Archival Television Audio is
an archive / commercial library containing over 15,000 television
soundtracks on audiotape representing thousands of lost, discarded,
destroyed, erased & non-retrievable original television programs,
originally televised in the 1950's, 1960's & 1970's. All genres are
covered.
The archive contains over 20,000 hours of original
one-of-a-kind, peerless, distinguished TV audio representing the
years 1946 through the end of the 1970's. Heavy emphasis on "lost"
television in the archive reflects the years 1956 through 1972 when
2" Quadruplex videotape was economically reused over and over again
by TV stations and production companies.
Company policy dictated
erasing programs on the same tape used to record other programs for
broadcast. Most broadcasts in the archive were audio recorded off of
New York stations - WCBS, WNBT/WNBC, WNEW, WABC, WOR, WPIX, WNTA/WNET.
The original core TV Audio Aircheck collection was recorded off the
air by Phil Gries beginning in the late 1950's. Over the years,
eleven additional archives and private collections have been
acquired by Archival Television Audio, Inc., increasing its eclectic
inventory to 15,000 broadcasts.
As an archival resource company,
Archival Television Audio, Inc. is truly unrivaled. There are no
other comparative TV Audio Aircheck archives listed on the
internet... no other commercial accessible resources archiving
qualitative 1950's, 1960's and 1970's television aircheck sound
recordings in the tens of thousands.
In the world today, as far as
is known, no archival television broadcasting museum, public
organization or private collector possesses the majority of these
originally recorded 1950's, 1960's and 1970's "lost" or unobtainable
television broadcasts on audiotape. These broadcast records
represent the very best and the very worst in our early television
heritage, programs once televised to millions of people 40, 50, 60, and 70
years ago and which no longer exist today as video, no longer
available anywhere else in the world in any broadcast form.
In most
cases, these shows are forever lost except for the sound left behind
as originally recorded off the air and preserved in our archive. Not
only are these audible television broadcast remnants valuable
corporate assets and a source of historical research, entertainment,
nostalgia and education for millions of people, they are "living"
records that offer irreplaceable insight into our culture and
society, and the notable events which were broadcast during the
Golden and Silver age of Television.
The audio rendition offers the scholar many clues into
the production of a program, while preserving many voices and sounds
that were thought to be lost when the video disappeared.
All genres are covered, including Tributes, Talk Shows,
Interviews, Public Affairs, Special Events, News, Variety,
Documentary, Music, Comedy, Juvenile, Award Shows, Biography
Profiles, Sports, Dramas, Quiz Shows, and SPECIALS. Examples
include:
"The video has
been lost. Please stay
tuned to the audio portion of the program."
"John Cameron Swayze &
The Camel News Caravan" - Phil Rizzuto reporting sports news the day
when Don Larsen pitched his perfect game against the Brooklyn
Dodgers. (10/8/1956)
"Jackie Gleason Show" - Edward R. Murrow introducing Eddie Cantor on
his 65th Birthday (1/12/1957)
Don Pardo's never recorded NBC bulletins of JFK's
assassination (11/22/1963)
Roger Maris' 61st home run - The lost TV call by Red Barber
(10/1/61)
Ernie Kovacs hosting
"The Tonight Show" (10/9/1956)
Boris Karloff and Peter
Lorre together being interviewed for one hour on the "Hy Gardner
Show" (3/3/1963)
Woody Allen's first
talk show, appearing with Johnny Carson, before he would host the
"Tonight Show," on "Open End" (12/24/1961)
"Playhouse 90" special
presentation of Mike Todd's celebration of his new movie "Around The
World in 80 Days" live from Madison Square Garden with Elizabeth
Taylor and scores of celebrities (10/17/1957)
Rock 'n' Roller "DJ"
Murry The K calling the live late night talk show "Hot Line" hosted
by Gore Vidal, David Susskind and Dorothy Kilgallen, defending the
great talents of The Beatles, who were still being slighted by an
older conservative panel (10/6/1964).
Robert F. Kennedy
question and answer forum with college students during his run for
the US Senate seat in NY (10/7/1964)
"Hedda Hopper's
Hollywood" with Gary Cooper & 13 year old Liza Minnelli who sang
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (1/10/1960)
Election coverage by
the just hired NBC team of Huntley & Brinkley (11/6/1956)
"Miss America Pageant"
hosted by Douglas Edwards (9/7/1957)
"Jack Paar Tonight
Show" ...his walkout (2/11/1960)
The return to big money
post-scandal quiz shows with "100 Grand" (9/15/1963, lasting for
only three weeks)
Premieres of Johnny
Carson on the "Tonight Show" (10/1/1962), Joey Bishop on the "Joey
Bishop Show" (4/17/1967), Dick Cavett on "The Dick Cavett Show"
(12/29/1969)
"Nightbeat" and the
"Mike Wallace Interviews" (1956/1957)
"Break the $250,000
Bank" (Premiere show 10/9/1956)
Bob Newhart's first TV
series 1/2 hour variety show (10/10/1961 to 6/13/1962)
"Ben Hecht Show" (Two
part interview with Jimmy Durante 1/20-21/1959)
"The Fabulous Fifties"
(TV retrospective of past decade (1/30/1960)
"Henry Morgan Show"
(1959)
"Jackpot Bowling
Starring Milton Berle" (1959)
"Annie Get Your Gun"
(3/19/1967, lost by the Irving Berlin estate and is one of the most
sought after programs by the Museum of Television & Radio)
Political talks to the
nation by President Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon
Johnson, Richard Nixon and others
Lost children's shows
hosted by Soupy Sales, Paul Tripp, Sandy Becker, Chuck McCann,
Zacharley, and others
"Eyewitness"
(9/21/1959, Khrushchev visit to Disneyland)
Wrestling interview
intermissions (1960, 1961, 1962)
"New Years Eve with Guy
Lombardo" (1956 through 1960's)
"Dean Martin Special"
with guest Mae West (5/4/1959)
"Walter Winchell
Variety Show" (1956)
"Firing Line with
William F. Buckley" (1968)
"Les Crane Show" (First
phone-in TV talk show, 1963)
First Merv Griffin NBC
daytime talk-variety show (only a few survive - 1962-1963)
Celebrity interviews on
"Here's Hollywood" (1961-1962, Keaton, McQueen, Pickford, Eastwood,
Abbott, Chaney Jr., Berle, Serling, Garland, Widmark, Clift, Quinn,
Raft and scores of others
"Bobby Darin Show"
(1/19/1973 - 4/27/1973)
"CBS Evening News with
Walter Cronkite" who reports on the death of Marilyn Monroe and
interviews Kim Novak via closed circuit TV (8/6/1962)
AND THOUSANDS MORE!