Television Industry

Andy Ackerman on censorship on Seinfeld

Andy Ackerman on advice he got from James Burrows

Andy Ackerman on what makes a successful show

Berle Adams on Ronald Reagan, President of the Screen Actors Guild, granting a waiver allowing MCA to function as both an agency and a production company, creating the first residual payments for actors and writers

Berle Adams on how he dealt with the Hollywood Blacklist

Berle Adams on how he structured deals for clients while an agent at MCA

Berle Adams on packaging television shows as an agent at MCA

Berle Adams on advice to aspiring agents

Robert Adler on how televisions received remote control signal

Robert Adler on advice to aspiring television scientists and inventors

Mary V. Ahern on how television has changed since her time in the industry

Mary V. Ahern on advice to an aspiring television producer, and on then-current shows she admires

Mary V. Ahern on Joseph N. Welch (who stood up to Senator Joseph McCarthy at the Army-McCarthy hearings) being involved with the Omnibus series on the Constitution

Chris Albrecht on digital distribution for Starz

Chris Albrecht on advice to aspiring television executives

Alan Alda on about Standards & Practices' objection to the use the word "virgin" in an episode of M*A*S*H

Alan Alda on the "family hour" concept of the 1970s

Alan Alda on the network's objection to the sight of a jock strap on an episode of M*A*S*H

Jason Alexander on advice to aspiring actors

Steve Allen on network involvement with Tonight

Steve Allen on censorship on The Tonight Show

Steve Allen on creating Meeting of Minds and running into censorship problems

Steve Allen on censorship on Meeting of Minds

Steve Allen on how television has changed over the years and appealing to the public good

John Amos on celebrity

John Amos on advice to an aspiring actor

Alex Anderson on going to work for an advertising agency in the 1950s

Alex Anderson on the network dealings and sponsorship of Crusader Rabbit

Alex Anderson on the progress of television animation

Howard Anderson Jr. on advice to aspiring visual effects professionals 

Howard Anderson Jr. on how the business changed since he started

Robert G. Anderson on the power of television

Charlie Andrews on the role of ad agencies in early television

Charlie Andrews on what he learned working in Chicago television that prepared him for New York television

Charlie Andrews on the decline in the quality of television from the 1950s to the 1960s

Charlie Andrews on working with Walter Cronkite and Dick Van Dyke on The Morning Show and his experience with the Hollywood Blacklist

Charlie Andrews on what represents television at its best

Charlie Andrews on the then-future of television

John Aniston on how the industry has changed since he got involved in it

John Aniston on advice to aspiring actors

Alan A. Armer on the Hollywood Blacklist

Alan A. Armer on the violence on The Untouchables and on the ratings of the show

Alan A. Armer on advice to aspiring producers, and on what makes a story work

Lucie Arnaz on the Desilu Studios

James Arness on the Hollywood Blacklist

James Arness on how the industry has changed since he started

James Arness on advice to an aspiring actor

Peter Arnett on being hired as a reporter for CNN in its early days

Peter Arnett on meeting Ted Turner soon after he was hired to be on CNN

Beatrice Arthur on not having an agent until later in her career

Beatrice Arthur on her awareness of the Hollywood Blacklist, and on her politics

Beatrice Arthur on her advice to aspiring actors

Beatrice Arthur on how television changed over her career

Beatrice Arthur on not getting an agent until she got Maude

Beatrice Arthur on her huge gay following

Beatrice Arthur on advice to an aspiring performer

Dick Askin on cable television encroaching on local broadcasting in the '80s and the programming he sold at KNBC

Dick Askin on advice to aspiring television executives

Dick Askin on the establishment of the Runaway Production committee at the Television Academy and new media

Ed Asner on being identified with Lou Grant and his fame

Ed Asner on his celebrity

Larry Auerbach on William Morris signing Elvis Presley

Larry Auerbach on the Hollywood Blacklist

Larry Auerbach on the Quiz Show Scandals

Hank Azaria on censorship issues on The Simpsons

Hank Azaria on advice to an aspiring actor

Thomas Azzari on how the business of television has changed

Thomas Azzari on how the process of creating television has changed

Thomas Azzari on technological developments in television since he started his career

Thomas Azzari on the importance of unions in the television industry

Rick Baker on advice to an aspiring special effects makeup artist

Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on celebrity

Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on the power of television

Tammy Faye Bakker Messner on advice to aspiring televangelists

Bob Banner on his advice to an aspiring television producer or director

Bob Banner on the then-current state of television 

Bob Banner on how the television audience changed during his career

Bob Banner on how fans approached TV star Dinah Shore versus movie star Bette Davis

Joseph Barbera on the formation of his partnership with William Hanna, and on the creation of Tom and Jerry

