June 2, 1953…Elizabeth Crowned: NBC, CBS Race Footage To US

It was 61 years ago today: the race between CBS and NBC to be the first with their own films of Elizabeth II’s coronation. The films were to be ferried by Canberra jet bomber to Goose Bay, and from there the networks would ferry the films via P-51 Mustang race planes to Boston for network broadcast. CBS hired 1949 Bendix Trophy Winner Joe DeBona and his P-51B “Thunderbird” (co-owned with Jimmy Stewart, who also owned an interest in a CBS affiliate), while NBC hired 1948 Bendix winner Stanley Reaver in Paul Mantz’s NX1204. ABC, too strapped for resources (or just smarter?) was just going to carry the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s feed.

NBC had also arranged for a ‘secret weapon’ – having arranged with English Electric for a Canberra set for delivery to Venezuela to carry a set of films that would beat all the other networks. When that plane turned back, however (because the English Electric pilot, being an RAF reserve officer, faked a “fuel problem” because he didn’t want to play a role in Americans seeing the Coronation before the Canadians could) NBC struck a last-minute deal with ABC to share the CBC feed. Just as Joe DeBona arrived at Boston with the CBS films, both NBC and ABC switched to the CBC feed…and the faces of CBS brass collectively fell.

Here, before the whole fiasco erupted, partners Joe DeBona and Jimmy Stewart shake hands in a CBS photo. The giant “eye” was draped on the fuselage for the photo op; during the mission itself, “Thunderbird” carried smaller CBS logos on the fuselage and tail.
Thanks to Jodie Peeler for this story.

Source