Excellent web sites for Broadcast gear and information

[John Hafer]

First, I apologize if this was already mentioned for I have been away from Videokarma for a while.

An excellent web site for looking at old broadcast equipment and for researching old broadcast news is at:

http://www.americanradiohistory.com/index.htm

Here you can look at all the old Broadcasting Magazines, RCA Broadcast News, Broadcast Yearbooks from all years and much, much more. They have everything scanned in high rez and downloadable in pdf format to read and research.

For example, http://www.americanradiohistory.com/...ange-Guide.htm

lists all the old RCA Broadcast News guides from 1931 to 1984 (some issues are missing) but these are loaded with pictures and facts about RCA broadcast equipment.

The January 1954 issue for example is totally dedicated to color television equipment and the RCA TK-40 and TK-4A color slide camera. Later issues have a full story on the TK-41 and TK-26 cameras as well as the TP-11 and TP-15 multiplexers. These are a wealth of information.

Finally, the Broadcast Yearbooks lists (under the equipment sections) every station, what color broadcasting ability they have, i.e., network, film, slides, tape, and what videotape equipment they have, i.e., 2 Ampex or 3 RCA etc.

For example, I did not know that WSYR-TV ch. 3 in Syracuse (where I grew up) had a RCA TK-26 color film camera since 1958 for showing local color films and slides.

At any rate, check out these sites and a big thank you for the people who provided this wealth of information.