Super Bowl VII…Christina Skaggs…Up, Up And Away For CBS

You may remember Christina best from her days behind the camera on “The Match Game”.

As one of the few women in television at this level, she got some interesting assignments outside the studio too. Here she is in 1973 ready to get the aerial shots from the Goodyear Blimp in Los Angeles. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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Super Bowl…More Two Headed Monster and NEP’s New Trucks

Here are a couple of new photos of Chapman’s dual cam platform in use at this year’s Sugar Bowl. There will be two of these on the sidelines this Sunday…one on each side of the field.

At the story linked here, you’ll get the latest on the newly upgraded trucks from NEP which has at least 24 production trailers in use for the game. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

NEP’s Upgraded Fleet Is at Center of Super Bowl XLIX Coverage – Sports Video Group

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Four Camera, Senior Bowl Game, NBC 1960

It may not have been much of a surprise in yesterday’s post that ABC only used four cameras for a college football game in 1949, but in 1960…guess what…it was still four cameras.

This was the 1960 Senior Bowl, hosted by Red Grange and Lindsey Nelson from Mobile Alabama. NBC was using an RCA mobile color unit for this. There were several of these on the east and west coasts for broadcasters to rent for special or extended coverage. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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Watch For These At The Super Bowl

This is probably the most unique camera platform ever. I think this configuration debuted about five years ago when ESPN asked Chapman for something different for sideline coverage. According the NBC’s camera chats, there will be two of these on the sidelines this Sunday for the Super Bowl. If any of you are at the arena and can get us some new pictures of these, I know we would all appreciate it. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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Three Strip Technicolor; How It Was Done

http://www.digital-intermediate.co.uk/examples/3strip/technicolor.htm
At the link is the best description and detail I have ever seen on this landmark color technology. It’s a well written article that’s not overly technical. “Gone With The Wind” and “The Wizard Of Oz” were some of the fist big films to use this new process. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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ABC Election Coverage, November 1980, Studio TV 2 New York

Here are a dozen or so great pictures from John Schmidt of the election set. The candidates were incumbent Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Independent John Anderson. In some of these, you can see reporters Frank Reynolds, Ted Koppel, Max Robinson and Barbara Walters.

The cameras are shooting toward the back of TV 2 and the white wall behind the cameras is the door that separates TV 1 and TV 2. In one of these, the door is up. Our friend Bob Franklin at ABC wanted to see some of his old friends, and Ryan Balton mentioned his dad, Bruce was on the crane in some of these elections.

Please help identify people, places and equipment as you click through these. I know there are some rare goodies in the graphics, audio and control room shots. Enjoy and Share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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Oldest Complete MLB Color Broadcast, 1967

Hopefully this will bring some warmth our friends in Boston!

Above is the September 30, 1967, game between Boston and Minnesota at Fenway Park. This was one of the closest pennant races in the American League ever with the Twins one game ahead of Boston and Detroit on the last weekend of the season.

The game was covered by WHDH with RCA TK41s. At the start, you can see Boston’s mayor with VP Hubert Humphrey from Minnesota, Senator Ted Kennedy and what looks like Sen. Mike Mansfield from Montana, who was Senate Majority Leader at the time. Thanks to Alec Cumming for sharing this. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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Speaking Of CBS Studio 50

Earlier today, we saw this same stage in the story of Elvis Presley’s first network television appearance on this day in 1956.

Here’s a great shot of Ed Sullivan in the theater now named after him. Behind him is a scaffold with a camera up top, but with space so tight on this stage, some of the props for each broadcast were kept here for easy access. You can see the layout, production and technical information of Studio 50 in these other three pages. Thanks to Gady Reinhold for this info from the CBS 1960 Production book. Notice the Zoomar on the RCA TK11. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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A Stunning Piece Of Real Television History

Stunning? How so? If you think back on all the years of color test broadcasts in the early 1950s, including NBC’s coast to coast colorcast of the Rose Parade on January 1, 1954, you suddenly realize that no one could see it! Well…all but a few.

If you wonder why they did all that color testing without the public being able to see it, the reason lies in this term “compatible color”.
RCA and NBC had to make sure their Dot Sequential System of color was also sharp and clear in black and white, as well as color. It was also a test for the stations that had installed the color transmitters.

There is a most excellent timeline of NBC color history here at Ed Reitan’s great site. http://edreitan.com/rca-nbc_firsts.html

For the Rose Parade, RCA had built about 200 color receivers that were shipped to the 21 markets that had color capable stations for the broadcast. In each of the 21 markets, the receivers were on display at local dealers where large crowds came to watch.

By the way, when I say “color capable stations”, I mean they were only able to broadcast color programs that came in from NBC. The first shipments of live TK40 color cameras and studio equipment from RCA began on March 4, 1954, just 21 days before this announcement of the start of production on the granddaddy of color sets, the CT 100. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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NBC Television Network: July 1, 1948

For a bit of perspective on how much things have changed, here is a map of NBC’s network in the middle of 1948. At the time, there were only seven stations, with nine to be added in 1949.

Of course the NBC Radio network was much bigger and was coast to coast, but AT&T was the driving force in where and when television could go. TV took coaxial cables or microwave relays and all that had to be built or laid. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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Covering Football In 1949 vs Now

With the Super Bowl looming, take a look at the difference in camera placements with 53 cameras in use this year. Below you’ll see the placement of the 4 RCA TK30s ABC used to cover a game at The Los Angeles Coliseum in 1949.

My how times have changed! Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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January 28, 1956…Elvis Makes His First Network TV Appearance

http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1956_january_28.html

When Jackie Gleason brought his half hour, filmed version of “The Honeymooners” to CBS in the 1955-56 season, he decided to produce the half hour lead in show too. For that, he chose The Dorsey Brothers, Jimmy and Tommy, with their great bands, and called the production “Stage Show”.

Like the live Gleason shows of the past and future seasons, it originated at CBS Studio 50…now called The Ed Sullivan Theater.

On this particular Saturday night, Elvis Presley made his first ever network television appearance and you can see this rare performance at the link above. This is a photo from that night and CBS legend Pat McBride is behind the camera.

Elvis was paid $1,250 for each of the six ‘Stage Shows’ on which he appeared. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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1955 Prime Time Schedule

In February of 1955, The Dumont Network ceased to exist and that left the Big Three…ABC, CBS and NBC. Here’s a look at what was on back then. Interesting that ABC and CBS ran their 15 minute network news shows at 7:15 while NBC stuck to it’s original 7:45 time.

Almost everything here was done from New York or on film, but I see a few live shows from Hollywood here…the 15 minute “Dinah Shore Show” was form KNBH, “The Red Skelton Show” was from Television City. The Johnny Carson variety show was from KNXT and “The Colgate Variety Hour” alternated between NYC and LA. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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The First Handheld Color Camera Use, ABC

At the link is a clip from November 11, 1967, showing the camera in use by ABC at the UCLA – USC game in Los Angeles.

ABC had modified the Ampex creation which, as seen below, was meant to include their portable VR 3000 video tape recorder. Instead, they have taken the case and put a modified camera control unit in the backpack and cabled it to the truck. Later, they came up with a small wireless transmitter for the Ampex rig. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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Speaking Of ABC News

Here’s the election set in Studio TV 2 at ABC New York with Peter Jennings down front. The evening news show comes from TV 3. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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Ted Koppel At ABC Washington

Did you know he was born in England and was 13 when his family moved to the US? Koppel had a brief stint as a teacher before being hired as a copyboy at WMCA Radio in New York. In June 1963, he became the youngest correspondent ever hired by ABC Radio News, working on the daily Flair Reports program.

In 1966, Koppel worked for ABC Television as a war correspondent during the Vietnam War. He returned in 1968 to cover the campaign of Richard Nixon, before becoming Hong Kong bureau chief, and US State Department correspondent.

I think this picture is from the early 80s. The camera is an Ikegami HK 312 E model. The big bulge on the side is the new Triax adapter. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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