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1952…First Nation Wide Political Convention TV Coverage
Here’s an artists animation of the NBC set up. CBS and NBC went all out to televise the Democratic and Republican National Conventions which both came from The International Amphitheater in Chicago. The new transcontinental coaxial and microwave system was completed in 1951 and this would be the first coast to coast coverage of the conventions for TV. The term “anchor man” would be invented here and Walter Cronkite was the first.
AT&T and the Bell System had some interesting equipment installed not too far from the Amphitheater on Congress Street in downtown Chicago. Only in the last few years has everyone retired and the highly secured installation retired too. That huge building was a clear shot to the Amphitheater. Microwave would have worked great. NBCs studios were north of the AT&T building in the Merchandise Mart. In the 60s,70s,80s and 90s much taller buildings were built all around the building and things were moved to the top of the Sears Tower. Control points for network football and sports along with NBCs NPS (news program service) were switched from the Mart and AT&T. NPS was fed to the 5 O&OS and affiliates after the soaps and before Nightly News. I would feed news stories into the Round Robin as we would call it.
and wasn’t in in 1956 that the famous team of Huntley and Brinkley were first put together
wow, they allowed the radio people in the arena back then
It was torn down in 1999 when the city could no longer maintain it.
Notably, it held a number of big events and other conventions as well as concerts. It was the site of one of Elvis Presley’s most notable concerts, in 1957, with the singer wearing his now legendary gold lame suit for the first time.
On September 5, 1964 and August 12, 1966, The Beatles performed at the Amphitheatre. The 1966 show was the first show on their last tour.
Is that Dick Tracy and Mary Worth down in the left corner?
Does this facility still survive?
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