The RCA TJ 48, Television’s Local Market Workhouse

On October 12, 2013 - TV History

The RCA TJ 48, Television’s Local Market Workhouse

Remember these? In 1948, these sold for $9000. In today’s money that is over $87,000. RCA introduced its first postwar mobile production van in 1948, the TJ-48. The interior electronics were modified in 1950 and that became the TJ 50. Prior to this, most local stations that had a mobile unit had modified buses or panel trucks on their own. RCA had made some big remote trucks for NBC in the 1930s but they ever sold any to competing networks.

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7 Comments

  1. William Snead October 13, 2013

    Don, did you start in one of these….? 8)

  2. Len Potter October 12, 2013

    I build this SD digital truck in 2005 for $145,000;

  3. David Zornig October 12, 2013

    Hence the nickname “sticks” for tripods.

  4. Bobby Reyes October 12, 2013

    …channel 12 ( KONO-TV ) use to have a RCA TJ-56 ..wish I had photos of it !

  5. Mark Gulbrandsen October 12, 2013

    There is one at the museum in Ohio. It’s originally from a Tee Vee station here in Utah.

  6. Albert J. McGilvray October 12, 2013

    Doesn’t Chuck Pharis own one of these?

  7. Steve Byrd October 12, 2013

    For today’s $87,000, you’d probably buy enough equipment to handle a multicamera remote webcast.