Hopedale History Ezine for August 2026 – History of Hopedale, Mendon and Milford Massachusetts

Hopedale History
August 2026
No. 454
TV in 1948

Hopedale in August

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Twenty-five years ago – August 2001 – The ICTY convicts Bosnian Serb general Radislav Krstić on the charge of genocide for his role in the Srebrenica massacre.

The United States and the United Kingdom bomb air force installations in Iraq in response to attacks on American and British planes

Fifty years ago – August 1976 – President Gerald Ford edged out challenger Ronald Reagan, 1,187 to 1,070 in delegate votes, on the first ballot to win the Republican Party presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in Kansas City.

For the first time in U.S. history, the two major party candidates for Vice President of the U.S. agreed to debate the national issues, as well as to have the event on live television.^[101] Jimmy Carter‘s running mate Walter Mondale, and Gerald Ford‘s running mate Bob Dole would each be losing candidates in a U.S. presidential election (in 1980, 1984, 1976 and 1996 respectively).

One-hundred years ago – August 1926 – The four-minute film Introduction of Vitaphone Sound Pictures introduced Warner Brothers‘ new sound-on-film process, Vitaphone, at the Warner Theatre in New York City.^[26][27] In the short feature, Will H. Hays, President of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, whose voice was synchronized to the moving picture, told the audience “Now, neither the artist nor his art will ever wholly die.”

The first air “sleeper” flew from Berlin to London. The Hansa-designed biplane had a toilet, wireless phone and berths with beds for four passengers.

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Television Makes Debut;
Milford Reception Good

Milford Daily News

By Nick Tosches
Jun 9, 1948

After months of suspense and street corner discussions, today television came officially to Milford and other communities in a 50- mile radius around Boston. Although the edge had been taken off all the excitement of TV by tests and televising of movies during the past weeks, the formal opening nevertheless was a notable event.

Following dedication exercises in which the clergy took part, there was news, sports, films and drama from New England locations. The WBZ-TV station will be on the air Wednesdays through Sundays starting at 1 p.m. There will be no television on Mondays or Tuesdays except for baseball games. The Boston Red Sox and Boston Braves officials have given TV a big boost by providing the showing of games free of charge for the rest of the 1948 season.

Milford has been slowly reaching its peak of excitement over the debut of television, and dealers are stocked up with all types of sets, at all prices, in anticipation of increased sales. TV will soon become so talked about that the average citizen will be forced to consider the buying of a set for home use.

Already homes with sets are “booked” solidly for the Louis-Walcott fight program, June 23. With the national conventions coming up the sets will become even more cherished by owners. The on-the-spot news casts and sports events seem to shape up as the most welcome programs for television audiences.

As other stations go on the air it is hoped to have channels working from the early morning hours until midnight.

Stations will have a mobile television camera unit mounted on a truck. This will be used to cover spot news events. In all, Boston will have four stations.

Television is now operating in New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, Cincinnati, Schenectady, Chicago, St. Paul, Richmond, St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles. By use of special equipment, Boston can be worked into a system so that it can re-televise programs from any of those cities. Boston will be linked to New York City by a microwave system which means that all entertainment available to Gotham audiences will also be available here.

In New Brighton, N.Y., the American Legion has purchased a television set to combat juvenile delinquency. The first TV party attracted 93 boys and girls. The post hopes that by this program children can be kept from poolrooms and other places that breed mischief.

Very few radio shows are suitable for television and because of this the first programs may be stiff until the “bugs” are ironed out. Experienced radio stars are not elated over television. They depend on a studio audience for reaction and feel lost before the dead-pan expressions of equipment operators. Only time will determine just what type of programs will find a warm welcome in television. In radio we now laugh when Jack Benny antiquated auto rattles down the street. In television we want to see the car bounce around.