Here’s the schedule for WCBW, the CBS station in New York City, for the week starting Sunday, August 3rd, 1941, straight from daily television listings printed in The New York Times. The station was off the air on Sunday and Saturday.
For the most part it was another typical week for the station. There were a few changes, however. The behind-the-scenes series Boys to the Back Room aired on Monday this week rather than Tuesday, while the Monday dancing lesson moved to Tuesday. Also, a singer named Tamara replaced Joan Edwards as WCBW’s resident songstress.
The Monday variety show featured a singer, roller skaters, dancers, and a group called the Dancing Debs. On Tuesday, Bob Edge interviewed the women’s swimming team from the New York Metropolitan Amateur Athletic Union. Another National Defense Show aired on Friday.
Sunday, August 3rd, 1941
No Programs ScheduledMonday, August 4th, 1941 [1]
2:00PM – Test Pattern
2:30PM – News Reports
2:45PM – Boys in the Back Room
3:15-3:30PM – Children’s Story
7:30PM – Test Pattern
8:00PM – News
8:15PM – Tamara, Songs
8:30PM – Variety Show [Men at Work]: Carolyn Marsh, Song; Lou and Dorothy Rowlands, Roller Skaters; Bankoff and Cannon, Dancers; Gus Van; Dancing DebsTuesday, August 5th, 1941 [2]
2:00PM – Test Pattern
2:30PM – News
2:45PM – Dancing Lesson
3:15-3:30PM – Children’s Story
7:30PM – Test Pattern
8:00PM – News
8:15PM – Tamara, Songs
8:30PM – Metropolitan Museum of Art
9-9:30PM – Bob Edge Interviews Women’s Metropolitan A.A.U Swimming TeamWednesday, August 6th, 1941 [3]
2:00PM – Test Pattern
2:30PM – News
2:45PM – Helen Sioussat Interviews
3:15-3:30PM – Children’s Story
7:30PM – Test Pattern
8:00PM – News
8:15PM – Tamara, Songs
8:30-9:30PM – Quiz ProgramThursday, August 7th, 1941 [4]
2:00PM – Test Pattern
2:30PM – News Reports
2:45PM – Metropolitan Museum of Art
3:15-3:30PM – Children’s Story
7:30PM – Test Pattern
8:00PM – News
8:15PM – Sports-Bob Edge
8:30PM – Country Dance and Norwegian Folk Dance Societies, Adrian Hull, Caller.Friday, August 8th, 1941 [5]
2:00PM – Test Pattern
2:30PM – News Reports
2:45PM – Film
3:15-3:30PM – Children’s Story
7:30PM – Test Pattern
8:00PM – News
8:15PM – National Defense Show
9-10PM – Sports, Bob EdgeSaturday, August 9th, 1941
No Programs Scheduled
Note: Television listings published in newspapers were based on information provided by stations and were subject to change at the last minute. They may not be an accurate representation of what actually aired.
Works Cited:
Very small scale programs, with at most 4 or 5 participants, weren’t so much a result of tech limitations as a cripplingly tight budget. The Chrysler Building transmitter cost some $67,000 a week just to keep in operation. CBS, whose purpose in TV was mostly to keep up with industry developments, had no interest in soliciting sponsors. In any case there was no possible audience to atrract them. FCC frequency reallocations in mid 1941 meant that only a few dozen of the 5,000 or so sets in operation around New York City could tune in WCBW’s new channel.