30 years ago, at 6 p.m. on June 1, 1980 the Cable News Network went on the air.
Recalls CNN Worldwide president Jim Walton:
In the Atlanta Techwood newsroom, no one was entirely sure if it would work. But at 6 p.m., there it was, live in about a million and a half U.S. households. Dave Walker and Lois Hart led the broadcast with an update on the Vernon Jordan shooting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, followed by packages on the eruption of Mount St. Helens and the upcoming Super Tuesday; an investigative piece on FAA oversight of commercial airline fuel gauge systems; and news of a suspect in a commuter train shooting in Connecticut. Then they threw to a live press conference with President Carter and reports from our Washington, D.C. bureau and Jerusalem. Everything came (mostly) together, and CNN was born.
What a crazy idea Ted Turner had.
The photo above is from the very first telecast, featuring the husband and wife anchor team of David Walker and Lois Hart. The clip is after the jump.
Clip via ICN.