I also have been getting an active X control message when I go to the site. I did have some repair work done on my machine, and suspect that the security level may have been increased, what do you think? and then I have not been able to open up the audio file which was supposed to be attached to the item below...........
Sunday, December 30, 2007

Attached is the announcers voice from a 1950 episode of the Vaughn Monroe Show as broadcast from CBS Studio 58 in New York, but he never identified who he is. Does anybody recognize the voice? Feel free to pass it along to others who may help solve the mystery. More mysteries coming soon!

For those who can't seem to open the video or audio, you are probably
missing the Apple quick Time player. It can be downloaded (for free) from:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/

Dave

Someone just reminded me of the New Year's Eve that Roy Jackson was to follow the ball down in Times Square.
Roy widen for the shot but the know-it-all Director told him he wanted a tight shot & not to move until he told him to do so.
Roy complied and held that tight shot all the way from the top to the bottom
and CBS was the only station in the world on which no-one saw the ball drop...........................
Question: What year was that?

Goody

David DeNiear,

I worked with your Dad during the '50s. He was one of three cameramen on Bob Daileys crew and was one of Bob's best people. He was low key and professional. Flamboyant he was not. Good he was! This crew worked the ED SULLIVAN show at the height of its popularity. Try GOOGLE box on first page of this website. Enter BOB DAILEY for info on the kind of people your dad worked with.
You would be proud of your Dad.
To those who knew Walter, please help this lad out.
Cordially,

Frank Novack

Attached is the announcers voice from a 1950 episode of the Vaughn Monroe Show as broadcast from CBS Studio 58 in New York, but he never identified who he is.
Does anybody recognize the voice?
Feel free to pass it along to others who may help solve the mystery.
More mysteries coming soon!


Dave Schwartz

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Another "what is it and who invented it?"from Harold Deppe...

I remember something like that in Red Steiger's film record area. I was told that is was a dryer for the B&W film recorder
designed so that you could examine the film as it went through the loops after coming out of the developer.
As I recall Stan Greene gave the system away, much to Red's chagrine, since he was still using it for special projects
.
Goodman Freed

Hi David,
Although I worked at the Broadcast Center in NYC from 1970-2001, I did not know
your father, however, I have posted your request on the website, so keep your eyes
open and check it from time to time to see if there are any replies.
Dave Minott
Webmaster
www.cbsretirees.com

My name is David DeNiear. My father was Walter DeNiear. He was a camera man for CBS from the 1950's to 1975,
when he passed away just before filming the 1975 Thanksgiving football game in St. Louis.
I was only 14 at the time.
I would like to find out any information on how I can research about my father's career with CBS.

Thank You,
David DeNiear
rkymntryder@gmail.com

Sand Hill Cranes are large impressive birds. Here in Cypress Lakes there are generally 2 to 4 of them around all year and they tend to make their way around the community, probably looking for someone to give them something to eat.
From my perspective, they are very stoic, quiet and unafraid of humans. Occasionally, if you hear one "honk", it is very loud. If you approach them, they slowly walk away keeping their distance unless you have some bread to offer.
They are something to see in flight with their large wingspan.
One thing about feeding these birds. It's best not to do it. If you choose to feed them, rest assured they will return the next day looking for you and another handout. If you continue feeding on a regular basis then quit. Don't be surprised if your patio screen is torn to shreds as they try to seek you out.
This is a photo of my son Scott feeding a couple of them for one day only. They did return the next day but we ignored them in order to stay out of trouble.

Lee Levy

Many retirees may lose benefits from employers
Read this article!

NY Times Article

Dave

Sure I remember Dennis Maitland. I was working RADIO in the mid 50's out of 485 Madison Avenue with the studio building around the corner. Dennis was sent up to us to learn???
He and Bern Bennett shared a common enthusiasm; it wasn't boats.
Bern's boat was named LICKITY SPLIT....
Dennis and Bern Bennett left CBS and went to Hollywood.
Some years later I was with a bunch down in Houston for yet another shoot.
A group got together to see a movie and guess what? A loud cheer went up when Dennis Maitland's audio credit came up on the crawl.
Since then I have noticed the name on a few shows with credit as audio. Dennis must have established a dynasty.

Harry Peterson

I am beginning to have some second thoughts about the DENNIS MAITLAND piece. Too risque??? libelous??? Perhaps if we cut
"IT WASN'T BOATS" the curse could be removed????

Harry Peterson

I HOPE NOVACK IS OLDER THAN 79..
Regards,
Harold Deppe

Theres a tonk game I will never forget.
I was in a game where I could do nothing wrong, until this one hand
when I was delt four kings. Dennis Maitland (remember him?) had four spades.
I raised and advised him not to call because the odds he could beat me were very great.
He called and drew a belly card for a straight flush.
That was my last card game at CBS.

