The Esso newsreel aired over WNBT-TV Channel 4 in New York City.
It aired on Monday and Thursday evenings in 1946 when commercial television was in its infancy. It was a television version of the old Fox Movietone newsreel, a moviegoer would see between films.
This ten-minute soundtrack captures the sounds of the news events of the day on a medium, which was about to change the cultural face of our nation.
Highlights: 1- Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery is transported via an army transport plane from Fort Benning, Georgia, to Mitchell Field in Long Island, NY. Lt. General Matthew Ridgway welcomes the British Chief Of Staff for an inspection of the crack guard of US military police. Field Marshall Montgomery comments on the trim fitness of the guard.
2- Harlem, New York. A Harlem Day Care Center brings Summer camp to a group of Harlem school children who are unable to attend camp otherwise.
3- America vs. Sweden in the finals of the Davis Cup Tennis Tournament, televised on NBC-TV on September 15th, 1946. America's Jack Kramer wins the men's final.
4- Amateur golf final won by 33-year-old Ted Bishop of Boston, Massachusetts. He defeated Smiley Quick and Dick Chapman in the final round to win.
5- International Polo Championships in Westbury, NY. A crowd of 21,000 witnesses the field match between Mexico and the United States. The US wins 11-1 to capture the best two out of three game competition, 2-0.
6- Ninety second commercial for your neighborhood Esso Dealer.
7- Musical sign-off.
Note: In 1947, the program's name was changed to "The Esso Reporter" and was seen on WNBT-TV on Monday evenings at 9PM.