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The Golden Years of Broadcasting: A Celebration of the First 50 Years of Radio and TV on NBC
Over 260 illustrations (64 in color) are accompanied by details of your favorite NBC television and radio Groucho Marx, Liza Minelli, Jimmy Durante, Johnny Carson, George Burns, and many more. Foreword by Bob Hope.
- GenresNonfiction
256 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 9, 2020
Published in 1976, I should have prepared myself for the disappointment. I have worked in radio, off and on, for more than 50 years. I was hoping for more about radio in this book. I was very disappointed that author Robert Campbell didn’t take us a little further into NBC Radio. While the 1960’s was long past its heyday, NBC’s efforts to recreate that golden era via its weekend Monitor programming generates special memories for me.
I must admit that the disappointment I feel is greatly self-inflicted. I have usually seen NBC as the “third network”, rarely viewed. In reading about NBC SPORTS, I recalled a book about sports television written nearly 50 years ago by William Oscar Johnson. In it was a wonderful chapter, with a moment by moment rundown of the Heidi Game debacle, November 17, 1968 on NBC. I also recall Johnson writing about the network’s effort to secure the rights to the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. The officials from Mexico City were curious as to why the NBC negotiators put so much emphasis on their “bowel games”. Indeed, NBC SPORTS has risen in prominence since then, the sole carrier of the Olympics for at least a quarter century.
I thought Campbell spent too much space describing the daily activities of the staff of NBC Nightly News and NFL broadcasts, especially as much of this is extremely dated.
Campbell twice misquoted Neil Armstrong’s words as he stepped onto the moon. No excuse for that.
As this is what is called a coffee table book, I would have liked more pictures and less text.
Two stars waxing
I must admit that the disappointment I feel is greatly self-inflicted. I have usually seen NBC as the “third network”, rarely viewed. In reading about NBC SPORTS, I recalled a book about sports television written nearly 50 years ago by William Oscar Johnson. In it was a wonderful chapter, with a moment by moment rundown of the Heidi Game debacle, November 17, 1968 on NBC. I also recall Johnson writing about the network’s effort to secure the rights to the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. The officials from Mexico City were curious as to why the NBC negotiators put so much emphasis on their “bowel games”. Indeed, NBC SPORTS has risen in prominence since then, the sole carrier of the Olympics for at least a quarter century.
I thought Campbell spent too much space describing the daily activities of the staff of NBC Nightly News and NFL broadcasts, especially as much of this is extremely dated.
Campbell twice misquoted Neil Armstrong’s words as he stepped onto the moon. No excuse for that.
As this is what is called a coffee table book, I would have liked more pictures and less text.
Two stars waxing
June 12, 2021
This is another of my thrift store finds and I am pleasantly surprised with it. Published in 1976 it celebrates the 50th anniversary of NBC. It traces the history of the company from radio to television.
While it is an interesting piece of pop culture and it is chock full of full color photos expect period typical racism. There is one picture of people in black face and some discussion of Al Jolson- I wasn't horrified by it, but I didn't want to see it either. I didn't exactly sit down and read this carefully so I expect there would be more examples in the text.
While it is an interesting piece of pop culture and it is chock full of full color photos expect period typical racism. There is one picture of people in black face and some discussion of Al Jolson- I wasn't horrified by it, but I didn't want to see it either. I didn't exactly sit down and read this carefully so I expect there would be more examples in the text.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews