[QuadList] Reply to ACR use

[nickgtv at mindspring.com]

Hi:

No, I don't remember a John Demuth at KTLA (but DO remember a John Allgood).  By the time the ACR-225s arrived, I'd left.  I'd heard the 225s could be problematic, and I have to say the maintenance/tape specialists were incredible there.  My first week there, their ACR specialist ran me through a tutorial on getting the puppy out of test during a break (this, BTW, included running an early, somewhat crude diagnostic BEFORE clearing the test mode).

I started there just a few months after the TR600s were removed.  If I recall in tape at that time, there were two AVR-1s, two ACR-25s, two or three Merlinized VPR-2Bs and some hybrid AMPEX machines.  Bill Smith and another maintenance person took the control panels from old 1000s, certain processing hardware from 2000s and the rest from 1200s and nicknamed the hybrids their "1205s."  They looked a little odd, but man, they put out excellent video!

Yes, I did work with Don Kent, and to a lesser extent, Ron Gaviate. Also Jack Chandler, Roy LaViolette, Joe Silver, and several others (I'm embarrassed my mind's gone blank!)  All in all, great, very professional group of people that I was proud to have been working with.

Re:TCRs going live to air, I'd heard NBC NY/Burbank did that during the day, but compiled composite tapes for prime, and other major pgms (MTP, for example). During the late '80s at KRON (then NBC), we had 2 TCRs, one for air/one for news.  Most commercials aired directly from the TCR until about 330pm. We had a dubreel (built that AM) from 330p-1130p.  We'd also build one for Superbowls and Olympics.  I can still hear that "BUZZ" that stopped :02 before the end of a spot.

Sorry...just slipped into "Old Fart" mode!

Roll MCR,
Nick Grbac