About
"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."
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.
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
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
Chapter 2
On describing NBC Television in 1945; on the beginnings of NBC News
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
On Camel News Caravan covering the 1952 political conventions; on Camel News Caravan covering the House Un-American Activities Committee
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Shows
Camel News Caravan
Martin Hoade on NBC newsman John Cameron Swayze on Camel News Caravan
Martin Hoade on Paul Alley, producer of Camel News Caravan and how NBC News expanded
Martin Hoade on Camel News Caravan covering the 1948 political conventions
Martin Hoade on Camel News Caravan covering the 1952 political conventions
Martin Hoade on Camel News Caravan covering the House Un-American Activities Committee
Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)
Martin Hoade on winning an Emmy for his work in religious programming on NBC
Topics
1939-40 World's Fair
Martin Hoade on the first time he saw television at the 1939 World's Fair
Emmy Awards
Martin Hoade on winning an Emmy for his work in religious programming on NBC
Historic Events and Social Change
Martin Hoade on his experience with World War II
Martin Hoade on the first time he saw television at the 1939 World's Fair
Martin Hoade on directing the made-for-television movie Duty Bound, about the Vietnam War
Television Industry
Martin Hoade on describing NBC Television in 1945
Martin Hoade on how he feels about the networks' responsibility to provide religious programming
Martin Hoade on what he feels the mission of television should be
War
Martin Hoade on his experience with World War II
Martin Hoade on directing the made-for-television movie Duty Bound, about the Vietnam War
World War II
Martin Hoade on his experience with World War II
Martin Hoade on directing the made-for-television movie Duty Bound, about the Vietnam War
Professions
Directors
Martin Hoade on his directing style
Martin Hoade on the process of directing and producing documentaries for television
Genres
Children's Programming
Martin Hoade on working on Watch the World
News and Documentary
Martin Hoade on the Camel News Caravan
Religious Programming
Martin Hoade on working in religious affairs at NBC in the early '50s
Martin Hoade on shooting the religious program Rome Eternal in Rome
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
Martin Hoade on network guidelines for religious programming through his career
Martin Hoade on his three religious programs, Frontiers of Faith, The Catholic Hour, and The Eternal Light, becoming one program
Martin Hoade on religious programming on NBC in the '60s and '70s other than his three shows
Martin Hoade on the target audience for his religious programs and on audience feeback
Martin Hoade on the yearly production schedule for his religious programs, and on the budget of the shows
Martin Hoade on directing and producing "The Legacy of Anne Frank" for The Eternal Light
Martin Hoade on directing and producing "Death and Dying" for The Catholic Hour
Martin Hoade on directing and producing a program with Elie Wiesel called The Itinerary
Martin Hoade on working on the documentary Civilization of Jews
Martin Hoade on handling news events and controversial subjects in his religious programming
Martin Hoade on striking the balance between entertaining and educating in religious programming
Talk Shows
Martin Hoade on working on The Bob Considine Show and It Happened Today
TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials
Martin Hoade on directing the made-for-television movie Duty Bound, about the Vietnam War
People
Paul Alley
Martin Hoade on Paul Alley, producer of Camel News Caravan and how NBC News expanded
David Sarnoff
Martin Hoade on his impressions of David Sarnoff, and on the creation of NBC
Rod Serling
Martin Hoade on writers he worked with in his career and his disappointment over not having worked with Rod Serling
John Cameron Swayze
Martin Hoade on NBC newsman John Cameron Swayze on Camel News Caravan