When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today

Television has served as an entertainment medium for the last eight decades, bringing information, laughs, tears, and enlightenment to billions across the world. In the United States, however, the names that are prominently highlighted skew toward the men. When Women Invented Television aims to set the record straight.

Gertrude Berg is a successful radio star who lobbies CBS to bring her successful show, The Goldbergs, to the small screen. Hazel Scott is a virtuoso pianist who is hired to host a variety show on the struggling Dumont Network. Irna Phillips has struck paydirt with her radio serials dubbed Soap Operas, and she now wants to bring them to the recent innovation. Betty White is an affable personality who helms a talk show, among other jobs, her presence on the screen growing by leaps and bounds. All four women will be united in their determination to succeed despite the obstacles thrown in their way.

When Women Invented Television is a revelatory look at a forgotten history. Author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong has written a first-rate timeline of four fascinating women and their contributions to television as well as to equality for women. It is a fascinating re-examination of the nascent period of TV that will resonate with every reader.