I was working in the Film Department at ABC television in Hollywood ('57 or '58) when they had their first delivery of Ampex machines. Up until then, ABC was called the "film network", because the bulk of it's programming was coming from the film studios (Warners, Desilu, Disney), and they could feed ("bicycle")16mm film prints to all of their stations throughout the U.S. Also, they were making "quick kines" (Kinescopes) of the Lawrence Welk show for delayed playback with its loss in quality, so this was a revolutionary change. So, gradually the Film Department was phased way down in subsequent years.
In 1959, I went to work at Desilu (it you can't beat 'em, join 'em), and then, I heard about the Hollywood studios' fear that once they learned how to edit (my trade) tape, they'd put the film industry out of business. Of course, that has finally happened, but there has been a digital convergence of the two technologies, so that they are movie (and money) making tools to be applied to the particular need (digital nonlinear editing, film to tape syndication, high definition "filming", etc.).
So Tom, the desire for a better recording medium for network delayed broadcasts that initially was considered a Pandora's box by Hollywood studios has matured. After all, they are all just "motion pictures", pictures that move.
Rod Stephens Family Theater Productions
Tom Fine wrote:
Hi Steven:
Videotape, first commercialized by Ampex, 1956. It did revolutionize television production.
-- Tom Fine
----- Original Message ----- From: "steven c" <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 10:53 PM Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] "Aircheck" history
----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Fine" <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
The tape era solved many problems.
As did, I would guess, the video-tape era when that first appeared... (when?) Steven C. Barr