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The First CBS Color Trucks…Circa 1966
I’m not sure if our friend Dave Minott was involved in building this first CBS Labs Color truck, but he was there for all the rest. The cameras (with no cables attached) are newly delivered Norelco PC60s. This is quite interesting and I hope those of you that worked on these trucks will chime in with your stories. Enjoy and share!
CBS Washington had a fleet! When I got there in 1977 we had Mobile Unit 1A&1B for news events and sports. Also MU 5A&5B used for news. These trucks went to China with Nixon. We had a truck dedicated to lighting equipment. A generator truck. Our last production truck was MU 10. We also had at least 2 microwave trucks then later 2 satellite trucks.
Now we can put a broadcast video studio in a Mini Cooper…
one line in the film clip reminded me of talking to someone from CJOH when they were showing off their mobile unit at the Ottawa Exhibition one year. They also were using the Philips cameras, but the person explaining the setup said that they had to rebuild the control units to make them small enough to fit their unit which they built in a standard Intercity Bus. I wonder if Philips and their US subsidiary Norelco spent too much effort on the camera heads and made a extra large control unit?
Brought to you in living… Black and White!
I recall seeing remote trucks like this one parked behind CBS Television City until the Network decided to hire outside companies to provide facilities at events. The small square buttons on the switcher look like those I have seen on pieces of CBS custom-built equipment at Television City and the Broadcast Center.
If I recall, I think this truck played a small part in the movie “Black Sunday”.
just can’t picture an engineer in a suit!
A B&W history of color mobile units with guys wearing suits! Things have changed 🙂
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