DR. ALLEN B. DuMONT & AN EARLY DuMONT TELEVISION SET.
DR. DuMONT’S PREDICTIONS
It was December, 1943. World War II was two years old and the tide of battle had turned - Berlin and key German targets were bombed daily and Japanese forces were steadily losing their occupied islands in the South Pacific. The end was in sight, especially for forward thinkers like Allen DuMont.
Allen Balcomb DuMont was a 42 year old engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. Before the war his DuMont Laboratories in Passaic, New Jersey was producing oscilloscopes for industrial use based upon his 1931 development of a long-lasting cathode ray tube - CRT - same tube that made television practical. It was a logical progression for DuMont to branch into the manufacture of consumer television sets for the home. In June, 1938, DuMont produced and marketed the first all-electronic television sets, ten months before RCA offered its first sets to the public.
Three years later all-electronic television was gaining momentum. DuMont, RCA, General Electric, Philco and Andrea Radio Corporaton were all manufacturing sets. All but Andrea owned television stations in 1941. NBC and CBS both operated commercial stations in New York City and DuMont ran a station that was experimental in name only, W2XVW.* Then came World War II and television development came to a halt for the duration.
Still, Allen DuMont knew what the future promised. So, just before Christmas in 1943 - at the peak of Network Radio’s Golden Age and the midway point of World War II - his company ran the following ad with its predictions for television:
IS TELEVISION READY?
(Cartoon of "Alec Electron")
I am Alec Electron. I know all about Electronics, Electricity, Radio and Television. I’m here to bring you up to date on Television.
1/ Is Television ready? Yes. Nine U.S. Television Stations are broadcasting regularly. There are three in New York, including Station W2XWV, operated by DuMont, one in Schenectady, one in Philadelphia, two in Chicago and two in Hollywood. Wartime manufacturing restrictions retard Television’s expansion today.
2/ When will Television Receivers go on sale? New Television sets probably will be available within six months after peace in Europe. Many Television sets are in use today. Major prewar distribution was by five manufacturers, one of which was DuMont.
3/ What will be the sizes of Television pictures? Depending on the size of the Receiver, from about 8” x 10” up to approximately 20”x 24”.
4/ What will be the sizes of Television Receivers? Virtually the same as radio receivers - from the size of larger portables to wide-screen deluxe console models.
5/ What will Television Receivers probably cost? The first models of Television Sight-and-Sound Receivers probably will range from $200 to $700.
6/ How far can Television programs be broadcast? Today the best reception is within 60 miles of the station. Engineers hope, by using improved equipment, to have Television networks cover the world.
7/ Will Television carry news, sporting events and motion pictures into your home? Yes, Television can carry any scene that cameras can record, whether it be from the studio or from the field.
8/ How perfect will Television pictures be? Now, Television is as good as 16 mm. motion pictures, after the war it may equal theater motion pictures.
9/ Who invented Television? Many manufacturers have made valuable contributions. It was Allen B. DuMont who brought from a laboratory curiosity to commercial reality the heart of the modern Television Receiver - the Cathode Ray Tube.
10/ What part will DuMont play in post-war Television? DuMont Television activities will fall in three divisions: the manufacture of fine Television Radio Receivers, the operation of its own commercial Television Stations, and the manufacture of Precision Electronic Equipment for Television pick-up and transmitting stations. Three of the nine Television Stations now regularly on the air are DuMont equipped.
Premium Electronics & Television - DuMONT
Most of the predictions contained in DuMont’s ad were generally accurate.
But the first postwar sets went on sale a bit later than “six months after peace in Europe” as predicted, (2). World War II ended in Europe on May 8, 1945. On May 7, 1946, almost a year to the day, DuMont previewed its first postwar home television sets with 18-inch picture tubes, AM-FM-Shortwave radios and 78 r.p.m. record changers for $2,400.
More budget-friendly were RCA’s first postwar television sets introduced six months later on November 4, 1946. The ten-inch screen 631- TS along with its seven-inch companion 621-TS - sold for $435 and $350 respectively, plus a $50 installation fee. Dealers sold out their inventories quickly and the first week’s total sales were estimated at $2.0 Million.
