June 9…A Big Day For Media History…6 Event Stories And Video
June 9…A Big Day For Media History…6 Event Stories And Video
June 9, 1948…WBZ Becomes New England’s First TV Station…
In Boston they called it T Day…the first day of television for the area. Remember, back then, stations only came on in the evenings because there was no daytime programming, and precious little at night. Congratulations and Happy Birthday BZ!
At the link is the first part of the 1983 anniversary show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4fbEC4CWgY
Happy Birthday Donald! “Born” June 9, 1934…
http://youtu.be/A5dowCyaP7I?t=1m58s
At the link is Donald Duck’s debut! His first ever screen appearance came on the date of this ‘Silly Symphony’ cartoon called “The Little Wise Hen” from Walt Disney Studios. It’s cued to his entrance.
The Donald Duck character was created by Walt Disney when he heard Clarence Nash doing his “duck” voice while reciting “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. Disney wanted a character that was more negative than Mickey Mouse, so the bad-tempered Duck was born. Nash voiced the character from 1934 to 1983, training Tony Anselmo to take over. By the way, his full name is Donald Fauntleroy Duck!
62 Years Ago Today…”Have You No Sense Of Decency”…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO2iiovYq70
On June 9, 1954, Army counsel Joseph N. Welch confronted Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy during the Senate-Army Hearings over McCarthy’s attack on a member of Welch’s law firm, Frederick G. Fisher. Said Welch: “Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?” This famous exchange is caught in the short clip attached here.
“The Roy Rogers Show” Comes To An End….
This is the first ever episode of the TV classic and it aired on NBC as 6:30 (ET) Sunday night, December 30, 1951. The series ran one hundred new episodes on NBC for six seasons and ended on June 9, 1957. Beginning in 1961, CBS broadcast reruns of The Roy Rogers Show for three and a half seasons on Saturday mornings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz59ibhFX2c
NBC Color Caravan Does First Broadcast…
On June 9, a crew of eighteen men did the tour’s first color remote from St. Louis in a two month tour of the US to introduce color television. The local stations, and major department stores along the way were pre stocked with RCA color monitors and sets for sale and display. The cities they visited also included Milwaukee, Chicago, Columbus, Cleveland, Washington DC, Baltimore and Ft. Meade Maryland.
Happy Birthday Cole Porter, Born June 9, 1891…
Some of the greatest songs ever came from this man…”I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, “Anything Goes”, “Night And Day”, Begin The Beguine”, “From This Moment On” and many, many more. Thanks for the great music Mr. Porter! -Bobby Ellerbee
June 8, 1938…The New RCA Orthicon Camera Debuts
This was a step up from the Iconoscope in it’s light sensitivity, but it was a remote camera and still needed daylight, or stadium lighting. The Orthicon was a hybrid of sorts, needing the added utility of Philo Farnsworth’s Image Dissector tube technology, which was finally incorporated into the Image Orthicon a few years later. More in the text block below. -Bobby Ellerbee
June 8, 1939…The First Orthicon Camera
On this day in 1938, two experimental RCA Orthicon cameras were put into service along side two RCA Iconoscope cameras at Ebbets field for a daytime game between the Dodgers and the Reds. This was televisions first ever broadcast of a major league baseball game and was only a month after the first ever college baseball game broadcast.
On top, we see the Orthicon camera which still did not have an electronic viewfinder, but the optical system shared with the studio style Iconoscopes…the field Iconoscopes had a gun sight. Notice also the wedge plate sticking our from under the camera…this mount is all new too as the field Iconoscope cameras slid onto the pan head from the side with the use of built in brackets.
Below, we see an article from Broadcasting Magazine that, although it describes the broadcast of the first night game in June of 1941, it features a photo from the June 8, 1939 game that shows the Orthicon and Iconoscope cameras in use together for comparison purposes. Remember, visit this page for a better experience of this great history. Thanks! -Bobby Ellerbee
More Answers To Some Early Iconoscope Camera Questions…
More Answers To Some Early Iconoscope Camera Questions…
With close scrutiny to dates, and with new images in hand from the early days at CBS Studios at Grand Central, I think we can conclusively say that the switch from the dark umber gray color to the silver body came in May of 1941. It seems that this was the signature of the new A500 upgrade as you will read below. May 1941 is when TV went from 441 lines to 525 lines of resolution.
