Guinness World Records Submission #4
First Texas State Fair Webcast
Evidence Overview
After announcing THE HOMETOWN online in 1997, Michael Lee Goetz, Sr. conducted a series of live demonstrations to prove that television could be delivered over the internet. One of the key demonstrations took place inside WFAA’s “Future of Television” exhibit at the Texas State Fair in Dallas.
WFAA allowed THE HOMETOWN to set up inside their exhibit and was aware that a live webcast was being transmitted from the fairgrounds, but WFAA was not an official sponsor or partner. The production was organized and executed independently by Goetz under the You-On-Tv.com banner.
On site, the camera was connected to a computer using the exhibit’s phone line for internet access. Goetz encoded and transmitted a live RealMedia stream while also recording the event on his camera. This created two versions of the same historic webcast: the low-frame-rate encoded stream that online viewers actually saw in 1997, and the higher-quality camera footage captured on location.
Evidence Items
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Meme summarizing the event.
“THE HOMETOWN’s live webcast from the WFAA ‘Future of Television’ exhibit at the 1997 Texas State Fair,” with on-screen credit to Executive Producer Michael Lee Goetz, Sr. (Shown above.) -
The actual webcast.
RealMedia-era encoded version showing the slow frame rate and fuzzy picture as viewers would have experienced it over a dial-up connection — View Evidence -
Behind-the-scenes video.
Edited from the original camera footage, including scenes at the WFAA exhibit, shots from around the Texas State Fair, and Goetz’s interview with WFAA’s Mr. Moore — View Evidence -
Contemporaneous webpage.
Page describing the “Future of Television” segment at the Texas State Fair ’97, showing the event was documented on the You-On-Tv.com website — View Evidence
