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What was the transition like from black and white to color television, and did some shows or networks hold out longer than others in making the switch?
The first color TV broadcast in the US occurred on April 14, 1967, by WMT-TV Channel 2 in Iowa.
This historic moment was possible because of the NTSC (National Television System Committee) standard, which allowed color transmission to be viewed on black-and-white sets.
The first color TVs sold slowly, with few sales in the 1950s.
They became popular only in the late 1960s.
Networks like NBC, CBS, and ABC started broadcasting more color programming in the mid-1960s.
NBC aimed to broadcast most of its primetime programming in color by the 1965-1966 season.
By the 1970s, most TV stations and networks had converted to color transmission, and color TVs outsold black-and-white sets.
During the transition, shows or networks did not hold out; instead, they gradually adopted color broadcasting.
The FCC approved color specifications in 1953, but the National Production Authority put a hold on color TV production due to metal scarcity.
In 1953, black-and-white TVs were widespread and affordable in North America, while color TVs were still expensive and rare.
Black-and-white TV sets, introduced in the mid-1940s, became popular in the 1950s due to their affordability.
CBS demonstrated color television in 1950, but the technology did not become common until the 1960s.
The first color TV sets were large and expensive, with lower-cost black-and-white portable sets remaining popular into the 1980s.
By 1979, all broadcasting stations had converted to color transmission, with only a small number of black-and-white sets in use primarily for specific applications.
The transition to color TV transformed how Americans viewed the world, making black-and-white TV a distant memory in today's era of digital color television.
Color TV production initially faced challenges due to metal scarcity, leading to a delay in the mass market adoption of color TVs until the late 1960s.
By 1968, most prime time shows on the three major networks were broadcast in color, and sales of color TVs finally surpassed black-and-white models in 1972.
The transition was facilitated by allowing black-and-white TV to coexist with color TV developments, ensuring a smoother transition to fully color-capable TV.
In 1953, the industry did not predict a significant market for color TVs; however, by the 1960s, color television had gained widespread popularity.
In 1956, Time magazine labeled color TV a "resounding industrial flop," highlighting the challenges faced during the early years of color TV adoption.
The National Science and Media Museum's Associate Curator of Television and Radio, Iain Baird, noted that only around 12,000 black-and-white TV licensees remained in Britain as of 2016.
By the early 1980s, black-and-white sets had become obsolete, replaced by color TVs, which had evolved to become the standard for television broadcasting and home entertainment.
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