DuMont’s estimated reach of television signals, (6), was within reason for its time - before cable and satellites. And the prediction of “Television networks covering the world” - once a pipedream - is a reality today. .
Back in the 1940’s live television images were about, “as good as 16 mm motion pictures,”(8). But the shows broadcast by stations beyond the reach of live network lines on grainy kinescope films made eight millimeter movies look good. Today, and true to DuMont’s prediction, television’s high-definition pictures do indeed rival theatrical films.
The final summary of DuMont’s role in post-war Television, (10), was right on target - as far as it went. DuMont was considered the “Cadillac“ of early set and equipment manufacturers. And the company was deeply involved in station ownership after the war with its WABD(TV)/New York, WTTG(TV)/Washington and WDTV(TV)/Pittsburgh,
However, the ad didn’t foresee DuMont’s future involvement in network television. The DuMont Television Network was popular wherever it was seen and was hailed by critics for its innovations. It also led to the downfall of the entire company.
The network’s back story begins on July 26, 1938, when Allen DuMont, in need of capital for the expansion of his manufacturing business, sold 26% of his company to Paramount Pictures for $212,000. It seemed like a perfect marriage because Paramount had shown more than a passive interest in television - it was about to be granted a license for experimental station W6XYZ/Los Angeles which became the first commercial station west of the Mississippi, KTLA(TV), in 1947. Paramount also held a stake in W9XBK/Chicago, later known as WBKB(TV).
But instead of a cooperative partnership, the DuMont-Paramount relationship soured and became adversarial when Paramount ignored their original agreement by building its Los Angeles and Chicago stations without DuMont’s participation or equipment. The FCC added to DuMont’s woes when it ruled against the company’s bid for television licenses in Cleveland and Cincinnati because minority partner Paramount controlled two stations which the agency added to DuMont’s three and put the company at the limit of five stations per owner.
The DuMont Television Network debuted its first regularly scheduled program, Serving Through Science, on WABD and W3XWT, (soon to become WTTG ),on August 15, 1946. NBC was also establishing its network, but neither CBS nor ABC began television network operations until 1948. At the time DuMont seemed poised to become a major player in network television despite the refusal of Paramount’s two stations in Los Angeles and Chicago to originate or carry its programs.
Still, the deck was stacked against DuMont, the only network without the resources or popular talent roster of a radio network. In January, 1949, only 28 American cities had television. Of those 28 cities, 21 had just one or two television stations, most of which were owned by radio stations with network affiliations. It would remain that way until the FCC lifted its four year "freeze" on new television station licenses in 1952. Meanwhile, getting clearances for DuMont programs in those markets was increasingly difficult. Getting primary affiliation agreements was next to impossible.
There was no argument that DuMont programs weren’t as good as most network fare - often better.** It was simply a matter of getting them - and the advertising messages they carried - broadcast live at a decent hour instead of late at night on grainy kinescope film
By 1953 DuMont claimed affiliation agreements with 205 stations in the country's 208 television markets but had only four primary affiliates outside of its owned stations in New York, Washington and Pittsburgh - WGN-TV/Chicago, KTTV(TV)/Los Angeles, KFEL-TV/Denver and WTVN-TV/Columbus. Operation costs ran into the millions every month, leaving the network little choice: either grow or go out of business.
DuMont had two last ditch hopes. First, it could affiliate with the growing number of struggling UHF stations around the country. But that seemed futile when the company took over KCTY(TV)/Kansas City in December, 1953.. The UHF station on Channel 25 was pitted against three VHF stations with network affiliations. KCTY’s ratings were dismal and revenues were non-existent. DuMont threw in the towel after two months and the station went dark.
The final straw came in 1953, after the United Paramount Theaters - American Broadcasting Company merger, when Leonard Goldenson, the dynamic 47 year old CEO of UPT, proposed another merger - to create the ABC-DuMont Television Network and put both struggling networks in a strong competitive position against CBS and NBC. The deal would also have put $5.0 Million into DuMont’s treasury and given the company a steady advertising outlet for its television sets. It was a win-win situation but Goldenson’s bosses at Paramount rejected it for fear of anti-trust repercussions.
