Bob Doyle

News & Documentary Producer/Director
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

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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." 

People Talking About ...
Bob Doyle
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

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

David Brinkley's Journal

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Bob Doyle on producing David Brinkley's Journal

Huntley-Brinkley Report, The

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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

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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

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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

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

Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions

Harry S. Truman

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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

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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

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

Industry Crossroads

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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

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

John F. Kennedy

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

Kennedy-Nixon Debates

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

Quiz Show Scandals

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

Television Industry

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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

Television and the Presidency

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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

War

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Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II

World War II

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Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II
Professions

Directors

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Bob Doyle on directing the 1948 political conventions
Genres

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

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Bob Doyle on directing NFL Football games and the Metropolitan Opera

News and Documentary

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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

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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

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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

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

Walter Cronkite

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

Reuven Frank

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

Fred Friendly

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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

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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

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

Sig Mickelson

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Bob Doyle on Sig Mickelson

Edward R. Murrow

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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

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

David Sarnoff

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Bob Doyle on getting a television set from David Sarnoff

David L. Wolper

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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

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