Joseph Barbera on the creation of Hanna-Barbera Productions, and on creating The Huckleberry Hound Show and The Yogi Bear Show

Joseph Barbera on the sudden success of Hanna-Barbara Productions, and on its quick expansion

Joseph Barbera on producing limited animation, and on the then-current state of animation on television

Joseph Barbera on training his animators at Hanna-Barbera Productions, and on the fact that Hanna-Barbera owned their characters and merchandising rights

Joseph Barbera on how he went about selling his shows, and on Hanna-Barbera being sold to Taft Broadcasting in 1966

Paris Barclay on the state of television advertising when he worked in it

Paris Barclay on rarely seeing African Americans in production when he worked in television advertising

Paris Barclay on how television has changed

Paris Barclay on the television audience

Richard L. Bare on directing Petticoat Junction a nd shooting episodes in color

Richard L. Bare on narrating B-roll footage, on winning a Director's Guild Award for his TV movie,  All Our Yesterdays in 1958

Erik Barnouw on the role of advertising agencies in controlling content on radio programs

Erik Barnouw on working on a radio ad campaign for Camel cigarettes and his criticism of advertising's impact on broadcasting in his subsequent writings

Erik Barnouw on the Hollywood Blacklist

Erik Barnouw on the importance of the Hollywood Blacklist to understanding the history of broadcasting and on Edward R. Murrow's denunciation of Senator Joseph McCarthy

Erik Barnouw on the quiz show scandals of the 1950s

Erik Barnouw on some of the conclusions be came to about television advertising in his book "A History of Broadcasting in the United States"

Erik Barnouw on his feelings about media consolidation

Rona Barrett on advice to aspiring gossip reporters

Rona Barrett on becoming a celebrity herself

George Barris on licensing cars like the "Munster Coach" for toys

George Barris on the challenges his custom car business faced in the 1970s

Cliff Barrows on Billy Graham's response to the threat of Communism

Bonnie Bartlett on how the industry has changed since she started

Bonnie Bartlett on advice to an aspiring actress

Ralph M. Baruch on syndicating shows for CBS internationally

Ralph M. Baruch on becoming Head of International Sales at CBS and dealing with sales in Australia

Ralph M. Baruch on dealing with various European countries as Head of International Sales at CBS

Ralph M. Baruch on the distinction between CBS Network and CBS Television

Ralph M. Baruch on the FCC's regulation of syndication

Ralph M. Baruch on the formation of CBS Films and the company's problems

Ralph M. Baruch on how CBS Films impacted his job selling shows

Ralph M. Baruch on CBS dealing with FCC regulations and the creation of Cinema Center Films

Ralph M. Baruch on disharmony between the various CBS divisions

Ralph M. Baruch on the creation of Viacom

Ralph M. Baruch on his first actions at the then-newly spun off Viacom

Ralph M. Baruch on running Viacom day-to-day

Ralph M. Baruch on Viacom's early television station acquisitions and original productions

Ralph M. Baruch on Viacom acquiring cable channels

Ralph M. Baruch on Viacom acquiring cable systems and lobbying the FCC and congress, and being sued by the Justice Department

Ralph M. Baruch on the continued growth of Viacom in the early '70s with original productions and syndication 

Ralph M. Baruch on Viacom's biggest syndicated programs

Ralph M. Baruch on Viacom suing the FCC

Ralph M. Baruch on the creation of Showtime and MTV Networks

Ralph M. Baruch on acquiring Cable Health Network and Sumner Redstone's takeover of Viacom

Ralph M. Baruch on his feelings about being forced out of Viacom and being on the Carnegie Hall Board of Directors

Ralph M. Baruch on the greatest success stories of Viacom

Ralph M. Baruch on the then-current state of television

Ralph M. Baruch on the then-future of television and cable

Ralph M. Baruch on television reaching its potential

Ralph M. Baruch on the buyout of CBS by Viacom

Ralph M. Baruch on the then-current state of syndication

Ralph M. Baruch on the then-current state of television news

Ralph M. Baruch on advice to aspiring television executives

Anne Beatts on Standards and Practices' concerns on Saturday Night Live

Samantha Bee on the blind hiring process on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

Samantha Bee on the advice she gives her children about entering the world professionally and beyond

Ed Begley, Jr. on advice for aspiring performers

Joe Behar on the future of the soap opera genre

William Bell on NBC executives trusting him with storylines on Days of Our Lives

Earl Bellamy on the Hollywood Blacklist

Earl Bellamy on advice to aspiring directors, and on advice to actors working with directors

Donald P. Bellisario on Magnum P.I.'s ratings and going up against The Cosby Show

Dick Berg on the end of anthology shows on network television and becoming President of The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Television Academy)

