Baton Rouge Welcomes Television
WBRZ: The Early Years, the 1950s
Baton Rouge television is born in the 50's amid the hoopla of hoop skirts, hula hoops, Chevy coupes and Elvis hairdos. It is a time when the winds of social, economic and technological change are sweeping across the land. It is a decade that will forever re-focus the way we see ourselves and each other. WBRZ officially signs on the air on April 14, 1955. 
It is the city's first National Broadcasting Company (NBC) affiliate with the station's studio and transmitter site located at 1650 Highland Road. Its 202-foot antenna, atop a 750-foot tower, is the South's tallest structure at 95 stories, allowing home reception 100 miles away in all directions.
At opening ceremonies, Governor Robert F. Kennon and U.S. Senator Russell Long congratulate WBRZ's president, Douglas L. Manship, for bringing this new technological marvel to thousands of residents in Louisiana and Mississippi. The Senator, a surprise visitor, appears to viewers before a realistic background of the U.S. Capitol. He hastily explains that he is really in Baton Rouge and not in Washington, and that the backdrop is only part of the large and excellent assortment of scenery available at WBRZ.
Transmission hours are set from 7 a.m. to 12 midnight, Monday through Friday, and 4 p.m. to 12 midnight, Saturday and Sunday. NBC's hit series, "Dragnet" starring Jack Webb, is the first program ever broadcast. National celebrities like Dave Garroway, Bob Hope, Ted Mack, Loretta Young, Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, George Goebel, William Bendix and Groucho Marx delight viewers of all ages.
A full half-hour of local news is programmed each day to keep viewers up-to-date on events in and around the Baton Rouge community.
Why the call letters, "WBRZ"?
"We knew we wanted 'BR' in there somewhere, but when we started at the front end of the alphabet, we spelled out 'BRA.' So we went to the other extreme," Doug Manship Sr. explains at the time. "It was a good choice. 'Z' is a phonetically good sound on the air. It's distinctive."
WBRZ's legacy of distinction is just beginning.
Television is in its experimental stages. The infant industry has little precedent. The opening of WBRZ in 1955 climaxes many years of insightful research, meticulous planning, and old-fashioned hard work by its first president, native-born Baton Rougean Douglas L. Manship Sr.
Manship has been associated with newspapers and radio stations for most of his adult life. He serves as president of the Louisiana Television Broadcasting Corporation, parent to WBRZ. His interest in television begins with experiments in the field. He follows closely each development of commercial television, thoroughly familiarizing himself with every aspect of the industry. He studies the operations of other stations around the country and incorporates the very best of those ideas into his own, ultra--modern WBRZ studios and transmission facilities. WBRZ is soon recognized as one of the finest television stations in the nation. 
In addition to his wide-ranging business pursuits, Manship maintains an ever-active, high-profile role in community and cultural organizations. He serves as president of the Community Chest fund; vice president of the Chamber of Commerce; publicity chairman to the annual Boy Scout Circus; state director of Civil Defense; board member of the Civic Symphony Orchestra; and committee member of American Red Cross, the Louisiana Safety Association, and the Louisiana Heart Association. He is a member of the Baton Rouge Country Club, the Boston Club of New Orleans, International House and St. James Episcopal Church. Throughout his life, Manship displays extraordinary dedication to the people of Baton Rouge. He infuses that spirit of community involvement into every phase of his new station's operations. Under his direction, WBRZ begins its life thoroughly immersed in the pursuit of helping others.
