September 9, 1963…”Huntley – Brinkley Report” Goes To Half Hour Format
September 9, 1963…”Huntley – Brinkley Report” Goes To Half Hour Format
A week after CBS took Walter Cronkite’s evening news show to 30 minutes, NBC followed. On that first extended broadcast, a taped interview with President Kennedy was included. These are rare photos taken that morning in the Oval Office. Much more below. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
ULTRA RARE! JFK, Huntley-Brinkley Interview In The Oval Office
At the link above are videotape outtakes, from what would be President Kennedy’s last interview on NBC.
The date is September 9, 1963, and these rare behind the scenes photos were taken by long time NBC/WRC-TV production manager, Bill Wells, and are made available to us by his friend, Tom Buckley, and the Wells estate.
As seen in these remarkable photos, NBC reporters Chet Huntley and David Brinkley sat down with the President in the White House for an exclusive interview for their program, “The Huntley-Brinkley Report”.
Kennedy stuck to outlining the policy priorities of his first term throughout the expansive interview, particularly focusing on the conflict in Southeast Asia. But he grew reflective when Huntley asked if, three years into his presidency, he found the office of the presidency unmanageable.
Kennedy gave a strikingly thoughtful, long response assessing America’s place in the world and economic issues and political roadblocks at home – essentially summing up all the challenges facing his presidency. But Kennedy ended on a hopeful and humble note, saying that the country was really managed – not by the White House, but by its citizens.
He concluded that America was making progress and said, “I think we can really look forward to the ’60s with a great deal of hope.” Tragically, of course, Kennedy would not outlive the decade for which he had so much hope, nor the the year of 1963.
In that these images are so rare, I’m sure you have friends that you would like to share them with, so please do. If you can help identify the people shown here, that would be appreciated too. -Bobby Ellerbee
When NBC actually cared about journalism.
3 cameras in that little room. Thats rich!
Thank you for sharing these excellent color stills. Were they taken by NBC News, the JFK White House, and/or a careful planner-quick thinker-history minded individual person on his or her own?
ABC News expanded to 30 minutes for its weeknight newscasts in mid-January 1967. Peter Jennings, who had anchored since Monday 1 February 1965, just after the death of Winston Churchill (the huge face you see behind young PJ on that futuristic set b&w clip sometimes shown), continued as anchor through the expansion, and until Friday 29 December 1967.
NBC News folks started actively planning for their expansion to 30 minutes no later than December 1962, based on an (Israel) Reuven Frank memo now at the LOC in DC. But the huge effort on the three-hour, prime-time civil rights documentary, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION OF ’63, pushed back the debut by one week, letting CBS News TV get the historic jump on US Labor Day 1963.
I have not yet determined during my research if any of the three news expanded to 30 minutes for some expected or sudden big news day during the 15-minute eras. If anyone knows about that, please let me and the others here know!
ABC stayed with 15 minutes for a little longer. The networks have begged for hour newscasts for years. Barbara Walters moved to ABC, partially due to such a change. But the affliates hadn’t signed off on it. They still haven’t.
Great pictures and I know most of the technicians involved…great crew.
Hello! A black floor director in 1963? In Washington, a basically racist southern town at the time.
History captured.
I was working for WCHS TV, in Charleston, WV, a CBS station the evening Walter Cronkite Evening News went from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. I remember it well. I knew it was something that would change our lives for the better.