CBS 8 20th Anniversary Special in 1969 Part 2

The switch was flipped on May 16, 1949, and we became San Diego’s first television station. The first couple of years—it if wasn’t a test pattern on air, it was likely a cowboy program. In 1951, the daily newscast was launched. It was only thirty minutes but as Ray Wilson said, it was quite a struggle to gather that much news. No wonder—the news department consisted of six people. In 1969 CBS 8 turned twenty and celebrated the milestone with a 30-minute special. Our archives editor Barb Nielsen edited the highlights and took creative license by adding newly digitized film the 1950s and 60s. George Lewis and Nicki Pierce anchored the show. KFMB legends Ray Wilson and Harold Keen reminisce about the good old days and the struggles to get news on the airwaves. It’s a fascinating look at television in its early days.