Chicago Television

Authored by the Museum of Broadcast Publications and edited by Daniel Berger and Steve Jajkowski with a foreword by Bob Sirott of WGN Radio.

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The history of television in Chicago begins with the birth of the medium and is defined by the city's pioneering stations. WBKB (now WLS-TV) was the principal innovator of the Chicago School of Television, an improvisational production style that combined small budgets, personable talent, and the creative use of scenery and props. WNBQ (now WMAQ-TV) expanded the innovative concept to a wider audience via the NBC network. WGN-TV scored with sports and kids. Strong personalities drove the success of WBBM-TV. A noncommercial educational station, WTTW, and the city's first UHF station, WCIU, added diversity and ethnic programming.

The airwaves in Chicago have been home to a wealth of talented performers and iconic programs that have made the city one of the country's greatest television towns. Chicago Television gives readers a front-row seat on a journey through the first 50 years of Chicago television, filled with familiar faces and forgotten friends.

Highlights of Chicago Television:

• The book boasts more than 200 vintage photographs, including many from the collection of the Museum of Broadcast Communications, as well as private collectors and the collections of local stations and personalities.
• Chicago's role in revolutionizing how television programs were produced, referred to as the Chicago School of Television, is highlighted throughout the book.
• In September 1960, the very first televised presidential debate took place at the WBBM-TV studios.

Author Bio: Coeditors Daniel Berger and Steve Jajkowski are lifelong Chicagoans and television fans. Berger served as MBC archives director from 2005 to 2009; Jajkowski served as the museum's deputy archives director from 2001 through 2004 and is known as "the Video Veteran."

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or(888)-313-2665.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America's people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.

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