THE STORY OF RED BARBER AND TELEVISION By BOB COOKE

Bovine obstetrics, the study of birth among cows, prob- even the man, wereallgearedfor one thing-radio. ably does not strike you as being a very stimulating subject. Television could have knocked the red -head out, but today It isn't, except for cows.But if some forgotten scientist he's doing better than ever on radio and TV. had not written a lengthy script on how calves come into "The change from radio to TV technique was tremen- this world, Brooklyn would still consider a rhubarb a vege- dous," Barber admitted. "On the radio I was free to dis- table, the catbird seat a resting place for weary catbirds and cuss anything that happened anywhere on the playing field. the old red -head Joseph Stalin. When I found a monitor in front of me for the first time, For Red Barber, the congenial telecaster and broadcaster I felt confined to describing only the action in the camera's who explains that a rhubarb is twenty-five Dodgers pitted scope. against three umpires, that a catbird seatis what the "It was a while before I learned that camera and voice Dodgers are in when they have a ten -run lead and that can supplement each other, but there are ways and I've the old red -head is a certain congenial telecaster and broad- found some. Here's an example: Suppose a pitcher has a caster; the same Red Barber, who is director of sports at particularly adept way of coming to his fielding position CBS, first broke through the ether with a spritely little after he lets the ball go. That's part of the game, but if announcing job on pregnant cows." the camera is focused on the plate or even if there is a "I was working my way through Florida U., back in long-range shot of both the batter and the pitcher, people 1930," Barber recalled, "waiting on tables for meals. When are not going to take notice. We've overcomethat dif- the boarding house closed for the Christmas vacation it ficulty with the supplementary approach.I'd set up the seemed as if I'd have to learn to do without food for a while. feature a few plays in advance, telling the fans what to But luckily some professor who was to read his bovine look for. Then, when the lens would pick up the pitcher, obstetrics epic on a farm program over a station in Gaines- concentrating on his move, I'd ignore the monitor and ville caught cold.I was asked to substitute.The fee was describe the pitch and whatever action followed.In that a free dinner.I accepted. way we enlarged the TV coverage range. That was the start of one of the most successful careers "But as I said, it was a while before I learned how to in radio history, and for the next seventeen years the mix pictures and voice. I'm still learning and there's a lot romance between Barber and radio blossomed as freshly left to discover. as the blue grass of Kentucky when Derby time is near. "No one knows the best way to telecast. We do know Unfortunately, however, in 1947 the romance was doomed that too much talk bothers the fan and we do know that -television appeared in Brooklyn. The duet was on the too little talk is equally bad. When the time comeswhen spot and either had to become a trio or face the conse- we solve the problem of telecastingI think there'll be quences of competition from the newer, broader medium. more talking on more diverse topics,but it will never be It is doubtful whether any veteran radio hand encoun- in the chatty style of radio." tered a tougher time than Barber in coping with video. The engineering endistougher,too.CBS used a In 1939 when he first came to Brooklyn he had a fine sixteen -man technical crew for baseball TV as opposed reputation but it was known to only a few. After several to the single engineer required for radiobroadcasts. months with the Brooks he was the talk of the borough; Even the complexion of power trouble-dead air-has after several years, of the nation. changed. In radio when the power was out, it was out and "Words are my tools," he would say and he used them the announcer had a paid, though brief, vacation. On well.Carefullymixing "homey"talk,sound baseball TV technical difficulties usually kayo only the picture.The knowledge and light, apt anecdotes, Barber developed a air is only half dead and the announcer, instead of a vaca- style that many feel has never been equalled. The sheer tion, gets double work. warmth of his personality came over so well that thousands Yet working under all these new difficulties, Barberhas of housewives who didn't know second base from a popcorn sustained himself with only a slight increase in his aspirin butcher tuned him in regularly. consumption. So successful has the Columbus, Miss.,boy For many years when the Dodgers were traveling, Red been in video that last year (1949) CBSappointed him remained in the studio, receiving pitch -by -pitch reports of director of televised sports, a position he holds inaddition the play on Western Union wires. Total reading time for to his radio sports directorship.In line with his latest job, these reports ran about ten minutes in an average game. he runs a show called "Red Barber's Clubhouse"where The other hour and fifty minutes were all the Barber he interviews athletes, speaks for himselfand generally personality.Sometimes a wire would break down and exhibits the poise that distinguished him inradio. there would be long periods when all that stood between He's faced with one serious problemthough.If color baseball fans and an interlude of recorded organ music TV is ever adopted, his big secret will be out.Red Barber's was Red's gifted tongue. But the tongue, the personality, hair is sandy. END

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