Dick Berg on advice to aspiring producers

Dick Berg on his experiences with the Hollywood Blacklist

Lowell Bergman on advice to an aspiring journalist

Lowell Bergman on the then-current state of the network nightly news programs and cable news networks

Ted Bergmann on early TV's relationship between the network, sponsor, and ad agency

Ted Bergmann on what sponsors looked for in a show and how DuMont stayed competitive 

Ted Bergmann on the fixed game show Twenty-One

Ted Bergmann on how the Quiz Show Scandals affected the advertising agencies

Ted Bergmann on the Hollywood Blacklist

Milton Berle on the Texaco Star Theater theme song and its strong ties to the show's sponsor

Milton Berle on his thoughts on the future of television in the 21st century

Rick Berman on advice to an aspiring producer

Shelley Berman on working during the Hollywood Blacklist

Shelley Berman on coming up with new material for his 22 Ed Sullivan Show performances and on dealing with censors on live television

Shelley Berman on his advice to an aspiring performer

Shelley Berman on creatives ways comedians used to get around language or subject restrictions in the early days of television, and on Janet Jackson's Super Bowl "nipplegate"

Shelley Berman on the then-future of comedy, and on his great admiration for Larry David, and David's work on Curb Your Enthusiasm

Shelley Berman on the importance in comedy of the audience relating to the comedian, and on the evolution of comedy in terms of explicit language

Walter Bernstein on screenwriter Ben Maddow testifying (and naming names) before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Walter Bernstein on being listed in Red Channels, his subsequent blacklisting, and how it affected his career

Walter Bernstein on "The Hollywood Ten"

Walter Bernstein on sponsor involvement on Danger

Walter Bernstein on sponsor involvement on Danger during the Blacklist

Walter Bernstein on using a pseudonym and "fronts" to write for Danger and You Are There during the Blacklist

Walter Bernstein on the subversive subtext of You Are There; on Edward R. Murrow's See It Now denouncing Senator McCarthy; on the use of "fronts" during the Blacklist and how he was cleared to work on movies, but not television

Walter Bernstein on the end of his blacklisting in the film industry -- and on being one of the first people cleared; on how Europeans felt about the Blacklist; on what he would have sad had he been subpoenaed

Walter Bernstein on what the industry should/could learn from the Blacklist and advice to others who might find themselves in a similar situation to what he went through

Walter Bernstein on the role government should play in television

Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring actor

Sharon Bialy on how casting has changed since she first started in the business

Barbara Billingsley on the Hollywood Blacklist

Bruce Bilson on ageism in the television industry

Wade Bingham on how the methods of reporting stories changed over the years

Wade Bingham on how the perception of network news changed over the course of his career

Wade Bingham on the benefits provided to the country by network news

Frank Biondo on advice to an aspiring camera operator

Lewis Black on longevity in a comedian's career

Lewis Black on working out his stand-up routine in front of audiences

Robert Blackman on advice to an aspiring costume designer

Robert Blackman on how the television business has changed since he started

Linda Bell Blue on the public's fascination with Michael Jackson and covering the Royal Family

Linda Bell Blue on interviewing Charles Manson for KCBS in Los Angeles

Linda Bell Blue on star quality and covering entertainment worldwide 

Linda Bell Blue on covering the death of Michael Jackson

Linda Bell Blue on the biggest story of her career, covering Anna Nicole Smith for Entertainment Tonight

Allan Blye on conflicts between the Smothers and CBS Standards & Practices on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

Allan Blye on advice for aspiring writers and producers

Sam Bobrick on how the television industry has changed since he started

Sam Bobrick on career achievements and regrets

Sam Bobrick on advice to an aspiring writer and on how he'd like to be remembered

George Bodenheimer on ESPN's business model

George Bodenheimer on the culture of ESPN

George Bodenheimer on the reasoning behind launching ESPN2

George Bodenheimer on extending the ESPN brand with the radio network and ESPN.com

George Bodenheimer on how the TV industry has changed over the years

Paul Bogart on directing the pilot of Alice

Haskell Boggs on advice to aspiring directors of photography

Mili Lerner Bonsignori on the aftermath of Edward R. Murrow's "A Report on Senator Joseph R. McCarthy" on See It Now

Pat Boone on his first experiences being mobbed by fans

Al Borden on advice to aspiring propmasters

Al Borden on how being a propmaster has changed over the years

Tom Bosley on advice to aspiring actors

Anthony Bourdain on the impact of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, the end of the show, and moving to CNN

Anthony Bourdain on using social media to promote his shows

Anthony Bourdain on advice to aspiring writers and television personalities

Yvette Lee Bowser on how television has changed since she first started in the industry

Yvette Lee Bowser on advice to aspiring writers and showrunners

Peter Boyle on fan mail he receives

Peter Boyle on advice for aspiring actors

Eric Braeden on how fans took to his Young and the Restless character, "Victor Newman"