Cal Marotta

Al Cafiero,

I had quintuple bypass surgery 5 years ago and still feel good enough to keep up with contributions on this website,
however my denture maker says I have the bones of a 79 year old man.
Best wishes and regards,
Frank Novack

Find that 79 year old man and give him back his bones...
Dave

Here is a video provided by Brad Cheney, showing the first, modern mobile TV vans.
This was the project that I worked on back in the mid to late '60s at CBS Labs in Stamford, CT.
If you look closely, you will see the "Ground Fault" indicators in the van and on the external connector panel.
I designed these long before the current (no pun intended) solid-state versions were designed.
I was also responsible for the load balancing, intercom and RF remote head designs.
This was my first real "engineering" job, and I was very happy with the outcome!
Dave
Click on the arrow to start.
Give it a chance to get past the golf in the beginning, or move the slider!

What is going on every one that still can use a computer is alive.
Is it.......
#1 Steroids....
#2 Scotch
#3 Nothing else to do
#4 Christmas Spirit
Who cares! Let's keep it going....its great.

Regards,
Harold Deppe

Here is a "Golden Oldie" courtesy of John Wells.
This was a remote in Stowe Vermont, many years ago.
You'll recognize Al Cohen and many others!
Use the controls, if you wish.
Dave

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the (in)famous Tonk games
played in the Tech Lounge at the B.C!
Dave

harry peterson

More fly boys with me as a passenger
Gary Friedman: where is He now? Still towing banners?
Jim Tonn
Ben Ackerman
Lloyd Blackledge who did his famous 'scare the passenger stall' over the Verazzano Narrows bridge.

Good grief Deppe: look what you started NOW !!!
Harry Peterson

Old Op Sheets

Here are some old Op Sheets (c.1959) supplied by Gady Reinhold.
Click here--> http://www.cbsretirees.com/Op-Sheets/page1.html

Harold Schutzman

Dave Schwartz;

I don't remember when Bern Bennet left N.Y. and went to hollywood
but the voice sounds like Bern to me.

Harold Schutzman

Harold Deppe

I Remember going to Fred Degenhart's home, but I can't remember the year.
He had a movie theater in his house and we saw a movie... 16 MM.
Remember ... Bob Wilson, Orvil Sather, Jim Tonn, Bruce Meyers, Fred Reinhart,
Jim Fowler, Ernie Lowe, Eric Harris... where are they..????
Regards,
Harold Deppe

Harold Deppe

I Remember John Halpin. He was an Airplane Pilot. I met him at an airport
on Long Island. He took me and my son up for a ride...
then shut the engine off and said don't worry, we do this once in a while...
Oh to be Young again.
Harold Deppe

Attached is the opening to the 1970 CBS Variety Show "Happy Days". I am trying to identify whose voice this is. If you have any ideas let me know and feel free to pass the attachment to anyone who may help. The show was taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood.
Dave Schwartz

Above is an embedded audio player.
to listen, click on the right-facing triangle. Click on the loudspeaker
to access the volume slider. Play with the other controls
to familiarize yourself, as we will be having more audio
to listen to in the future! Dave

Deppe

It is great to see so many People again on this Website. Good to see John Koushouris back.. John tell us about your Days at ST. 72 In one of the Photos of the Christmas Party there was a Paul Degenhart.. would he be any Relation to Fred Dagenhart of C.B.S. T.V.R. many Years ago? When we were at Grand Central Studios and J. Koushouris was Supervisor of Video Tape.. Boy that is a long time ago.;B ut remember it like it was Yesterday..
Best Regards.... And Happy Hollidays.
Harold Deppe.

Yes. Harold, Paul is Fred's son! I still remember Fred, as well.
Dave

Joe Janofsky,

I enjoyed your recent contribution re: John Halpin and the early T.D.'S. John and I worked video together on "STRIKE IT RICH and the "BIG PAYOFF." He had just started to delve into hypnosis and we were his subjects. He even hypnotized me through that great notice " checks are here!" then brought me out of that sleepy state. Some might say I still have not come out of it. I believe John put up a shingle as a practicing hypnotist.
Some other Technical Directors I have not seen mentioned but whose crews worked big shows:
Charlie Lyons (Godfrey)
Al DiCaprio (Fred Waring)
Ben Russ
Paul Hale
"Everything's covered, can I go home now?" usually addressed to Frances Nakamura at scheduling by techs with crossed fingers assigned to lounge.
Small buckets with ice hooked underneath RCA TK-30 CAMERA HEAD
fans when studio conditions got too hot.
Regards,
Frank Novack

Cafiero

Hi gang!
I am being confronted with a very difficult decision that I am sure some of you must have already faced. Last Friday, I was in Englewood Hospital for an Angiogram. They found that I have 3 arteries that are considerably blocked and a damaged mitral valve.Within the next few weeks, I will need to decide if I should go ahead with a triple bypass and valve repair or do nothing. By doing nothing, I will be severely limiting my scope of activities. On the other hand, there is some risk with an operation of this type.Except for my heart, I am in very good health. Several months ago, I went for a root canal where the dentist told me that I have the bones of a twenty-year old. MEANWHILE Holiday Greetings from the Cafieros.

