About
"...down below was a television set, which reflected up into the mirror, and then reflected out into the audience. It just fascinated me. From then on, I knew I wanted to be in television."
In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Bob Doyle (1921-1999) discusses how, in 1948, he became one of the network directors for the first national political convention ever televised. He describes being the first director for the landmark news shows The Huntley-Brinkley Report and Meet the Press. He then speaks about how he was appointed chief of the Television Division for National Geographic Society in the 1960s and how he helped guide the Society into television by executive producing and selling 28 documentaries to the networks. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on October 29, 1998 in Chevy Chase, MD.
Highlights
Bob Doyle on becoming a page at the NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C. and later a junior news editor
Bob Doyle on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall
Bob Doyle on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak
Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report
Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report
Bob Doyle on working for the Bureau of National Affairs and Communications
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his earliest memories of television
On his experiences during World War II; on becoming a page at the NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C. and later a junior news editor; on working with David Brinkley early in his career
Chapter 2
On the kinds of shows he worked on at the NBC affiliate in Washington D.C. in the late 1940s; on becoming a director for television; on directing a broadcast with President Harry S. Truman
On getting a television set from David Sarnoff; on directing televised events that President Harry S. Truman would be a part of; on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak
On the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report; on directing coverage of the 1948 political conventions
Chapter 3
On directing the 1948 political conventions; on directing some of ABC's earliest programming, including sporting events; on directing NFL Football games and the Metropolitan Opera
On the state of television in the early 1950s, and on shows he watched; on meeting his wife, Pricilla Lombard
On producing and directing the television pool coverage of the 1952 presidential elections; on the atmosphere of the 1952 conventions
Chapter 4
On working with Walter Cronkite and Betty Furness at the 1952 presidential conventions; on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions; on becoming ABC's director of all remote events, including sports events
On returning to NBC in Washington, D.C. and directing Meet the Press; on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report; on how television news was perceived at the time, and on Fred Friendly and Edward R. Murrow's See It Now; on the Hollywood Blacklist
Chapter 5
On the impact of the McCarthy hearings being aired on television; on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
On buying a radio station; on directing the pool coverage of the 1960 conventions, and on working with Richard M. Nixon; on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
On producing David Brinkley's Journal; on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall
Chapter 6
On getting the National Geographic Special "Americans on Everest" on the air with the help of David L. Wolper; on executive producing the National Geographic Specials; on executive producing the National Geographic Special "Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees"
On executive producing the National Geographic Special "The World of Jacques-Yves Cousteau"; on executive producing the National Geographic Special "Alaska!" and various other episodes; on leaving the National Geographic Specials
On working for the Bureau of National Affairs and Communications; on then-favorite shows, and on the then-future of television news
Chapter 7
On celebrity journalism, and on a code of ethics for journalists; on his greatest career achievements, and on regrets; on various people with whom he's worked in his career
Shows
Camel News Caravan
Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report
David Brinkley's Journal
Bob Doyle on producing David Brinkley's Journal
Huntley-Brinkley Report, The
Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report
Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report
Bob Doyle on the format of The Huntley-Brinkley Report
Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
Meet the Press
Bob Doyle on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak
Bob Doyle on returning to NBC in Washington, D.C. and directing Meet the Press
National Geographic Specials
Bob Doyle on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall
Bob Doyle on getting the National Geographic Special "Americans on Everest" on the air with the help of David L. Wolper
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Specials
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees"
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "The World of Jacques-Yves Cousteau"
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "Alaska!" and various other episodes
Bob Doyle on Metromedia taking over the National Geographic Special
Bob Doyle on leaving the National Geographic Specials
See It Now
Bob Doyle on how television news was perceived in the 1950s, and on Fred Friendly and Edward R. Murrow's See It Now
Topics
Classic TV Series Episodes
Bob Doyle on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions
Harry S. Truman
Bob Doyle on directing a broadcast with President Harry S. Truman
Bob Doyle on directing televised events that President Harry S. Truman would be a part of
Bob Doyle on directing the 1948 political conventions
Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions
Historic Events and Social Change
Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II
Bob Doyle on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates, and on knowing John F. Kennedy
Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
Hollywood Blacklist
Bob Doyle on the Hollywood Blacklist
Bob Doyle on the impact of the McCarthy hearings being aired on television
Industry Crossroads
Bob Doyle on the Hollywood Blacklist
Bob Doyle on the impact of the McCarthy hearings being aired on television
Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
JFK Assassination and Funeral
Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
John F. Kennedy
Bob Doyle on directing the pool coverage of the 1960 conventions, and on working with Richard M. Nixon
Kennedy-Nixon Debates
Bob Doyle on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates, and on knowing John F. Kennedy
Pop Culture
Bob Doyle on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak
Quiz Show Scandals
Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
Television and the Presidency
Bob Doyle on directing a broadcast with President Harry S. Truman
Bob Doyle on directing televised events that President Harry S. Truman would be a part of
Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1948 political conventions
Bob Doyle on directing the 1948 political conventions
Bob Doyle on producing and directing the television pool coverage of the 1952 presidential elections
Bob Doyle on the atmosphere of the 1952 political conventions
Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions
Bob Doyle on directing the pool coverage of the 1960 conventions, and on working with Richard M. Nixon
Television Industry
Bob Doyle on the Hollywood Blacklist
Bob Doyle on the impact of the McCarthy hearings being aired on television
Bob Doyle on his decision to leave television news and work for TelePrompter
Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
Bob Doyle on then-favorite shows, and on the then-future of television news
War
Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II
World War II
Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II
Professions
Directors
Bob Doyle on directing the 1948 political conventions
Genres
Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials
Bob Doyle on directing NFL Football games and the Metropolitan Opera
News and Documentary
Bob Doyle on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak
Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report
Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
Bob Doyle on producing David Brinkley's Journal
Bob Doyle on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Specials
Bob Doyle on celebrity journalism, and on a code of ethics for journalists
Sports
Bob Doyle on directing some of ABC's earliest programming, including sporting events
Bob Doyle on directing NFL Football games and the Metropolitan Opera
Bob Doyle on becoming ABC's director of all remote events, including sports events
People
David Brinkley
Bob Doyle on working with David Brinkley early in his career at WRC, and on the first television news broadcasts
Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report
Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
Bob Doyle on David Brinkley
Jacques Cousteau
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "The World of Jacques-Yves Cousteau"
Walter Cronkite
Bob Doyle on working with Walter Cronkite and Betty Furness at the 1952 presidential conventions
Reuven Frank
Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
Fred Friendly
Bob Doyle on how television news was perceived in the 1950s, and on Fred Friendly and Edward R. Murrow's See It Now
Chet Huntley
Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report
Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
John F. Kennedy
Bob Doyle on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates, and on knowing John F. Kennedy
Sig Mickelson
Bob Doyle on Sig Mickelson
Edward R. Murrow
Bob Doyle on how television news was perceived in the 1950s, and on Fred Friendly and Edward R. Murrow's See It Now
Richard M. Nixon
Bob Doyle on directing the pool coverage of the 1960 conventions, and on working with Richard M. Nixon
David Sarnoff
Bob Doyle on getting a television set from David Sarnoff
David L. Wolper
Bob Doyle on getting the National Geographic Special "Americans on Everest" on the air with the help of David L. Wolper
Bob Doyle on David L. Wolper