"Was I interested in religious issues? No. I was just interested in the human condition more than I was that. As far as religion illuminates or instructs the human condition all right, but since the vehicle is drama or commentary or conversations, yes I found that more interesting than the commercial work."

    About This Interview

    In his over three-hour interview, Martin Hoade (1916-2006) recalls his early days in television working for NBC on programs such as newsreels and political conventions. He talks about his move into religious programming as the producer and director of NBC's Sunday morning religious program wheel, which was comprised of the series Frontiers of Faith, The Catholic Hour, and The Eternal Light. He speaks of the craft involved in producing religious programming as well as the issue of proselytizing, and of religious programming in general. He concludes by opining on the responsibility of networks to provide religious programming, and on what the general mission of television should be. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on November 23, 2002 in New York, NY.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On his early life and influences; on radio he listened to growing up and movies he watched; on his early job as a music librarian at NBC

    15:40

    On his stint as a copy boy for NBC News, and on his impressions of David Sarnoff; on his experience with World War II; on the first time he saw television at the 1939 World's Fair

    11:55

    Chapter 2

    On describing NBC Television in 1945; on the beginnings of NBC News

    09:28

    On NBC newsman John Cameron Swayze on Camel News Caravan; on Paul Alley, producer of Camel News Caravan and how NBC News expanded; on Camel News Caravan covering the 1948 political conventions

    13:20

    On Camel News Caravan covering the 1952 political conventions; on Camel News Caravan covering the House Un-American Activities Committee

    05:45

    Chapter 3

    On working on The Bob Considine Show and It Happened Today; on working on Watch the World; on working on religious affairs programs at NBC

    12:54

    On the technical aspects of NBC's religious programming in the '50s; on the head of the religious affairs department at NBC in the early '50s; on the faith groups involved in NBC's religious broadcasting in the early '50s and on the network guidelines for religious programming, and on the casts of the shows

    16:40

    Chapter 4

    On winning an Emmy for his work in religious programming on NBC; on writing some religious shows and on filming in Moscow; on shooting the religious program Rome Eternal in Rome

    14:47

    On the different types of religious programming he worked on in the '50s and on some of the actors he worked with at the time including Burl Ives; on his directing style; on writers he worked with in his career and his disappointment over not having worked with Rod Serling, and on network guidelines for religious programming through his career

    14:58

    Chapter 5

    On his three religious programs, Frontiers of Faith, The Catholic Hour, and The Eternal Light, becoming one program; on religious programming on NBC in the '60s and '70s other than his three shows; on the target audience for his religious programs and on audience feeback

    09:13

    On the yearly production schedule for his religious programs, and on the budget of the shows; on directing and producing "The Legacy of Anne Frank" for The Eternal Light; on directing and producing "Death and Dying" for The Catholic Hour and a program with Elie Wiesel called The Itinerary

    20:51

    Chapter 6

    On working on the documentary Civilization of Jews; on the process of directing and producing documentaries for television; on the process of directing and producing documentaries for television

    14:56

    On handling news events and controversial subjects in his religious programming; on his retirement from NBC, and on the decreasing presence of religious programming after he left the network; on striking the balance between entertaining and educating in religious programming

    13:40

    Chapter 7

    On directing the made-for-television movie Duty Bound, about the Vietnam War; on what he feels the mission of television should be; on his greatest personal accomplishment

    09:49

    Camel News Caravan

    Martin Hoade on NBC newsman John Cameron Swayze on Camel News Caravan

    02:06

    Martin Hoade on Paul Alley, producer of Camel News Caravan and how NBC News expanded

    06:20

    Martin Hoade on Camel News Caravan covering the 1948 political conventions

    04:54

    Martin Hoade on Camel News Caravan covering the 1952 political conventions

    02:13

    Martin Hoade on Camel News Caravan covering the House Un-American Activities Committee

    03:32

    Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

    Martin Hoade on winning an Emmy for his work in religious programming on NBC

    01:41

    1939-40 World's Fair

    Martin Hoade on the first time he saw television at the 1939 World's Fair

    01:23

    Emmy Awards

    Martin Hoade on winning an Emmy for his work in religious programming on NBC

    01:41

    Historic Events and Social Change

    Martin Hoade on his experience with World War II

    01:49

    Martin Hoade on the first time he saw television at the 1939 World's Fair

    01:23

    Martin Hoade on directing the made-for-television movie Duty Bound, about the Vietnam War

    04:32

    Television Industry

    Martin Hoade on describing NBC Television in 1945

    05:51

    Martin Hoade on how he feels about the networks' responsibility to provide religious programming

    02:32

    Martin Hoade on what he feels the mission of television should be

    04:12

    War

    Martin Hoade on his experience with World War II

    01:49

    Martin Hoade on directing the made-for-television movie Duty Bound, about the Vietnam War

    04:32

    World War II

    Martin Hoade on his experience with World War II

    01:49

    Martin Hoade on directing the made-for-television movie Duty Bound, about the Vietnam War

    04:32

    Directors

    Martin Hoade on his directing style

    04:07

    Martin Hoade on the process of directing and producing documentaries for television

    05:46

    Children's Programming

    Martin Hoade on working on Watch the World

    01:07

    News and Documentary

    Martin Hoade on the Camel News Caravan

    19:05

    Religious Programming

    Martin Hoade on working in religious affairs at NBC in the early '50s

    24:55

    Martin Hoade on shooting the religious program Rome Eternal in Rome

    03:03

    Martin Hoade on the different types of religious programming he worked on in the '50s and on some of the actors he worked with at the time including Burl Ives

    03:35

    Martin Hoade on network guidelines for religious programming through his career

    02:57

    Martin Hoade on his three religious programs, Frontiers of Faith, The Catholic Hour, and The Eternal Light, becoming one program

    04:06

    Martin Hoade on religious programming on NBC in the '60s and '70s other than his three shows

    03:03

    Martin Hoade on the target audience for his religious programs and on audience feeback

    02:04

    Martin Hoade on the yearly production schedule for his religious programs, and on the budget of the shows

    03:00

    Martin Hoade on directing and producing "The Legacy of Anne Frank" for The Eternal Light

    07:05

    Martin Hoade on directing and producing "Death and Dying" for The Catholic Hour

    03:51

    Martin Hoade on directing and producing a program with Elie Wiesel called The Itinerary

    06:55

    Martin Hoade on working on the documentary Civilization of Jews

    09:10

    Martin Hoade on handling news events and controversial subjects in his religious programming

    02:34

    Martin Hoade on striking the balance between entertaining and educating in religious programming

    03:56

    Talk Shows

    Martin Hoade on working on The Bob Considine Show and It Happened Today

    03:34

    TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

    Martin Hoade on directing the made-for-television movie Duty Bound, about the Vietnam War

    04:32

    Paul Alley

    Martin Hoade on Paul Alley, producer of Camel News Caravan and how NBC News expanded

    06:17

    David Sarnoff

    Martin Hoade on his impressions of David Sarnoff, and on the creation of NBC

    03:31

    Rod Serling

    Martin Hoade on writers he worked with in his career and his disappointment over not having worked with Rod Serling

    04:17

    John Cameron Swayze

    Martin Hoade on NBC newsman John Cameron Swayze on Camel News Caravan

    02:00

    All Interviews

    Loading Interviews...