January 12, 1940 \u2013 General Electric Television station WRGB, in Schenectady, added relayed programs to the service it rendered to several hundred families in upstate New York.\u00a0 In addition to programs originating in its own studio, NBC programs sent out from WNBT, in New York City, were picked up by G.E.\u2019s relay station in the Helderberg Mountains and broadcast to WRGB\u2019s audience.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

This was America\u2019s first television network \u2013 the first time that two television stations broadcast simultaneously the same regular programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Television set owners in Schenectady, Albany, and Troy have shared a lot of G-E television \u201cfirsts\u201d.\u00a0 This pioneer television audience has been a fireside laboratory.\u00a0 Besides serving as \u201cguinea pig\u201d for relayed programs, it has expressed opinions on more than 900 different television shows originating at WRGB.\u00a0 Experience thus accumulated on television programming will help to improve the television entertainment of tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

This television relay, five years old today, was developed by General Electric scientists and engineers as an answer to one of television\u2019s greatest problems \u2013 long-distance transmission.\u00a0 It has been proved by five years of actual use.\u00a0 It is one more reason why millions of families throughout American can look forward to television in their homes after the war.<\/span><\/p>\n

A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF FIVE YEARS OF TELEVISION RELAYING<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few of the many programs, originating at WNBT in New York, which the G-E relay has brought to homes in Schenectady, Albany and Troy areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

1940 \u2013 January 12.\u00a0 First program ever transmitted over relay was the play \u2013 \u201cMeet the Wife\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Easter services and Fifth Avenue Easter parade.<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening baseball game.\u00a0 Dodgers vs. Giants.<\/span><\/p>\n

1941 \u2013 Boxing matches from Jamaica, Long Island, Arena.<\/span><\/p>\n

Golden Jubilee Basketball Tournament from Madison Square Garden.<\/span><\/p>\n

1942 \u2013 A series of instruction programs demonstrating Air Raid Protection methods for Air Raid Wardens.<\/span><\/p>\n

1943 \u2013 World\u2019s Championship Rodeo from Madison Square Garden.<\/span><\/p>\n

1944 \u2013 Finals of Daily News Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament.<\/span><\/p>\n

Democratic and Republican National Conventions in Chicago, from films flown to New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hear the G-E radio programs: The G-E All-girl Orchestra<\/em>, Sunday 10 p.m. EWT, NBC \u2013 The World Today<\/em> news, Monday through Friday 6:45 p.m. EWT, CBS \u2013 The G-E House Party<\/em>, Monday through Friday 4:00 p.m. EWT, CBS.<\/span><\/p>\n

FOR VICTORY \u2013 BUY AND HOLD WAR BONDS<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A sign of the times; a herald of the times, in the Times:\u00a0 An advertisement by General Electric from early 1945, promoting GE’s television network, through station WRGB in Schenectady, New York.\u00a0 Relying far more on explanation than illustration (that illustration being a simple map), the ad connotes pride in General Electric Television’s recent past, … Continue reading General Electric Television Network – January 12, 1945<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7,2],"tags":[270,381,383,382],"class_list":["post-2520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advertising","category-sociology","category-technology","tag-general-electric","tag-general-electric-television-network","tag-wnbt","tag-wrgb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thepastpresented.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thepastpresented.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thepastpresented.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thepastpresented.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thepastpresented.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2520"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/thepastpresented.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2520\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2870,"href":"http:\/\/thepastpresented.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2520\/revisions\/2870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thepastpresented.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thepastpresented.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thepastpresented.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}