matter of fact, the censorship has been fast Four years later, Mr. Edwards was back in view of ratings and critics' notices -but and reasonably intelligent .... at the conventions, this time to co- anchor when CBS remained second to NBC with "You get accustomed to these long -dis- some of the sessions with Walter the new team, Mr. Cronkite was brought tance conversations after a few years, but Cronkite. By then the capability of going back as "national editor" on the 1964 that first two -way with the beachhead pro- to the floor was developed and, as Mr. Ed- election night. duced a pleasant thrill. I gave [Bill] Downs wards says, "Television was less the tail From 1951, CBS did have its the go- ahead. Twenty seconds later, the being wagged by the dog; it may have been "showpiece," as Mr. Mickelson calls it- bottom fell out of the circuit and he the power." See It Now with Edward R. Murrow as became unintelligible. That's the way it Mr. Cronkite, who had been brought in host and coproducer with Fred Friendly goes. from wTOPTv Washington by Mr. (who later rose to the CBS News presiden- "Over the far shore the boys stumble Mickelson, anchored every convention cy). The program represented a move out through the dark to reach their and election night coverage from that time of the "newsreel" era. Among the show's camouflaged transmitters. They speak with the exception of 1964 when Robert innovations for television: it was the first their stories. Sometimes they get through Trout (who'd handled conventions pre- to shoot its own film and use a sound track and sometimes they don't." viously for CBS Radio) and Roger Mudd without dubbing, as well as the first to After the war, Mr. Murrow took over as were assigned to compete with NBC's record footage without a script. CBS vice president and director of public Chet Huntley and David Brinkley and It may therefore be appropriate that the affairs, but for less than two years. He ABC's Edward P. Morgan and Howard K. first See It Now took advantage of the returned to broadcasting saying that "in- Smith. The change reportedly was made newly laid coast -to -coast coaxial cable and baskets and out -baskets aren't for me" It was in 1949 that CBS received the first Peabody award for television journalism. But, as Sig Mickelson recalls, it was a long haul extending well into the 1950's. Com- pared with NBC, he said, CBS News was in How to keep thieves a "weak secondary position." On the day he took control over CBS television news from making what's in 1951, he recalls having only 14 on his staff: Douglas Edwards (who had been anchoring and coproducing a 15- minute yours theirs. news program, CBS -TV News with Douglas Edwards) four film editors (who doubled as camermen at the CBS -owned New York station), three directors, two Burglary and car theft are among our nation's graphic artists and four writer /assignment editors. most prevalent crimes. They also are among the easiest Mr. Mickelson remembers having to to prevent ... if people like your listeners would take rely on stringers because "we had no the time to learn how. cameramen in the field." This, he says, The State Farm Insurance Companies have was alongside NBC which "already had its own camera teams across the world." Mr. produced for radio a series of five public service programs Mickelson claims it took him a two -year and four spots on how your listeners can protect fight with management to get a $2 million themselves against burglary and car theft. The programs, film -gathering budget. Compounding the each four minutes, are on such topics as how to make it television news department's troubles, he says, was the "constant rivalry" with CBS tough for burglars to get into your home; how to outthink radio news, especially in the use of person- the would -be thief; how to make it more likely he'll get nel. By 1954, he says, "the corporate caught; and how to get financial protection against theft. officials decided there was enough rivalry two are 30 seconds between radio and television" and the The spots -two are 60 seconds and - departments were merged. Mr. Mickelson cover some of the same pointers in briefer fashion. became vice president of CBS and general These non -commercial messages are aimed at manager of CBS News. informing your listeners ... not advertising State Farm. The growth of television news, however, For a free tape and scripts, return the coupon below or can be shown through a comparison of po- litical convention coverage in the years call us collect at 309- 662 -2625. 1948 and 1952, the first "a radio year," ac- cording to Mr. Mickelson, and the second, "television's" Recalls Douglas Edwards, the TV newsman sent to cover the first 1948 event: "I went to Philadelphia with r 1 no firm assignment of the convention .... STATE raaM Robert Sasser We were ad libbing, we were improvising :' Public Relations Department After the first day, he was assigned State Farm Insurance Companies State Farm Plaza anchorman and had two people working INSURANCE One with him, Ed Murrow and Quincy Howe. Bloomington, Illinois 61701 Two small studios were available to Please send me your public service series on burglary and car theft prevention. them -one with a TV camera and another I understand there is no charge. with a monitor and a microphone. "We couldn't even see the convention floor ex- NAME cept on the monitor," he remembers, and were unable to switch to the floor. Still, STATION CBS television began its tradition of gavel - ADDRESS to -gavel coverage, with the three-man (No P. O. Box Numbers, Please) team, as well as the carbons provided by CITY STATE ZIP the radio newsmen. L J

Broadcasting Bap 19 1977 113