RCA TV station automation brochure

[old_tv_nut]

Bought on ebay, but seller did not have a date.

http://www.bretl.com/tvarticles/rcaa...20Stations.pdf

Can anyone help establish a date for this brochure and equipment?

Note cover page uses Dinah Shore as example of network program (looks like a shot for her "Dinah Shore Chevy Show," which started in 1956). Also note pictures of the automation gear on p. 6 of the pdf (pp. 10-11 of brochure), TV station gear on pp. 3 and 7 (pp. 4-5 and 12-13 of brochure); "Form TV-3259" bottom left of last page; old-style postal codes and phone numbers on last page; operates with "relay or transistor" video switcher (p. 3).

[Rinehart]

If you work from the assumption that the pictures are from NBC programs of the time, the cowboy on the first page looks like it might be Robert Horton, (see the attached photograph) who played on Wagon Train from 1958-62. I'd go for the earlier date, since the hair style Dinah Shore wears would have been a bit passe by the early 1960's. Hope this helps.

[Jeffhs]

TV network/local affiliate automation has come a long way since that brochure was published. Almost all major TV networks, as well as cable networks such as MeTV and Antenna TV, use some sort of automation system today that virtually eliminates operator errors such as were commonplace in the '60s-'70s and probably earlier. I remember one such error when a master control operator at WKYC-TV (NBC channel 3) in Cleveland must have pushed an incorrect button on a control board -- causing the local ID for NBC television station WNBC to appear between commercials on my Zenith 23" b&w console, circa early 1970s. I've never forgotten that.

I seldom see such errors lately, however, since the advent of the automated TV control room, although sometimes the automation systems get a bit too eager and bring up a network commercial when a local one is called for, or vice-versa -- although the error is corrected, again by the automation system, within seconds. There have never yet (to the best of my knowledge), however, been situations in which a programming schedule has been botched up, e. g. the system cues up and eventually airs Cannon (for example) when another program is supposed to air at that time.

I have almost never seen a huge foulup on a major network, though they do happen extremely rarely. Smaller flubs happen every now and then, though, such as one time last year when NBC's Brian Williams was reporting on something having to do with a bill the President was going to veto; I was amazed to hear Williams begin the report thusly: "President Veto -- er, Bush . . .". These are slips of the tongue, however, that are unavoidable (TV newscasters are human, after all) and have nothing whatsoever to do with the network's behind-the-scenes workings. I downloaded that flub from YouTube (as well as hearing it live on NBC News the evening it aired) and still have it (it may still be on YouTube itself); the title is "Brian Williams' hilarious faux pas." I laugh my head off every time I watch it.


I guess when a person working in TV gets to the network level, they have (supposedly, anyway) learned enough about how TV control panels and such operate so they don't make dumb mistakes. I cannot remember the last time I saw a flub on either the local NBC station's newscast or on NBC's own national broadcast. The local TV stations in Cleveland are mostly automated these days, with channel 3 tooting its own horn all the time about its "digital broadcast center" at the beginning of its local newscasts. I have yet to see flubs on this station, either, and I watch its news (and NBC Nightly News at 6:30 p.m. ET) 99.999 percent of the time.

[NewVista]

It has a distinct mid fifties look; the telephone numbers are six digit?; the video proc equipment avoids transistors except for crosspoint switching. So it's probably 1957 give or take a year.

[BrianSummers]

I would go for the late fifty's as well, I did see the "form number" at the end of the brochure, TV-3259. could be week 32 1959?

Brian

www.tvcameramuseum.org

[Rinehart]

Something I forgot to mention when talking about the "look" of the brochure, and that is the illustration is in that simple line style that UPI pioneered, but which took some time to be accepted. A book on television advertising of the time (1957) notes that there is some buyer resistance because of its perception as "neurotic" on the part of the average viewer. So a good guess might be 1958-60.

[NewVista]

Originally Posted by BrianSummers

brochure, TV-3259. could be week 32 1959?



www.tvcameramuseum.org

This is probably correct , spotting that also, I had thought the same thing but was thrown off by Dinah Shore who was cancelled in '57 but maybe that's (anachronistic) advertising clip art they used

[old_tv_nut]

Originally Posted by NewVista

This is probably correct , spotting that also, I had thought the same thing but was thrown off by Dinah Shore who was cancelled in '57 but maybe that's (anachronistic) advertising clip art they used

According to Wikipedia, the Dinah Shore Chevy Show (one hour) ran in various time slots from October 1956 to June 1963, with the Chevy name and sponsorship dropped after it was displaced by Bonanza. Those of us old enough can recall the dispute over her continued use of the "Mm-Wah" kiss-throwing sign-off to the audience, which Chevy said they owned as part of the "See the USA in your Chevrolet" jingle.

She had a 15 minute daytime show previous to the Chevy show.

That brochure number is tempting to interpret as a year and week, but I don't have any other examples to show brochures were numbered that way, and I kind of doubt it, as the brochure was not a regular production item like a tube.

[NewVista]

I notice sometimes brochure numbers incorporate a date code and sometimes they are some other obscure number. But now the Dinah Shore Chevy run aligns with "3259" as well as being some lateral cross-promotion for RCA/NBC Color programing. As for automation in the 50's, that sounds like trouble, but at least they were trying.