The first ever NBC TODAY Show with Dave Garroway

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• published: 19 Aug 2015
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Original air date: January 14. 1952, 0700 EST Dave Garroway - Anchor of The Today Show (1952-1961) "Today (also called The Today Show) is an American news and talk morning television show that airs on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television and in the world, and is the fifth-longest-running American television series. Originally a two-hour program on weekdays, it expanded to Sundays (a one-hour program) in 1987 and Saturdays (running for two hours) in 1992. The weekday broadcast expanded to three hours in 2000, and to four hours in 2007. Today‍ '​s dominance was virtually unchallenged by the other networks until the late 1980s, when it was overtaken by ABC's Good Morning America. Today retook the Nielsen ratings lead the week of December 11, 1995, and held onto that position for 852 consecutive weeks until the week of April 9, 2012, when it was beaten by Good Morning America again. Today has maintained its No. 2 status since the summer of 2012 each year behind GMA. In 2002, Today was ranked No. 17 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. The show's first broadcast aired on January 14, 1952. It was the brainchild of Sylvester B. "Pat" Weaver, Jr., who was then vice president of NBC. Weaver was president of the company from 1953 to 1955, during which time Today‍ '​s late-night companion The Tonight Show premiered. In pre-production, the show's proposed title was The Rise and Shine Revue. Today was the first program of its genre when it premiered with original host Dave Garroway. The program blended national news headlines, interviews with newsmakers, lifestyle features, other light news and gimmicks (including the presence of the chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs as the show's mascot during the early years), and local news updates from the network's stations. It has spawned several other shows of a similar type, including ABC's Good Morning America, and CBS' now-defunct The Early Show. In other countries, the format was copied – most notably in the United Kingdom with the BBC's Breakfast Time and TV-am's Good Morning Britain, in Canada with Canada AM on CTV and in Australia with Sunrise on the Seven Network. Dave Garroway, the program's first host, on the air Mascot J. Fred Muggs and companion with Garroway, 1954 The set in January 1952 When Today debuted, it was seen live only in the Eastern and Central time zones, broadcasting for three hours each morning but seen for only two hours in each time zone. Since 1958, Today has been tape-delayed for the five other U.S. time zones (Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska and Hawaii–Aleutian). Partly to accommodate host Dave Garroway's declining health, the program ceased live broadcasts in the summer of 1958, opting instead to broadcast an edition taped the previous afternoon. The experiment, which drew criticism from many sides, ended when John Chancellor replaced Garroway in July 1961. Today was a two-hour program for many years, airing from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. in all time zones except for Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, until NBC expanded the program to three hours (extending the program until 10:00 a.m.) on October 2, 2000. A fourth hour (which extended the program until 11:00 a.m.) was eventually added on September 10, 2007. NBC stations in some markets (such as WHDH in Boston, Massachusetts) air the third and fourth hours of Today on tape delay. Generally, the program airs live in the Eastern Time Zone and on tape delay beginning at 7:00 a.m. in each of the five remaining time zones. When breaking news stories warrant, Today will broadcast a live West Coast edition. The live updates typically do not last longer than the 7:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) hour and once completed, will return to the taped East Coast feed. When the anchors welcome the viewers to the show, they will note the current time as being "Pacific Time" and continue to note it as such until the tape delay is started. In some instances, when NBC News Special Reports occur during the Today timeslot, the show's anchors will assume hosting responsibilities." ~ wikipedia.org NBC News Archives provides instant access to decades of history. Our footage illuminates events and lifestyles; our journalism brings topical news to life, and our in-depth interviews showcase newsmakers, athletes, and entertainers. Search our website, or contact one of our expert researchers, to find what you need - on time and on budget. © 2011 NBC Universal Archives (http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/home.do) Posted for entertainment and educational purposes only. No copyrights infringed. All works property of the company listed above. Please do not reproduce without their expressed written consent.