What year did the first color television broadcasts air in the United States?
Commercial color television broadcasts began on CBS in 1951 with a field-sequential color system that was suspended four months later for technical and economic reasons. The television industry's National Television System Committee (NTSC) developed a color television system based on RCA technology that was compatible with existing black and white receivers, and commercial color broadcasts reappeared in 1953.
More Info:
en.wikipedia.org
What are your thoughts on this subject?
30 Comments

jmstelly
No, I have 2 sources - Wikipedia and site mentioned above - that say it is indeed 1951. They were limited broadcasts though, going only to major cities, such as Philly and NYC. The first nationwide color television broadcast was the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1954, but that is NOT what my question asks.
13
Aug 22, 2016 8:46PM

jmstelly
No, the answer is correct. Look at my many comments above. Unless you can give me a reliable source that says otherwise. THe first NATIONWIDE color tv broadcast was in 1954, but the first color broadcasts, although regionally, were in 1951. My questions asks about the first color tv broadcasts in the US, it does not say NATIONWIDE.
8
Dec 30, 2016 3:48PM

jmstelly
No, CBS did limited color broadcasts on East Coast of the US in 1951 for only a short time. The first national color broadcast was also by CBS on New Year's Day 1954 of the Tournament of Roses Parade.
7
Sep 18, 2016 8:13PM

jmstelly
That was the first national color tv broadcast - that is NOT what my question asks.
6
Dec 30, 2016 3:44PM
Athena Watson
My dad was born in 1935, and he told me the first TVs appeared in various urban parts of the US, like NYC, Chicago, and Boston, in 1951. They were readily not available in farming communities until later. I believe my dad. 1951 is correct.
5
Aug 22, 2016 8:32AM
Bill Coe
jmstelly, here is another site that agrees with you (although I have to admit I found one or two that were kind of ambivalent or actually differed). http://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/color60s/
5
Sep 29, 2016 3:45PM
Adrienne Nelson
My source is my 6y/o self in 1951.
5
Sep 2, 2016 10:02PM

catmom
I know this bc I Love Lucy. I THINK started in 1953 in Black/White so I thought it was a year before this. I wasn't born then.
1
Jun 29, 2024 11:21AM

Howard Groopman
Didn't buy my first color TV until 1974. A 16" Zenith portable that weighed a ton. From there, I've progressed to 19", 27", 32", 40" and now 43". That's big enough for me. Cost only $169, and it's ultra hi def, 4K smart TV.
1
Mar 24, 2024 5:58PM

Lawanta
John W Shreve, 👽 alien colored!
0
Dec 10, 2023 1:23AM

teacherchicky
I don't think this answer is correct! I'm almost positive that if answered the way it was asked the answer should be 1954! Look at the question and how it was asked!
2
Sep 27, 2023 12:21AM

John W Shreve
The picture on our first TV was sort of green.
2
Jul 8, 2023 12:11AM

Ramrod
I also read something into the question that wasn't there and then I did a reread. "first color television broadcasts air in the United States" not first national broadcast
2
May 23, 2021 3:52PM

tbear
The same year my parents bought our first black and white set! How about that! 😊👍
0
May 10, 2020 11:38PM

Lynda Flanger
They were not even on a system accepted for commercial use. Maybe if you add of any sort to the question it becomes fairer. I do agree that you are technically correct but the wording obfuscates the issue.
1
May 10, 2020 11:01PM

Johnny Rock
jmstelly, You are a stuffy one stelly, aren't you?
0
Apr 7, 2019 1:41PM

Cheryl Connett
Why have questions like this?
2
Mar 30, 2019 12:25PM

Fred Zeb Fudpucker
Mark Sutter, well, I was born in '42. Does that mean I am better to judge the controversy. Our first TV was in the fall of '54 but it was a long time before we got color TV in the sticks of outstate MI. First TV I ever saw was in the window of Sawkin's Music Shop 120 miles from Detroit. The first program was The Lone Ranger and there was so much "snow" you could hardly make out Silver on the 13" screen.
0
Mar 24, 2019 4:12PM

Fred Zeb Fudpucker
TRICK question. Not regular in 1951 and nobody had sets to watch. 1954 Rose Parade is a better answer IMHO.
1
Mar 24, 2019 4:02PM

Julie Allen
On June 25, 1951, CBS broadcast the very first commercial color TV program. Unfortunately, nearly no one could watch it since most people had only black-and-white televisions.-www.thoughtco.com We finally got colour TV in Australia in 1975.
0
Mar 14, 2019 9:34PM

Rob Farr
A very good trivia question ... here in Australia, we had to wait over 20 years to get colour TV, and it's a different system to the one that they use in the U.S.
2
Feb 21, 2019 1:36AM
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