A Rare Look Inside CBS Studio 33…The Cronkite Newsroom
Although Dan Rather was now the anchor, Studio 33 is where Walter Cronkite first reported from, when they moved to the Broadcast Center in 1964.
Prior to the move, the newsroom and set was on the 23rd floor of the Graybar Building which was next to Grand Central, and the show was switched out of the old Studio 42. About a year after this video, the news moved to Studio 47.
The cameras here are Hitachi SK 110s and show us how frantic the pace is just before and during air. Stuffing a day of the world’s news into 22 minutes is not an easy task, and back then, the news was real news…not what we settle for now. By the way, this space is now occupied by CBS Radio. -Bobby Ellerbee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaLwvDsplMI
It’s Hari Kari Time
And of course, the Greybar Building was forever immortalized in comedy circles as the headquarters for Bob & Ray’s advertising company, Goulding-Elliott-Greybar!
Interesting the director wasn’t wearing a P.L. as opposed to talking into a goose-neck.
Our news in Amarillo, Texas at KFDA-TV, early 1960’s was affectionately referred to as “The Hassle”. We didn’t say 10 minutes til news, we said 10 minutes til The Hassle.
And that very same control room, with all new modern equipment, is now the home of 60 MINUTES.
In 1978, I took a private tour of the CBS Broadcast Center. Here’s my photo of the two Norleco PC-60’s used in the CBS newsroom where Walter Cronkite broadcast the Evening News:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisdegan/515362711/
On a vacation to the Newseum in Washington, DC in 2013, I found one of the CBS Evening News cameras on display, tucked away in a small alcove:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisdegan/9507516444/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisdegan/9504721377/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisdegan/9504721755/
The cameras the SK110, was built to cbs specs. The switcher was the Vital 114. Used throughout the broadcast center and TV city. When our station in waco bought a 114 the demo for the switcher was to watch the price is right. They used every effect on it and the squeezezoom dve.
I just watched the sept 11 tape and talk about live news. I still remember where i was when that happened