In 1935, when they went into service in NBC Studio 3H, they were 220 line camera, but went to 441 lines in June of ’38. Many had said that the jump to “high definition” brought the cosmetic change, but it did not. Remember, the camera housings were constant…only the Iconoscope tubes and a few changes inside were required.
A new photo has helped answer when CBS got their RCA Iconoscope cameras, and this A500 question. In the photos below, the center shot of the dark RCA Iconoscope camera in CBS Studio 41 was taken September 1, 1939, so we now have a first sighting date of an RCA Iconoscope camera at CBS.
The second CBS photo, with the silver camera body, was taken in December of 1941, and shows the CBS cameras have also been updated by RCA with both the new 525 line tubes and the silver exterior that apparently was the mark of the A500 series conversion. More to come today, and more on the photos! Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
California Primary June 4, 1968: Robert Kennedy Assassination
California Primary June 4, 1968: Robert Kennedy Assassination
With the California Primary underway today, this sad occasion came to mind.
The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles was the scene of the crime that so many of us saw unfold on television that night. These are rare photos from the Los Angeles Fire Marshall’s office taken there that day.
All the networks were there, as well as the local stations, as this was not only the Kennedy HQ hotel, but three of the hotel’s ballrooms were being used by other Democratic candidates that night. Among them were Kennedy in the big ballroom, Senator Alan Cranston in a medium ballroom, and someone running for a state office in the smallest. -Bobby Ellerbee
Television’s First Studio Camera…RCA’s Studio 3H Iconoscopes
In 1935, two years after Radio City opened, NBC Radio Studio 3H was converted to RCA Television Studio 3H. Technically it would remain an RCA domain until the opening of the 1939 World’s Fair, at which time W2XBS, and this studio were put under the control of NBC Television.
On July 7, 1936, Studio 3H became the home of the first publicly announced black and white experimental broadcasts from its tower atop the Empire State Building.
The three cameras in 3H all used a 220 line resolution Iconoscope tube, until June of 1938, at which time the world’s first “high definition” conversion took place. That month, these cameras were retrofitted with new 441 line resolution Iconoscope tubes, as RCA’s new reciver sets went to market with the new upgrade.
In May of 1941, television went to the new 525 line resolution system, and once again, these cameras were retrofitted with new Iconoscope tubes.
I think this is when the color of the cameras went from umber gray to silver, and the previously unnamed cameras became the RCA A500 model. Does anyone have any information on this?
On the cameras themselves, one of the big surprises to most is the very discombobulating viewfinder set up, as you can see here, but there is another surprise… a nice one; these first studio pedestals had an electronic up and down center column that was operated by a foot switch on the ped base, that you can see in the first image. Enjoy and share. -Bobby Ellerbee
Surprise! CBS Had Marconi Mark IV’s In 1960…
For those of us interested in the technical side of broadcast history, this comes as a surprise. Pictured here are two shots from the set of the November 1960 Presidential Election coverage, in which John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon.
This was at the CBS Grand Central location, where, for this occasion Studio 41 and 42 were combined to handle the coverage. I, along with many others, had always thought the Mark IVs came into service around 1962, just before CBS moved to the Broadcast Center in 1964, but obviously not.
In addition to the two big studios at Grand Central, CBS had about a dozen other studios in operation in NYC in 1960. They must have had at least fifty RCA TK10s, 30s and 11/31s, in use in the city, but the TK10 and TK30 debuted in 1946, with the TK 11/31 coming along in 1952, so at age 15, most of their fleet was getting long in the tooth. (All were equipped with 3″ Image Orthicon tubes).
I suspect Grand Central, Studio 50 and 52 were the first to get the new cameras.
The Marconi Mark IV began use in the UK in 1958, sporting a 4.5 inch Image Orthicon tube, which had been developed by RCA in 1947, but was perfected in Europe by Marconi and EEV around 1955. I think the first use of the 4.5″ tube was in the Marconi Mark III.
With RCA’s eye on color television, it is easy to see why their addition of the TK12 in 1960, (which later became the TK60), was not a high priority, and they seemed to play catch up not only in the introduction, but in working out a few bugs, including overheating.
Both the Mark IV and the TK60 made beautiful pictures with their big tubes, but this was near a turning point for broadcasters. When the TK60 was reintroduced at the 1963 NAB convention, it sat next to an RCA TK41 color camera, and that was the dilemma…invest in new black and white cameras, or wait and go color in a year or two.
In 1964, Norelco helped force the issue by becoming the first alternative to RCA color, and…the race was on. -Bobby Ellerbee
Remembering Muhammad Ali…With A Special Video Clip
Remembering Muhammad Ali…With A Special Video Clip
Thanks to Glenn Mack, here is The Champ, with Johnny Carson on November 13, 1972. This was Carson’s first return to New York, and Studio 6B, since the show moved to California, so the full monologue and full Ali interview is included. -Bobby Ellerbee
Remote Broadcasts: Television’s Traveling Roadshow by Richard Wirth
Another Fine Piece On Television’s History From Richard Wirth…
My only problem with Richard’s article, is that I am ready to read Part 2 now. Hopefully, it will come soon. Thanks for the always great effort Richard Wirth! Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Remote Broadcasts: Television’s Traveling Roadshow by Richard Wirth – ProVideo Coalition
As television struggles to re-invent itself to stay relevant in a world increasingly getting their video fix from so-called “second screens” (tablets, laptops, smart phones or something not invented yet), one last bastion of broadcast television superiority is the live coverage of events. And nowada…
NBC Studio 6A…Newly Redone & Proud As A Peacock With New Feathers!
NBC Studio 6A…Newly Redone & Proud As A Peacock With New Feathers!
Here is the first look at the newly revamped studio, that is now the home of “Maya & Marty”.
Shortly after “The Meredith Vieira Show” wrapped earlier this year, the set was struck and the studio underwent a major remodeling, for the first time in many years. It was three years ago at Studios 6B and 8G were totally remodeled, and made ready for the “Tonight” show, and “Late Night With Seth Meyers”.
To Comcast’s credit, they have done a first rate job of not only making the studios first class, state of the art facilities, and adding three new control rooms, but they have also restored many public parts of 30 Rockefeller Plaza to their former glory. They did a great job of restoring of the grand staircase and rotunda on the lobby and mezzanine floors, adding the seventh floor galleries, restarting the tours and adding new tour areas and more. Keep up the good work! Thanks to Dennis Degan for the photos. -Bobby Ellerbee
June 1, 1980…CNN Debuts As The First All News Network
June 1, 1980…CNN Debuts As The First All News Network
36 years ago today, The Cable New Network went live at 5 PM with anchors Lois Hart and Dave Walker after a brief dedication ceremony from Ted Turner…you can see the first hour here.
Below are photos from our friend Jeff Jeffares taken in the days leading up to the sign on. Jeff is at the TD position (closest) in the color photo and helped install the Grass Valley 1600 shown here in the box, and the four RCA TK47s. Happy Birthday CNN! -Bobby Ellerbee
May 30, 1949…WFBM Signs On With 10 Camera Indy 500 Coverage
May 30, 1949…WFBM Signs On With 10 Camera Indy 500 Coverage
Operating now as WRTV, what is now Indiana’s oldest TV station, signed on the air on May 30, 1949 under the call sign WFBM-TV with a film documentary entitled “Crucible of Speed”, covering the history of the Indianapolis 500.
Here’s where it gets interesting…that documentary was followed by the inaugural live television broadcast of the now famous race, with the 10 custom cameras the WFBM engineers had built for the occasion. About half were later sold to area stations.
If anything is a 10 camera shoot, it’s the Indy 500! Kudos and congratulations to those engineering pioneers. -Bobby Ellerbee
NBC New York: Radio City TV Studios & Theaters Chronology 1935 -1956
NBC New York: Radio City TV Studios & Theaters Chronology 1935 -1956
This is the first ever, known, chronological listing of the conversions of NBC’s Radio City studios. Included in this exclusive Eyes Of A Generation time line, are the outside performance theaters, and their conversion dates to NBC Television theaters. This compilation gives us the clearest and most concise guide yet to the production and technical operations of television’s early days, and the network that pioneered so much of the new medium.
