On January 23, 1948, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM, NBC carried out what became the first network television broadcast originating from Boston — a live three‑camera remote sponsored by the Massachusetts Fisheries Association and staged inside the bustling Boston Fish Market.

One of the cameras was equipped with a 40‑inch Zoomar lens, an impressive piece of equipment for the era, though its advantages were quickly undercut when a heavy snowfall began just as the program went on the air. Despite the weather, the production pressed on, staffed and equipped by WNBT in New York, since WBZ‑TV was still six months away from its official sign‑on.

WBZ Radio assisted with the telephone-line transmission, helping route the signal into NBC’s young but growing television network, which at the time linked only four cities: New York, Schenectady, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

Special thanks to Maureen Carney for providing the photograph and background details that help preserve this early milestone in Boston broadcast history.

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