-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Question relating to NBC Radio Network on 22 November 1963 (JFK)
- Thread starter Ultimajock
- Start date
Not sure about all this criticism of NBC. They had an actual correspondent in Dallas that day, whereas CBS only had a stringer (Dan Rather). Robert McNeil's line about Jackie Kennedy's "blood red roses" is often used.
Rather had been hired by CBS at this point but was a newbie. He was assigned to produce-coordinate coverage from the local affiliate. More senior correspondents (Rather was still a "reporter") were in Dallas to cover the presidential trip.
This is worth a listen and watch. WTIC, Hartford hosts it's regular "Mikeline" talk show, where callers call about everything from sanding a piece of furniture to the best way to trim a maple tree, along with turkey gravy recipes, while all of the events are taking place in Dallas. The on-air talent and callers are oblivious to the fact that the President had been shot, and (as the timeline on the video points out), other stations and networks were on the air with coverage. We might hear the only real-time reaction to the news, as a caller goes on the air to attempt to give her recipe, and can't. It's a well-put together video, by the son or grandson of one of the people you hear on the air.
https://youtu.be/S1K5KqRW9qw
https://youtu.be/S1K5KqRW9qw
In the early 60s, WCAU aired a two hour newsmagazine from 5pm to 7pm called "Evening Edition" with Taylor Grant, in many ways a precursor of "All Things Considered. On November 22, 1963, WCAU pulled out of the CBS network coverage to cover the story locally. Here is the audio link...
http://jfk-assassination-as-it-happened.blogspot.com/2012/03/wcau-radio.html
http://jfk-assassination-as-it-happened.blogspot.com/2012/03/wcau-radio.html
IIRC it's the son of one of the people who worked at WITC at the time. And when they get the news of the then attempt(it was before President Kennedy died) the shock of the caller was unmistakably present.This is worth a listen and watch. WTIC, Hartford hosts it's regular "Mikeline" talk show, where callers call about everything from sanding a piece of furniture to the best way to trim a maple tree, along with turkey gravy recipes, while all of the events are taking place in Dallas. The on-air talent and callers are oblivious to the fact that the President had been shot, and (as the timeline on the video points out), other stations and networks were on the air with coverage. We might hear the only real-time reaction to the news, as a caller goes on the air to attempt to give her recipe, and can't. It's a well-put together video, by the son or grandson of one of the people you hear on the air.
https://youtu.be/S1K5KqRW9qw
Harry Reasoner anchored Friday night's coverage after Cronkite's expanded evening news broadcast (6:30-8pm)
Coverage was continious, but not through the night except for NBC which stayed on the air all Sunday night and through Monday morning, it's cameras focused on the line of mourners in the Rotunda of the capitol.
The only interruption …
… was an off-screen announcer (Jim Hartz?) every half hour giving the estimated number of people estimated to have gone through the doors at that time.
Audio was live pick up from inside the rotunda. You could hear the sound of foot shuffling as the crowds came through. At some point Bobby and Jackie came (according to William Manchester) came to the Capitol. Don't know for certain if the guards cleared the place for them, or if NBC's camera (probably a pool camera) caught their visit.
Friday and Saturday night NBC-TV closed with the presidential seal and the National Anthem. Frank McGee read an emotional essay before the sign-off Friday night.
Harry Reasoner anchored Friday night's coverage after Cronkite's expanded evening news broadcast (6:30-8pm)
… was an off-screen announcer (Jim Hartz?) every half hour giving the estimated number of people estimated to have gone through the doors at that time.
Audio was live pick up from inside the rotunda. You could hear the sound of foot shuffling as the crowds came through. At some point Bobby and Jackie came (according to William Manchester) came to the Capitol. Don't know for certain if the guards cleared the place for them, or if NBC's camera (probably a pool camera) caught their visit.
Friday and Saturday night NBC-TV closed with the presidential seal and the National Anthem. Frank McGee read an emotional essay before the sign-off Friday night.
Harry Reasoner anchored Friday night's coverage after Cronkite's expanded evening news broadcast (6:30-8pm)
That was on the CBS Television Network. This is about radio coverage. Early on, CBS Radio coverage was with Dallas Townsend.
That was on the CBS Television Network. This is about radio coverage. Early on, CBS Radio coverage was with Dallas Townsend.
