[QuadList] Question about NBC color TZ delay prior to Quad

[Dennis Degan]

		On Oct 26, 2009, at 11:21 PM, Ted Langdell wrote:

 > Color kinescopes could also be made using color film, but I don't 
have any handy info about what NBC did as a regular practice.

		I offer:

	Ted, I don't know what NBC did on the West Coast before videotape (my 
guess is that they probably had a couple of color kine recording 
systems to handle the fewer number of color programs that warranted 
color time zone delay).  I think it should be noted that NBC Burbank 
was built as a color facility, the first such purpose-built in the 
company and was built before videotape of any kind was available.
	There are two scenarios of programming at the time that involved 
delayed broadcasts: live West Coast-originated programs, and live East 
Coast-originated programs.  The East Coast-originated programs were 
possibly delayed in Burbank through color kine recordings or more 
likely, B&W kines, thereby giving up the color in the programs.  The 
West Coast-originated programs could have been performed twice; once 
for the East and 3 hours later for the West.  This was very common and 
done frequently for radio productions long before TV came along.	In 
1978, I saw in service the last of NBC's kine recording systems near 
the videotape maintenance shop where I worked in New York.  There were 
3 setups in a room, each equipped with Sony Trinitron monitors.  I was 
told that these systems were used to make films for air in Guam on a 
1-week's delay.  I'm sorry I never took any pictures of it.

			Dennis Degan, Video Editor-Consultant-Knowledge Bank
	  					NBC Today Show, New York