NBC’s First Television Station, 1928
This photo is from a 1948 RCA Broadcast News Magazine. The article was about some new equipment at the NBC Washington station, WNBW and this was added as a reminder of how far television had come.
Note the caption states that, aside from an antenna, this is the whole station! The transmitter is on the table to the left and now we finally have a location…411 Fifth Avenue.
In 1928 the futuristic idea of television was close to becoming reality. That year The Radio Corporation of America, began construction of a transmission studio at 411 Fifth Ave. The R.C.A. Photophone, Inc. already had a recording studio here and the new equipment room was adjacent to it.
On March 22, 1929 the Radio Corporation of America announced that “television images are now being broadcast daily from 7 to 9 P.M.” The company’s vice president, Dr. A. N. Goldsmith said that the program was intended to give “experimenters an opportunity to look in on the development work, which, it is contemplated, will in due course evolve into a service to the public on a commercial basis similar to that of sound broadcasting.”
Decades before the television set would be commonplace in America’s living rooms, pictures were appearing on a screen at 411 Fifth Ave. “Transmissions consist of pictures, signs and views of persons and objects,” said Goldsmith. “Announcements are made frequently by transmitting a picture of the call letters of the station…occasionally actors from the sound movie studios will appear before the photocells of the transmitter.”
Below is a link to an article on this address, that until today, I had never though much about. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-unique-1915-no-411-fifth-avenue.html
NBC’s Felix The Cat Camera…Displayed At 1939 World’s Fair
These Photos Unlocks Some Mysteries!
If you ever wondered what happened to NBC’s “Felix The Cat” mechanical camera after tests were concluded in 1932, here’s the answer. It was on display at the RCA Pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York.
In the diagram, we see it in the Museum being displayed along with E F Alexandrson’s mechanical camera from 1930. In the photos, we see it being demonstrated at the fair. The question is, what happened to it after the fair closed? I’ve seen a replica, but I think the real thing is long gone. At least we know they saved it for a while anyway. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
TeleTales #42…One Of The First Television Commercials
TeleTales #42…One Of The First Television Commercials
Somehow looking forward to new commercials has become a part of the Super Bowl madness we experience each year, but I seriously doubt that the people that made the very first TV spots would believe us if we could tell them.
Below is a shot from inside NBC Studio 3H that shows an RCA A500 Iconoscope camera shooting a mock up of an Adam Hats store window. Along with Botany suits and Bulova watches, Adam Hat’s and Sunoco were among the first ever advertisers. Enjoy and share!
Don Lee Broadcasting…Pioneering West Coast Television
KTLA and Klaus Landsberg were not the only ones innovating in Los Angeles in the 1930s. There was also Don Lee who’s station W6XAO (now KCBS) is credited with airing the first movie and the first news film on television. This short video covers the whole story very well.
Here is an interesting pictorial history and article I thought you would enjoy from my friend Steve McVoy at the Early Television Museum. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
February 2, 1950…”What’s My Line” Debuts on CBS
February 2, 1950…”What’s My Line” Debuts on CBS
On this day in 1950, WML began a 17 year run which reportedly makes it the longest running prime time network game show ever.
Produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, the show was initially called “Occupation Unknown” but the day before air, the name was changed. The show debuted on Thursday, February 2, 1950 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. It originally aired alternate Thursdays, the alternate Wednesdays till October 1, 1950 when it settled into its weekly Sunday 10:30 p.m. ET slot where it would remain until the end of its network run on September 3, 1967.
Here is the debut episode and it’s a good thing they made a lot of changes to the show, and quickly. Dorothy Kilgallen was the only original panel member to survive the line up shifts until her death in 1965. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
February 2, 1973…”Midnight Special” Debuts On NBC
February 2, 1973…”Midnight Special” Debuts On NBC
Helen Ready was the first host, but instead of playing that clip, I wanted to share this one…I was there for this. My best friend wrote this song, formed the band and played the drums; his name was Robert Nix, but I called him Robotussen. He called me Robustus.
