CBS Television Network Research Articles

Mary Tyler Moore (1936-2017): Diabetes Educator and Advocate.

> Having a dream is what keeps you alive. Overcoming the challenges makes life worth living. > > —Mary Tyler Moore “Who can turn the world on with her smile?” So began the theme song for the popular The Mary Tyler Moore Show , which aired on the CBS television network from 1970 to 1977. With the passing of Mary Tyler Moore, the show’s star, on 25 January 2017, the diabetes community lost an individual who for decades not only brought smiles to her audiences, but also changed the world for people living with diabetes, researchers seeking its cure, and health care providers for those with the disease. Mary Tyler Moore delivering testimony at a U.S. Senate hearing for JDRF’s Children’s Congress, 2003. Born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1936, young Mary moved with her family to Los Angeles, CA, when she was 8 years old (1,2). There, she developed a love of show business, and her early efforts as a dancer opened doors into the world of television. Many tributes published since her passing have highlighted Ms. Moore’s creativity and success as a performer; her remarkable talent encompassed dancing, acting, and singing. From 1961 to 1966, she played Laura Petrie, the wife, mother, and homemaker on The Dick Van Dyke Show (3). In the 1970s, on The Mary Tyler Moore Show , she was Mary Richards, the modern, forward-thinking, fearless yet vulnerable producer at a local Minneapolis, MN, television news station who spoke her mind but also fostered teamwork and a sense of camaraderie among her quirky coworkers (4). For her dramatic role as Beth Jarrett in the acclaimed 1980 film Ordinary People , in which she convincingly conveyed a parent’s heart-breaking challenge of surviving a child (5), she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading …

The Pigskin and the Picture Tube: The National Football League's First Full Season on the CBS Television Network

This article describes the efforts of the Columbia Broadcasting System to telecast the National Football League's 1956 season on the CBS Television Network. The network established a pattern of multiple regional telecasts and a shift from local to network control of professional football telecasts. Drawing on historical documents and oral history interviews, the article describes the conditions that led CBS to consider telecasting professional football. In addition, it examines the negotiations between the network and the NFL as well as the technical and contractual challenges that CBS had to overcome for professional football's first full season on network television.

Alcoholic beverage choice and risk of coronary artery disease mortality: Do red wine drinkers fare best?

Several population studies have described a lower coronary artery disease (CAD) mortality risk in alcohol drinkers (vs abstainers). 1–3 Those studies showed no consensus that any specific beverage type (wine, liquor or beer) is likely to be more protective than are the others. 3 The importance of allowing for other traits and habits related to wine, liquor or beer use when studying beverage choice is now clear. 4 Recent media attention (e.g., “60 Minutes,” CBS Television Network, 7:00 p.m., November 17, 1991) concerning the “French paradox” (lower CAD incidence in France than in the United States) has focused on the possible benefits of red wine in particular. Isolated reports suggest a possible role of tannins 5 or phenolic compounds 6 in red wine. In this report, we present data from a large prospective population study that are pertinent to the possible role of preference for wine, liquor or beer in CAD mortality risk.

On the Edge of Tastelessness: CBS, the Smothers Brothers and the Struggle for Control

It is hard to imagine a time when a critic could seriously claim that skits mocking the Revolutionary War or the first Trans-Atlantic flight were the edge of tastelessness because insulting our heroes... was definitely over the edge.' Yet it was over this other issues of taste that one of American television's most vehement struggles for control occurred. stakes were censorship, free speech, the right to determine programming content, the players involved not just a network some enfants terribles, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), individual broadcasters, elected officials, the mainstream press as well. result was one of the most publicized showdowns in American broadcast history. Ironically enough, this showdown was not over serious drama or even pointed satire; Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a comedy/variety show, replete with the standard concoction of comedic sketches musical interludes. To be sure, the show did not fit the generic mold of variety shows such as Sonny Cher Comedy Hour or the later Captain Tennille. And Laugh-In, NBC's hip nod to the comedy hour a spinoff of Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, went much further in its so-called blue material the flippant relevancy of its sock it to me jokes. Certainly, All in the Family, which the CBS television network premiered a year a half after it cancelled Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, pushed the boundaries of controversy relevance well beyond those of any other comedy or comedyvariety show of that era. Yet on 4 April 1969, the Good Friday before Easter Sunday, the same network responsible for See It Now All in the Family splayed Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour upon the altar of good taste killed it. Some, like controversial FCC commissioner Nicholas Johnson, lamented the show's passing. My God, Johnson told Nat Hentoff, if we've come to the point where that is so controversial it can't be seen on American television, we're a hell of a lot sicker in a hell of a lot more trouble than I ever thought.2 But others, especially CBS president Bob Wood, defended the network's action as preserving the sanctity of the American living room. The Smothers Brothers took the position that we must abrogate the standards we apply to all entertainment programs, Wood argued, and make a special exception to them.3

