‘The Match Game’, NBC Studio 8H…Photo 2 of 5

Behind the cameras, (L-R) BJ Bjorkman and Art Graham. The small vertical panel on the camera door, just in front of the exhaust port, suggests these are RCA TK41B models which would be the first with a single cable. The TK40, TK41 and TK41A models all had three cables and it took several utility men to handle the cabling on each camera when there was a lot of movement.

A man named Fred Himelfarb, a/k/a/ “Mr. Tube” was NBC’s camera guru. Fred was an RCA engineer, but when the first TK40 production models went into The Colonial Theater, Fred was sent along as their temporary chaperon, but wound up staying and was RCA’s inside man for color in New York. Fred made many improvements which were incorporated at the Camden plant and is the man that devised the single cable concept.

Here’s a great story! A couple of years before these photos were taken in late 1968, Mr. Himelfarb had re-engineered the Norelco PC60 to his specs as management wanted new cameras for the remote trucks, but did not like the TK42 and the TK44 was not ready yet. Seven (of the thirty five) Norelcos arrived just in time for NBC coverage of the World Series and the new Norelco truck was sent to cover it. The NBC and Norleco brass were in a trailer, separate from the truck and watched the first game to evaluate the performance. After the game, Fred entered the trailer to find an ecstatic, back slapping bunch raving about the picture quality…especially that great shot from left field! That’s when Fred told them he had brought along one of his “souped up”TK41s and that was the left field camera. Calls were made and by end of the series, a dozen Norelco engineers had tweaked the new cameras to match the picture quality of Fred’s TK41. RIP Fred! You did good!

Thanks to NBC cameraman Bob Batche for these historic photos.

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