Completely color equipped with live, film and TV tape facilities, WHDH-TV (original WHDH) 
Channel 5, Boston has been carrying a regular schedule of locally originated TV programs since its 
on-air date in November, 1957.  "New Englanders are now probably seeing as much, if not more,
color television than any other market in the United States," reports William McGrath of WHDH-TV.

WHDH-TV was the last VHF allocation for Boston.  First came the "freeze" by the FCC, followed by
competitive hearings, delaying the "grant" process .The permit would eventually go to the 
Boston Herald, a local newspaper.  After a lengthy court battle, WHDH-TV would loose it's license, 
it would  then become WCVB under the new ownership.  The WHDH tv call letters would eventually 
return to the Boston market on Channel 7, originally WNAC-TV.  The Yankee/RKO General station (CH 7), 
suffered the same fate as WHDH and also lost it's license. To the best of my knowledge, the only two 
major market televison stations in the nation to have the distinction of loosing a license in the same city.

WHDH-TV's original studios were at 6 St. James Street on the top floor of the Paine Furniture Building 
in Boston's Park Square, space shared by it's AM and FM operations.  Quarters were tight and the 
ceilings very low.  In 1960, they would relocate in their own building at 50 Morrisey Boulevard, a state-of-the art 
color facility.  Since WHDH-TV was late in getting into the TV game, it was built from day-one for color.  
It was Boston's only complete color facility.  The station not only had end-to-end color equipment, 
it also had a color remote unit.   WHDH-TV had the rights to the Boston Red Sox and as such 
would televise the Fenway schedule in "living color"

Photo and some material from RCA Broadcast News of April 1961

Previous month     Return Home