As we have only recently learned, many shows were done as “remotes” in NBC radio studios with in-house mobile camera units, and predate the official conversion date which signifies when each studio had a major overhaul to install lights and control rooms.
For instance, it is known that “The Voice Of Firestone” was telecast locally from 8H as early as 1943. It was first seen on the NBC Television Network in April 1944 and continued occasionally until January 1947, as an in-house remote as 8H was not converted till 1950, and with the size of the orchestra and audience, that was NBC’s only studio big enough to handle the show.
Eyes Of A Generation, would like to offer a huge thanks to the many past and present NBC people that helped, but most especially to Frank Merklein (NBC 1947-1961) Joel Spector (NBC 1965-2001), Dennis Degan (NBC 2003 to present), historian David Schwartz (GSN) and Gady Reinhold (CBS 1966 to present) for their first hand knowledge and help. Bobby Ellerbee
1st Television Facility and 1st Studio Converted
Studio 3H…1935 (Became 3K September 12, 1955):
3rd Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza (Converted from Iconoscope cameras to Image Orthicon cameras around April of 1946. “Howdy Doody” was done here).
2nd Television Facility
5F… Film/Telecine 1936 : 5th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza
2nd Conversion and 2nd Studio
Studio 8G…April 22, 1948 : 8th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza
(First broadcast May 9, 1946 when it was still a radio studio, show was “Hour Glass”).
3rd & 4th Conversion and 3rd & 4th Studios
Studios 3A and 3B… Summer of 1948 : 3rd Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza (3B used before 3A. “You Are An Artist” with Jon Gnagy, and “Television Screen Magazine” were the first shows from 3B, in November of 1946).
5th Conversion and 5th Studio
Studio 6B… June 8, 1948 : 6th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza
(First broadcast June 8, 1948, “Texaco Star Theater”).
6th, 7th & 8th Studios (Studios A, B and C, F was film/telecine)
Uptown Studios December 1948 : 105 E 106th St
(NBC announced the Dec 48 opening in a “year end wrap up” press release. “Camel News Caravan” came from Studio C).
9th Studio
International Theater…January 29, 1949 : 5 Columbus Circle
(First regularly scheduled broadcast of “Chesterfield Supper Club” with Perry Como, September 8, 1949. January 29,1949 debut of “Admiral Broadway Review”, this was also the home of “Your Show Of Shows”).
6th Conversion and 10th Studio
Studio 6A…May 29, 1950 : 6th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza
(First use December 24, 1948, fifteen minute simulcast “Chesterfield Supper Club” with Perry Como, first use as TV studio, May 29, 1950 debut “Broadway Open House”).
7th Conversion and 11th Studio
Studio 8H…January 30, 1950 : 8th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza
(November 29, 1943, “Voice Of Firestone”, covered as a remote with Iconoscope field cameras, local WNBT. NBC Television Network did April,1944 VOF remote here. Debut as a TV studio was “Robert Montgomery Presents”. 8H went color in the spring of 1963 when the 4 RCA TK41s from The Ziegfeld Theater were moved here).
12th Studio
Hudson Theater… Sept 25 1950 : 145 W 44th Street
(First broadcast, “Kate Smith Show” debuted Sept 25, 1950. This was also where “Tonight” started, with Steve Allen).
13th Studio
Center Theater…November 25, 1950 : 1230 Sixth Avenue
(Simulcast of ‘Voice Of Firestone’, new home debut after move from 8H for conversion).
14th Studio
New Amsterdam Theater…September 19, 1951 : 214 W 42nd Street (First broadcast April 9, 1950, Bob Hope’s first NBC special, covered as a remote)
15th Studio
Colonial Theater…November 8, 1952 : 1887 Broadway
(“Your Show Of Shows”, one time event November 8, 1952. First live use of NBC’s first color facility, no color burst on broadcast, back and white only except for closed circuit engineering loop. Historic colorcasts did not start till August 30, 1953).
16th Studio
NBC 67th Street Studios (A, B, C, D) 1953-1961 : 101 West 67th Street (First use, WNBT’s local broadcast, “Steve Allen Show” fall of 1953, pre “Tonight”).
