The Boyhood of an Inventor - Early Television Foundation

that soon after Mr. Jenkins had read, before a meet
ing of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, a
paper describing this new silhouette studio, a similar
studio was set up in Hollywood and theatre produc
tions were made, the entire story, action, actors and
background, all in black and white only, pictures
which caught the popular fancy at once.
Later on, as technical skill was attained, and me
chanisms and methods improved, the Federal Radio
Commission was asked for wider radio bands, over
which halftone pictures could be broadcast. Chan
nels 100 kc. in width were granted. A more power
ful broadcast station was then immediately planned.
Approval of a location five miles north of Washing
ton was asked and granted, and steps were imme
diately taken to build and equip such a 5 kw. station.
As soon as it was ready, the broadcasting was un
interruptedly transferred to this station for the
nightly picture entertainment broadcasts, thus keep
ing faith with the host of friends scattered over the
country, and who had learned to trust Mr. Jenkins'
promise of "picture stories by radio every evening."
As was to be expected, the widespread interest
created by continued successful nightly broadcast
from W3XK, of radiomovie stories for home en
tertainment, began to attract the attention of keen
men of affairs. And in November of 1928 a financier
of New York City and Palm Beach undertook the
merchandising (under the corporate title, The Jen
kins Television Corporation) of the devices devel
oped in the Jenkins Laboratories, the latter owning
by assignment all the patents issued and pending
applications on visual radio.
On the evening of January 22, 1929, Mr. Jenkins,
as guest speaker at the "Indiana Home-Comer's
Week" banquet, in Indianapolis, again spread the
tidings of television, giving credit to the climate of
the Hoosier state, whose sons have made names for
themselves in so many lines of human progress.
The program seemed to be well received, due to
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