Bob Doyle

News & Documentary Producer/Director

View Full Interview

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tab

About

About this interview

In his three-and-a-half hour Archive 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, 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.

"...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."

Highlights

Bob Doyle on becoming a page at the NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C. and later a junior news editor

03:06

Bob Doyle on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall

09:28

Bob Doyle on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak

02:55

Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report

03:17

Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report

03:14

Bob Doyle on working for the Bureau of National Affairs and Communications

01:14

Full Interview

Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on his earliest memories of television

15:28

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

13:11

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

12:40

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

08:33

On the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report; on directing coverage of the 1948 political conventions

08:16

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

17:08

On the state of television in the early 1950s, and on shows he watched; on meeting his wife, Pricilla Lombard

03:41

On producing and directing the television pool coverage of the 1952 presidential elections; on the atmosphere of the 1952 conventions

08:43

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

14:03

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

15:06

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

10:33

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

08:02

On producing David Brinkley's Journal; on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall

11:20

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"

10:18

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

09:46

On working for the Bureau of National Affairs and Communications; on then-favorite shows, and on the then-future of television news

04:21

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

08:58

Shows

Camel News Caravan

Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report

03:17

David Brinkley's Journal

Bob Doyle on producing David Brinkley's Journal

01:52

Huntley-Brinkley Report, The

Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report

03:17

Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report

03:14

Bob Doyle on the format of The Huntley-Brinkley Report

04:08

Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank

02:43

Meet the Press

Bob Doyle on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak

02:55

Bob Doyle on returning to NBC in Washington, D.C. and directing Meet the Press

02:18

National Geographic Specials

Bob Doyle on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall

09:28

Bob Doyle on getting the National Geographic Special "Americans on Everest" on the air with the help of David L. Wolper

05:03

Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Specials

02:40

Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees"

02:34

Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "The World of Jacques-Yves Cousteau"

02:50

Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "Alaska!" and various other episodes

03:01

Bob Doyle on Metromedia taking over the National Geographic Special

01:11

Bob Doyle on leaving the National Geographic Specials

02:44

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

03:32

Topics

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions

05:01

Harry S. Truman

Bob Doyle on directing a broadcast with President Harry S. Truman

06:24

Bob Doyle on directing televised events that President Harry S. Truman would be a part of

03:06

Bob Doyle on directing the 1948 political conventions

07:20

Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions

05:01

Historic Events and Social Change

Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II

06:20

Bob Doyle on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates, and on knowing John F. Kennedy

02:12

Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television

02:41

Hollywood Blacklist

Bob Doyle on the Hollywood Blacklist

01:52

Bob Doyle on the impact of the McCarthy hearings being aired on television

01:28

Industry Crossroads

Bob Doyle on the Hollywood Blacklist

01:52

Bob Doyle on the impact of the McCarthy hearings being aired on television

01:28

Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television

02:41

JFK Assassination and Funeral

Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television

02:41

John F. Kennedy

Bob Doyle on directing the pool coverage of the 1960 conventions, and on working with Richard M. Nixon

01:37

Kennedy-Nixon Debates

Bob Doyle on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates, and on knowing John F. Kennedy

02:12

Quiz Show Scandals

Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television

02:41

Television Industry

Bob Doyle on the Hollywood Blacklist

01:52

Bob Doyle on the impact of the McCarthy hearings being aired on television

01:28

Bob Doyle on his decision to leave television news and work for TelePrompter

06:16

Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television

02:41

Bob Doyle on then-favorite shows, and on the then-future of television news

03:03

Television and the Presidency

Bob Doyle on directing a broadcast with President Harry S. Truman

06:24

Bob Doyle on directing televised events that President Harry S. Truman would be a part of

03:06

Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1948 political conventions

04:59

Bob Doyle on directing the 1948 political conventions

07:20

Bob Doyle on producing and directing the television pool coverage of the 1952 presidential elections

04:34

Bob Doyle on the atmosphere of the 1952 political conventions

04:08

Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions

05:01

Bob Doyle on directing the pool coverage of the 1960 conventions, and on working with Richard M. Nixon

01:37

War

Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II

06:20

World War II

Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II

06:20

Professions

Directors

View Profession

Bob Doyle on directing the 1948 political conventions

07:20

Genres

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

Bob Doyle on directing NFL Football games and the Metropolitan Opera

04:36

News and Documentary

Bob Doyle on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak

02:55

Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report

03:17

Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank

02:43

Bob Doyle on producing David Brinkley's Journal

01:52

Bob Doyle on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall

09:28

Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Specials

20:05

Bob Doyle on celebrity journalism, and on a code of ethics for journalists

03:06

Sports

Bob Doyle on directing some of ABC's earliest programming, including sporting events

05:10

Bob Doyle on directing NFL Football games and the Metropolitan Opera

04:36

Bob Doyle on becoming ABC's director of all remote events, including sports events

06:15

People

David Brinkley

View Interview Page

Bob Doyle on working with David Brinkley early in his career at WRC, and on the first television news broadcasts

03:44

Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report

03:14

Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank

02:43

Bob Doyle on David Brinkley

00:38

Jacques Cousteau

View Person Page

Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "The World of Jacques-Yves Cousteau"

02:50

Walter Cronkite

View Interview Page

Bob Doyle on working with Walter Cronkite and Betty Furness at the 1952 presidential conventions

02:45

Reuven Frank

View Interview Page

Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank

02:43

Fred Friendly

View Person Page

Bob Doyle on how television news was perceived in the 1950s, and on Fred Friendly and Edward R. Murrow's See It Now

06:11

Chet Huntley

View Person Page

Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report

03:14

Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank

02:43

John F. Kennedy

View Person Page

Bob Doyle on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates, and on knowing John F. Kennedy

02:12

Sig Mickelson

View Interview Page

Bob Doyle on Sig Mickelson

00:21

Edward R. Murrow

View Person Page

Bob Doyle on how television news was perceived in the 1950s, and on Fred Friendly and Edward R. Murrow's See It Now

06:11

Richard M. Nixon

View Person Page

Bob Doyle on directing the pool coverage of the 1960 conventions, and on working with Richard M. Nixon

01:37

David Sarnoff

View Person Page

Bob Doyle on getting a television set from David Sarnoff

02:32

David L. Wolper

View Interview Page

Bob Doyle on getting the National Geographic Special "Americans on Everest" on the air with the help of David L. Wolper

05:03

Bob Doyle on David L. Wolper

00:13