December 31, 1972: Color TV Sets Overtake Black-and-White

A 1972 Zenith print ad,

complete with period-typical shag carpeting

December 31, 1972: The end of the year leads the Federal Communications Commission to announce that this is the 1st year that Americans bought more color television sets than black-and-white sets, and the 1st year that a majority of American homes had color TV sets.

Although all-electronic color television sets were introduced in the U.S. in 1953, high prices and the scarcity of color programming greatly slowed its acceptance in the marketplace. It would take until the 1965-66 TV season for most American shows that had not already switched to color to do so.

But it still took until 1972 for color sets to overtake black-and-white sets. Indicative of this was TV Guide magazine making a switch: Until then, when they listed a show in color, it would have an icon next to it, a white "C" on a black background. Afterward, if a program was a black-and-white broadcast, such an old movie or a TV rerun, the icon next to the listing would be a black "BW" on a white background.

Oddly, while Britain developed what Americans would come to call "network television" in 1936, and we didn't really do so until 1947, their BBC and ITV didn't switch to color broadcasting until 1969.

*

December 31, 1972 was a Sunday. This was also the day that baseball star Roberto Clemente was killed in a plane crash. I have a separate entry for that event.

It was the off-season for baseball. The NFL played its Conference Championship Games:

* Although the Miami Dolphins had an undefeated regular season, the Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the AFC Championship Game at Three Rivers Stadium, because the NFL was still using a rotating system for hosting the title game, not home field advantage.

Eight days after the franchise's 1st-ever Playoff win, on the Franco Harris "Immaculate Reception," the Steelers led 10-7 in the 3rd quarter. But the Dolphins came from behind to win, 21-17.

* The Washington Redskins dominated the defending NFL Champions, the Dallas Cowboys, 26-3 at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium. Head coach George Allen led his veteran "Over-the-Hill Gang" to the team's 1st Playoff win in 30 years. 

But the Dolphins would complete the perfect season by beating the Redskins in Super Bowl VII, 2 weeks later at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

There were no games played in the NBA or the ABA on New Year's Eve 1972. There were 3 NHL games played that day:

* The New York Rangers beat the St. Louis Blues, 6-1 at Madison Square Garden. 

* The Detroit Red Wings and the Minnesota North Stars played to a tie, 4-4 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit. 

* And the Chicago Black Hawks beat the Buffalo Sabres, 4-2 at Chicago Stadium. 

And there were 3 games played in the World Hockey Association, which was in its 1st season:

* The New England Whalers beat the New York Raiders, 3-0 in the other game played on Madison Square Garden ice that day.

* The Quebec Nordiques beat the Ottawa Nationals, 8-4 at Le Colisée de Québec. Rene Levesque must have loved that.

* And the Philadelphia Blazers beat the Los Angeles Sharks, 3-1 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.