Phonevision was a project by Zenith Radio Company to create the world's first pay television system.[1] It was developed and first launched in Chicago, followed by further trials in New York City and Hartford, Connecticut.
History
Zenith had experimented with pay television as early as 1931, believing that advertising alone could not support television broadcasting as a viable enterprise in the long term.[2] Zenith had originally occupied television channel 1 in Chicago starting on February 2, 1939, when W9XZV went on the air.[3][4] W9XZV was one of America's first non-mechanical television stations and, until October 1940, the only television station in Chicago.[3]