Alan Jackson also was on the early CBS radio coverage. Jackson was the one who gave the 1st net alert bulletin and 11 minutes before CBS TV reported President Kennedy was dead announced that Kennedy had died. Link to WCCO coverage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKonJj5E7uc
Last edited:
This was interesting. You hear people trying to do their best as news is coming in and they don't really know what to do but wait and see what happens next, but everyone handles the situation professionally. Even some good music that I enjoyed. And, yes, an immediate reaction from someone living a normal life and then getting this shocking news and reacting pretty much how one would expect. I'm curious to know what was meant by "the newsroom". Obviously they didn't switch to this but gave all the responsibility for communicating the information to those who were there.This is worth a listen and watch. WTIC, Hartford hosts it's regular "Mikeline" talk show, where callers call about everything from sanding a piece of furniture to the best way to trim a maple tree, along with turkey gravy recipes, while all of the events are taking place in Dallas. The on-air talent and callers are oblivious to the fact that the President had been shot, and (as the timeline on the video points out), other stations and networks were on the air with coverage. We might hear the only real-time reaction to the news, as a caller goes on the air to attempt to give her recipe, and can't. It's a well-put together video, by the son or grandson of one of the people you hear on the air.
https://youtu.be/S1K5KqRW9qw
The Friday night coverage, following an extended CBS Evening News, was anchored by Harry Reasoner.
That afternoon, both ABC and NBC went live to their Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate studios within the first hour after the shooting. It was two hours later before we finally saw Dan Rather's face from the KRLD studios. Also, both CBS and ABC took the live KRLD feed from the Trade Mart with Eddie Barker reporting several times during the first hour while NBC never switched there at all...even though the network had access to the feed. IMHO, you have to give the nod to WFAA/ABC for the best initial coverage for before the president's death was even announced they had eyewitness interviews with the Newman family, an interview with Bert Shipp who was out filming at the Trade Mart and Parkland, the KRLD feed from the Trade Mart, along with videotape of the arrival at Love Field.
Rather was not a stringer
Dan Rather was nopt a stringer, but a full time CBS News Correspondent in November of 1963. He ran the network's southern bureau and was in Dallas to coordinate coverage of the Kennedy visit. Also in Dallas at the time were White House correspondent Robert Pierpointy and correspondent Nelson Benton. Both Pierpoint and Benton reported live on radio from Parkland Hospital and Pierpoint described as it happened, JFK's body leaving the hospital.Not sure about all this criticism of NBC. They had an actual correspondent in Dallas that day, whereas CBS only had a stringer (Dan Rather). Robert McNeil's line about Jackie Kennedy's "blood red roses" is often used.
I posted what I did in response to someone else's comments about the TV commentators. I know this is about the radio coverage.
Dan Rather was nopt a stringer, but a full time CBS News Correspondent in November of 1963. He ran the network's southern bureau and was in Dallas to coordinate coverage of the Kennedy visit. Also in Dallas at the time were White House correspondent Robert Pierpointy and correspondent Nelson Benton. Both Pierpoint and Benton reported live on radio from Parkland Hospital and Pierpoint described as it happened, JFK's body leaving the hospital.
Not quite. He was a full time employee but not yet a correspondent. His title was reporter and on that day he was acting as a producer.
Interestingly, Eddie Barker said on-air and over the network that Kennedy was dead. Rather phoned in that Kennedy was dead. Cronkite kept calling these "unconfirmed," as well as a flash from the AP. Only when UPI said Kennedy was dead, did Uncle Walter say he was dead. Once a Unipresser; always a Unipresser. NBC was mostly going with the AP. After he got the UPI flash, is when Cronkite took off his glasses and seemed to tear up - even though he had been relaying these "unconfirmed" reports for more than half an hour. Seems like Cronkite's show biz instincts took over at that point and he went for a dramatic moment.
Last edited:
Dan Rather was a CBS News correspondent at the time of the assassination. He himself has said numerous times that he was a correspondent. He was referred to ON-AIR as correspondent Dan Rather by Walter Cronkite, Charles Collingwood and Harry Reasoner on the Tv side and by Alan Jackson, Dallas Townsend and Richard C. Hottilet on the radio side.
Back to radio aspect of the coverage …
On CBS Radio, when the UPI bulletin comes in, Alan Jackson seems to heave a big sigh, then reads the text with the preamble, "Ladies and gentlemen, the president is dead." He finishes the flash, there's a pause, then someone tries to roll some music, playing at the wrong speed. He is also the one who pauses, then skips over the earlier wire service report that Cllint Hill said to Scotty Reston, "He's dead."