In need of cash, DuMont sold WDTV to Westinghouse for a record $9.75 Million in late 1954. Its new owners immediately rechristened the station KDKA-TV and affiliated with CBS.
The DuMont Television Network was shut down the following spring after eight and a half years of operation - all at a loss.
Paramount organized other stockholders and seized control of DuMont Laboratories in August, 1955. The company was virtually driven out of the set manufacturing business which was subsequently sold to Emerson Radio Corporation, .
In 1958, Allen DuMont sold his remaining stations, WABD(TV)/New York and WTTG(TV)/Washington, to John Kluge’s new Metromedia, Inc.***
Today the name DuMont is virtually forgotten. When it is remembered, it's usually associated with failure. Nothing could be further from the truth. Allen B. DuMont was a great success in the development of commercial television. He just had terrible luck in picking his business partners.
* RCA did beat DuMont to the punch with the first television station - W2XBS/New York in 1928, which became the country’s first commercially licensed station, WNBT(TV) on July 1, 1941. CBS-owned W2XAB/New York followed in 1931, received it’s commercial license as WCBW(TV) in 1941 and went on the air one hour after WNBT. DuMont got its first permit in 1938 for W2XVW which received its commercial license as WABD(TV) in 1944. All three stations were on the air but only on a very limited basis during World War II.
** DuMont was the first television home to comedian Jackie Gleason’s variety hour, (Cavalcade of Stars), and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen’s immensely popular weekly sermons, (Life Is Worth Living). The network also pioneered sitcoms, (Mary Kay & Johnny), soap operas, (Faraway Hills), game shows, (Cash & Carry) and juvenile adventures, (Captain Video & His Video Rangers).
*** WABD became WNEW-TV under Metromedia ownership while WTTG's call sign remained unchanged. The two stations were acquired by News Corporation in 1986. WNEW-TV, now WNYW(TV) and WTTG along with former Metromedia stations KTTV(TV)/Los Angeles and WFLD(TV)/Chicago are now anchors of the Fox Television Network.
Copyright © 2015 Jim Ramsburg, Estero FL Email: tojimramsburg@gmail.com
It was December, 1943. World War II was two years old and the tide of battle had turned - Berlin and key German targets were bombed daily and Japanese forces were steadily losing their occupied islands in the South Pacific. The end was in sight, especially for forward thinkers like Allen DuMont.
Allen Balcomb DuMont was a 42 year old engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. Before the war his DuMont Laboratories in Passaic, New Jersey was producing oscilloscopes for industrial use based upon his 1931 development of a long-lasting cathode ray tube - CRT - same tube that made television practical. It was a logical progression for DuMont to branch into the manufacture of consumer television sets for the home. In June, 1938, DuMont produced and marketed the first all-electronic television sets, ten months before RCA offered its first sets to the public.
Three years later all-electronic television was gaining momentum. DuMont, RCA, General Electric, Philco and Andrea Radio Corporaton were all manufacturing sets. All but Andrea owned television stations in 1941. NBC and CBS both operated commercial stations in New York City and DuMont ran a station that was experimental in name only, W2XVW.* Then came World War II and television development came to a halt for the duration.
Still, Allen DuMont knew what the future promised. So, just before Christmas in 1943 - at the peak of Network Radio’s Golden Age and the midway point of World War II - his company ran the following ad with its predictions for television:
IS TELEVISION READY?
(Cartoon of "Alec Electron")
I am Alec Electron. I know all about Electronics, Electricity, Radio and Television. I’m here to bring you up to date on Television.
1/ Is Television ready? Yes. Nine U.S. Television Stations are broadcasting regularly. There are three in New York, including Station W2XWV, operated by DuMont, one in Schenectady, one in Philadelphia, two in Chicago and two in Hollywood. Wartime manufacturing restrictions retard Television’s expansion today.
2/ When will Television Receivers go on sale? New Television sets probably will be available within six months after peace in Europe. Many Television sets are in use today. Major prewar distribution was by five manufacturers, one of which was DuMont.
3/ What will be the sizes of Television pictures? Depending on the size of the Receiver, from about 8” x 10” up to approximately 20”x 24”.