Eric Braeden on how fans react to his Young and the Restless character, "Victor Newman"

Eric Braeden on being recognized as "Victor Newman" on The Young and the Restless and encounters with fans

Carl Brainard on how the television industry has changed since he started

Carl Brainard on advice to aspiring visionaries and inventors

Joshua Brand on his great success in the television industry

Joshua Brand on dealing with censorship issues

Kevin Bright on producing cable comedy specials in the 1980s and how the cable environment allowed him to create a niche for himself as a new kind of producer

Kevin Bright on Bright/Kauffman/Crane developing shows for Warner Bros., and the challenge of networks wanting Dream On for network (which was impossible)

Kevin Bright on an objection from executive Don Ohlmeyer to "Monica" sleeping with her date on the first episode of Friends

Kevin Bright on Friends streaming on Netflix and its popularity with young people

Kevin Bright on being the Founding Director of Emerson College Los Angeles

Kevin Bright on the hardest thing to teach about directing and producing for comedy

Kevin Bright on the best advice he's received about comedy and show business

Kevin Bright on how the industry has changed throughout the course of his career

Kevin Bright on advice to aspiring television professionals

Bernie Brillstein on the difference between a manager and an agent

David Brinkley on Senator Joseph McCarthy's "list" of 205 alleged Communists

David Brinkley on becoming a spokesman for Archer Daniels Midland

Tom Brokaw on advice to aspiring television journalists

Alton Brown on one scene Food Network asked him to remove from Good Eats

Alton Brown on what being on the Food Network has meant for his career and being a "cable-ebrity"

Vivian Brown on NBC acquiring The Weather Channel

Vivian Brown on advice to aspiring meteorologists 

Kirk Browning on the NBC studios in the 1950s, and on the logistics of how they operated

Director Frances Buss Buch on being aware of the Hollywood Blacklist and signing a loyalty oath for CBS

Harvey Bullock on advice to aspiring writers and comedy writers

Mark Burnett on sponsorship and advertising on Survivor

Allan Burns on running the story idea of "Mary Richards" being divorced on The Mary Tyler Moore Show by CBS (response - American audiences won't tolerate 4 things on TV: people from New York, divorce, Jews, and mustaches)

Allan Burns on placing the main setting of The Mary Tyler Moore Show in a newsroom and "Mary Richards" not being a married woman

Ken Burns on his celebrity

James Burrows on his father being called before the House Un-American Activities Committee

James Burrows on NBC Executives being concerned about Cheers being set in a bar

James Burrows on Standards and Practices having issues with some jokes on Will & Grace

James Burrows on working on the pilot of NewsRadio

LeVar Burton on advice to aspiring actors

Robert Butler on directing a Defenders episode where an actor was deemed "unacceptable" due to the Blacklist

Robert Butler on advice to aspiring directors

Robert Butler on directing the pilot of Sisters

Film editor Dann Cahn on the Blacklist era and Lucille Ball facing accusations of being a communist

Vince Calandra on controversy over a Rolling Stones performance on The Ed Sullivan Show

Vince Calandra on controversy over Jim Morrison not changing his lyrics for a performance on The Ed Sullivan Show

Vince Calandra on advice to aspiring talent executives - return phone calls and don't book through email

Robert Caminiti on his duties as stage manager on Concentration, and on the Quiz Show Scandals

Robert Caminiti on advice for aspiring assistant directors

David Canary on advice to aspiring actors

David Canary on how fame has affected him

David Canary on how television has changed since he first started in the business

Stephen J. Cannell on leaving Universal Television to start his own production company

Stephen J. Cannell on growing Stephen J. Cannell Productions to become the third largest studio in television with the help of his father on the board of directors

Steven J. Cannell on how the television industry has changed since he started

Steven J. Cannell on advice to an aspiring television writer

Steven J. Cannell on television's responsibility to its audience

Reuben Cannon on how the business of casting has changed since he started as the first black casting director

Reuben Cannon advice to aspiring casting directors

Reuben Cannon on advice to aspiring producers

Jim Cantore on NBC's acquisition of The Weather Channel

Jim Cantore on advice to aspiring weather forecasters

Jim Cantore on his fans' perceptions of him

Jim Cantore on his celebrity from The Weather Channel

Charles Cappleman on how CBS in Los Angeles was structured in the 1950s

Charles Cappleman on the stages at CBS Television City

Charles Cappleman on the Hollywood Blacklist

Charles Cappleman on the various stages at CBS Television City

Charles Cappleman on where CBS produced their shows before Television City

Charles Cappleman on William S. Paley

Charles Cappleman on Frank Stanton

Charles Cappleman on James T. Aburey and Robert D. Wood

Charles Cappleman on William S. Paley's management style

Charles Cappleman on the consolidation of Viacom, CBS, and Infinity, and on Mel Karmazin and Leslie Moonves

