RCA TK760

This camera is basically an RCA TK76 ENG camera, which RCA presented in 1976, and was re-presented again in 1977 in a field and studio configuration. Before there were large lens adaptor and large viewfinder adapters, this is how it was done. This photo was taken at Denver’s Mile High Stadium in 1978 as NBC prepares for a Broncos football game. Thanks to David Crosthwait for the picture.

Special Note 1:

Until 1975, NBC Sports used a permanent inventory of RCA TK-41 color cameras at the original Mile High Stadium in Denver. The NBC Mile High Setup was as follows:

• The operation: Unlike typical temporary remote broadcasts that used mobile production trucks, NBC kept a dedicated stash of six RCA TK-41 color cameras permanently stored directly at the stadium.
• The Timeline: The television network operated a total of five TK-41 units inside the “Denver Mile High” football facility from 1970 through 1974. (+1 for parts)
• The Final Broadcast: The absolute final time NBC ever utilized the historic, 400-plus pound TK-41 for a broadcast was during a Denver Broncos game in December 1975.

Following the retirement of the TK-41s at the venue, NBC transitioned to deploying upgraded mobile production trucks utilizing lightweight RCA TK-760 and Norelco* cameras for their subsequent Denver Broncos broadcasts.

WHY DID THEY DO THIS? East coast games have trucks sent from New York area, west coast game trucks come from Los Angeles and from the west, Denver is one of the hardest major cities for big trucks to reach because of the Rockies and early snow.

*In 1968, NBC Sports took delivery of 35 Norelco PC70 cameras for its remote trucks. If you put 6 cameras per truck, you get only 5 trucks, which could be cutting it pretty thin on very busy weekends and having a “freebee” in Denver helped a lot and took the load off scheduling to get a truck up a 1-mile climb and sometimes in a foot of snow.

SPECIAL NOTE 2:

We have it on good authority that ABC kept a TK41 truck in service until around 1981 or 82. Only ever meant to be used in a squeeze, the truck sat mostly on the east coast and if pressed into service it would most likely have been in the summer months for baseball and track meets as the only football ABC did was on Monday Nights! 

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