Site of the World's First Educational TV Broadcast
Introduction
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At this location in 1933, the University of Iowa became the first American university to broadcast a television program. The first TV broadcast in the state was just two years prior in 1931 at the Iowa State Fair and University scientists were intrigued by the technology and opportunity. The broadcasts were made from the university's former engineering building which was located where the "Biology Building East" now stands. The audio was broadcast separately on the university's campus radio signal while W9XK broadcast the television signal. The programs were broadcast for seven years from the basement of the former engineering building and letters from viewers in neighboring states demonstrate that the signal was strong enough to reach up to five hundred miles. To date, there is not a historical marker on the University of Iowa campus to commemorate this achievement.
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