In 1967, WRVA TV 12 in Richmond …now WWBT…became the first Virginia TV station to broadcast in local color. At least that’s what the PR release said at the time. Although NBC, our network, had broadcast a show in color as early as 1953, it didn’t go full color until 1966. (Side Note: Most of the control room monitors were DuMont and although they were black and white, they showed a very pastel network color picture.)

The chief engineer chose GE cameras to replace the RCA TK somethings. (Side Note 2: I am not an engineer. The highest ticket I ever had was 3rd Class with Element 9, which I needed to run an AM transmitter without the 1st Class around. So I may be off on some of the technical details. But I am sure all this will be cleared up in the comments by those folks more knowledgeable than me.)

12’s PR and Sales department went all out with an agency presentation. The studio was divided in half with a gray cyclorama. The agency folks were brought into the plain half for drinks and hors d’oeuvres and shown a taped presentation on a large color monitor about the benefits of color TV advertising. At the end, there was a live shot of a beautiful woman in a bikini…which was not nearly as revealing as the bikinis today…surrounded by colorful jungle flowers and a flowing waterfall. She invited the agency folk to come next door and see what they were missing. (Side Note 3: The general management would be in jail for something like this today, but this was 1968 in a male-dominated advertising agency world. For those who need more study, watch “Mad Men” which is spot on.)

As I said, the chief engineer chose GE cameras because of an extra tube. In addition to the red, blue, and green tubes needed for color, it had an extra tube so it could broadcast in black and white in case this color thing didn’t catch on. But there was a problem. Because of the demand, Channel 12 could only get one camera at this time. And news shows and other local programming needed at least two. So, viewers who had purchased color TVs to watch NBC in color…about 3 percent of the homes in Richmond at the time…saw local shows, with one camera in color and one in black and white. As far as I know, we never received a complaint. -dm-