1965 NBC NEWS Space Center behind-the-scenes Gemini coverage Huntley Brinkley NASA RCA cameras TK-40

NASA, NBC, Gemini 1965. In this very short partially restored NBC NEWS promo, you will see behind the scenes of NBC’s “Space Center” reporting preparation for the upcoming NASA Gemini space missions, Gemini 5, 6 and 7. Many early TV camera models are seen, including the RCA model TK-41 which weighed 300 pounds, hand-held TV cams and many more. (RCA owned NBC at that time.) NBC aired the FIRST regularly scheduled news program in U.S. TV on history on February 21, 1940. By October 1966, ALL of NBC News was broadcast in color. NBC’s “Huntley-Brinkley Report” ran for 14 years and was usually more widely watched than its competitor “CBS News?” (Anchored by Douglas Edwards, and later Walter Cronkite).
This NBC Promo has some high definition footage of the NBC team Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, as well as Frank Mcgee. We felt this clip was historically valuable enough to restore and share, and hope you find it an interesting look back at 1965.
Many thanks to Speakeasy Archives for the digital transfer from the 1965 master film.
www.speakeasyarchives.com
About GEMINI MISSIONS 5, 6 AND 7.
The Gemini program was started by NASA to learn about how to navigate spacecraft and how to train and prepare astronauts to survive for days in space, in preparation for the eventual Apollo Moon Project to come later.
Gemini 5 launched August 21, 1965, carrying astronauts Gordon Cooper and Charles "Pete" Conrad. It was the third manned spacecraft in the Gemini series. The nearly 8 day flight tested rendezvous procedures in space. The launch vehicle was the Titan II rocket, which had 430,000 pounds of thrust.
Gemini 7, launched December 4, 1965, with astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell. Gemini spent nearly 14 days in space and was the target spacecraft for rendezvous performed by the crew of Gemini 6A.
Gemini 6A, launched on December 15, 1965, was flown by Wally Schirra and Thomas P. Stafford, achieved the first crewed rendezvous with another spacecraft, its sister the Gemini 7 spacecraft. Gemini 6A’s mission lasted just over 1 day.
(Prior to Gemini 6A, the original Gemini 6 mission was aborted, when its planned rendezvous vehicle, the unmanned Agena, exploded shortly after takeoff. NASA reworked the overall mission plan and launched Gemini 6A and completed the rendezvous with Gemini 7, but did not dock.)
Gemini 8, launched March 16, 1966, with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and David R. Scott. Gemini 8 marked the first successful dual launch and docking with the Gemini Agena Target Vehicle (GATV), completing the world's first on-orbit docking of two spacecraft.
About the Newscasters:
Chet Huntley (1911-1974) was an American television newscaster, best known for co-anchoring NBC's evening news program, The Huntley-Brinkley Report, for 14 years beginning in 1956.
David Brinkley (1920-2003) was an American newscaster for NBC and ABC in a career lasting from 1943 to 1997. Best known for co-anchoring NBC's evening news program, The Huntley-Brinkley Report, with Chet Huntley for 14 years beginning in 1956 and his continued news reporting for many years afterwards.
Frank McGee (1921-1974) was an American television journalist, best known for his work with NBC from the late 1950s into the early 1970s.

[@nbntelevision1]

The television historian in me loves this!

[@otisbowman5643]

I have a lot of reel to reel coverage of those flights

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi Otis, that sounds fascinating! Might be something worth scanning to digital and uploading to share?

[@bryanguzik]

I remember being so young & awaiting the first shuttle launch. Looking back I would guess there's no difference to the degree of boyhood wonder between the two. At the same time time, I can't help but wonder just how special these years were. And so it goes with all things.

[@dw438]

All of the television cameras shown in the field at the Cape were black-and-white .. the ones marked "WNBC-TV" were examples of the workhorse RCA TK-30 camera. The big TK-41 color cameras (correct term) were in NBC's Studio 8-H in New York.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi dw438, thanks for the additional info! ~ Vk

[@lawrenceharris8919]

I believe that NBC began broadcasting the early Gemini launches in color using a TK 41 at Cape Kennedy. They were ahead of both CBS and ABC not only because they had color cameras and a mobile truck they could use for remote live broadcasts, but because at the time AT&T.s network capacity was so limited it could only handle one color TV signal from Florida to New York. Well over 90%of AT&T’s traffic was voice. Once, AT&T added additional capacity and CBS and ABC purchased color cameras from Norelco and RCA, they began broadcasting the launches in color in mid 1966.