Charles Cappleman on how Television City has changed over the years

Charles Cappleman on the emergence of new media

Charles Cappleman on his advice to aspiring television executives

Josie Carey on being hired by WQED before the station went on the air

Josie Carey on the creation of Pittsburgh public station WQED, and on meeting Fred Rogers

Josie Carey on the then-current state of children's television

Josie Carey on advice to an aspiring children's show host

George Carlin on the origin of his famous routine "Seven Dirty Words"

George Carlin on the material he was forced to censor when appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show

Steve Carlin on getting Revlon to sponsor The $64,000 Question and developing the show

Steve Carlin on the start of the Quiz Show scandals

Steve Carlin on the Congressional Investigation into the game show Twenty-One

Steve Carlin on testifying to the grand jury investigating quiz shows

Kevin Carlisle on how the industry has changed since he started, and on the then-future of choreography on television

Glenn Gordon Caron on tricks he used on Moonlighting to try to get around the censors; on how you can't say "frig" on television

Glenn Gordon Caron on plugging "Memoirs Of A Geisha" on Medium (and the plight of being created by the parent company of one network and airing on another network)

Glenn Gordon Caron on advice to aspiring writers

Glenn Gordon Caron on how television has changed since he started in the business

Marcy Carsey on investing in the Oxygen network

Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner on problems with Roseanne on the set of Roseanne and how fame changed her

Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner on negotiations with networks for a joint venture upon the end of the fin-syn rules

Chris Carter on The X-Files' following and the impact of the internet and new media on the show

Chris Carter on the then-future of television

Chris Carter on advice to aspiring television writers and show creators

Thomas Carter on advice to aspiring television directors

Dan Castellaneta on advice to an aspiring actor

Gilbert Cates on the Quiz Show scandal surrounding Dotto

Gilbert Cates on the Quiz Show scandal surrounding Dotto (contd.)

Dick Cavett on interviewing John Lennon and Yoko Ono and problems with the network

Dick Cavett on fame

Dick Cavett on the business of comedy

Dick Cavett on a piece of advice he once offered to young people

Tucker Cawley on advice to aspiring writers

Marge Champion on how audiences had changed since she started on television 

Marge Champion on how performers have changed since she started in the business 

Marge Champion on how the medium of television changed during her active years

Marge Champion on the Hollywood Blacklist

Marge Champion on advice to aspiring dancers

Marge Champion on the then-future of television 

Cyd Charisse on the Hollywood Blacklist

Cyd Charisse on dance styles on television and how the television audience has changed over the years

Glen and Les Charles on dealings with the network and Standards & Practices on Taxi

Glen and Les Charles on dealings with the network and Standards & Practices on Taxi

RuPaul Charles on advice anyone starting out in the entertainment industry

Tony Charmoli on his awareness of the Blacklist in the 1950s

David Chase on how HBO decided to take a chance on The Sopranos; on the creative freedom he had there

David Chase on shooting the pilot for The Sopranos and truly believing it was not going to test well; on not having planned past the first thirteen episodes

Michael Chiklis on advice to aspiring actors

Michael Chiklis on changes in the industry and "binge watching"

Michael Chiklis on the fans of The Commish

Julia Child on the advent of The Food Network and her "teaching" her audience

Margaret Cho on the groundbreaking and controversial aspects of All-American Girl -- the first representation of a Korean American family on U.S. primetime television

Margaret Cho on network notes she got on All-American Girl -- that she was too fat

Margaret Cho on advice from other comedians that she's taken to heart

Margaret Cho on playing a North Korean general on the 72nd Golden Globe Awards, hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, and on criticism of the character

Margaret Cho on doing remote shows and connecting with fans during the COVID-19 pandemic

Margaret Cho on what she wishes she had known when she first started her career

Margaret Cho on advice for young women entering the industry

Ed Christie on designing for international productions of Sesame Street

Ed Christie on advice to aspiring puppet designers

Roy Christopher on how production design has changed since he started, and on how computers have impacted the job

Roy Christopher on advice to aspiring production designers

Dick Clark on producing the TV Movie, "The Woman Who Willed a Miracle"

Dick Clark on being targeted in the music -payola- investigation

Ron Clark on working with Tom and Dick Smothers on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour  and the censorship the show faced

Ron Clark on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour  tackling current events and the language on the show

Ron Clark on advice to an aspiring television writer

Roy Clark on his early agents and managers

Robert Clary on how the industry has changed since he started

Robert Clary on advice to an aspiring actor

Kevin Clas (as "Elmo") on advice to an aspiring Muppet

Alf Clausen on advice to an aspiring television composer

Bob Claver on the way sitcoms have changed since he started

Bob Claver on advice to an aspiring television director

Bob Claver on advice to aspiring television producers

Bob Claver on working with the kids of The Partridge Family and how they dealt with celebrity

