\nRadio City Studios & Theaters 1935 -1956<\/strong><\/p>\n
This is the first ever, known, chronological listing of the conversions of NBC\u2019s Radio City studios. Included in this exclusive Eyes Of A Generation time line, are the outside performance theaters and their conversion dates to NBC Television theaters. This compilation gives us the clearest and most concise guide yet to the production and technical operations of television\u2019s early days and the network that pioneered so much of the new medium.<\/p>\n
As we have only recently learned, many shows were done as \u201cremotes\u201d in NBC radio studios with in-house mobile camera units, and predate the official conversion date which signifies when each studio had a major overhaul to install lights and control rooms.<\/p>\n
For instance, it is known that \u2018The Voice Of Firestone\u2019 was telecast locally from 8H as early as 1943. It was first seen on the NBC Television Network in April 1944 and continued occasionally until January 1947 as an in-house remote as 8H was not converted till 1950, and with the size of the orchestra and audience, that was NBC’s only studio big enough to handle the show.<\/p>\n
Eyes Of A Generation, would like to offer a huge thanks to the many past and present NBC people that helped, but most especially to Frank Merklein (NBC 1947-1961) Joel Spector (NBC 1965-2001), Dennis Degan (NBC 2003 to present), historian David Schwartz (GSN) and Gady Reinhold (CBS 1946 to present) for their first hand knowledge and help. Bobby Ellerbee<\/p>\n
1st Television Facility and 1st Studio Converted<\/strong><\/p>\n Studio 3H…1935 (Became 3K September 12, 1955): 2nd Television Facility<\/strong><\/p>\n Studio 5F… Film\/Telecine 1936 : 5th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza<\/p>\n 2nd Conversion and 2nd Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n Studio 8G…April 22, 1948 : 8th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza 3rd & 4th Conversion and 3rd & 4th Studios<\/strong><\/p>\n Studios 3A and 3B… Summer of 1948 : 3rd Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza 5th Conversion and 5th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n Studio 6B… June 8, 1948 : 6th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza 6th, 7th & 8th Studios<\/strong><\/p>\n Uptown Studios December 1948 : 105 E 106th St 9th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n International Theater…January 29, 1949 : 5 Columbus Circle 6th Conversion and 10th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n Studio 6A…May 29, 1950 : 6th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza 7th Conversion and 11th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n Studio 8H…January 30, 1950 : 8th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza 12th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n Hudson Theater… Sept 25 1950 : 145 W 44th Street 13th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n Center Theater…November 25, 1950 : 1230 Sixth Avenue 14th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n New Amsterdam Theater…September 19, 1951 : 214 W 42nd Street 15th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n Colonial Theater…November 8, 1952 : 1887 Broadway 16th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n NBC 67th Street Studios (A, B, C, D) 1953-1961 : 101 West 67th Street 17th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n Studio 5H…December 1953 (Control Center) : 5th Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza 18th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n NBC Brooklyn Studio 1… November 12, 1954 : 1268 East 14th Street 19th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n The Century Theater…June 1, 1954 : 932 Seventh Avenue at West 58th Street 20th Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n Zeigfeld Theater…Sept 22, 1956 : 1347 Sixth avenue and 54th Street 21st Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n NBC Brooklyn 2…Fall 1956 : 1268 East 14th Street
\n3rd Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza
\n(Converted from Iconoscope cameras to Image Orthicon summer of 1946)<\/p>\n
\n(First broadcast May 9, 1946 when it was still a radio studio, show was \u2018Hour Glass\u2019)<\/p>\n
\n(3B used before 3A. \u2018You Are An Artist\u2019 with Jon Gangy, and \u2018Television Screen Magazine are possibly the first shows from 3B in November of 1946)<\/p>\n
\n(First broadcast June 8, 1948, ‘Texaco Star Theater’)<\/p>\n
\n(NBC announced the Dec 48 opening in a \u201cyear end wrap up\u201d press release)<\/p>\n
\nDebuted January 29, 1949 with \u2018Admiral Broadway Review\u2019<\/p>\n
\n(First use December 24, 1948, fifteen minute simulcast \u2018Chesterfield Supper Club\u2019 with Perry Como)<\/p>\n
\n(November 29, 1943, \u2018Voice Of Firestone\u2019, covered as a remote with Iconoscope filed cameras, local WNBT. NBC Television Network did April,1944 VOF remote here)<\/p>\n
\n(First broadcast, \u2018Kate Smith Show\u2019 debuted Sept 25, 1950)<\/p>\n
\n(Simulcast of \u2018Voice Of Firestone\u2019, new home debut after move from 8H for conversion)<\/p>\n
\n(First broadcast April 9, 1950, Bob Hope\u2019s first NBC special covered as a remote. (NBC bought this from WOR who had used it for television.)<\/p>\n
\n(\u2018Your Show Of Shows\u2019, one time event November 8, 1952. First live use of NBC\u2019s first color facility, no color burst on broadcast, back and white only except for closed circuit engineering loop. Historic colorcasts did not start till August 30, 1953.<\/p>\n
\n(First use, WNBT\u2019s local broadcast, \u2018Steve Allen Show\u2019 fall of 1953, pre \u2018Tonight\u2019)<\/p>\n
\n(Built for use as an assignable control room and ingest of feeds from multi remotes)<\/p>\n
\n(First use, \u2018Satin And Spurs\u2019 color spectacular starring Betty Hutton)<\/p>\n
\n(Broadcasting Magazine date. First show may have been \u2018Mr. Peepers\u2019. First known broadcast was October 2, 1954 with debut of \u2018Imagine Coca Show\u2019 here.)<\/p>\n
\n(\u2018Perry Como Show\u2019 debuts in color from this newly converted for television theater)<\/p>\n
\n(First use, \u2018Ester Williams Aqua Spectacular\u2019, November 29, 1956. The famous buried swimming pool, built just for this special was under floor of Studio I)<\/p>\n