70 Years Of Milestones

From the first TV station in Texas, in 2018, we celebrate 70 years of milestones at NBC 5.

1948

• 35th station to go on air in the United States. First TV station facility in Southwest specifically designed for television, with production capabilities for live programming, special events coverage and motion picture production.
• First test signals broadcast (Sept. 15) First TV station to sign on in the Southwest; so also first TV station in Texas. Dedication ceremonies led by Amon G. Carter, publisher of FWST.
• Debut programming including NBC Special (The Story of Television), premiere broadcast of British movie (Scarlet Pimpemel), the first Texas News Report, silent films of President Harry Truman's Fort Worth and Dallas appearances narrated off-camera by Lillard Hill.
• First live local news report in Texas First live coverage of Texas sports.
• One of first stations with our own TV remote unit.
• First live college football telecast in the Southwest (Oct. 2)
• First live high school football telecast in the Southwest (Oct. 7)

1949

• First local news feed to any network (NBC) from Texas: Love Field plane crash.
• First television station in Southwest to produce a live weather program with professional meteorologists: ''Weather Telefacts," which began with three meteorologists, including Harold Taft (October 31)
• First local station weather center in U.S.
• First live baseball telecast in the Southwest (June 26)

1950

• First local golf tournament telecast (May)

1951

• Test film first shot from a helicopter (July 22)
• First "chopper" shots

1954

• First color broadcast in Texas, 3-hr variety special, longest continuous color broadcast anywhere, switch thrown by Amon Carter with RCA's David Sarnoff standing by (May 15)
• First and only Texas TV station to broadcast color programs from the NBC Television Network (May 1)

1955

• First Texas station to offer viewers a full day of color broadcasting, transmitting all live programs in color (May 1955)

1959

• First color videotape recorder in Texas (Oct 31)
• First station in Texas to install its own weather radar (Oct.) .

1963

• First station in the nation to seriously consider development of an original design of the home screen. (An effort to remove "clutter" from the screen. Received national acclaim for these efforts.)

1966

• First station in Texas to feature all-color news film (June 16)

1970

• First local TV News Magazine program (Texas 70s Series: 1970-1974)

1977

• First live intercontinental satellite report (London-DFW)

1981

• First DFW Sunday Night Sports wrap-up show: Sports Extra with. Scott Murray (Oct.)

1989

• First station in Texas to debut closed-captioned newscasts for deaf and hearing impaired viewers (Nov.)
• First station in Texas to utilize circular, polarized broadcasting technology to offer viewers clearer pictures and sound than ever before (Dec. 20)

1997

• First station in Southwest to offer e-mail news delivery service

1998

• First live sporting event in DFW broadcasted in High Definition Television (Texas Rangers game)
• Became an NBC owned television station in the spring.