Al

Hi Al,

All I can tell you is that my Father-in-law was in a similar situation about two years ago.
He was 90 years old at the time, and being healthy, he opted for a triple bypass and a valve replacement at St. Francis Hospital here on Long Island.
Happy to say all went well, and he is now having the time of his life at an assisted living establishment, where he is dancing, shooting pool and being "pampered" by all the
widows! If you decide to have the surgery, we will all be "pulling" for you!
Dave

2007 Xmas Party

Here are some pictures of the 2007 Video Maint. Xmas Party.
Please supply missing names, wherever possible. Thanks!
Click here to go to the new album http://www.cbsretirees.com/2007-12-20-CBS%20Xmas%20Party/page1.html

Koushouris

With the WEB'S new surge of energy (ALL THANKS TO HAL DEPPE) the one name that cries out for mention was the patron saint of the remote crew:
B L A C K S A M.

I had, and still have, the greatest respect and regard for my good buddy SAM LEVIN. For those of you who remember him, sing out a yarn or two about him, as there are many, and pay a little tribute to him. (The first on the list to respond should be another classic Pioneer, who kind of invented Sam, and that was the incomparable BOB WILSON)

John Koushouris

Cal Marotta

Studio 50 used to be called Playhouse 3. It was a radio studio that could seat an audience. I remember a show called "Major Bowes amateur hour" which was broadcast from there. Frank Sinatra got his start from that show.
The control rooms were split with video and production on one side and audio on the other. Later, they modified it and put the control room in back of the studio. The audience was fascinated with the camera movements, and production felt it was a distraction, so they put walls around all the cameras with a hole in front so the lens could stick out. Still later they built a runway from the control room to the stage to accomodate a Houston dolly.
The video racks were downstairs and the remote controls were at the main control room so one videoman stayed downstairs (me) and Paul Lannini did the actual video upstairs.
It was my job to color match all the studio monitors as best as I could. They all hung from the ceiling so I had to climb a ladder for each one. the floor sloped toward the stage so I fell a few times.
Charlie Grenier was our TD and he was some piece of work. He would come out to the runway during set up and I could imagine him thinking "Who is the weak link and how can I get rid of him"
I hope my rambling has enlightened you a bit. All the old guys know all about what I have said and could probably correct me on a few things.
Playhouse 3- studio 50 - the Ed Sullivan theatre - was opened in the early 30`s.

Cal Marotta

Harold Schutzman

Hi Dave

A Carl Prince ( and me) story:

It was a Thursday morning. Remember we used to get our paychecks on Thursdays.
The Field Crew was assigned to go out to a Race Track to remove cables except me.
I was assigned to do a show at BC. Carl Prince asked me to get his check and cash
it for him at the storefront extension of the bank around the corner. They knew us there. Carl went in and told them I would do it. I got his cashed in PENNIES. I put this large heavy,envelope on Bob Wilson's desk. When the crew returned that afternoon
Carl picked up the package. He never said a word. I knew he was working on a plan.
Several weeks later The crew was assigned to an Arther Godfrey Remote in Lake
Placid. Carl placed an ad somewhere That I was interested in buying skis, but call me
after 12:00 midnight. I MUST HAVE GOTTEN AT LEAST 10 CALLS IN THOSE FEW WEEKS. After midnight.

Harold Schutzman

Seeing that it is the holiday season, those of us outside of your CBS family would enjoy hearing stories or sharing memories of any Christmas programs produced by the talented New York crews.


Gosh, I sure miss those great Christmas specials the networks used to do. All we are left with these days that's worth watching is the 1965 Charlie Brown Christmas!


On another note, I was watching a David Letterman re-run last night...and they are digging deep these days with the writer's strike--and it reminded me that there have been several requests on this Web site for stories, memories and photos from any of you who worked in Studio 50 aka The Ed Sullivan Theatre. I got to thinking last night as I watched Dave and Oprah walk through the lobby of the theatre that perhaps 50 is one of the oldest continuously operating broadcast studios in the US--is it not? Perhaps it shares the honor with Studio 8-H over at NBC. I am sure someone out there can say for sure.


Happy Holidays!
JR Smith
Scottsdale, AZ




John Smith
ProAds, Inc.
Creative Strategies for Retail Results
Phone: (480) 459-5699
Fax: (480) 668-3122
Visit us online at
www.proadsinc.com

Janovsky

Hi Dave,
Merry Christmas! I hope you are well. Do you think I can get in on this
latest nostalgia kick? I remember walking on those glass catwalks in Grand
Central at daybreak, and seeing rats bigger than cats crawling all over the
loading platforms. As for names--who can ever forget the "colonel", Fred
Hough, in Telecine Maintenance? Johnny Halpin and his many conquests;
Perry Bromfield prophesizing Kennedy's death in office even before he was
nominated; Jay Jack Howerton touting Halliburton stock (I lost money on that
one); Bert Grady, Phil Goetz, Jack Hagarty, Al Sabin, Bob Heuberger, George
Keck, Tiny Servoss, etc., etc.
I started at CBS toward the end of 1953, and they had me going around to the
various shows, observing. One of the shows I observed was "I Remember Mama"
out of the old 42. It so happened that the air-conditioning failed and the
studio became unbearable until some enterprising individual(s) came up with
a bunch of galvanized laundry tubs filled with ice, and an appropiate number
of electric fans to blow the air over the ice onto the set. Now that has
got to be an outstanding example of "the show must go on".
For Harold Deppe: I spent 2 1/2 years at the Empire transmitter, what would
you like to know? That's a great building, the Empire State.
Regards to all, Joe Janovsky.

