Postwar Television

Catalina Island Microwave Relay 

Courtesy of Arthur Ferraz

In 1946, Just off the coast of California, AT&T and Western Electric built one of America’s earliest microwave relay systems, using repurposed military radar tech to transmit telephone service between Los Angeles and Catalina Island. Operating at 5 GHz, the system relied on two parabolic dishes—one for transmitting, the other for receiving—marking a turning point in how we would send voices through the air. This wasn’t just a technical feat. It was a glimpse of the postwar transformation, where wartime innovations found peacetime purpose. Born from radar systems used during WWII, this experiment proved that radio waves could leap oceans and mountains, laying the foundation for the microwave backbone that would soon power long-distance calls and television across the U.S.