TeleTales #106…ABC’s First News Stars; John Daly And Quincy Howe
TeleTales #106…ABC’s First News Stars; John Daly And Quincy Howe
Both men started out with CBS Radio and both worked with Edward R. Murrow in Europe during WWII, with a staff that included Charles Collingwood, William L. Shirer, Eric Sevareid, Joseph C. Harsch, H. V. Kaltenborn and Robert Trout.
Daly actually covered the famous, General George Patten. “spapping” incident. In 1950, He became the host of “What’s My Line” on CBS. Around ’53, Daly also became the vice president in charge of news, special events, and public affairs, religious programs and sports for ABC and won three Peabody Awards.
From 1953 to 1960, he anchored ABC news broadcasts and was the face of the network’s news division, even though “What’s My Line” was then on CBS. This was a very rare instance of a television personality working on two different networks simultaneously. (Technically, Daly worked for Goodson–Todman Productions). As if that wasn’t enough of an oddity, Daly also filled in occasionally on “The Today Show” on NBC, making him one of the few people in early television to work simultaneously on all three networks.
Quincy Howe was best known for his CBS radio broadcasts during World War II. Howe served as director of the American Civil Liberties Union before the Second World War, and as chief editor at Simon & Schuster from 1935 to 1942. He left CBS in 1947 to join ABC. Howe moderated the fourth and final Kennedy/Nixon debate on October 21, 1960, and retired from broadcasting in 1974.
When Mr Howe won a Peabody Award in 1955, this is the story that accompanied the presentation.
“The distinguished historian, journalist and commentator Quincy Howe has long been a great asset to broadcasting. His five-times-a-week commentaries on the ABC Radio Network are objective and penetrating analyses of the important issues of our times. His new documentary television series entitled “Outside U.S.A.” is an outstanding contribution to the understanding of the significant events and developments around the world. The variety and effectiveness of its presentation have made this program a most significant contribution of television to the promotion of international understanding. In recognition, the Peabody Award is hereby presented.” Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
There was no doubting the credibility of what they were reporting!
Both former CBS News.
In 1948, 1949 & 1950 ABC-TV carried very early live telecasts of the opening night performances of the Metropolitan Opera. I just saw a photo taken during one of the intermissions where John Charles Daly was backstage with an ABC mic interviewing some of the artists. I thought it was strange that someone with such strong ties to CBS was doing an ABC telecast.