FORGOTTEN IS IS ONE OF GREATEST PRACTICAL JOKERS OF ALL TIMES, CARL PRINCE. HE WOULD WORK ON GAGS FOR WEEKS. THERE ARE SO MANY TO REMEMBER... I WILL WORK ON THEM ONE AT A TIME AT DIFFERENT INTERVALS--I AM SURE THIS WILL RECALL MEMORIES FROM OTHERS--FUNNY 'CAUSE THEY ARE ALL TRUE--YOU COULDN'T MAKE THESE UP! THEY INVOLVED AL BRESSAN, BOB DAILEY, WALTER PILE , MYSELF AND MANY OTHERS FROM THE FIELD SHOP.


SID KAUFMAN

Gady

Hi;
I could not get to the party this year. Ruth just had some knee surgery but is doing well. I have been keeping up with the site and think it's great. As I have told you before, when I was a kid I ran around all the studios in town and though I have only worked at the BC I am familiar with all the old locations. I have lots of old scripts and op sheets in my collection as well as old operations and cost manuals going back to the 50's. I will send 4 sample pages from an op sheet of June 3, 1959. I hope they will be of interest to the group and bring back some stories. I also have letter from John Wray who was the first director of Sullivan. He invited me to a rehearsal of Sullivan in 1959. He was a very gracious man. I spent time in the control room and met Marlo Lewis and Charlie Grenier. I also remember going to The Garry Moore Show on Tuesday night. What fun. I remember the director was Julio DiBeneditto. I never heard of him again. If anyone has stories about working of Sullivan or Garry Moore or any stories about Studio 50 I would love to hear them. Although I have been at CBS for almost 42 years I am very jealous of those who came before me because they were there for the great live shows.

Gady

Marotta

No I never worked at the transmitter.
That was Joe Marotta
He almost did`nt get hired because they thought he was related to me.
A no no at the time.

Cal Marotta

Harold Deppe.

Yes, Ben called Master Control  At Grand Central  One Night ..
and said on his scope He sees a glitch in the waveform.
He was told no one was watching this program on a scope.
Now, it seems, no one cares; Is that good or bad ?
P.S. Cal, Did You ever work at the transmitter at the Empire State Bldg?
Regards,
Harold Deppe.

Cal Marotta

I remember one time Ben Ackerman called me from his home to tell me that I was riding my levels too low. He had a scope wired to the incoming signal off air.

Cal Marotta

Peterson

It must have been in 1985 after I had retired when I convinced myself that I wanted a bike so dutifully took the 'how to survive on your new bike' course and with my HONDA 450 ventured forth.
It was great fun; a ride to Alaska with bunch of Germans was the tops. A couple transcontinental trips; very nice even with sunburned hands?
Then a flat tire at night, in the rain in a not so great part of PATERSON N,J. on Route 80 sort of twisted my thinking a bit. Suddenly air conditioning and windshield wipers become my new standard. Now at age 80 I remember but don't want to go back...
harry peterson

Goody

The story with the motorcycle reminds me that there were a number of our brothers who were riders. Like Al Cohen (VT Maint) the motorcycle rider.  I seem to recall a story that to save time & money going to work he purchased a cycle.  Planned his route meticulously, really shined up his new ride & when the special day came he jumped on his bike & took off for work, got about half a mile when he was attacked by a dog. After kicking & scrambling out of its reach he turned around, went home & placed a FOR SALE ad on the bike.  Then there's Helmut Haub (our own Evil Knievel), genius & biker who bought a motorcycle from some Hasidim in Borough Park Brooklyn.  And, Scotty Etheridge who passed much too too soon. He loved his hog.  Our guys are very diversified, it ain't just TV.

Goody

And let's not forget Tony Alred (Control Maint.) who bought a shiny new cycle,
built homemade saddlebags out of Plexiglas! and on his second trip to the B.C., he hit a bump and the Plexiglas all came apart and he lost everything he had in the saddlebags! He kept on riding, though... until he got tired of it, then bought a brand new shiny YELLOW Cadillac!

Dave

Deppe

I do not remember any G.E. Color Cameras at CBS Studios.
The G. E. Cameras I worked with were; Film Chains at 57st...4 Vidicon..
Sorry don't remember the Maint. Men..... never worked at the Remote Studios.
 P.S. CBS is a BIG Network... are we the only few of the Old Gang left that send this stuff in ?   If so, pretty soon we will Fade To Black...
How much can we remember ? There was... Jim Tonn, Eric Harris,  E. Lowe...

   Regards,
   Harold Deppe

Schutzman

Jay Chicon;

On Nov.11, 1951,  my first day at CBS, I was sent up to 109th. & 5th. to
play record on "The Egg and I" and after lunch to do the same on "Mike and Buff".

