It was the night she became a bona fide television sensation thanks to a groundbreaking CBS television special called “A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy.” The TV special showcased the results of a year-long renovation project led by the First Lady herself. It attracted an audience of 56 million people, about one in three Americans at the time.
Simultaneous broadcast on CBS, NBC and later ABCOn the special, Mrs. Kennedy was the meticulous CBS News reporter Charles Collingwood through the newly renovated White House, room by room – including now demolished parts of the East Wing. The event was a tailor-made showcase of her taste and personality for an audience eager to follow her every move.
“She was a real TV hit when we first saw her coming our way,” she said a review of the program by the United Press Syndicate the following day.
A first lady for the age of television
The Kennedys recognized the importance of television and print media to the public image. Before the 1960 elections, television was still a new medium. Only about 20 percent of US households owned televisions when John F. Kennedy's predecessor, Dwight D. Eisenhower, was first elected in 1952.
“But in 1960, when John F. Kennedy was elected, that number was 80 percent of households,” says Barbara A. Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia Miller Center and author of several books on the Kennedy presidency. “Most people who had a television only had two channels, NBC and CBS. So if you were watching television on February 14, 1962, you would probably see Mrs. Kennedy.”