I bought the cowboy shirt lead singer Ronnie Hammond is wearing at Nudie Cohen’s Western Wear that day in Los Angles. About four in the afternoon, we went to NBC Burbank to tape the show.
What people don’t know about this song is that the “imaginary lover” Robert wrote about was Jo Jo Billingsly who was a backup singer for Lynyard Skynyard. Rob and Jo were more than just friends. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Super Bowl…The Magic Of Half Time! Amazing Video
Super Bowl…The Magic Of Half Time! Amazing Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNRm7OwXpGo
Two videos here…below, rare shots of the stage being set up for Madonna in 2012, and above is the performance.
Amazingly, they have only 6 minutes to set up and 6 to tear down these incredibly complex stages. I hear there are 600 on the stage crew to carry and assemble all this on the field. Enjoy and share!
-Bobby Ellerbee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD8HbpHkoYw
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/sjernigan14 Personal video taken at Super Bowl 46 that shows the stage being built in 5 mins. Madonna was the halfti…
February 1, 1954…”The Secret Storm” Debuts On CBS
February 1, 1954…”The Secret Storm” Debuts On CBS
At the time this episode aired, the show was about a year into production and holding its ground from 4:15 – 4:30 weekdays, even though it was up against “American Bandstand”.
The show originated from CBS Studio 65, The Hi Brown Theater at 221 West 26 Street. On June 18, 1962, CBS extended “The Secret Storm” to a half hour and moved it to the 4:00 PM time slot, where it ran for six years against NBC’s “The Match Game”.
In 1966, “Dark Shadows” premiered against it on ABC, and CBS moved the show forward an hour to 3:00 PM on September 9, 1968, facing NBC’s fast-rising “Another World”.
“The Secret Storm” went to color broadcasts on September 11, 1967. In all the turmoil of its later years, the main reason for the show’s demise may have been CBS’s choice to buy the show from the original sponsor/packager, American Home Products, in 1969. Ever since CBS purchased the show, it suffered from numerous headwriter and producer changes. The show was canceled in 1974 and replaced with a less-expensive game show, “Tattletales”.
You may remember that in 1968, Joan Crawford, who at the time was over 60 years old, filled in for her ailing daughter, Christina, who played the role of Joan Borman Kane, a character who was only 28. The episodes were broadcast on October 25, 28, 29 and 30. The 1981 film “Mommie Dearest” portrayed Crawford’s appearance without specifying the name of the series. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6vb0yAJ28Y
an episode of ‘The Secret Storm’, dated February 18, 1955 (2 days b4 i was born!!)..complete with original commercials, organ music and all, this episode sho…
Ellerbee Camera Collection Video Tour
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10200462127141865
For those of you that have never seen this, here it is again. I shot this a couple of years back with a small 35mm photo camera and it shows all of the 16 cameras I have on display here in my home. At the time, I had about 25 cameras, now, with the addition of the 70+ ENG cameras, there are about 100 cameras in the collection. Enjoy!
February 1, 1982…”Late Night” With David Letterman Debuts, NBC
February 1, 1982…”Late Night” With David Letterman Debuts, NBC
Two videos for you to mark the 33rd Anniversary, first here are two rare promos that ran the weekend before the show debuted on a Monday night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIUPlDEFgfw
The second video below is from the second night on the air and Dave starts the show by letting an audience member take over one the the RCA TK44s in NBC Studio 6A.
After the camera clip, we get a minute with Pat Paulsen and the shows open is at the end. Bill Wendell is the announcer and Hal Gurney is directing. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NraxSgAPKXQ
2.2.82 2nd Late Night show. opening segment.
TeleTales #41…But Where Are Our Pants?
TeleTales #41…But Where Are Our Pants?
Thanks top Bettina Levesque for this picture of her behind the camera at the Metro Media Square Studios where the last two seasons of “Three’s A Crowd” were shot in ’84 and ’85. The camera is an RCA TK45. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Our New Camera Collecting Friend In Germany…Liam O’Hainnin
Our New Camera Collecting Friend In Germany…Liam O’Hainnin
We met just this morning and Liam has some very nice Fernseh cameras, including the very camera that shot President Kennedy’s famous speech in Berlin. Donka Shane Liam! Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-L7uw8YodI
This is a report on Liam O’Hainnin, an Irish man with a passion for vintage radios and TV cameras! He’s been collecting old broadcasting gear since his 20’s …
Super Bowl Prep…Chapman’s Two Headed Monster In Action!