For Cal Marotta;

I believe that they were GE cameras. I'm trying to remember the names of the two maintenance men. I think one was Chedester & the was Carr. Harold Deppe will remind me. There were two crews alternating the weeks' shows. One was Dick Crane and the other was Bob Hart who left CBS. Pappy Treat took his place.

Harold Schutzman
PS: How could I have forgotten good old staid  TED MILLER  in the previous TD list.

Deppe

Dave;

I and Joe Geiger went every Morning across from Grand Central..
To Chock Full Of Nuts for coffee. The Girl would ask what will you have..
  It had been Summer Time... Ben would say... we just came in to keep Cool
  He also would draw Circuits on napkins..  are there any more like Him Today??
P.S. Chock Full Of Nuts did not have Table Cloths so it was napkins..
There are many more stories about all of us and CBS. Lets Hear Them.

Harold Deppe..

Deppe

Harold Schutzman;

Boy who can forget Ben Ackerman ..not even.. Dave Minott.
I worked with him at the Grand Central Studios....He was something else..
But knew his Electronics;      came to work with his motorcycle...
Put it in the Elevator and brought it up to the 3rd floor Shop......
Then there was Jerry Martin.. Al Sabin ..Art Tinn ..
Who remembers that old saying at CBS ...Every things covered...
  ....    can I go Home now,,
Regards till Memory comes back..
Harold Deppe.

When I worked at the labs, I would occasionally go out to lunch with
Harvie Schwartz and Ben Ackerman. Ben would start scribbling schematics
on the table cloth, and when we were ready to leave, he would take the tablecloth with him!

Dave

Chicon

Who remembers?

The CBS-TV studio at 109th Street & 5th Ave. called "Peace House".

Techs were allowed cab fare to and from the location. I worked on "Rod Brown and

The Rocket Rangers" and "Mr. I Imagination" with Paul Tripp from that studio.

For those curious or interested, I found an old B&W Kinescope recording of the show at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R_kyaqohJc&feature=related

Jay Chichon

I remember (Mama):
"Mr. I-magination, the man with the magic reputation."
Dave

Schutzman

 Harold Deppe & et al

Who remembers

Herb Donnelley's outrageous doings. He would corner someone in the shop
and tell them to "Quick jump into the hamper",  Some did and he would
lock them in.
The Al Diamond & Jim Murphy team's antics on a soap.
Apollo Telaporus's run-in with Dr. Goldmark over camera shading with
the field sequential system.
Ben Ackerman's work on the corner wipe.
Al Charters & Stan Mitchell.
Howard Porter holding court in basement maint. shop in Liederkranz.

 Harold Schutzman

Cal Marotta

I remember Hugo Ripp during a b&w show out of Father Divines (109 st. & 5th,ave). One of the terrible cameras, whose make I can't remember, broke down. Hugo tried to fix it but couldn't. At the time.He became so frustrated he kicked it and it worked again.Many years later at one of the retirement lunches, which he almost never came to, he reminded me of the incident and I told him the camera worked because it didn't want to be kicked again. He said he wished he knew he had that talent because there were several people he wanted to kick over the years.

Cal Marotta

Me

Hi Harold,

I remember most of that, although I only started at the B.C. in 1970.
I can add a few... How about VideoScene?, 7' tall Frame Sync - now shrunk to less than one rack unit! Conrac monitors, Control Room faders that were servo driven, Bunker Ramo Drum memory computers, P.C. room Klaxons, Frezzi packs that weighed a ton, etc.

Dave

Deppe

Hi..

Before This Website goes to sleep again ..lets talk about some of the old equipment.
Remember when a Video Tape Head had to be sent with the show from Hollywood.?
The Iconoscope Film Cameras could not go to Black
Pulse Lights in 35 mm  Film Projectors...  and Their problems.
When Rain Effect was made with Sand Paper in the Telop ..Who remembers the Telop ?   The Giant R.C.A. T.K.41 Color Camera
Vidicon Valley....Flying Spot Scanners. Racks of  Equipment for One Video Tape
Recoder..   Thats the early Days of Television .   . Today its a Computer..
Now I know how Mr. Kalmus would feel had He been alive when Eastman Color Film
was Developed  Mr. Kalmus... Inventor of Technicolor Film Process..
Best Regards  and Merry.....  I guess its Happy Hollidays now.. to All
Harold Deppe..

Novack

Prior to assignment to help build CBS/W, I worked with Hugo and Adrian Ettlinger installing the PC control rooms at the Broadcast Center. They were the geniuses that solved the problems. I went along for the ride. I could make them both laugh in imitation of Hugo encountering a problem with his own inimitable " vat da hell is going on, hyar." Change the HELL to HEAVEN. That's where you will find Hugo now.

Frank Novack

Campins

 I was with the Labs from 1965-1975 and at High Ridge Rd, Brown House Rd and also at High Ridge Park. I worked for Jim Rosecranz and then, Bob Webster later.
It is good to have some one and some place to recognize people who gave so much to the industry that is now taken for granted as a commodity.
Peace,
Frank Camps-Campins

Deppe

Harold Schutzman..
   