Bob Claver on producing the pilot of Gidget

Art Clokey on his advice to young animation producers

Nick Clooney on how TV affected the movie business

Nick Clooney on how television has changed since he first started in the business

Nick Clooney on television's effect on radio in the 1950s

William Clotworthy on language he was allowed to use in an episode of General Electric Theater that he wrote, dealing with therapeutic abortion

Andy Cohen on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and his first experience with "regular people" becoming stars

Andy Cohen on Barry Diller offering him the opportunity to be Vice President of Original Programming at the cable channel, TRIO

Andy Cohen on the importance of social media to Bravo programming

Andy Cohen on his contribution to television and his legacy as a television host

Andy Cohen on his biggest contribution to Bravo

Andy Cohen on advice to aspiring television executives

Andy Cohen on advice to aspiring television hosts

Robert Conrad on being under contract at Warner Bros. Television

Robert Conrad on the violence on The Wild, Wild West

John Conte on his experience with the Hollywood Blacklist

John Conte on his ownership of KMIR-TV, an NBC-affiliated UHF station in the Palm Springs–Rancho Mirage market 

John Conte on owning televison station KMIR in Palm Springs, California

John Conte on advice to aspiring performers

John Conte on government's role in broadcasting

John Conte on the then-future of television

Richard Coogan on the business of acting

Richard Coogan on changes in the television industry

Richard Coogan on his fame

Anderson Cooper on utilizing social media on-air at CNN

Anderson Cooper on the then-current state of CNN and dealing with ratings

Anderson Cooper on advice to aspiring television journalists 

Hal Cooper on censorship issues on I Dream of Jeannie and in his career

Jeanne Cooper on receiving her Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy; on highlights of her career working in television

Barbara Corday on leaving ABC and starting her own production company

Barbara Corday on the shows produced by her production company and being appointed President of Columbia Pictures Television

Barbara Corday on the kinds of programs that were produced when she was at Columbia Pictures Television

Barbara Corday on becoming Chief Operating Office of Columbia/Embassy Television and on leaving Columbia

Barbara Corday on becoming Executive Vice President for Primetime Programming at CBS

Barbara Corday on advice to aspiring television writers

Barbara Corday on advice to aspiring television executives

Irwin Corey on the then-current state of comedy on television, and on the Social Security fund

Irwin Corey on the business part of show business

Irwin Corey on his attempts and desire to transition from comedy to drama, and on his involvement with the guilds

Pierre Cossette on dealing with Standards and Practices with The Grammys  and how the show has changed over the years

Pierre Cossette on advice to an aspiring producer

Bob Costas on how the business of televised sports has changed

Alexander Courage on his memories of the Hollywood Blacklist

Alexander Courage on advice to aspiring film and TV composers

Ron Cowen on his first television writing experience, for CBS Playhouse in 1968, and on the difference between television at that time versus the then-present

Ron Cowen on going on strike with the Writers Guild early in his career, on attending a meeting for the Guild in those days, and on the importance of the Guild

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on working with NBC Standards & Practices when they were writing the made-for-television movie An Early Frost, which depicted the AIDS crisis

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on a scene in their made-for-television movie An Early Frost, which the network wanted to be cut out because it depicted a grandmother kissing her grandson who had AIDS

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on being told by NBC that they could find another network for Sisters if they made one of the main characters gay, and on another incident of the network pushing back against a storyline involving the father having an affair with an African American woman

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on how a scene on Sisters where the main characters were discussing orgasms was dealt with by the network

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on their battles with Standards & Practices on Sisters

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the difference between what they could depict in their 1985 made-for-television movie An Early Frost and on Queer as Folk, both of which centered on gay characters

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on how the industry has changed since they first started writing for television

Ane Crabtree on how television has changed since she first started in the industry

Ane Crabtree on how opportunities have changed since she started in the industry and on the importance on having multi-racial crews

Ane Crabtree on advice to aspiring costume designers -- which includes advice from Patti Smith, William S. Burroughs, and Rick Rubin

Douglas S. Cramer on advice to aspiring television producers

Douglas S. Cramer on the then-current state of television

David Crane on advice to an aspiring television producer

David Crane and Marta Kauffman on the then-current state of network television

David Crane and Marta Kauffman on advice to aspiring television writers

Richard Crenna on the Hollywood Blacklist

Richard Crenna on advice to aspiring actors

Walter Cronkite on how the Hollywood Blacklist affected him and the news industry, specifically the writers on the dramatic program You Are There: Abe Polonsky, Walter Bernstein, and Charles Collingwood

