September 5, 1949…NBC Studio 8H Make Its Television Debut
September 5, 1949…NBC Studio 8H Make Its Television Debut
On this day in 1949, NBC’s famous Studio 8H made it’s television debut, as did “The Voice Of Firestone” radio program in a special simulcast. Every Monday night since 1928, the show had been heard on radio, but in the ’49 season, it also came to television.
The show was covered as a “remote” as 8H was still a radio studio, and had no television capacity. Three RCA TK30s were rolled in, along with portable CCUs and a switcher, and connected by cable to master control on the 5th floor.
In the video linked here, you can see one of the shows from that season with a special twist. At the :17 second mark, you can see an one of the RCA TK30s remote cameras push into the background. The cameraman is our friend Frank Merklein, as the stage camera was his usual position on Firestone. He liked shooting the oboe player and did so weekly. That oboe player later had his own hit show on NBC…it was Mitch Miller. For music lovers, at 2:15, one of the most passionate passages in opera erupts in this presentation of “Pagliacci”. Enjoy! -Bobby Ellerbee
By the way, there had been earlier TV remotes from 8H, but those we occasional broadcasts of “Toscannini & The NBC Symphony” concerts and were not regularly scheduled. Firestone was the first regularly scheduled broadcast from here. There was an earlier televised show called “The Voice Of Firestone Televues”, but that was only a Firestone sponsored show, and was a series of travelogues and short films in 1943. The real ‘Voice Of Firestone” was a one hour weekly music show that often featured operatic fare.
This was when Firestone was still an American product.
The show announcer was Hugh James.
Worked on Firestone as an ABC Page in the early 60’s. Studio TV-1 on W66st. On a rehearsal break I sat with Richard Tucker and Robert Merrill, sharing the Sunday Times while watching Giants football on a B&W monitor. Mr. Tucker asked if he could borrow the Sports section. Two opera legends and a college kid. A moment in time.
In June 1954, The Voice of Firestone moved to both ABC TV & radio. This due to a dispute w/NBC over low ratings and NBC wanting to change VoF’s broadcast times.
The three 77s used for the NBC Symphony are hanging just above the vocalists head. Only one mike was used, the other two were spares.
This was Toscanini and the NBC Symphony’s broadcast home, right? By this time were the orchestra broadcasts moved to Carnegie Hall or was this during the off season?
Wasn’t some of its theme music “If I could tell you of my devotion….”?