The Origins of Children’s Television Broadcasting

ABC broadcast its first Saturday morning children's shows in 1950.

The first Saturday morning shows aired on August 19, 1950..

"Animal Clinic" was a variety show with a circus theme.

"Acrobat Ranch" was the kids` cooking show.

Burr Tillstrom was the first children’s entertainer to perform on TV.

Tillstrom’s first TV broadcast was from the Chicago World’s Fair.

NBC began regular television broadcasts in the United States in 1939.

In the beginning, the network offered 10 hours of children's programming per week.

Children’s television grew very rapidly during its early years.

"The Small Fry Club" appeared in the late 1940s.

"Kukla, Fran and Ollie" was one of the shows from the early era.

CBS started airing animated cartoons in 1955.

The title of the CBS cartoon program was "The Mickey Mouse Playhouse."

Networks started broadcasting cartoons on weekend mornings in the early 1960s.

Cartoons were shown on weekends because many adults were watching then.

By the end of the 1960s, watching Saturday morning cartoons was a ritual.

Saturday morning programming included advertising aimed at children.

Burr Tillstrom performed for television before ABC's 1950 Saturday launch.

The text mentions that ABC, NBC, and CBS all had children's programming.

In 1950, ABC introduced three different children's shows on the same day.

By the late 1960s, children's Saturday programming lasted several hours.