[@KD5NJR]

That is cool stuff ! Keep up the “space news “ !

[@byrd56]

1:30 - Gemini 6/7 promo by NBC's Mel Brandt, back when it and the other two big networks employed staff announcers.

[@mckeevertom1927]

Very historic film showing to what exspense NBC went to in order to cover the US Manned Space Program. NBC continued using Studio 8H as their Space Center thru Apollo 12 in November 1969. One exception was Apollo 7. They used their Briiklyn Studio because 8H was being prepped for Election Night 1968

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi McKeever, thanks very much for your feedback and added info! ~ Victor, at CHAP

[@altfactor]

I thought NBC used 8-H as their space anchor studio through the end of the Apollo program.

[@jackbuckley7816]

Interesting to see this as I've read books about the history of network TV news and recall one saying how H&B were uninterested in doing space coverage & were in fact bored by the space program in general. I recently watched their coverage of the Apollo 11 launch that would result in humans landing on the moon for the first time and they were quite lackluster & blase' about the history unfolding before them. Compared with the film footage of Walter Cronkite over on CBS who was enthralled with the space program, the approaching launch, and historic moon landing to follow a few days later, H&B were pathetically low-energy. Always watched Cronkite's space coverage back in those years. His excitement & enthusiasm was consistently contagious. That's why it's so surprising to see this promo. Obviously, NBC News was aware they had to cover these space events with a major outlay for providing the viewers with the latest in TV technology. The peacock network knew it had to up its game & rise to the occasion, as these spaceshots were absorbing & rivetting to a majority of spellbound Americans in that era. Needless to say, H&B had no choice but to go along with their employer's devoting major time & resources to covering & anchoring space events.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Have to agree that no one could match Walter Cronkite's reporting and delivery. "America's favorite grandfather... "

[@pixoariz]

I mostly watched Walter too, but made a point of watching anything from Jules Bergman, ABC's excellent science reporter.

[@jackbuckley7816]

@@pixoariz I was mesmerized in general by the TV coverage on all 3 networks, though where I lived I got only NBC & CBS for many years, rarely seeing anything on ABC, though eventually we got it, also. Walter was the go-to man, for sure. His knowledge & enthusiasm were contagious. What a magical era, especially for a kid but for all Americans as well, now, sadly, long vanished.

[@tkaye2]

Frank McGee was better suited for space coverage. He had a personal interest in it like Cronkite.

[@jackbuckley7816]

​@@tkaye2 Yes, I vaguely seem to recall that. Chancellor, too, I think, was quite interested in the manned space program, or at least conveyed that he was, sensing the public's fascination with it(some, not all), the complete novelty & wonder of it, not to mention inherent dangers. I'm really not sure what H&B's problem was. Clearly they were uninterested & conveyed the sense they'd rather be elsewhere. Nevertheless, NBC was committed to competing with CBS primarily, therefore H&B had no choice but to comply, however reluctantly.

[@foxmccloud7055]

I saw that with the other two networks, that Gemini IV was the last time the mission was in black and white and that Gemini V was the first time that all three networks were broadcasting the launch in color.

[@altfactor]

Only because ABC and CBS pressured NBC to run the camera pool with the latter's color cameras.

[@am74343]

I always think it's funny how people used to wear suits and ties even when they were just the behind-the-scenes camera operators, gaffers, grips, reporters etc...

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

am74343, it is quite noticable, isn't it. It seems people used to be more professionally dressed at work than they are today. The "casual" look has been taken to an extreme in some cases. My grandfather said, "dress professional, and act professional, in the workplace." Good advice, in my opinion. Thanks very much for your feedback! ~ VK

[@x-rockfm92hd81]

thanks COMPUTER HISORY A P