Walter Cronkite on the circumstances of being replaced by Jack Paar on The Morning Show; and what it taught him about how the television industry works 

Walter Cronkite on getting fired a second time from The Morning Show; allegedly for insulting new host Dick Van Dyke on-air

Hume Cronyn on the Hollywood Blacklist

Judy Crown on how the television industry has changed since she started

Judy Crown on advice to aspiring hair stylists, and on how she'd like to be remembered

Billy Crystal on his early stand up-act, and on Jack Rollins' criticism of his act

Billy Crystal on the cancellation of Soap being partially due to its controversial subject matter, and on the legacy of the show

Billy Crystal on advice to an aspiring comedian

Robert Culp on the Hollywood Blacklist

Robert Culp on advice to an aspiring actor

Ann Curry on her feelings on the responsibility of journalists, and on how this influences her reporting and other choices, including tweeting about the need for Doctors Without Borders to be allowed into Haiti after the 2010 earthquake

Ann Curry on the Comcast-NBC merger, and on her interactions with new executives at NBC and NBC News

Ann Curry on how the advent of new technology and digital outlets impacted editorial and broadcast decisions on Today when she was co-anchor, and on the then-future of television

Ann Curry on the public's perception of broadcast news, and on how and why it is has changed over time

Ann Curry on how the press should respond to President Trump's assertion that they are "the enemy of the people", and on past presidents' relationships with the press

Ann Curry on the impact of the public getting their news from social media and other free sources, and on the importance of the public subscribing to news outlets, and on the possibilities of the then-future of journalism

Ann Curry on her PBS docuseries We'll Meet Again

Ann Curry on advice for aspiring journalists

Jane Curtin on dealing with celebrity and fame

Jane Curtin on advice to aspiring actors

Jane Curtin on how the medium of television has changed since she started

Bill Daily on the biggest change he's seen in television over the years

Bill Daily on challenges in the TV industry as a dyslexic

Bill Daily on enjoying fame and celebrity

Bill Dana on evolving standards for subject matter and language in comedy

Greg Daniels on advice to aspiring writers

William Daniels on advice to an aspiring actor

Tony Danza on advice to an aspiring actor

Bill Davis on advice to aspiring television directors

Bill Davis on how television has changed since he started

Elias Davis and David Pollock on advice to an aspiring television writer

Ossie Davis on the effect of the Blacklist on him and fellow performers, and on being called to testify at the HUAC

Ossie Davis on the then-future of television

Ossie Davis on his advice to aspiring writers and actors

Richard Dawson on censorship on The New Dick Van Dyke Show

James Day on being hired by KQED in San Francisco 

James Day on his initial duties at KQED (the Bay Area Educational Television Association)

James Day on initial funding efforts of KQED

James Day on garnering viewer support in the early days of KQED

James Day on choosing the call letters for KQED and the early technical aspects and operations of the station

James Day on KQED's early programming 

James Day on the role of the Educational Television and Radio Center in the early years of KQED and public television

James Day on network programming in San Francisco during KQED's early years and KQED's community-based programming

James Day on moderating the series Kaleidoscope

James Day on the financial turning point for KQED

James Day on early corporate funding of KQED

James Day on a Fidel Castro documentary and other KQED programming from the '60s

James Day on the state of KQED in 1962

James Day on the Carnegie Commission on Educational Television 

James Day on the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 and becoming President of National Educational Television (NET)

James Day on KQED's Newspaper of the Air

James Day on the KQED series News Room

James Day on working with Fred Friendly on Public Broadcasting Laboratory 

James Day on becoming President of NET in New York

James Day on the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

James Day on becoming President of WNET and supervising production of The Great American Dream Machine 

James Day on the process of program creation at WNET

James Day on The Great American Dream Machine  and other programs from his time at WNET

James Day on programming The 51st State

James Day on his tenure as President of WNET

James Day on Richard Nixon vetoing funds for public broadcasting in 1973

James Day on resigning from WNET

James Day on the establishment of the Children's Television Workshop

James Day on producing Day at Night

James Day on various people he worked with during his career

James Day on the then-current state of PBS and the marginalization of public television 

John Debney on advice to an aspiring film and television composer

Fred de Cordova on television's perceived second class status in the '50s

Fred de Cordova on the then-future of television and how he'd like to be remembered 

Fred de Cordova on issues with standards and practices on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Thomas Del Ruth on the key to his success and longevity in the business  and career highlights and regrets

Milton Delugg on NBC exec Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver's idea to have morning, noon, and night shows on NBC, and on becoming bandleader on the night show Broadway Open House (precursor to The Tonight Show)

Milton Delugg on the rules regarding live music on television and how Dick Clark eventually changed them

Milton Delugg on working on Treasure Hunt, and on the show's personnel making deals with potential contestants

