WCBS TV New York Analog TV Sign Off June 12th 2009

A Brief Review: 68 Years of NTSC for CBS

CBS's first television broadcasts were experimental, often only for one hour a day, and reaching a limited area in and around New York City (over station W2XAB channel 2, later called WCBW and finally WCBS-TV).

The FCC began licensing commercial television stations on July 1, 1941; [on that day, they issued a license] to WCBW, (now WCBS).

On Feb 12 1946, the newly completed AT&T inter-city coaxial cable was inaugurated with an experimental broadcast of Lincoln Memorial Services from Washington DC to NBC, CBS, and DuMonts stations in New York. This date is commonly referred to as the birth date of television network broadcasting.

The term "chain broadcasting" was used, as the stations were linked together in long chains along the east coast. But as the networks expanded westward, the interconnected stations formed great networks of connected affiliate stations. By 1951, the four networks stretched coast-to-coast, carried on the new microwave radio relay network of AT&T Long Lines.

In 1987, cross-country microwave radio relays were replaced by Fixed Service Satellites. Some terrestrial radio relays remained in service for regional connections.

In 2000, satellite capacity and quality were increased with the transition to digital modulation.

On June 19, the FCC decommissioned NTSC as the terrestrial broadcast standard leaving the ATSC digital terrestrial transmission. CBS Network followed by eliminating SD satellite distribution on June 24 2009, 68 years after NTSC was first licensed to CBS.
Courtesy Charles Kerman CBS Affiliate Systems

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Broadcasting
• WCBS
• TV

[aviator1212]

Thanks for all the great comments. Unfortunately the July 13th signoff from nightlight mode was unceremonious. The transmitter engineers just flipped the switch and we went to hash.

[IPteevee]

I wanted very much to see this live but I missed it. Thanks for the catch!

Most stations seem to have paid very little homage to their 60+ years of analog NTSC broadcasting; many made little or no reference to their history. At least CBS did it up fairly nicely

[umahuma4]

June 19, 2009 is a moment in TV broadcasting history.

[smokey11able]

i hate digital tv ever since they did that i cant record shows on vhs recoder i do have a digital tv tought.

[MultiJesse1995]

0:00 to 0:11 - end of soap opera on analog tv 0:11 to 0:12 - goes to comercial on digital 2.1 (including cable and satelitte) 0:13 to 0:49 - special psa from wcbs-tv (analog only, ceaseing analog for good) 0:50 to 2:05 - national anthem 2:06 to 2:10 - test pattern 2:10 to 3:32 - hash 3:33 to 4:03 - test pattern (again) 4:03 to 5:20 - national anthem (again) 5:20 to 5:44 - special psa from wcbs-tv (now operating as a nightlight station) 5:46 to 6:26 - dtv let's get ready nab video thx.

[APyleOfVinyl]

I hope they bring analog TV back. Stupid US government screwing the lower classes again. I hope one day we can revolt and bring back real television.

[JMcgo1979]

I remember when this would be the end of broadcasting for a channel and would resume again at 4 or 5am. Times have changed.

[ImDavidGurney]

I liked the flag better when we had 49 states.Let's kick out Hawaii for forgery.

[MuffinDrumful]

Nice way to homage the years of analogue on cbs. Sadly though in the uk, its just puling the plug on the program straight away. It would be nice to end it where i live like this or the final wnbc after the nightlife ended

[djthereplay]

@rbussard

Cont'd from my last post.

What I just told you is just my example of how Digital TV Broadcasting for the full powered networks would work. Your Local Station(s) might not be Ch. 2, but I wanted to say that as an example ONLY.

In other words, This is just My Translation of Digital Television.

The whole idea is ... More Free Over The Air Programming without using all of our nation's airwaves.

Thanks for reading my post(s)

- Dwight

[djthereplay]

@rbussard

Cont`d from my last post.

Example: Say Your Local Station is Ch. 2. It's still Ch. 2, but it now broadcasts on 2 .1, or 2 - 1.

Say like they do Local Sports, or Local Weather. Ok, If you like Local Sports, and they carry that, well, they could do that on Ch. 2 . 2 or 2 - 2 24 hours a day, and If you want weather 24 hours a day, then they could do that on Ch. 2 . 3 or 2 - 3 24 hours a day without using up too much airspace or cramming the programming on the main station.

- Dwight

[djthereplay]

@rbussard

Cont`d from my last post.

Television Stations and Networks can now make networks to broadcast Specified Programming Blocks 24 Hours a day without cramming blocks of programming on the main station or network, and without using so much airspace. Example, say Your Local News Station is Ch. 2. Ok, It's still Ch. 2, but now it broadcasts its' programming on Ch. 2 .1, or 2-1, Much like radiostation channel.

Cont`d on my next post.

- Dwight

[djthereplay]

@rbussard

What is gained in this move is ... airspace for first responders .... The First responders that most conservative politicians want to keep away from funding, since they are so dead set in trying to cut funds for Government Businesses. Also, Television Stations can now broadcast more programming blocks on by creating different networks under that same station.

Cont`d on my next post.

- Dwight