[78-L] Dragnet Xmas Album (Was: Re: Rochester)

[David Breneman]

 From: Michael Biel <mbiel at mbiel.com>


> Is it in color on the DVD??  The liner notes indicate it was filmed in
> color, and the sticker on the rear of my copy which "defaces" the 
> liner
> notes (I've downloaded and printed a photo of the rear cover so I can
> read the notes) notes that the TV show was aired Dec 24, 1953 with the
> radio airing two days EARLIER.  It is possible that it was aired in
> color that first time, but I still have to do the research, but the
> color film original probably still exists.  


The NTSC system wasn't officially adopted until January 1st, so the
"official" first full-network (coast to coast) broadcast in that 
system was the Rose Bowl parade on New Years Day.  But NBC was known
to sneak some "test" color broadcasts onto air in the weeks leading
up to the official debut, beginning with the announcement a few
months before that the FCC had approved the RCA system.  Even if
this episode was supposed to go to air with the color burst killed,
it might have been fed in color to affiliates to use woo advertisers.
This is something they also did several times prior to the official
adoption, and it was up to the stations to see to it that the burst
was killed before the signal hit the transmitter.