Super Bowl Prep…Chapman’s Two Headed Monster In Action!
Here’s a short but sweet clip of the unusual dual platform Chapman sideline cart on the field with comment from NBC cameraman Mark Lynch and driver Rob Lombardi. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=906828359370124&set=vb.112955302090771&type=2&theater
Photos: We Visited Saturday Night Live’s Set-Building Factory
Building The Sets For “Saturday Night Live”…A Visit To Brooklyn
This a good story on how, where and when the sets for SNL are built each week, BUT…make sure to click on the slide show button at the bottom of the page to see the 16 pictures. The work they do on such short notice is just amazing! Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
http://www.vulture.com/2015/01/how-saturday-night-live-gets-built.html?mid=nymag_press
Photos: We Visited Saturday Night Live’s Set-Building Factory
Behind the scenes with the rapid-fire builders.
Super Bowl VII…Christina Skaggs…Up, Up And Away For CBS
Super Bowl VII…Christina Skaggs…Up, Up And Away For CBS
You may remember Christina best from her days behind the camera on “The Match Game”.
As one of the few women in television at this level, she got some interesting assignments outside the studio too. Here she is in 1973 ready to get the aerial shots from the Goodyear Blimp in Los Angeles. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Ultra Rare! Meet Television’s Top Late Night Directors!
Ultra Rare! Meet Television’s Top Late Night Directors!
Thanks to Vinnie Favale, here is a one of a kind photo. From left to right is “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” director Dave Diomedi, “The Colbert Report” director Jim Hoskinson, “Late Night With David Letterman” director Jerry Foley and “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” director Chuck O’Neil. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Super Bowl…More Two Headed Monster and NEP’s New Trucks
Super Bowl…More Two Headed Monster and NEP’s New Trucks
Here are a couple of new photos of Chapman’s dual cam platform in use at this year’s Sugar Bowl. There will be two of these on the sidelines this Sunday…one on each side of the field.
At the story linked here, you’ll get the latest on the newly upgraded trucks from NEP which has at least 24 production trailers in use for the game. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Happy 64th Birthday…NBC Studio 8H
Happy 64th Birthday…NBC Studio 8H
On January 30, 1951,Studio 8H was dedicated as a television studio.
On November 7, 1933, 8H was the home of the first NBC Radio broadcast from the new 30 Rockefeller Plaza headquarters and was then known as the Auditorium Studio.
As early as April 19, 1944, television had occasionally come from here with occasional broadcasts/simulcasts of “The Voice Of Firestone”. The 1944 occasion was only a local event, but in 1949 there were a few network television simulcasts of Firestone. All were covered as remotes, even thought they were in the building.
The story continues on the many pages of very rare historical documents and photos, so please click on each. Enjoy and Share! -Bobby Ellerbee
TeleTales #39…Four Camera Bowl Game, NBC 1960
TeleTales #39…Four Camera Bowl Game, NBC 1960
It may not have been much of a surprise in yesterday’s post that ABC only used four cameras for a college football game in 1949, but in 1960…guess what…it was still four cameras.
This was the 1960 Senior Bowl, hosted by Red Grange and Lindsey Nelson from Mobile Alabama. NBC was using an RCA mobile color unit for this. There were several of these on the east and west coasts for broadcasters to rent for special or extended coverage. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
TeleTales #38…Watch For These At The Super Bowl
TeleTales #38…Watch For These At The Super Bowl
This is probably the most unique camera platform ever. I think this configuration debuted about five years ago when ESPN asked Chapman for something different for sideline coverage. According the NBC’s camera chats, there will be two of these on the sidelines this Sunday for the Super Bowl. If any of you are at the arena and can get us some new pictures of these, I know we would all appreciate it. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
