Roger Maris breaks Babe Ruth's home run record. Phil Rizzuto, Red Barber and Mel Allen call the play-by-play of the four Maris at bats. Rizzuto (1st inning), Barber (4th inning, announcing Maris' 61st home run), Allen (6th and 8th inning).
 
Mel Allen, in the WPIX TV booth, interviews Sal Durante, the 19 year old truck driver who caught Roger Maris' historic home run ball. 

Also, Bob Sheppard's poem about Maris and his record breaking 61 home runs is read by Mel Allen. 

Following the conclusion of the game we hear THE RED BARBER SHOW post-game show. Maris guests and reviews, via video tape replay, his historic home run, with Red Barber. 
NY Yankee Manager Ralph Houk and NY Yankee pitching coach, Johnny Sain also comment. 

NOTE: This television audio air check was audio tape recorded, direct line, off the air at the time of the broadcast, by Phil Gries, founder and owner of Archival Television Audio, Inc. It is the only known recording of Roger Maris' four at bats as aired on this WPIX Channel 11 television broadcast. 

A recording of this air check was given to Andy Strasberg who contacted me, while researching material for a book he was writing. He mentioned that for over fifty years searching for his holy grail broadcast of Roger Maris appearing on Red Barber's NY Yankee Post Game Show had alluded him. In his finished book "MY 1961," published by August Publications in 2021, the transcript of this peerless audio is greatly quoted verbatim by author Andy Strasberg on pages 257 through 270.  

                                                   

Red Barber's post-game show which airs, following each New York Yankees televised game. On this show Barber and guest Roger Maris discuss Roger's historic 61st home run which he hit during today's game, breaking Babe Ruth's record. They both look at a video taped replay of the home run, and recount the moment. Contains opening, with theme music and Wheaties commercial. 

NOTE: ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A LOST TELEVISION BROADCAST ORIGINALLY VIEWED AND LISTENED BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, AND ONLY PRESERVED AS A BROADCAST RECORD ON AUDIO TAPE. THE ONLY KNOWN AND PRESERVED ORIGINAL AUDIO AIR CHECK OF THIS HISTORIC EVENT. 

  This peerless television audio air check of the WPIX TV Broadcast was audio taped, direct line, by Phil Gries, founder and owner of Archival Television Audio, Inc. 

A recording of this air check was given to Andy Strasberg who contacted me in 2020 while researching material for a book he was writing. He mentioned that for over fifty years searching for this holy grail broadcast of Roger Maris appearing on Red Barber's NY Yankee Post Game Show, right after hitting his historic 61st home run and viewing it for the first time on video tape playback and commenting, had alluded him. 

In his finished book "MY 1961," published by August Publications in 2021, the transcript of this peerless audio is greatly quoted verbatim by author Andy Strasberg on pages 257 through 270.                         

October 27th, 1963-July 11th, 1965 (NBC)

Premiere of SUNDAY a magazine news broadcast of the air televised weekly on Sunday's from 4:00pm to 5:00pm. 

Frank Blair is host to this weekly news "magazine" covering recent happenings i politics, the arts and sp orts. Regulars include Ray Scherer, politics; Richard Schickel, books; William K. Zinsser, films; and Joe Garagiola, sports. Frequent contributors will be Frederic Ramsey Jr. and Martin Bookspan, music; Aline Saarinen, art and architecture; Edwin Newman, Robert Abernethy, and Nancy Dickerson, background news features. 

This premiere broadcast begins by host Frank Blair stating:
"This is Sunday, the day of the Sun. The day the light was made. Sunday, a time of rest between labors. A time to look around and take note, since Sunday a week ago. 
Good afternoon, I'm Frank Blair. You are waiting a new program, SUNDAY. Like the day still new. Still to be Defined, Sunday October 27th, 1963. And each of us keeps our own appointments with the day."

Richard Schickel reports on the book "The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands" by  Yigael Yadin. We hear "Letters from the Public," covering such diverse topics as self censorship, Rockefeller Center, Great Living American Women including a comment from Pauline Fredrickson  who states her most difficult reporting assignment in her career (July 13, 1960). 

We hear the voice of President Theodore Roosevelt giving advice to young men on how to conduct their lives. Joe Garagiola interviews newly elected New York Yankee manager, Yogi Berra and his wife Carmen Berra at their home. Yogi states that he was called this past February by Ralph Houk to take over the managerial role for the spring of 1963. Yogi talks about his strategy for managing and looks back at his 17 year career as a baseball player. 

Further topics covered...The Statue of Liberty now 77 years old, and a Peace Corp promotional film narrated by President John F. Kennedy. Martin Bookspan reports on the Benjamin Britten orchestration of "War Requiem." A segment is heard. It is an anti-war document. The famous Frank Lloyd Wright  house in Bear Run, Pa. is reported on by Aline Saarinen. It is considered to be the most beautiful house in America.

The new film "Tom Jones" is reviewed by William Zissner. 
Excerpts from the film are played. Edwin Newman reports on people who made the news this week, seriously and frivolously, including reports on Frank Sinatra's recent request to give up his Las Vegas hotel holdings. 


NBC newsman Frank Blair hosted this Sunday afternoon newsmagazine. Regular contributors were Joe Garagiola on sports, Ray Scherer (politics), Richard Schickel (books), and William K. Zinsser (films). 

Series premiere October 27, 1963 on Video Tape. 
A rare "lost" broadcast not extant in any broadcast form or transcript.  

NOTE: A few commercials are included. Wrigley Doublemint chewing gum, and GE sort white bulbs.