Yes I remember Carol Reed ..She did the Weather with a Black Board and Chalk.
Today its all Computers ,,,After She did the Weather She passed the maint.Shop.
And said to us as She left....Have A Happy.. It made our night....
She was a nice person .Its nice to remember the past times.. lets keep it going..
  I remember at Color St.72 Hugo Ripp replacing a Tube circuit in an Encoder
with a Transistor ..Remember a Transistor was somthing new..
I Wonder how many People remember Hugo..
Regards
Harold Deppe

I remember Hugo very well. I worked with him quite often, and found him to be a very level-headed and dedicated Engineer. I also worked with Henry Korkus at that time, and was one of the only ones that could communicate with him near the end. Before his tragic death, he could basically only communicate with the computers... sad story.

Dave

Camp-Campins

I don't know if you are aware, but Tom Acito died last week. I believe he was at a Veteran's Hospital. You can get more information by calling his widow, Marge at 718-549-1768.
I was with CBS Labs for 10 years as Director, Facilities Operations, and worked with Tom on many projects. He was a consummate perfectionist and did an outstanding job on anything he turned his mind too especially a/c systems and their controls.
Please follow up and get the information for the web site.
Frank Camps-Campins, Surf City, NC

Harold Schutzman

Harold Deppe

Weather people:
Carol Reed ( she married Ham O'hara the sound effects tech), Gordon Barnes. Then there was Pete Reed, Al Bresson, Art Shine, Bobby Miller,
Buell Tayler, Forest Bishop, Henry Ziffer

Harold Schutzman

Deppe

The Scenery Moved from the Trucks to the Third Floor Studios
  at Grand Central..it.Was Block and Tackle lifted up ..
Elevator not Big enough,,Where are you People that were there ???
Do you remember the Kodak Display at the main floor??
The Name of the Weather Person..?
Frank Fink.. Bruce Meyers..
And most of all the good old days of working for C.B.S.Lets hear it.....
Regards
Harold Deppe

Jim Herschel

Dave,

    I remember talking to Jim McQuiston of CBS Facilities Engineering several years ago about the tracks below Broadcast Center.  He told me those were old unused railroad tracks that connected to the West Side Freight Yards.  Perhaps the old station referred to was an old underground freight station for the building's former tenants.  I don't think the NYC Subway tracks ever went  that far west in Manhattan but I could be wrong.

    I also recall that CBS had a storage facility across the river in New Jersey where various program media were stored.  What happened to this facility I do not know? Maybe this tidbit will jar someone's memory.

Jim Herschel

Jim Herschel

The "prototype PC 70 Cameras" Harold Deppe referred to were actually PC 60 Cameras built by Phillips in Eindhoven, Netherlands.  These were a European version of a Plumbicon Color Camera. By the way, it might be of interest to some that the Plumbicon tube was not a Dutch development.  It actually was developed at the North American Philips labs in New York State.

There never was a prototype PC 70 Camera.  Both Dick Dunn and I were working for North American Phillips in Mount Vernon, NY. where we were developing the American version of the PC 60.  That became known as the Norelco PC 70.  "Norelco" was the US Brand Name used by North American Philips.  The PC 70 had some new circuitry and the base equipment was modularized for rack mounting.  You all remember the "great east coast blackout' of the early '60's.  This is a true story.  Dick Dunn had just completed the new video card for the PC 70 and the blackout occurred exactly at the time he plugged in the video card for the first time! For years I kidded Dick that he was the REAL cause of the blackout.

Jim Herschel

P.S. The PC-70 wiring was basically all the same color... what a pain in the *** to troubleshoot!
Dave

Jay Chicon

Frank Novack,

No Frank, the Biltmore Hotel is not the one I was referring to. The hotel I was referring to was the old Commodore Hotel that had a side entrance next to the CBS loading dock stairs.

The Biltmore Hotel is  between Madison and Vanderbilt Avenues north of 42nd St.

Jay Chichon

Deppe

Cal..
  
     The Marconi Cameras I was working with were not  color ..
      They were at the Production Center 57 St ...
      They had a 4 inch Image Orthicon and the electronics were part transistor
      I also remember working on the first PC 70 Color Cameras at 57 St..
  Console... had a Wood Frame ...Sy Usem would remember.
  We had two of them. They were not production models.. 3 Plumbicons.
     I   Wish Frank Florio was still with us. He was one of the best...
        Regards,
        Harold Deppe

Novack

JAY CHICHON,
I believe the hotel next to GCT was the BILTMORE. Thanks to you and all who continue to submit their memories.
Frank Novack

Cal Marotta

I remember the Marconi cameras very well. We used them on the Ed Sullivan show and two other game shows. I think they were the finest cameras around at the time .
The four channels (red ,blue ,green and b&w) allowed you to balance the colors to an infinite level by way of a level cancellation system which used micrometer adjustments
They were the only cameras that could be balanced without the encoders in the system. The encoders were balanced separately also to an infinite degree.
They were the finest cameras I ever worked on.The pictures had the quality of 35mm film.

