Network Television Color Presentation Announcements 1960's

[Mcnzlea]

NBC was treated by RCA as a guinea pig for their various experiments in television broadcasting. CBS succeeded because they could focus more on the programming and the star quality. ABC took up the rear but made up for it with innovative concepts. That was how each of the networks gained their reputations and identities.

[kohstamojahn]

talk about rubbing it in

[Keven19741]

Of all of the NTCPA's that were just featured, The NBC Peacock rules! CBS: the organ music in the background sounded too creepy. ABC: sounded more like the intro to the "Wide World of Sports".

[DJCandyManMike]

By far, the NBC peacock is the best of the three, and the CBS one is the worst. Those tones are hard on the ears!

[LoreneFaith]

@DJCandyManMike I always liked the peacock the best too!

[DJCandyManMike]

@LoreneFaith

Yeah, NBC seemed like they put a lot more effort into their announcement than the other 2 companies.

[tripjet999]

We had a color set in early 1950's, LONG before the sixties came around! So, no, color TV wasn't "new" in the 1960s!

[Jh49er]

We had a color TV as long as I can remember. My mother likes to remind me of the time I told my Aunt that her tv must be broken cause when the peacock came on it meant the show was supposed to be in color but there was no color her tv set was only black & white

[Sheri451]

Living color huh? I guess the rest was in dead Black and White.

[LoreneFaith]

@Sheri451 At the time, yes that is true. That is why it was a big announcement when something was in color.

[Sheri451]

@LoreneFaith It's funny isn't it. We had a color TV when I was little, but unfortunately not everyone did. My Grandparents didn't get one until 1970 I think.We must have watched NBC a lot, because I can remember the Peacock so vividly, and the music too.

[LoreneFaith]

@Sheri451 My Dad had to get a color television as soon as they were out. It was very exciting. I remember all three of the color presentation announcements. NBC was the most advanced in colored programming and offered the most selections.

[Sheri451]

@LoreneFaith My parents got married in 1961, I think they got their first color TV in 1965. I was two then. I think all TV programs had converted to color then except for I Dream Of Jeannie. I read Barbara Edens book, she said that the producers refused to broadcast season 1 in color, even though one of the managers at NBC said he would pay for the camera's and things. I always wondered why season 1 was in B&W.

[forestm281]

For those of you too young to remember, the Fox network did not exist back then.

[LoreneFaith]

@forestm281 That is true and we did just fine without them :)

[TheTzdope]

@forestm281 yeah, and there was no cable and we use to go outside with our friends and play!!

[vinylrecord68]

@TheTzdope "Friends"? Interesting concept. What is this "friends"?

[MattTheSaiyan]

@forestm281 On a semi-related note, I read somewhere that DuMont is supposed to have had intentions of broadcasting in color (DuMont also made TV sets), but never made a color broadcast.

[TimelordR]

Great compilation of "In Color" announcements. Someday, they might do "3DHD" announcements.

[MattTheSaiyan]

No matter how many times I see it on YouTube, I still keep wanting to see the NBC logo again. It's just fantastic.

[LoreneFaith]

@MattTheSaiyan It is beautiful isn't it. And just think how amazing it would have been to those who were seeing color television for the first time!

[Pinky39559]

@MattTheSaiyan One of my all time favourite entertainment logo design in the world .

[Grouchomx]

NBC's was the coolest.

[mavivirgie]

NBC WAS THE FIRST AND THE BEST

[swmdal]

I remember seeing that NBC logo in color for the first time when we got our first color set in 1968.

[LoreneFaith]

Great memories!!!

[fromthesidelines]

You're welcome, 'Lorene'. The "ABC color bumper" was used on all of their color series until the summer of 1966; then, virtually each show had their own "custom" color bumper before the start of the program {i.e. "BATMAN", "THE F.B.I.", "THE FUGITIVE", "THE TIME TUNNEL", "VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA", "BEWITCHED", "PEYTON PLACE", "THE FELONY SQUAD", etc.}. CBS actually began airing their color I.D. in the fall of '65, but Hal Simms was the original announcer; Bob Hite succeeded him in '66.

[LoreneFaith]

You seem very knowledgeable about this, even know names! I loved this time and feel lucky to be a kid then. Everything was so new and exciting! You really looked forward to seeing a show on tv or Sunday nights when "The Wonderful World of Disney" would be on, or "The Wizard of Oz" or another special movie would be broadcast.

[fromthesidelines]

This "ABC color bumper" was used between 1964 and 1966 (when they scheduled very few color programs); the CBS "color I.D." [with Bob Hite announcing] was used between 1966 and 1970. NBC's famous "Living Color" disclaimer [Mel Brandt, announcer] dates from 1962, and was seen until 1970-'71.

By the fall of 1965, CBS scheduled about half of their prime-time shows in color; ABC about 40%, NBC 95%. In September 1966, all three networks began telecasting 100% color programs in prime-time.

[LoreneFaith]

Thanks for providing the additional information.

[jed6271]

Wow, all 3 on the same video, love it!!

[PDS1990]

This must be when all 3 networks were thru with B+W programming.

[LoreneFaith]

The reason for the announcement was that some programming was being offered in color but there was still a lot of black and white programming as well. It took awhile for all programming to be in color.

[PDS1990]

I can see why. I mean imagine watching today's shows in black and white, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as an example!