Television

For a long time radio was the only form of broadcast that American's had.  News shows, radio shows, music, comedy and sports were among the many topics that radio stations covered.  In the late 1930's over 44 million radio's were in use all over the country.  It wasn't until the late 1920's that American's began to grasp the idea's behind the invention of the television.

During the 1930's television was in a major state of development.  During the late 1920's television signals were just beginning to travel through phone lines, and the world's very first television broadcasts were taking place.

By 1930 American companies such as RCA (now NBC) and ABC (formerly The Blue Network) were transferring their focus from radio to television.  

It wasn't until 1939 at the world's fair (where RCA broadcasted the first televised presidential speech) that television receivers were introduced commercially to the US.  At this time most of these receivers needed to be coupled with radio to receive sound.  In late 1939, regular broadcasts were being scheduled in New York and Los Angeles.

Although commercial television sets had been in production since the late 1920's, they were what we would now consider a radio with a small viewing tube.

Cheaper pre-war American television sets (sold around 1939) had a 3-inch screen and were priced around $125 (equivalent to $1,863 in 07').

When WWII began, the war production board stopped the manufacturing of commercial television sets, which wouldn't resume until 1945.  Below are some TV images from 1940.

By: Jaclyn Suarez