Station WQED
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Television station, located here, opened April 1954, as first community-sponsored educational television station in America. In 1955 it was the first to telecast classes to elementary schools.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
When WQED went on the air in April 1954, it became the first community-supported educational television station in the United States, funded by its Pittsburgh viewers rather than by advertisers. The following year it pioneered broadcasting lessons directly into elementary school classrooms. The station would go on to nurture landmark public programming, most famously nurturing the career of Fred Rogers.
Why it matters
WQED proved that television could serve education and community rather than only commerce, helping lay the foundation for public broadcasting in America.
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Themes & tags
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