17th Studio
Studio 5H…December 1953 (Control Center) : 5th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza (Built for use as an assignable control room and ingest of feeds from multi remotes)
18th Studio
NBC Brooklyn Studio I… November 12, 1954 : 1268 East 14th Street (First use, “Satin And Spurs” color spectacular starring Betty Hutton).
19th Studio
The Century Theater…June 1, 1954 : 932 Seventh Avenue at West 58th Street (Broadcasting Magazine date. First show may have been “Mr. Peepers”. First known broadcast was October 2, 1954 with debut of “Imagine Coca Show” here).
20th Studio
Zeigfeld Theater…Sept 22, 1956 : 1347 Sixth avenue and 54th Street (“Perry Como Show” debuts in color from this newly converted for television theater. A few years later, 1961, Como moved to Brooklyn, and the color cameras went to Studio 8H in 1963).
21st Studio
NBC Brooklyn II…Fall 1956 : 1268 East 14th Street
(First use, “Esther Williams Aqua Spectacular”, November 29, 1956. The famous buried swimming pool, built just for this special was under floor of Studio I).
May 29, 1950: Dual Debut! “Broadway Open House” & NBC Studio 6A
May 29, 1950…Dual Debut! “Broadway Open House”, NBC Studio 6A
When 30 Rockefeller Plaza was dedicated in November of 1933, the sixth and seventh floors were empty. The only thing in this space was the raw infrastructure and some work lights, and the elevators didn’t stop there till 1941.
In 1933, television was still in the infant stages, but this space was left empty just in case it decided to grow up, or radio took off. As it turns out, radio took off, and with 8H and 8G the only theater style radio studios in the building, NBC went ahead with plans to build two big radio theaters on six and seven, but with a design eye toward television eventually catching up. World War II was on the horizon, and just a month before Pearl Harbor, 6A and 6B were finished. Perfect timing!
But…the timing wasn’t exactly all due to NBC’s crystal ball! In 1940, an impatient landlord threatened to turn the vacant floors into the worst possible acoustical neighbor of all…a bowling alley, unless NBC followed through on their studio plans.
NBC Radio Studios 6A and 6B began operations in early November of 1941. At this link is RCA’s first article on the new studios. This 9 page description of the mirror image studios includes many rare details of the look, the design and acoustical properties and several one of kind photos. This is from the RCA Review, dated January 1942.
As we now know, before many of the NBC radio studios were converted to television, which meant adding lighting and a control room, NBC had roving in-house mobile units consisting of 3 TK30s each, and mobile lighting. The Camera Control Units were rolled into the studio sound locks, and cables ran to remote trucks in the basement for switching, then back to Master Control.
The first known television show from, then radio studio 6A, was a “Break The Bank” simulcast October 5, 1949. It is possible that some of the “Chesterfield Supper Club”, fifteen minute broadcasts came from here in 1948.
The first broadcast to originate from 6A as a television studio is was the May 29, 1950 debut of “Broadway Open House”. Although it debuted there, I think it moved to 6B soon after.
There is a long list of shows from here, but the stand outs are “Jeopardy” in the 60s, “What’s My Line” and “To Tell The Truth” in the early 70s, and of course “Late Night With David Letterman” from ’82-’93, followed by Conan O’Brien as host. Letterman had been in 6A even earlier hosting the short lived mid morning “David Letterman Show” in 1980.
As for “Broadway Open House”, well, that was television’s first foray into late nights, and the Slate article linked below, will fill you in on a lot of background.
On the photos, I’ll add extra info, so be sure to check those out too. Happy Anniversary to Studio 6A, which has just been renovated, and is the new home of NBC’s new prime-time variety series, “Maya & Marty”. The show, starring Maya Rudolph and Martin Short, debuts on Tuesday, May 31, and promises a frothy mix of sketches, celebrity guests, music and other performances. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/television/2015/05/broadway_open
_house_1950_the_first_late_night_show_was_insane_and_we_ve.html
Although this is the debut night of “Texaco Star Theater” in 1948 in Studio 6B, the debut of “Broadway Open House” in Studio 6A would have looked almost like this, when it debuted 2 years after 6B was converted.
Studio 6A as it looked in 1961
“Broadway Open House” host, Jerry Lester at the end of the center camera ramp.
From the 1980s, here is a layout of 6A and 6B.To help you get your bearings, the stage is always to the left end and audience area is always on the right end in both A and B.