Design at CBS

The CBS is an icon of the television age and one of the most successful American logos of the modern era (Figure 1). This simple strong design, centered within the box-like frame of a television screen, is successful because it is instantly recognizable; _ _ Agll^ _ it conveys quickly and unambiguously the information that one is watching the CBS television network. The flexibility of William Fig. 1) William Golden, CBS Eye, Golden's original design for the CBS eye is another factor in the *~1951. ~success of this corporate coat-of-arms. Since its introduction in 1951, the eye has appeared in black and white and in color, by itself and as part of a sequence of images, in print ads and in animation (Figure 2). The CBS eye is a powerful example of the ability of designers graphic artists, industrial designers, and architects to provide a distinctive visual identity for a corporation. The eye is not an isolated instance of graphic achievement at CBS; it is, rather, part of a long-established tradition of memorable design produced by talented designers working under the aegis of the Columbia Broadcasting System. The tradition and the history of sensitivity to the role of visual design at CBS comprise the subject of this case study. The graphic designer Paul Rand describes corporate logos and trademarks as symbols, and he notes that:

Presidents on Television: The Effects of Instant Analysis

The effects of instant analyses of presidential appearances are probed through an experimental study of the CBS television network's coverage of an appearance by President Nixon. Explanations are offered for the kinds of instant analysis Presidents encounter. David L. Paletz is Associate Professor of Political Science at Duke University. Richard J. Vinegar, who was an undergraduate at Duke when this paper was written, is studying law at Cornell. The authors express their appreciation to Richard T. Campbell for aid in analyzing their data. POQ 41(1977-78) 488-497 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.37 on Thu, 28 Apr 2016 07:20:00 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms PRESIDENTS ON TELEVISION 489 back.' And an Omaha station has reportedly stopped carrying such network analysis because, according to the station manager, 'we think people have the right to make up their own minds' (Variety, 1974a). Instant analysis may be neither analysis (correspondents can just summarize the President's statements), nor instant (correspondents sometimes have advance copies of the text). Nonetheless, questions about its usefulness and effects persist unabated and unresolved. Attempting to rectify this lack of research, we undertook an experiment designed to test the effects of instant analysis. We shall first describe the presidential appearance in question, summarizing its content and the subsequent CBS analysis. We next outline the experiment's design, procedures, and hypotheses, and analyze the results. We conclude with a general discussion of the varieties of presidential television appearances, the different kinds of instant analyses, and their effects. Conference and Analysis Content In March 1974, beset by the Watergate investigation and energy crisis, President Nixon undertook to take his case to the people. This brought him on March 19, to Houston, Texas, and the annual convention of the National Association of Broadcasters. The NAB audience consisted primarily of management personnel. Generally sympathetic to the President, they applauded him several times during the news conference which was broadcast live by all three networks and lasted roughly 57 minutes (Presidential Documents: Richard Nixon, 1974; hereafter PD:RN). President Nixon began the news conference with encouraging announcements on the energy shortage. Gasoline rationing would not be necessary, service stations would be permitted to sell gas on Sundays and more gas would be allocated in order to decrease the length of the gasoline waiting lines. The President criticized Congress for not acting on his energy proposals, saying: When we speak of an energy shortage, the greatest shortage of energy is the lack of energy on the part of the Congress of the United States in getting to work and passing the legislation that will produce more energy in the United States of America (PD:RN,