Cal Marotta

Domingo

I'm sorry to report that Flora Gutierrez, Dom's wife, passed away
this morning. Cards can be sent to this address:

3108 56th ave. East
Ellington FL 34222

Harold Schutzman

Cal Marotta

There is a tunnel way down below..maybe 4 floors below the basement
and a platform, similar to a railroad platform. CBS installed a generator
(maybe 15KW) for emergency power operated from TX.
During the time we were building BC engineering took Herb Gardener &
me down to show us the other end of the start-up switches.
I don't know how far it goes.We didn't see the either end.

 Harold Schutzman

Note: There IS a subway platform behind that huge sliding door where the matrons (and male equivalents?) have their vacuum cleaners and floor polishers stored.
I was down there in the early 70's and peeked behind the door with a flashlight. I could see tracks, and what appeared to be an old subway stop with the curved white tile walls and a tile station name, which I could not make out. I was told that the building was used to manufacture auto transmissions BEFORE it was Sheffield Farms. Perhaps they had raw goods and/or finished products shipped out directly using those tracks??
This looks like a good subject for a deep investigation!
Dave

Vernum

Upon returning from service in WW1 my dad was hired by Sheffield and operated a horse drawn milk wagon out of what we now call the Broadcast Center! As little kids we found it very amusing.
Bob Vernum

Cal Marotta

I was told there is a tunnel from the basement to the Hudson river that was used during prohibition.

Cal Marotta

Deppe

Harold Schutzman.

The Scenery I had in mind was at Grand Central Studios not 57st..
And more Names... Ben Ackerman..  Ed .Benford. .Herb Zvorist 
The Broadcast Center was the ( Utter Place)..
Regards,           
Harold Deppe.
P.S.  Does anyone remember the Marconi Studio Cameras.

Jay Chicon

 Harold Regarding "Scenery" at Grand Central Studios.

There were only two entrances to the 3rd Floor Studios at Grand Central. The passenger

elevators from Vanderbilt Ave. and the "Back Staircase" at the other end of the long hall

past the 3 Studios  to the maintenance shop. This staircase had an exit to the Park

Avenue ramp that went around Grand Central. There was a loading dock there and also

a side entrance to the famous old hotel that was next to Grand Central on 42nd St.

(the name escapes me).

Here is another question for you: Does anyone remember "Film Salvage"?

Jay Chichon

Me

Royce Fish has just submitted some interesting pictures of the Northern Lights. You can view them here:
http://www.cbsretirees.com/Royce%20Fish/page1.html

Dave

Harold Schutzman

Harold

The broadcast center building used to be owned by Sheffield Milk Co.
They drove the big milk trucks up to the third floor for loading.. CBS
did the same thing for scenery.

Harold Schutzman

P.S. I heard that it was originally used by the horse-drawn milk carts!
I also heard that when CBS demolished a wall they found a large stainless steel tank which was used for Pasteurizing!

You can still (occasionally) hear the forlorn mooing of a cow (as long as someone has carried the torch for Bob Myers...)

Dave

Harold Deppe

JAY,
  Yes I remember The glass.. it also let us look at the Hotel but that's another story...
I remember Pappy Treat In ST 44.. Nat Degutz;.V.Gamble( The Great White Father} Director..  Don Hewett.... The Show .."I remember Mamma" in ST.41 also "Danger"  in ST.42 and "Man Against Crime".. Ralph Bellamy ..all live  Television  St..ONE..etc..
Then we move to 57th St. That becomes Chapter 2  when my Memory comes back.
Correction ...T.V.R. was on the 2nd Floor.  Do you  Remember how the Scenery came up to the Third Floor Studios??  Lets see how many do..
Video Tape and John Koushouris later was on an upper floor..at Grand Central..
Harold Deppe.

Dave

I saw many kinescopes tossed into the dumpster.
That was back in the early 70's to the late 80's.
I salvaged four or five myself, but they were only old
news broadcasts. I mailed them to a guy on the West Coast
who transferred them to DVDs and mailed me a set,

I think he was going to use them for a documentary.
Too bad I didn't grab them all...

Dave

Gayle De Poli

I bet CBS still has Love of Life as they OWNED that show. What the soap companies did with their archives is another story. I can't believe they would destroy them prior to 1980. The library of Congress or Smithsonian's TV museum would have kept some episodes, at least.
Let me go snooping.
Gayle P. De Poli
1-646-354-1705 US mobile
1-877-840-2030 e-fax
1-203-724-2007 e-fax international

Harry Peterson

Harold and Jay,
I remember it, but the details are dimmed. It was June,1951,
my first day at work for CBS ..... RADIO. That was the day of the first sponsored COLOR television show using the CBS field sequential system. The sponsor was LONGINES WITTNAUER and the announcer was Frank Knight.
Some manufacturers had produced sets for display and they had set these up in the Radio Studio Building, studio 21, right around the corner from 485 Madison Avenue. An incredible sight; a dozen sets, or more, all producing spectacular COLOR TV pictures.
In this studio ARTHUR GODFREY would later hold court with his simulcast morning show using the NTSC system.
Radio was in the process of being downsized and in the late 50's I joined a group that was transferred to TV. Most found ourselves in videotape.
I also remember the glass walkways above the main area of Grand Central. If you opened a door behind the racks in Video Tape, on the 7th floor, you could see the light bulbs which were the stars of the constellations seen on the roof of the main room down below. Time sure does fly when one is having fun !
Harry Peterson

Harold Schutzman

Hi Dave

I guess Frank Novak & Harold Deppe lit a fuse.