Until just a few months ago, “The Meredith Vieira Show” was done in 6A. IT was there for 2 years, and followed “Dr. Oz” in this space. Oz is now taping in ABC’s TV 1. (More recently, Jimmy Fallon is using this studio during Covid lockdown and 6B is being used by SNL for about half the band.)
6A Vieira Show
Conan set in 6A
6A Conan stage
May 27, 1972…George Carlin Debuts The Infamous “7 Words” Sketch
May 27, 1972…George Carlin Debuts The Infamous “7 Words” Sketch
44 years ago today, George Carlin’s now-legendary, “7 Words You Can Never Say On Television” sketch from the “Class Clown” album, was performed in concert for the first time. It was an instant hit!
A few years ago, Carlin discussed this in an interview for the Emmy TV Legends bio series, and the video is linked above. The 4 minute XXX rated clip is not for the faint of heart, and the list is at 2:57. Carlin’s perspective as a true wordsmith, and his context is fantastic as always.
On his next album, 1973’s “Occupation: Foole”, Carlin performed a similar routine titled “Filthy Words”, dealing with the same list and many of the same themes. Pacifica station WBAI broadcast this version of the routine uncensored on October 30 that year, and a complaint was filed by a listener with the FCC.
Following up on the complaint, the FCC proceeded to ask Pacifica for a response, then issued a declaratory order upholding the complaint. No specific sanctions were included in the order, but WBAI was put on notice that “in the event subsequent complaints are received, the Commission will then decide whether it should utilize any of the available sanctions it has been granted by Congress.”
WBAI appealed this decision, which was overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a 2–1 decision on the grounds that the FCC’s definition of “indecency” was overbroad and vague, and thus violated the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech.
The FCC in turn appealed to the Supreme Court. The United States Department of Justice intervened in the case, supporting Pacifica’s argument that the FCC’s declaratory ruling violated the First Amendment, and that it also violated the Fifth Amendment in that the FCC’s definition of “indecency” was too vague to support criminal penalties.
In follow-up rulings, the Supreme Court established the safe harbor provision that grants broadcasters the right to broadcast indecent (but not obscene) material between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am, when it is presumed many children will be asleep. The FCC has never maintained a specific list of words prohibited from the airwaves during the time period from 6 am to 10 pm, but it has alleged that its own internal guidelines are sufficient to determine what it considers obscene.
The seven dirty words have been assumed to be likely to elicit indecency-related action by the FCC if uttered on a TV or radio broadcast, and thus the broadcast networks generally censor themselves with regard to many of the seven dirty words. The FCC regulations regarding “fleeting” use of expletives were ruled unconstitutionally vague by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York on July 13, 2010, as they violated the First Amendment due to their possible effects regarding free speech.
At “Saturday Night Live”, some of these words have always had a way of just popping into a live show…especially the F word and here’s a brief F’ing history of those “special” moments.
During a sketch in 1980, Paul Shaffer said “f****n'” instead of “floggin'”; in 1981, Charles Rocket, said “I’d like to know who the f**k did it” during a “Who Shot JR?” parody, and on the same night Prince sang the lyric “Fightin war is such a f****n’ bore”; in 1990, singer Morris Day of The Time said “Where the f**k did this chicken come from?” and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith sang “feedin’ that f****n’ monkey on my back” during their performances.
In 1994, Michael Stipe of R.E.M. sang “Don’t f**k with me” and Adam Horovitz of Beastie Boys sang “So won’t you f****n’ listen” in their performances. In 1997, Norm MacDonald accidentally said, “What the f**k was that?” after flubbing a line during “Weekend Update”. James Hetfield of Metallica sang “F**k ’em man, white knuckle tight” during their performance in 1997. In 2009, Jenny Slate accidentally said, “You know what, you stood up for yourself and I f**king love you for that.” Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
The Reason For Experimental TV, Involved Consumer Protections…
The Reason For Experimental TV, Involved Consumer Protections…
On July 1, 1941, the era of commercial television began in the US, when NBC’s W2XBS became WNBT and CBS’s W2XAB became WCBW. (Until 1946, network flagship radio, or television stations could not be named after the network).