Intellect on Television: The Quiz Show Scandals of the 1950s

ON THE 7TH OF JUNE, 1955, The $64,000 Question MADE ITS DEBUT on the CBS television network. No programming idea could have been more thoroughly foreshadowed by previous shows. Since the mid-1930s radio had been exploiting the American passion for facts with contests and games. For years, small amounts of cash or manufacturer-donated merchandise had been given away through various formats. What was new about Question was the size of the purse. The giveaway had taken a quantum jump; losers received a Cadillac as a consolation prize. I Question's format was simple. The producers selected a contestant who chose a subject about which he or she answered increasingly difficult questions which were assigned monetary values ranging from $64 to $64,000. The contestant could quit without attempting the succeeding plateau, but if he chose to continue and missed, he forfeited his winnings and was left with only his Cadillac. By a few deft touches, the producers heightened the aura of authenticity and tension. The questions used were deposited in a vault of the Manufacturers Trust Company and brought to the studio by a bank officer flanked by two armed guards. As the stakes increased, the contestant entered a glassenclosed isolation booth on stage to the accompaniment of ominous music which hinted at imminent disaster2 in order to prevent coaching from the audience. Since the contestant returned week after week rather than answering all the questions on one broadcast, the audience was given time to

A CBS Computerized Lighting Control System

The CBS Television Network has placed in service a computerized memory lighting control system using a new design concept. The system represents the first application of a stored-program “minicomputer” to stage lighting control. A television monitor display and light pen are used as the main indicating and control instruments, permitting a broad range of functions to be performed accurately in a control unit of small physical size. The system's physical configuration and operating characteristics are described.

CBS Mobile Color Broadcasting Facilities for 1968 Political Conventions

The extensive television coverage traditionally accorded to the national political conventions in this country requires field-type broadcasting facilities just as elaborate and sophisticated as the permanent facilities available in the best-equipped television network broadcast centers. The mobile color broadcasting system used by the CBS Television Network to cover the 1968 political conventions is described.

Modern Construction Practices for CBS Audio-Video Systems

Equipment Construction practices developed in recent years by the CBS Television Network have contributed to improving the reliability of audio-video systems, and to reducing installation and maintenance costs. The procedures developed to obtain this result, as well as the materials and techniques used, are described. Although the subject matter is of specific interest to broadcasters, much of it applies to the electronics industry in general.

Video-Tape Recording Interchangeability Requirements

The use of video tape in broadcasting service often requires that recordings be played back with a different head assembly than was employed for the original recording. If such interchangeability of head assemblies is to provide optimum quality, it is essential that close control of many manufacturing parameters and operating standards be maintained. In present-day multiple head equipment, mechanical dimensions of particular importance include those relating to the video-track azimuth, pitch, and width as well as the angular placement of the four rotating heads. Essential electrical parameters include the value of carrier frequency corresponding to reference video levels. In addition, response-frequency characteristics of audio, video and carrier frequency channels must be standardized. The significant factors are discussed relative to proposed industry standards and current CBS Television Network practices.

CBS Self-Normalling Video Jack

A self-normalling video jack which replaces the plug-normalling jacks currently employed in video systems has been developed by CBS Television Network Engineering. The jack, now in full-scale operation, makes normalling plugs and terminating plugs unnecessary, as self-contained switching contacts and terminating resistors perform these functions. The self-normalling jack and its application are discussed.

A New Approach to Balanced Audio Levels in Television

A study of television audio levels was recently undertaken by the CBS Television Network as a result of complaints from television viewers that some portions of television programs sound too loud. The findings of this study are presented and a new method of achieving balanced audio levels in broadcasting is described.

CBS New York Video Tape Facilities

In the spring of 1958, the CBS Television Network inaugurated a full schedule of video tape recording activity from a newly completed installation in the Grand Central Terminal Building in New York City. During the ensuing daylight-saving period, these facilities provided service to 98 stations of the CBS Television Network. Combined with the service from the installation already in existence in Hollywood, over 50% of the audience covered by the network received their programming from video tape. Representing a capital investment of over $1,000,000, the New York installation presently is the largest single video tape installation in the world. This paper relates the background which led to the need for these facilities, and describes the technical and operational features of the installation.