▁process ▁for ▁new ▁applic ants ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁due ▁to ▁concerns ▁over ▁station ▁inter ference . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁there ▁were ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁dozen ▁stations ▁operating ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁de cade , ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁many ▁( but ▁not ▁all ) ▁major ▁cities . ▁The ▁F CC ▁began ▁hand ing ▁out ▁broadcast ing ▁lic enses ▁to ▁communities ▁of ▁all ▁sizes ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁( with ▁the ▁highest ▁concentration ▁of ▁license ▁gr ants ▁and ▁station ▁sign - ons ▁occurr ing ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 6 ), ▁sp urr ing ▁an ▁explos ion ▁of ▁growth ▁in ▁the ▁medium . ▁ ▁A ▁brief ▁dispute ▁over ▁the ▁system ▁to ▁use ▁for ▁color ▁broadcast s ▁occurred ▁at ▁this ▁time , ▁but ▁was ▁soon ▁settled . ▁Half ▁of ▁all ▁U . S . ▁households ▁had ▁television ▁sets ▁by ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁though ▁color ▁was ▁a ▁prem ium ▁feature ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁( most ▁households ▁able ▁to ▁purchase ▁television ▁sets ▁could ▁only ▁afford ▁black - and - white ▁models , ▁and ▁few ▁programs ▁were ▁broadcast ▁in ▁color ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s ). ▁ ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁television ▁programs ▁were ▁modified ▁versions ▁of ▁well - est ab lished ▁radio ▁shows . ▁Bar n ▁d ances ▁and ▁op ries ▁were ▁regular ▁st ap les ▁of ▁early ▁television , ▁as ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁variety ▁shows . ▁R er uns ▁of ▁film ▁short s