I forgot what I had for dinner yesterday but I remember some of the
broadcasts I was connected with. I use the term Broadcast instead
of Show to keep with Company Policy. Some may remember
Fred Friendly, after watching in his office, storming into studio 33
and announcing "The Ed Sullivan Show is a show, News is a Broadcast".

Doug Edwards and the News  Grand Central  St. 41
After that  Walter Cronkite and the News  Control room in 41  and the Cronkite
studio in the Graybar Building on Lexington Ave. When The broadcast went to a
half hour, all in studio 41.  ( I may be wrong about the timing of the switchover)
The 6:00PM and 11:00PM local news also in studio 41 until Broadcast Center
 and then to new studio 46. Way back in the 1950s local news came out of
studio 55 Lederkrantz Hall.

How about Technical Directors
Charley Grenier,Vernon Gamble, George Keck, Frank Belcastro, Dick Crane,
Bill Guyon  Harold Clason, Gill Miller, Charley Lyons, Joe Calvanico, Lou Tedesco,
Dwight Temple, Bob Hart (spelling?). 
In Field  Sam Levin, Vernon Cheesman, Sandy Bell.
I'm sure I left out some more.  

Harold Schutzman

Jay Chicon

Harold I remember it well......Plus:

January 1950......My first day of work at CBS......Studio 42, rehearsal of "Studio One" drama program.

Crew was Bill Guyon and Hal Classon on cameras, George Gould TD, Joe Calvanico audio,

Lou Tedesco video, Dick Douglas on boom, I was right behind Joe providing the recorded

music cues from 2 RCA Turntables.

Director was Frank Schaffner. Assistant Director Lila Swift. Amazing that I remember the names.

Bob Sammon had a small office next to the maintenance shop and Telecine where they later had

the Kinescope Machines using 16mm film that was sensitive to blue light.

Grand Central Terminal was an amazing place. Remember the glass corridors that you could walk across

and look down on the huge main floor?

Jay Chichon 

Jim Moran question

My name is Jim Moran, a free-lance TV journalist who is trying to archive vintage TV soap operas for development of a website.This is an appeal to your organization's membership for contributions & leads to possible places where old kinescopes and/or video of CBS-run soap operas of the past may be found.

After having unsuccessfully tried Procter & Gamble, who doesn't have much in the way of archival media prior to 1980, and with the approaching dismantling (in 2009) of the only other website where one may view on-line TV soap operas of the distant past  (World of Soap Themes), I am trying to build another website devoted to older daytime TV drama, as an on-line repository, something that will be valuable for research as well as for those unable to visit one of the broadcast museums on either coast or in Chicago, to view episodes of the long popular broadcasting genre.

Thank you.
Jim Moran
jf_moran49@msn.com

Harold Deppe

I Remember....

The Year was 1949 Grand Central Studios New York..
Third Floor.... Telecine... Iconoscope Film Chains..Later Vidicon Chains
Shows were Lucky Pup.. Man Against Crime .. 
4th Floor Master Control ..Power Supply's for Studios.  and Film Control
3rd Floor Television Recording   16 MM ( No Tape Yet )
I also remember  Fred Reinhart,,,,Gus Klein... Joe Geiger...
  Ed.. Ring .. Harry Charles..
P.S  I am 89 yrs old and my Memory takes time out.... when it comes back ......
I hope to have more...( Not in Code )
Regards
Harold Deppe

Mini-Luncheon

Another satisfying Mini-Luncheon was had by all (13 attendees)!
We have moved our venue slightly eastward to the NEW East Bay Diner in Wantagh, NY. Unusual decor, good food and good company!
You can see the pictures here: http://www.cbsretirees.com/2007-12-05-mini-lunch/page1.html

Goody Freed

When I was working I complained that the union didn't really represent us. It seemed they had their own agenda. Unless a meeting was about a strike no-one seemed to show up for the meetings, that is to say maybe fifteen guys out of fifteen hundred.  I used to say that 1212 was run by the "Fifteen"  but in retrospect I'm was as guilty as the rest of you that didn't show up.  And, also in retrospect the Union Reps did the best they could with the backing they received.  I personally apologize for my lack of interest.  Why would I write this? Because I can see the same thing happening with these pages. There are a few that actively participate, you see their names week after week.  But, there are a lot of us out here who read these pages as if the items appear by magic & without acknowledging it, benefit in some way by the information imparted.  Many of you are highly educated, I'm not one of you, but seriously, the amount of things you could expound upon is phenomenal.  I don't mean just college educated but life educated also. Give a little back, these are your pages.  Contact each other via Email & send in some of those gems. At one time we had a CBS family, except maybe in my own family, people, communicate!  David, sorry if I'm giving you'all a lot of extra work but I look forward to these messages every week.

P.S. I would like to know how to recall the pages I miss.

Goody:
Click on the "Archives" button in the upper left, next to the "Home" button, then select the timeframe you wish to review.
Dave