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N0KFQ > TODAY 26.08.14 16:34l 53 Lines 2285 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 34411_N0KFQ
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Subj: Today in History - Aug 26
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Sent: 140826/1430Z 34411@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQK1.4.60
Aug 26, 1939:
First televised Major League baseball game
On this day in 1939, the first televised Major League baseball
game is broadcast on station W2XBS, the station that was to
become WNBC-TV. Announcer Red Barber called the game between the
Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field in
Brooklyn, New York.
At the time, television was still in its infancy. Regular
programming did not yet exist, and very few people owned
television sets--there were only about 400 in the New York area.
Not until 1946 did regular network broadcasting catch on in the
United States, and only in the mid-1950s did television sets
become more common in the American household.
In 1939, the World's Fair--which was being held in New
York--became the catalyst for the historic broadcast. The
television was one of fair's prize exhibits, and organizers
believed that the Dodgers-Reds doubleheader on August 26 was the
perfect event to showcase America's grasp on the new technology.
By today's standards, the video coverage was somewhat crude.
There were only two stationary camera angles: The first was
placed down the third base line to pick up infield throws to
first, and the second was placed high above home plate to get an
extensive view of the field. It was also difficult to capture
fast-moving plays: Swinging bats looked like paper fans, and the
ball was all but invisible during pitches and hits.
Nevertheless, the experiment was a success, driving interest in
the development of television technology, particularly for
sporting events. Though baseball owners were initially concerned
that televising baseball would sap actual attendance, they soon
warmed to the idea, and the possibilities for revenue generation
that came with increased exposure of the game, including the sale
of rights to air certain teams or games and television
advertising.
Today, televised sports is a multi-billion dollar industry, with
technology that gives viewers an astounding amount of visual and
audio detail. Cameras are now so precise that they can capture
the way a ball changes shape when struck by a bat, and athletes
are wired to pick up field-level and sideline conversation.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
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