the life of Philo T Farnsworth - Early Television Foundation

TELEVISION STANDARDS AGREED UPON 249
among them, we were building a new industry that in the minds
of some would be in conflict with two existing industries,
motion pictures and radio. In fact, the motion-picture industry
at one time seriously considered taking effective steps to boycott
television. A meeting was called by the motion-picture moguls
in New York to devise ways and means to accomplish it. Legend
has it that Walt Disney's company refused to go along with any
such strangling tactics, and the plan fell through.
For several years after television had arrived at a stage where
it would have been possible to launch it commercially, the radio
industry was enjoying prosperous business. Some companies,
therefore, did not wish to disturb a good thing for some untried
project that would require huge capital expenditures and the
development of a new market. At that time there were honest
and serious misgivings on the part of some of the radio leaders as
to the future of television.
Many doubted its value as a medium
of advertising. Others felt that program costs would be so high
that the operation of a television station could not be profitable.
Farnsworth and his backers were practically the only ones doing
television experimental work who did not have conflicting
interests in radio and whose whole heart and interest were in the
commercial exploitation of the new art.
Some elements in the radio industry were openly antagonistic.
One prominent manufacturer put out a folder attacking the
efforts to introduce television as a commercial product. This was
widely distributed among radio dealers and technicians. Others
emphasized the great expense of transmitters and receiver sets
as a deterrent to wide sale and use of the new product. There was
little to be done to counteract such propaganda, other than to
keep everlastingly at improving the picture and simplifying the
apparatus.
It was a discouraging fight
for Phil and his backers to meet the