It may surprise you to know that during the experimental period, the amount, and content of newspaper and magazine advertising by television equipment makers was closely controlled by the FCC, but they had a good reason.
The FCC felt that there was too much difference in the way many companies wanted to push forward, and to keep the public from buying a set that could be obsolete in just a few years, they had to kept a lid on the influence these manufacturers had, via their advertising. It worked.
For instance, RCA wanted to keep the 441 lines scanned per second system they had been using, but Dumont and Philco wanted 600 to 800 lines of resolution.
While trying to throttle back ad claims, the FCC created the NTSC, or National Television Standards Committee, which was made up of members from all the companies. It was their job to settle, for once and for all, just what the standards would be. In March of 1941, they issued their report which which set the standard of 525 lines of resolution, with 30 frames per second, an aspect ratio of 4:3 and audio transmitted via FM.
While we are on the subject of consumer protection, this is the perfect place to take up the importance of the “compatible color” issues that faced the industry, and involved similar problems as the committee had faced with black and white television.
In January 1950, the NTSC was reconstituted to standardize color television. CBS had the mechanical wheel, Field Sequential System, and RCA had the all electronic Dot Sequential System, and as you know, there was a huge fight, and decisions from the courts.
In December 1953, the NTSC unanimously approved what is now called the NTSC color television standard, which is based on the RCA Dot Sequential System. The “compatible color” standard retained full backward compatibility with existing black-and-white television sets, with color information added to the black and white image by introducing a color subcarrier.
As we get closer to July 1, we’ll take a look at more of the history surrounding this giant step in television. Enjoy and share. -Bobby Ellerbee
Picture Parade…A Random Walk Through Some Interesting TV History
Picture Parade…A Random Walk Through Some Interesting TV History
There is more on each photo. Enjoy! -Bobby Ellerbee
Believe it or not, these RCA TK41s above were still in service at WRC in Washington in 1972…and why not? They made great pictures.
From 1931, a rare NBC Blue Network (radio) custom mic I have never seen before
CBS drama king Worthington Minor producing “Studio 1”
Senator Everett Dirksen (seated) on “Meet The Press” at WRC
NBC Studio 6B, “Tonight” show taping with Johnny Carson in one of the audience monitors.
1945, RCA Image Orthicon prototype camera at Madison Square Gardens, shooting a rodeo which was broadcast to area veteran hospitals.
May 24, 1974…The Last “Dean Martin Show” Aired On NBC
May 24, 1974…The Last “Dean Martin Show” Aired On NBC
To celebrate 9 years of first class television, in spectacular living color, here’s an hour’s worth of highlights from Producer/Director Greg Garrison, with a great, rarely seen 8 minutes of Jonathan Winters ad libbing his way through an attic (11:42).
There’s also Lena Horne, Goldie Hawn, Bing Crosby, Don Rickles, Ann Margret, Bob Newhart, Jimmy Stewart, Joey Bishop, Orson Wells, Dom Deluise, Glenn Campbell and more.
It was in the 9th season that the variety show began to morph into the “Celebrity Roast” shows, which ran another 10 years, at first on a weekly basis, and later monthly, and then as specials. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Just for you, Perples Chermpiern. To cheer you up. Must’ve been hard being the “I’m teeeeeeeellin’!” taddletale kid who had no friends and for the life of hi…
May 23, 1964…And Away We Go…From NYC To Miami Beach
May 23, 1964…And Away We Go…From NYC To Miami Beach
Jackie Gleason’s last show from his longtime home, at CBS Studio 50 in New York (now The Ed Sullivan Theater), aired May 23, 1964. After the summer break, the show debuted from The Miami Beach Convention Center on September 26.
Below is a photo of Jackie, and well known gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, on the train from New York to Miami. Gleason had done another famous train trip from NY to LA, and like this one, it was a non stop party all the way. This was not just a press junket though…now, the whole train was theirs and carried the entire show, the crew, writers, their families, and even all their furniture, to the Magic City.
Also shown here is a ticket to the taping of the show in NYC that answers some questions. From 1952 until 1957, “The Jackie Gleason Show” had been live on Saturday nights from Studio 50, with the exception of the 1955 season, which was the famous 39 episode filmed run of “The Honeymooners”.
