1954 Rose Parade…First West To East Color Broadcast

On January 1, 2014 - Archives, TV History

January 1, 1954 marked several color television “firsts”…it was the first time the new NBC color trucks were used. It was the first west to east color broadcast to be nationally televised and of course, it was the first color broadcast of The Rose Parade. The two new color remote trucks were ready in December of ’53 and each truck had two RCA TK40s, which were borrowed from the Colonial Theater in NYC and were returned after the California trip. Within two weeks, 4 TK41s were installed.  This is an NBC/RCA publicity photo but it is not known where this picture was taken.

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4 Comments

  1. Rick Dade January 4, 2014

    I’m wondering at the time, just how many colour sets were in homes to receive the broadcast?

  2. Jim Adams January 1, 2014

    I think I see Stan Bond.

  3. James M Patterson January 1, 2014

    It must have been fun hauling that TK41 up the ladder (even broken down into parts.)

  4. Gary Lee Horn January 1, 2014

    How did they get the signal back to the studio ?