January 2, 1952…”Today” Show’s Full Staff Reports To Work at 4 AM
To get everyone acclimated to their new early morning schedules and ready for the Monday, January 14 debut, all writers, talent, technical and production staffers were required to report for work at 4 AM on Wednesday, January 2, 1952.
Their new home was at the recently renovated RCA Exhibition Hall space on West 49th Street, just across from 30 Rock, where the long shot photo was taken from. Preparation had begun some weeks before, with the set mostly completed by the 2nd, and staffers working daily across the street in a large NBC conference room to plan the show’s many element.
On Wednesday, January 9th, just three weekdays before the debut, dry runs began and all the images here are from that first day of rehearsals, which extended through the weekend.
There were several firsts on the show, including the use of at least two camera mounted teleprompters. Notice in the first photo, the RCA TK30 is mounted on a tripod, but this was only a temporary setup as the first two Houston Fearless PD 3 counter weighted pedestals ever made (seen in bottom photo), arrived on January 10th and were in use on the debut. The other two studio cameras were mounted on the old PD 1 Houston Fearless pedestals. The last photo shows the new PD 3 peds in use on the debut show, with our friend Frank Merklein behind the camera.
[evp_embed_video url=”http://CDN.eyesofageneration.com/Content/Daily_Posts/2017/p5117todaydebut.mp4″ preload=”none” template=”mediaelement”]
Above is the first 13 minutes of the show, and two minutes in, we see what is believed to be the first ever electronic “bug” and lower screen headline crawl. The headline crawl is achieved with the help of the Gary Telop Horizontal Tape Scroll, which used 8mm news ticker tape, like the paper tape in ticker tape machines. That effect was combined with an NBC developed electronic time display, which was a “Today” exclusive.
This original “Today” show street level studio is now part of Christie’s Auction House and a few hundred feet west of the current “Today” location in Studio 1A. Conveniently, “NBC Studio 1H”, better known as Hurley’s Bar, was just a few hundred feet west of Garroway & Company’s digs. -Bobby Ellerbee
I always cracked up at the giant microphone on Dave “How Do” Garroway’s chest.
We here in France it was not until 1984 with the creation of the private channel. Canal + to get the TV in the morning at 7am. And also for subscribers of the channel and 1985 on the 2 public service channel
It was quite the surprise to see Katie Couric’s return to the Today co-anchor chair this morning.
I remember watching these early Today shows as I got dressed for school in North Augusta, South Carolina. I think I watched on WRDW. I loved the people looking through the window or passing by. My first TV studio visit was about 1957. Our Cub Scout pack took a tour and was on TV for a local kids show. The Hippity Hop Club I think.
Thanks Kevin Campbell.
Just 64 short years ago.
Many of us remember seeing Dave Garroway on tv when getting ready for school in the 50’s
Used to watch before school.
I remember seeing the Today Show on Channel 4 in Washington when we got our first Admiral TV set in 1953. I was in the third grade at the time.
The great Harold Mofsen was the technical director on the original Today Show. “Moffie” told me that Dave Garroway invited him to visit his new abode, but only to rewire the apartment.
Was the RCA Exhibition Hall used to display the first RCA Television Sets (RCA TRK-12) in 1939????
I’ve had jobs like that, getting up at ungodly hours. Glad I work in a state office now!
I worked on the show in the 80’s and we had to be there at 1:00am. The cast and the other higher-ups came in at 4:00am.