In 1936, he was called upon to assist in the history-making telecast of the Berlin Olympic Games, an event that marked television's rounding of one of the proverbial corners. Farnsworth Television, Inc. hired Klaus Landsberg as Television Development Engineer in Philadelphia in 1938. In 1939 he went to New York for the National Broadcasting Company television division. It was during this period that Landsberg helped NBC make possible the first public TV demonstrations in America - at the New York World's Fair. Allen B. DuMont recognized Landsberg's qualifications and signed him as Television Design and Development Engineer for the New York DuMont Laboratories - Pioneer United States TV organization. Here he supervised technical operations of the television unit at the U.S. Army Maneuvers in Cantons N.Y. and developed the automatic synchronizing circuits. Next he put in readiness DuMont's New York Station WABD, and assisted in, producing the first shows for this station. Paramount sent Landsberg to Hollywood to organize W6XYZ, the Paramount Picture TV station... this was in 1941. It was here that Klaus Landsberg's extensive background in show business, radio and television really began to be utilized to the fullest extent. From the very beginning when he designed the KTLA transmitter - the worlds most powerful - to the present day when he received the 1949 Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for KTLA's Overall-Station Achievement. Klaus Landsberg earned the title "Mr.Television", which his co-workers have given him. W6XYZ was on the air for five years on an experimental basis before it became KTLA, Los Angeles' first commercial station to go on the air, in January of 1947.
Founded KTLA, Los Angeles (channel 5) in 1947 for Paramount.
1949 paid even greater tribute to Paramounts Vice President, award followed awards: His record breaking 27 hour coverage of the tragic Kathy Fiscus-San Marino Well Disaster (which he personally directed) focused the nations spotlight on KTLA and television. The sensational coverage did more to foster TVs future than any other single event, in TV history. In 1949 Landsberg received the most coveted award in show business -- Varietys Show management Award for "Alert Showmanship... next came Daily Varietys Special Award for the Kathy Fiscus coverage (the only special award ever given by Daily Variety)... next came a Special Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, in addition to Honorable Mention Emmy for 1949 in the Public Service Category... TV Magazines Special Award... Radio Television Life Magazines Distinguished Achievement Award for Outstanding Public Service in 1949 and Image Magazines 1949 Public Service Award.
Klaus Landsberg, a pioneer in the television industry, posthumously awarded a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, May 1985. Born in Berlin, Landsberg was involved in early German experiments with television and became a television engineer. In 1941, after emigrating to the United States, he was instrumental in establishing Paramount Pictures experimental television station W6XYZ--which later became KTLA. Landsbergs star will be placed at 1500 N. Vine St., between stars previously awarded to Louis Hayward and Jack Conway.
