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So Close, So Far Away…The ‘Today’ Show’s Original Home

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Eyes Of A Generation.com

So Close, So Far Away…The ‘Today’ Show’s Original Home

Circled in white is the ‘Today’ show’s original studio location. When the show debuted January 14th of 1952, this part of the building that is now occupied by Christie’s (auction house) was called The RCA Exhibition Hall. In the summer of 1958, television manufacturer Philco complained to NBC that staging ‘Today’ in a studio explicitly called the RCA Exhibition Hall was unfair (RCA owned NBC at the time). The network bowed to the pressure, and on July 7, 1958, Today moved across the street to Studio 3K in the RCA Building, where it remained through the early 1960s. On July 9, 1962, the program returned to a street side studio in the space then occupied by what was called “the Florida Showcase”. No one that I know, knows exactly where that was, but I think it was possibly just above where the white oval is in the twin space of where the RCA Exhibit was. Do you know? By ’65, NBC had gone all color and they moved the show back inside 30 Rock where it stayed for twenty years. In early 1994, NBC bought the Eastern Airlines building and began converting it to a television studio. June 20, 1994, ‘Today’ debuted from street side once again in Studio 1A, where the show remains and that space just under the white oval. Thanks to Dennis Degan for his help with the map.


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6 responses to “So Close, So Far Away…The ‘Today’ Show’s Original Home”

  1. Dennis Degan

    Here is a current photo of the courtyard, as seen from the 5th floor of 30 Rock, across the street: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisdegan/12839489874/
    The original location of the Today Show was in the windows to the left of the little courtyard. The current Today Show studio 1A is barely visible, farther to the left.

  2. Glenn Mack

    I remember in 1966 or 1967, there was an exhibit related to broadcasting, in a large area with glass windows, It was located in what seems to be the present studio 1A. Does anyone else remember that ?

  3. Dennis Degan

    A couple of corrections: The space above the circle is the entrance to the auction house. There is a small courtyard in front of the entrance; often, large works of art are placed there, promoting a sale. For a long time (before Christie’s was there), that area was the entrance to the Rockefeller Plaza Parking facility, which still exists under the two buildings between 48th and 49th streets (10 Rockefeller Plaza and the Simon & Shuster Building). Originally, this was the site of the Center Theater, a counterpoint entertainment venue to Radio City Music Hall. The Center Theater was torn down in 1954 and replaced with an extension of the Simon & Shuster Building. The entrance to the parking garage is now on the other side at 48th Street.
    I believe (but cannot be certain) that the RCA Exhibition Hall and the Florida Showcase occupied the same space, which is shown in the circle.
    Secondly, NBC did not buy the Eastern Airlines Building (10 Rockefeller Plaza). They lease the space containing both the studios (2 floors) and the basement housing the control room. The space now occupied by Studio 1A was at one time a bank on the corner of 49th & Rockefeller Plaza. The 1st floor green room and other related spaces were originally the location for Eastern Airlines’ ticketing counter which faced into the 10 Rockefeller Plaza lobby.

  4. Gary Walters

    In August 1962, I believe Today was actually doing a series of shows in Florida, when we visited NYC. I remember the window with a camera locked down in view, but my recollection is that the window was directly opposite about where the ‘NBC’ in the NBC Experience is detailed.

  5. Dave Miller

    Some WNBC “Live at Five” shows were done in 1A when one Matt Lauer was the anchor in mid 90s. Became too expensive an undertaking and show went back inside.

  6. Eyes Of A Generation.com

    When it comes to ‘Today’ history, I couldn’t leave out this photo of our friend Frank Merkllein. That’s him behind the camera on the debut broadcast. For more on Frank, go to his link. http://www.eyesofageneration.com/Gallery_Frank_M.php

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