December 14th marks the 70th anniversary of television in El Paso. Channel 4-KDBC’s predecessor, KROD-TV, aired at 1:00 p.m. without any network affiliation.
From the special section on the arrival of televisions in El Paso, December 14, 1952:
KROD-TV airs on Sundays at 1:30 pm.
Officials and employees worked hard
Also, barring any unforeseen technical mishaps, El Paso TV viewers will be able to watch regular programming until about 10 p.m.
The new station’s busy staff and employees worked feverishly Saturday to complete the final preparations for a day that will make history in the El Paso area.
Station president and general manager Val Lawrence said technical issues could temporarily hamper operations.
“Some equipment is not well tested,” he said. “Our first television broadcasts will be from temporary antennas, which will not be able to cover the full range of what will happen soon.”
The new antenna for the station atop the tower atop Mount Franklin is not complete. Lawrence said it is expected to be commissioned by the middle of the week.
A temporary antenna is required to carry the KROD-TV signal to all areas of El Paso, he added.
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don’t be irritated by the first picture
He urged TV owners not to take offense at their dealers and installers if the first image they receive is not clear. He said such a problem is likely in the transmission and will be fixed soon.
According to Lawrence, according to current plans, the 1:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. schedule will apply on Sunday. Weekday TV broadcasts are from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
Roderick Broadcasting Corp., which operates radio station KROD, obtained a television station license from the Federal Communications Commission in July. This was the first permit granted in El Paso.
Over $600,000 and over two years of planning went into building KROD-TV. The actual construction of the TV, which he added to the station’s studio, began in September. Roadwork from Mount He Franklin to the Antenna Tower site began on September 22nd.
new marvel
Another article in the Times’ special television section stated, “With the FCC’s lifting of the World War II ban on building television stations, KROD-TV will operate a television station costing about $500,000. Now you can, bringing the new wonders and entertainment of television to an estimated 215,000 people.”
The station’s program director, Bernie Bracher, promised diversity with its 50-hour weekly broadcast.
Current plans call for at least 40% of the programming that KROD-TV operates to be produced locally, ranging from news to sports, variety, theater and other forms of entertainment for local audiences. range.
Of particular interest to sports fans is the hour-long wrestling show produced in KROD-TV’s studios.
An actual wrestling ring was built in the studio, where local sports fans can watch live matches as well as receive commentary on various holds and wrestling techniques.
Shows are held once a week.
Red Brown’s Ranch
El Paso’s Red Brown and his wife Anna Lee will be performing two shows on KROD-TV’s screens. Red and Anna Lee will be top performers in Red Brown’s Ranch, a 30-minute production five days a week built primarily around studio guests.
Red and Anna Lee will be guests on each program for boys and girls with birthdays on that particular day, with Red and Anna Lee performing their own style of singing and clowning.
Red and Anna Lee can be seen on KROD-TV’s Channel 4 on Western and hillbilly music shows familiar to El Paso fans.
Another veteran El Paso performer seen regularly on Channel 4 and KROD-TV is Lois Kibby and her show for women.
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The steepest road in El Paso County leads to the KROD TV Tower
A tower was installed on Mount Franklin before the first television signal was completed broadcasting.
El Paso’s newest and steepest road leads to the new KROD TV tower atop historic Mount Franklin.
The road was designed by Lance Engineering of El Paso and constructed by Pecos Valley Construction of Carlsbad. The road alone cost him an estimated $36,000.
According to engineer Paul Lance, the road is typical of the southwestern mountain mines. Not for public transport, practically only trucks or jeeps can pass.
Before road construction began, Lance investigated the possibility of helicoptering materials for the tower and the homes of the men who served it to the top of Mount Franklin. He also seriously considered using a power drive cable to carry the material to the summit.
Over 2,000 square yards of rock were removed at the climax of the road, leveling the top of the mountain for the construction of the television tower and adjacent buildings.
new home decor style
There was also talk of how TV changes home decorating styles.
Visit your local store and you’ll find chairs, sections and tables that can be easily moved on wheels or casters – chairs that look like regular armchairs but can swivel in any direction – oversized upholstery A giant ottoman-table with four smaller ottomans hidden under the top of a cabinet that rotates at the top so that the TV set can be rotated to face any part of the room.
There is also a cabinet to store folding chairs. This is especially useful when neighbors descend into the living room to watch a popular program. A lightweight armless chair with a cut-out back rail for easy mobility. There are also many curved sectional sofas. Designed to seat 6 or 7 TV fans.
There are small individual folding tables for food and drink, and many of these can be stacked when not in use. All of these innovations are brand new, smartly styled in modern, 18th century or provincial designs, and highly practical for TV enthusiasts.
Many stores will display model TV rooms featuring this exciting new product, demonstrating proper room placement for better TV enjoyment.
Trish Long can be reached at tlong@elpasotimes.com or 915-546-6179.