![]() ![]() Press coverage of the broadcasts was widely laudatory. W2XBS was the flagship NBC station in New York City.) A New Jersey night club offers air conditioning and cocktails with television viewings of the Republic National Convention, July 16, 1940. TV merited a sliver of the page (bottom right) in program listings, July 17, 1940. He appeared live on TV for a five-minute acceptance speech to deafening cheers from the crowd. The convention turned out to be an exciting affair with dark horse candidate Wendell Willkie emerging as the nominee. Though viewers were scarce-only several thousand sets had been sold-the network coverage proved the viability of TV for major events. The Republican Convention broadcasts in June were enormously successful for NBC. (Harris and Ewing Collection, Library of Congress) (Harris and Ewing Collection, Library of Congress) An NBC experimental television remote in Washington, DC, January 31, 1939. A mirror was required to view the screen. Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission James Fly (third from left) with a new commercially available television, 1939. Philadelphia would host the Republicans, and NBC had a coaxial cable connection there from New York City, enabling almost gavel-to-gavel coverage. Yet one national network, NBC, comprised of three stations, had grand broadcasting plans. Broadcast TV was in its infancy in 1940, and commercially available sets had only been available since the previous year. The 1940 conventions would also prove precedent setting for another reason-television. The Republicans faced a wide open field after two disastrous national elections. There was also the thorny question of the Vice Presidency. Though Roosevelt held firm control of party machinery, he was seeking an unprecedented third term with no guarantee of re-nomination. In 1940, the conventions remained key to Presidential politics. FDR along with two 1940 Democratic Presidential wannabes, Vice President John Nance Garner (left, speaking to FDR) and Postmaster General James Farley (far right), January 8, 1940. ![]() It was all part of the process, but visible to few Americans. Presidents and candidates were made and broken at them. During FDR’s active life in national politics, the conventions were raucous affairs, full of intrigue and electoral horse trading. ![]() The quadrennial exercises in party politics have without question evolved over the years. This year marks a major turning point in Presidential nominating conventions with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. (FDR Library, President’s Official File-Television) This photo was taken by a viewer while watching the broadcast and sent to the President. Harris, Deputy Director FDR on television accepting the Democratic Presidential nomination, July 19, 1940. ![]()
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