Camera Rarities 1 Of 3…First NBC Tests Of The RCA TK30

On April 20, 2016 - TV History

Camera Rarities 1, Of 3…First NBC Tests Of The RCA TK30?

Thanks to Tom Buckley, here is a very rare photo, that I think was taken in the two week period between June 5 and June 18, 1946.

On June 19, 1946, NBC’s broadcast of the Joe Lewis-Billy Conn rematch at Yankee Stadium, was the first ever use of the RCA TK30 Image Orthicon cameras. The new truck and cameras arrived from Camden just a couple of weeks before the match.

Notice the camera art is the same as on the RCA A 500 Iconoscope cameras in NBC Studio 3H, and the RCA Model 1840 field Orthicon cameras. By the time the cameras went to Yankee Stadium, they had new NBC block letter logos, but until the new camera art could be decided on, this filled the bill.

Knowing that the Lewis-Conn broadcast would set records, and make history, I suspect NBC had the trucks out every day, field testing everything. I think that is what is going on here.

At the link is the October 1946 issue of RCA’s “Broadcast News” magazine, which introduces the TK30, and mentions 5 of them were on hand for the big fight. Enjoy! -Bobby Ellerbee

http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RCA-Broadcast-News/RCA-44.pdf

Source

3 Comments

  1. Bobby Reyes April 20, 2016

    …very interesting link ! ..thanks, Bobby E. ! !

  2. Tom Williamson April 20, 2016

    I was only 2 years old at the time, but it’s fascinating to see the history.

  3. Eyes Of A Generation.com April 20, 2016

    This is one of the 5 new TK30s at the Lewis-Conn fight, with the new NBC block letter logo.