4/ What will be the sizes of Television Receivers? Virtually the same as radio receivers - from the size of larger portables to wide-screen deluxe console models.
5/ What will Television Receivers probably cost? The first models of Television Sight-and-Sound Receivers probably will range from $200 to $700.
6/ How far can Television programs be broadcast? Today the best reception is within 60 miles of the station. Engineers hope, by using improved equipment, to have Television networks cover the world.
7/ Will Television carry news, sporting events and motion pictures into your home? Yes, Television can carry any scene that cameras can record, whether it be from the studio or from the field.
8/ How perfect will Television pictures be? Now, Television is as good as 16 mm. motion pictures, after the war it may equal theater motion pictures.
9/ Who invented Television? Many manufacturers have made valuable contributions. It was Allen B. DuMont who brought from a laboratory curiosity to commercial reality the heart of the modern Television Receiver - the Cathode Ray Tube.
10/ What part will DuMont play in post-war Television? DuMont Television activities will fall in three divisions: the manufacture of fine Television Radio Receivers, the operation of its own commercial Television Stations, and the manufacture of Precision Electronic Equipment for Television pick-up and transmitting stations. Three of the nine Television Stations now regularly on the air are DuMont equipped.
Premium Electronics & Television - DuMONT
Most of the predictions contained in DuMont’s ad were generally accurate.
But the first postwar sets went on sale a bit later than “six months after peace in Europe” as predicted, (2). World War II ended in Europe on May 8, 1945. On May 7, 1946, almost a year to the day, DuMont previewed its first postwar home television sets with 18-inch picture tubes, AM-FM-Shortwave radios and 78 r.p.m. record changers for $2,400.
More budget-friendly were RCA’s first postwar television sets introduced six months later on November 4, 1946. The ten-inch screen 631- TS along with its seven-inch companion 621-TS - sold for $435 and $350 respectively, plus a $50 installation fee. Dealers sold out their inventories quickly and the first week’s total sales were estimated at $2.0 Million.
DuMont’s estimated reach of television signals, (6), was within reason for its time - before cable and satellites. And the prediction of “Television networks covering the world” - once a pipedream - is a reality today. .
Back in the 1940’s live television images were about, “as good as 16 mm motion pictures,”(8). But the shows broadcast by stations beyond the reach of live network lines on grainy kinescope films made eight millimeter movies look good. Today, and true to DuMont’s prediction, television’s high-definition pictures do indeed rival theatrical films.
The final summary of DuMont’s role in post-war Television, (10), was right on target - as far as it went. DuMont was considered the “Cadillac“ of early set and equipment manufacturers. And the company was deeply involved in station ownership after the war with its WABD(TV)/New York, WTTG(TV)/Washington and WDTV(TV)/Pittsburgh,
However, the ad didn’t foresee DuMont’s future involvement in network television. The DuMont Television Network was popular wherever it was seen and was hailed by critics for its innovations. It also led to the downfall of the entire company.
The network’s back story begins on July 26, 1938, when Allen DuMont, in need of capital for the expansion of his manufacturing business, sold 26% of his company to Paramount Pictures for $212,000. It seemed like a perfect marriage because Paramount had shown more than a passive interest in television - it was about to be granted a license for experimental station W6XYZ/Los Angeles which became the first commercial station west of the Mississippi, KTLA(TV), in 1947. Paramount also held a stake in W9XBK/Chicago, later known as WBKB(TV).
But instead of a cooperative partnership, the DuMont-Paramount relationship soured and became adversarial when Paramount ignored their original agreement by building its Los Angeles and Chicago stations without DuMont’s participation or equipment. The FCC added to DuMont’s woes when it ruled against the company’s bid for television licenses in Cleveland and Cincinnati because minority partner Paramount controlled two stations which the agency added to DuMont’s three and put the company at the limit of five stations per owner.
The DuMont Television Network debuted its first regularly scheduled program, Serving Through Science, on WABD and W3XWT, (soon to become WTTG ),on August 15, 1946. NBC was also establishing its network, but neither CBS nor ABC began television network operations until 1948. At the time DuMont seemed poised to become a major player in network television despite the refusal of Paramount’s two stations in Los Angeles and Chicago to originate or carry its programs.
