45 Years Ago Today…Apollo 11 Leaves For The Moon: Day 1

With these daily articles written for us by Jodie Peeler, we’ll follow the story of two missions…the one “in the air” and the one “on the air”. She has done a beautiful job of capturing the details and emotion of that time with words and relevant video clips, but it will be made all that much better with your recollections, photos and comments on watching and working on the NASA space missions. Enjoy and share! Bobby Ellerbee
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On this day in 1969, Apollo 11 began its historic journey to the Moon. The first landing by humans on another world drew heavy worldwide media attention throughout the long-anticipated mission. Four previous manned Apollo flights had demonstrated the spacecraft and procedures would work, and now Apollo 11 was set to fulfill the goal established by President Kennedy in May 1961. In the coming days, we’ll take a closer look at some aspects of how the networks covered this momentous voyage.

The launch was covered by all three major networks in the United States. ABC’s longtime science editor Jules Bergman handled duties from the Kennedy Space Center, with Frank Reynolds anchoring from New York. NBC built an elaborate Space Center set in New York’s Studio 8H, where Chet Huntley and Frank McGee did anchoring duties. David Brinkley (who, oddly enough, wasn’t very interested in the space program) was sent to KSC to cover the launch.

CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite covered the launch from KSC for his network, as he had since 1961; serving as his “color man” was Apollo 7 commander Wally Schirra, one of the original seven astronauts. Also at the Cape to cover various aspects of the story were, among others, Heywood Broun and Eric Sevareid, who was covering his first manned spaceflight. Arthur C. Clarke was also on hand to provide commentary, as he had during the CBS coverage of Apollo 10.

While previous CBS launch broadcasts had been configured as remotes, executive producer Robert Wussler decided the importance of Apollo 11 meant the launch broadcast should be controlled from Florida, and a control room was constructed below the CBS studio at the Kennedy Space Center. According to the official CBS history of its Apollo 11 coverage, the only problem with the launch day broadcast came when NASA’s launch pad microphones failed a few minutes before launch. NASA offered to provide the networks with an audio recording of the Apollo 10 liftoff synchronized to Apollo 11’s liftoff, but CBS News President Richard Salant refused the offer. CBS viewers thus heard the natural sound of the launch as picked up by its microphones in front of the studio.

Apollo 11 received its “go” for trans-lunar injection, the rocket burn that would send the spacecraft out of Earth orbit and toward the Moon, shortly after midday. Soon after, once it was clear Apollo 11 was safely on its way to the Moon, the networks signed off their coverage from Florida. Reporters and producers headed back to New York or to assist with coverage from Mission Control in Houston, while “clean-up” crews remained behind to close up shop at the Cape.

“Broadcasting” Magazine estimated that, in all, Apollo 11 coverage cost the three networks more than $11 million, with $6.5 million of that for direct production costs.

In the next installment, we’ll take a look at the networks’ arrangements for developments throughout the mission, including the studios constructed for continuing coverage of the flight.
– Jodie Peeler

The start of ABC’s launch day coverage, with Frank Reynolds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQhC2EzxKCA

Jules Bergman narrates ABC coverage’s of the Apollo 11 launch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LTGUsEv_Mo

The beautiful and haunting intro to the CBS launch broadcast:
http://youtu.be/fu44hY_OnHo?t=1m40s

CBS coverage of the Apollo 11 launch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmHABUfjYPI

NBC coverage of the Apollo 11 launch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiiwAfGjLxU

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