Today Show

[NW Mailing List]

The Today show broadcast from Roanoke on May 15-16, 1958. There was  
an interview segment with Stuart Saunders standing next to the  
Pocahontas, and a filmed (not live) segment riding the cab of the J  
between Roanoke and Bedford. There was a two page article in the June  
1958 N&W Magazine. pages 344-345.

Having worked in the television business for 11 years, The first  
satellite to orbit the earth was Sputnik in October 1957, just about  
7 months prior to this broadcast. As I recall, it was capable of  
broadcasting a "beep" tone every few seconds during its orbit.

Satellite television broadcasting did not originate until sometime in  
1962, when Telstar was launched to become the first television  
broadcast satellite. Live broadcasting in those days was a  
considerable technical feat with a small scale broadcast truck at the  
site. Satellite or microwave broadcasting that is common today was  
unheard of in 1958.

Ken Miller

On Mar 31, 2007, at 1:18 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:


>

> I do recall the Today show broadcasting from Roanoke in 1957, the  

> 75th anniversary of the City. And I recall that the "studio" was an  

> open air location atop Mill Mountain. Unfortunately I don't recall  

> the train feature.

>

>      Ray Smoot

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org on behalf of NW Mailing List

> Sent: Fri 3/30/2007 8:41 PM

> To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org

> Subject: Today Show

>

> Back durung the early 50's the Today Show with Dave Garroway  

> originated

> one day in Roanoke, Va.   During the course of the program an N&W J

> with a passenger train was approaching Roanoke.  This was before we

> had the satellite technology that exists today. They had a "live"  

> segment of

> broadcast with Dave Garraway in the cab of the locomotive talking with

> the engine crew, or trying to over all that noise.  I have wondered  

> to this

> day how  NBC  was able to pull that off. Do any of you recall this  

> program

> from the past, or do you have any idea  of how they were able to  

> broadcast

> "live" from a moving locomotive cab?   The only angle I can think  

> of was

> to have a small plane above the train with a satellite dish feeding  

> the signal

> to a dish mounted on a building in Roanoke. What's your version?

> Bill Sellers.

>

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