Robert Sarnoff: Putting Colors to TV Sets

Home entertainment would have been different if the TV sets remained black-and-white. Thanks to Robert Sarnoff, an American media executive who was credited for ushering in the era of colored TV sets. He served as the president of NBC for a period of time before he succeeded his father, David, as chief executive following the latter’s death.

Sarnoff was born on July 2, 1918 in New York City. He attended the Harvard University where he graduated in 1939. His first job was with the radio division of the New York World’s Fair. During the World War II, Sarnoff was commissioned by the US Navy as a communications officer. He was tasked to set up the radio links to the US Navy contingent in the Pacific in its war against Japan. When the war was over, Sarnoff worked with newspaper and magazine business before he joined NBC.

At NBC, Sarnoff worked as director of unit productions. In this position, he was tasked of supervising NBC’s best programs, such as “The Colgate Comedy Hour,” “Your Show of Shows,” and “Kate Smith Show.” Sarnoff also completed 26 30-minute episodes of “Victory at Sea,” a documentary about the World War II. In 1951, Sarnoff was promoted as NBC vice president until 1954.

Following his election as president of NBC in 1954, Sarnoff has endeavored to transition from black-and-white TV to colored TV. In his acceptance speech, Sarnoff said, “We are committed to color and intend to make the transition as fast as possible.” In April 1956, Sarnoff dedicated the first “all color” TV station in the world, the WNBQ-TV in Chicago. Then afterward, Sarnoff oversaw the construction of an NBC-owned TV station in Washington D.C. that would broadcast programs in full color. In 1960, Sarnoff was credited for the first televised presidential debate between then Vice President Richard Nixon and Sen. John F. Kennedy.

Under Sarnoff, NBC was the first TV network to integrate races in TV by having Nat King Cole host a program for NBC. Later, NBC also had black actor Bill Cosby take a lead role in the TV series “I Spy.”