OUR STORY
July 14th, 1982
On this date in USA News Network history...WE WERE BORN!
Our first readerboard was up and running at Town East Mall in Mesquite, Texas on July 14th. It was a 99-inch wooden-encased, single-line Lewis Lektronix LED with 4-inch high letters. It weighed nearly 60 pounds and cost $2,500, which in today's dollars would be about $5,000.
Originally, the board was was operated by a portable keyboard with a ribbon-wire attachment. Within a few weeks, it was being operated remotely by an Apple II computer using a single-disk floppy drive and a 300-baud internal modem. The readerboard started off with just ads from businesses in Town East Mall. Later, news, sports, entertainment and business news were added.
Back at our offices, the newsroom was a 10x10-foot windowless office near Stemmons and LBJ in Dallas, Texas. Back then you could still smoke in the office...and people did. But to the jubilation of the non-smokers and the equipment, that practice was soon banned.
Member Associations:
*
National Independent Bank Equipment Systems Association
* National Association of College Broadcasters
* Dallas/Ft. Worth Film Critic's Association - 2001 - 2005
* Charter member of the North Texas Film Critic's Association - 2005 - Present
First California Credit Union
"We highly recommend USA News Network to all credit unions."
Deborah Taylor, President/CEO
State Bank
"We are able to almost instantly advertise any specials we may have."
Brenda Seberger
Brown Book Shop
"We consider the sign a definite boost to our advertising ."
Pat Ginther
Share Plus
"I would recommend USA News Electronic Readerboards to anyone thinking of alternative ways to get their message out ."
Shannon Blackwood