ABSTRACT
The spectacular dimension of color in television, it is interesting to note, arrived on the scene after the video communication was definitively established as one with which all other media would be in contention. It is not surprising, therefore, that many knowledgeable broadcasters a decade ago—operating with a high degree of efficiency in news, sports, and network identification, and boasting a commendable record of community service—saw no great need to race into color just because it was available. The importance of color to the local station today is direct. Color has audience. Color can build audience, hold audience, switch viewers, switch advertisers; can be the difference between first and second in ratings. For the local television station, color is simply an extension of the eye toward total electronic dimension. The station manager contemplating color for the first time is already enmeshed in one color problem.
