NBC chimes (Jan 1953-Dec 1954)

Public Tours NBC Chicago Via TV Clifton Utley is Guide for Popular 4>BC and You* Series News Analyst Utley claim* he learn* something new each time he goes "Inside NBC" By Mary Karr Local Yankee curiosity, concerning the warp and woof of NBC-Chicago operations, was partly satisfied recently when news analyst Clifton Utley repeated the popular "NBC and You" series during pianist-raconteur Herbie Mintz s vacation. The series of eight programs, telecast at Herbie s regular "But Not Forgotten" time ( 10 :45 p.m. CT | . gave viewers a tour behind the scenes as Utley told briefly the story of each department's functions and interviewed key personnel to further explain the work done. On the first tour i Monday. February 16 1 . he outlined with maps and charts exactly how station WNBQ operates. Director of programming George Heinemann clarified the administrative structure and told how a staff the size <>f \^ NBQ's was assembled. A sample T\ show was planned on the spot, by Heinemann. who explained how various departments contributed to the overall effort. T\ rs older brother, radio, was in the spotlight the following evening, as host Utley escorted viewers into \TMAQ studio "B". Personnel on duty described their work, and told how each job tied in to the whole. Problems of storage, traffic and communications were explained on the third show (Thursday. Februarv 19 1. Ltley emerged from the communications department red-faced and readv to "break" after reading a typical NBC teletype message. The one he had chosen was a request to the local Press Department for a gag picture of Bill Bendix lying on a sidewalk while pedestrians walked over his prostrate form. After Utley read the message with complete seriousness its contents hit home, and only the firmest selfcontrol saved him. His own prankish sense of humor, touched off by the incident in communications, was allowed full sway in a 1 visit to one of the prop storage rooms. Greeting Utley at the door was a lifesize plywood-mounted photograph of one of his co-stars. Quoth the newscaster, as he gave the figure a hefty shove. "This is the first time this lad has ever been a push-over!" It fell smack on the camera. The following evening. Utley interviewed News and Special Events chief Bill Ray. and the camera visited newsrooms and news studios. Sources of news were told, and Ray explained how the entire department was coordinated. On Monday. February 23. he visited TV control room "EE" and interviewed engineering personnel. Technical director Tom Bowles showed viewers the screening panel and demonstrated a varietv of trick camera shots, as well as the standard processes of fading and super-imposing of images. While this show was being telecast from inside the control booth, director Joe Spery crouched outside, and discovered, too late, that his signals could not be seen. Wnen he noted that Utley and Bowles were still deep in conversation and only ten seconds of the show remained, he finally stood up. just out of camera range, and gave a frantic "sign off" signal. Utley did. with his customary poise. The following evening's program went off without a hitch. The first portion was on a special film, made by Marshall Head of TV Staging Services, explaining the workings of that department, which Utley narrated. An interview with Staging Services boss "Wee" Risser completed that visit and the newscaster moved on to the Transcription Library for a chat with Ed Cerny. The how. what and why of transcriptions was buttoned up by expert Ed, and the cutting of a typical disc shown. ' Continued on page 23 1 6 NBC Chimes