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Early 60s news broadcasters switching to different sources

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I wondered if anyone could explain this. When watching footage of live news broadcasts from the early 60s, I notice each time they switch to a new source...live to film, film back to live, from New York studio to DC studio, from network to affiliate, etc., as the switch takes place, the horizontal hold goes berserk for a second or so before (or as) the new source comes up on the screen. I've seen this from different networks, different local affiliates.

The best example is an extended overnight showing of the 20th anniversary of the JFK assassination coverage from WFAA that I recorded. But I've seen it in other places.

From an engineering standpoint, what is happening that caused this and what was perfected years later that brought us to what we see now...a smooth, instantaneous switch from one source to another?
 
I have a 1970 NFL broadcast from CBS that does the same thing - when they switch from the commercial break (presumably NY master control) to the game site, the picture "rolls" for a few seconds.
 
The answer to both of these is the issue of "sync". Everything within a certain broadcast operation was timed where every monitor, VTR, camera and control console hit line #525 at the same instant and operated in lock-step with one another. When switched in live-time between one source and another in-house, there was little, if any, jump between sources. However, when live-switching to another broadcast operation that was not in sync to the local control, the picture would "jump" to the sync of the system switched to. In normal operation, this was done while both signals were "in black" so that the jump would not be obvious to viewers. However, when events were not conducive to putting both signals in black for the switch, they just had to endure letting the public see the re-syncing live on the air.

Later . . . .
 
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