On ABC, stalwart Don Gardner reads the flash, says, "Let us pray," silent pause (which sounds edited in on the version I've heard), then turns it over to Quincy Howe for comparison to other assassinations.
NBC Radio had Edwin Newman reading takes as they were fed to him. He gets the one about the "two priests who were with President Kennedy say he is dead," drop his voice in volume and says, "I will repeat that, with the deepest regret, two priests who were with President Kennedy say that he is dead." (Emphasis mine. Does anyone remember if they were carrying TV audio at the time the official announcement is made?
And which network (I think NBC-TV) that reported the first official White House confirmation of the death was a shot of the flag being lowered to hast-staff.
On CBS Radio, when the UPI bulletin comes in, Alan Jackson seems to heave a big sigh, then reads the text with the preamble, "Ladies and gentlemen, the president is dead." He finishes the flash, there's a pause, then someone tries to roll some music, playing at the wrong speed. He is also the one who pauses, then skips over the earlier wire service report that Cllint Hill said to Scotty Reston, "He's dead."
On ABC, stalwart Don Gardner reads the flash, says, "Let us pray," silent pause (which sounds edited in on the version I've heard), then turns it over to Quincy Howe for comparison to other assassinations.
NBC Radio had Edwin Newman reading takes as they were fed to him. He gets the one about the "two priests who were with President Kennedy say he is dead," drop his voice in volume and says, "I will repeat that, with the deepest regret, two priests who were with President Kennedy say that he is dead." (Emphasis mine. Does anyone remember if they were carrying TV audio at the time the official announcement is made?
And which network (I think NBC-TV) that reported the first official White House confirmation of the death was a shot of the flag being lowered to hast-staff.
After Newman gave the bulletin you describe NBC Radio then quickly picked up the NBC-TV feed while Frank McGee was talking to Robert MacNeil on the phone (repeating MacNeil's words and unaware that they had fixed the technical trouble and MacNeil's voice could be heard on the air). That was after Bill Ryan had first read the same bulletin Newman did for the TV audience.
More radio coverage of the JFK Assassination has surfaced with lengthy recordings from WNBC-FM, WABC-FM and WCBS-FM during the weekend in thirteen parts on YT. Some of it duplicates material already circulating but there is some important new material:
This segment contains the final missing portion of NBC Radio material from 11/22 that wasn't on the archival set of discs or the ones from WTIC-Hartford. The segment is from approximately 12:15 AM to 12:40 AM on the first day during NBC's final hour on the air.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXa3s1AIq3c
Parts 6, 7 and 4 (they were uploaded out of proper sequence) contains ABC Network material from WABC-FM from Day 3 coverage (11/24) at 12:03 AM to 1:52 (following a switch from WNBC-FM). The overnight coverage is co-anchored by local WABC-TV anchor Bill Beutel and another man whose name I couldn't make out. Earlier coverage in the day from ABC's description of the procession from the White House to the Capitol is replayed. Uncut ABC Radio coverage had only been available for the first five hours of 11/22.
Parts 8 through 11 is CBS Radio coverage of the procession to St. Matthews Cathedral, the funeral and the procession to Arlington and the burial. We had NBC Radio coverage uncut only for this previously. Neil Strawser anchors CBS Radio coverage.
There are station IDs for the NY stations at various points in the recordings. Quality is outstanding.
This segment contains the final missing portion of NBC Radio material from 11/22 that wasn't on the archival set of discs or the ones from WTIC-Hartford. The segment is from approximately 12:15 AM to 12:40 AM on the first day during NBC's final hour on the air.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXa3s1AIq3c
Parts 6, 7 and 4 (they were uploaded out of proper sequence) contains ABC Network material from WABC-FM from Day 3 coverage (11/24) at 12:03 AM to 1:52 (following a switch from WNBC-FM). The overnight coverage is co-anchored by local WABC-TV anchor Bill Beutel and another man whose name I couldn't make out. Earlier coverage in the day from ABC's description of the procession from the White House to the Capitol is replayed. Uncut ABC Radio coverage had only been available for the first five hours of 11/22.
Parts 8 through 11 is CBS Radio coverage of the procession to St. Matthews Cathedral, the funeral and the procession to Arlington and the burial. We had NBC Radio coverage uncut only for this previously. Neil Strawser anchors CBS Radio coverage.
There are station IDs for the NY stations at various points in the recordings. Quality is outstanding.
- Status
- This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.