Ed Sullivan’s Sunday night hit, “Toast Of The Town” had started in 1948 at the Maxine Elliott Theater (also known as CBS Studio 51), but moved to Studio 50 in January of 1953. With Gleason live Saturday nights, and in camera rehearsal Thursday and Friday, that only gave Sullivan all day Sunday to rehearse and camera block. At times, there were some difficulties with such a short time to rehearse for their Sunday night show, but everyone was a pro, and knew what to do, so things worked out.
Gleason went on hiatus from ’57 till his return in ’62 with his Saturday night “American Scene Magazine” show, but by then two things had happened: Sullivan was using both Saturday and Sunday to rehearse, and since Jackie’s departure, videotape had become a standard medium. That meant camera rehearsals were no longer a problem, and unbeknownst to most of his adoring Saturday night television audience, Jackie was going his show “live to tape” on Thursday nights at Studio 50. -Bobby Ellerbee
Television’s Oldest Surviving Color Videotape…May 22, 1958
Television’s Oldest Surviving Color Videotape…May 22, 1958
This is the dedication of NBC’s new studios for WRC Radio and TV, it’s owned and operated station in Washington DC. President Eisenhower is on hand for the occasion, as are David and Robert Sarnoff, and many distinguished guests.
NBC’s David Brinkley narrates much of the opening minutes which gives us a good look at Studio A, while Eisenhower is getting a tour of the engineering facilities from Sarnoff.
As you’ll see, mostly from 4:28 – 6:00 and again from 9:30 – 10:30, there are black and white cameras in the studio alongside two new RCA TK41s. Their four black and white cameras are in use mostly to cover the arrival and dignitaries, but when the speakers start, their job is done and the TK41s take over.
At 14:50, Robert Sarnoff pushes a big button to make the switch from b/w to color, which is when the color burst is added to the signal. This rare Quad tape restoration to D-2 digital tape was done by Ed Reitan, Don Kent, and Dan Einstein in July of 2006.
For the behind the scenes story on the restoration and some interesting photos, go to this link…
http://www.quadvideotapegroup.com/EiesnhowerQuadRestoration.htm
Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
May 22, 1950…The Start Of Late Night TV…Almost
May 22, 1950…The Start Of Late Night TV…Almost
The man circled in this photo is Don “Creesh” Hornsby. NBC’s Pat Weaver choose Hornsby to host network television’s first late night show called “Broadway Open House”. The show was scheduled to debut at 11 PM, on May 22, 1950 from NBC Studio 6B.
In the book “Fight For Tonight,” by Ronald L. Smith, he writes: “Hornsby was the ‘wild and crazy’ man of his day, a cross between Steve Martin and Pee-Wee Herman. He had a penchant for put-on humor and odd slapstick stunts. His antics included magic, piano playing, squirting customers with dry ice and shouting “Creesh!” as he magically pulled brassieres out of women’s blouses, or cranked up a machine on stage that spewed potato chips.”
Hornsby’s local daytime TV show in California had a kind of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse set. There was a lot of thrift-shop garbage strewn around and in moments of hysteria, Hornsby would start talking to a large prop grandfather’s clock – which would talk back.
Bob Hope was a fan of the wild comedian, calling him “a bright new talent, a guy who is going to have a big future.” I think Hope is the person that told Pat Weaver about him, after Pat mentioned he wanted to do a late show. NBC signed him to a five-year contract in April of ’50.
Everything was going well for young Creesh. He was 26, moving to New York with his wife and kids, getting ready for his debut as the host of a late night TV show, but sadly, here is the May 22, 1950 headline from Variety: “Don ‘Creesh’ Hornsby Dies of Polio Attack On Eve of TV Preem.”
The premiere of the show was postponed a week, until May 29th. Guest hosts were called in, and for the first few months, Dumont’s Morey Amsterdam hosted “Broadway Open House” Monday through Wednesday, with Thursday and Friday handled by Jerry Lester.
Lester had recently walked off Dumont’s “Cavalcade Of Stars” over a pay dispute. He had hosted the show in it’s second year, but when he left, a comedian that was totally new to television took over. Lester’s replacement was Jackie Gleason.
Had Don Hornsby have lived, who knows how he may have shaped the future of late nights? To bad we never had the chance to find out. -Bobby Ellerbee