"Zenith Television" Newspaper Ad Mug

Kids, if you don't know why your parents call the TV remote the "clicker" or the "channel changer," there actually IS a reason. In the past, remotes actually "clicked" to change the channel...and that is about all they did. The term is a relic of past technology, like "hang up the phone" or "cut and paste."

It comes from Zenith, the TV manufacturer that introduced the "Space Commander" remote control. This "clicker" had a button that slid the remote's length, and when pushed forward, it would result in a distinct "click." The technology involved the use of aluminum rods, similar to tuning forks, which were struck by little "hammers," which produced a sound the TV could "hear." When the channel was advanced, the dial knob would physically turn.

The drawback of this design based on high-frequency sound was that everyday noises like jingling your keys or clinking dishes and silverware at dinner time tended to change the channel if they happened to hit the right frequency.

So grab a cup of coffee, sit down on the couch, grab the clicker to turn on the TV, and smile to yourself, knowing that the proceeds from the mug you are drinking from helped support the efforts of libraries and other community organizations to digitize their local history and provide free and easy access to that content in a Community History Archive so that it is available to anyone, from anywhere, at any time, at no cost, ever.

Features:

• White ceramic
• 11 oz (0.33 l)
• Rounded corners
• C-handle
• All proceeds go to help support free access to local history.

If there is a specific archive you would like to support with the proceeds of your purchase, please leave the name of the library or institution you'd like to support in the notes on order. We will make sure that the funds are directly applied as a credit to their account.