Still, the deck was stacked against DuMont, the only network without the resources or popular talent roster of a radio network. In January, 1949, only 28 American cities had television. Of those 28 cities, 21 had just one or two television stations, most of which were owned by radio stations with network affiliations. It would remain that way until the FCC lifted its four year "freeze" on new television station licenses in 1952. Meanwhile, getting clearances for DuMont programs in those markets was increasingly difficult. Getting primary affiliation agreements was next to impossible.
There was no argument that DuMont programs weren’t as good as most network fare - often better.** It was simply a matter of getting them - and the advertising messages they carried - broadcast live at a decent hour instead of late at night on grainy kinescope film
By 1953 DuMont claimed affiliation agreements with 205 stations in the country's 208 television markets but had only four primary affiliates outside of its owned stations in New York, Washington and Pittsburgh - WGN-TV/Chicago, KTTV(TV)/Los Angeles, KFEL-TV/Denver and WTVN-TV/Columbus. Operation costs ran into the millions every month, leaving the network little choice: either grow or go out of business.
DuMont had two last ditch hopes. First, it could affiliate with the growing number of struggling UHF stations around the country. But that seemed futile when the company took over KCTY(TV)/Kansas City in December, 1953.. The UHF station on Channel 25 was pitted against three VHF stations with network affiliations. KCTY’s ratings were dismal and revenues were non-existent. DuMont threw in the towel after two months and the station went dark.
The final straw came in 1953, after the United Paramount Theaters - American Broadcasting Company merger, when Leonard Goldenson, the dynamic 47 year old CEO of UPT, proposed another merger - to create the ABC-DuMont Television Network and put both struggling networks in a strong competitive position against CBS and NBC. The deal would also have put $5.0 Million into DuMont’s treasury and given the company a steady advertising outlet for its television sets. It was a win-win situation but Goldenson’s bosses at Paramount rejected it for fear of anti-trust repercussions.
In need of cash, DuMont sold WDTV to Westinghouse for a record $9.75 Million in late 1954. Its new owners immediately rechristened the station KDKA-TV and affiliated with CBS.
The DuMont Television Network was shut down the following spring after eight and a half years of operation - all at a loss.
Paramount organized other stockholders and seized control of DuMont Laboratories in August, 1955. The company was virtually driven out of the set manufacturing business which was subsequently sold to Emerson Radio Corporation, .
In 1958, Allen DuMont sold his remaining stations, WABD(TV)/New York and WTTG(TV)/Washington, to John Kluge’s new Metromedia, Inc.***
Today the name DuMont is virtually forgotten. When it is remembered, it's usually associated with failure. Nothing could be further from the truth. Allen B. DuMont was a great success in the development of commercial television. He just had terrible luck in picking his business partners.
* RCA did beat DuMont to the punch with the first television station - W2XBS/New York in 1928, which became the country’s first commercially licensed station, WNBT(TV) on July 1, 1941. CBS-owned W2XAB/New York followed in 1931, received it’s commercial license as WCBW(TV) in 1941 and went on the air one hour after WNBT. DuMont got its first permit in 1938 for W2XVW which received its commercial license as WABD(TV) in 1944. All three stations were on the air but only on a very limited basis during World War II.
** DuMont was the first television home to comedian Jackie Gleason’s variety hour, (Cavalcade of Stars), and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen’s immensely popular weekly sermons, (Life Is Worth Living). The network also pioneered sitcoms, (Mary Kay & Johnny), soap operas, (Faraway Hills), game shows, (Cash & Carry) and juvenile adventures, (Captain Video & His Video Rangers).
*** WABD became WNEW-TV under Metromedia ownership while WTTG's call sign remained unchanged. The two stations were acquired by News Corporation in 1986. WNEW-TV, now WNYW(TV) and WTTG along with former Metromedia stations KTTV(TV)/Los Angeles and WFLD(TV)/Chicago are now anchors of the Fox Television Network.
Copyright © 2015 Jim Ramsburg, Estero FL Email: tojimramsburg@gmail.com