Milton Delugg on the censorship issues on The Gong Show

Milton Delugg on advice to musicians who aspire to write for television

Sam Denoff on the pilot The Sunshine Boys

Joe DeTullio on working with the basic lack of budget restrictions for production design on Saturday Night Live

Joe DeTullio on advice to aspiring television production designers

Danny DeVito on his advice to actors

Vin Di Bona on advice given to him by Dick Clark

Vin Di Bona on how social media and YouTube have affected America's Funniest Home Videos

Vin Di Bona on advice to an aspiring producer

Vin Di Bona on the then-future of user-generated content on television 

Kelley Dixon on advice to aspiring editors

Ramin Djawadi on advice to an aspiring composer

Ramin Djawadi on how composing has changed since he first started in the industry

Phil Donahue on how the television industry was affected by the Quiz Show Scandals

Phil Donahue on how syndication allowed him to cover more controversial topics than if he aired as a network owned show

Phil Donahue on the controversial topics covered on Donahue and complaints by individual stations

Phil Donahue on the deterioration of daytime television

Sam Donaldson on his coverage of Watergate and how the later growth of cable fragmented news audiences

Louis Dorfsman on the Hollywood Blacklist

Louis Dorfsman on how the networks design and art departments have changed over the years

Louis Dorfsman on his advice to aspiring Art Designers

David Dortort on the Hollywood Blacklist

David Dortort on the network reaction to the pilot of Bonanza and on the directing of the pilot

David Dortort on writing the pilot for Bonanza

Mike Doulgas on the story Zsa Zsa Gabor told on The Mike Douglas Show that turned it from a live to taped program

Mike Douglas on how the industry has changed since he started

Hugh Downs on Jack Paar's famous walk out on The Tonight Show on February 11, 1960 and the censored joke that provoked it

Hugh Downs on the role of advertisers on The Tonight Show

Hugh Downs on what he considers the best of television

Hugh Downs on the future of television

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

Charles S. Dubin on being called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee and being blacklisted for five years

Charles S. Dubin on directing Twenty One produced by Dan Enright just before the Quiz Show Scandals broke, and on being called to testify about it

Charles S. Dubin on summing up his career including proudest achievement, advice, collaborating with writers, mentors, and how he'd like to be remembered

Patty Duke on how her managers gave her the answers for the $64,000 Challenge; on testifying before Congress during the Quiz Show Scandals

Patty Duke on what fans of The Patty Duke Show said/say to her

Patty Duke on her opinion on fame and getting recognized

Patty Duke on advice to an aspiring actor

Betty Cole Dukert on how Meet the Press  dealt with McCarthyism and partisan politics

Betty Cole Dukert on advice to aspiring news producers

Rebecca Eaton on the atmosphere at PBS in the early 1970s when she began working there, and how it reflected the political and protest movements happening in the United States at the time

Rebecca Eaton on how she dealt with Mobil, which was the sponsor of Masterpiece Theatre when she first began at PBS in the early 1970s

Rebecca Eaton on Netflix acquiring The Crown, and how this affected Masterpiece (because Netflix's budgets are so much larger than PBS')

Rebecca Eaton on how funding for Masterpiece has changed over time, especially after Mobil ceased to be the sponsor

Rebecca Eaton on the controversy surrounding the Masterpiece Theatre program "Portrait of a Marriage", which featured love scenes between two women

Rebecca Eaton on how streaming and DVRs changed viewing habits, and how that affected Masterpiece

Rebecca Eaton on the social media response to Downton Abbey

Rebecca Eaton on advice to aspiring producers, particularly women

Roger Ebert on how his fame affected his work

Garvin Eddy on becoming vice president of production design for the Carsey-Werner Company

Garvin Eddy on the then-current state of production design on television

Garvin Eddy on advice to aspiring production designers

Barbara Eden on the controversy over showing her belly button on I Dream of Jeannie

Barbara Eden on the belly button controversy on I Dream of Jeannie

Ralph Edwards on the effect of the Quiz Show scandals on Truth or Consequences

Michael Eisner on the theories of ownership of programs on the major networks in the 1960s

Michael Eisner on lessons learned about broadcasting from his tenure at ABC

Hector Elizondo on the fame that resulted from his co-starring on Chicago Hope

Hector Elizondo on how the industry has changed since he started

Hector Elizondo on advice to an aspiring actor

Peter Ellenshaw on advice to aspiring artists 

Peter Ellenshaw on how effects have changed since he started in the business 

Harrison Ellenshaw on how visual effects have changed since he began working

Harrison Ellenshaw on advice for aspiring visual effects professionals 

Linda Ellerbee on what she feels is the problem with television news

Linda Ellerbee on the how television news became a business in part due to 60 Minutes

Linda Ellerbee on how the internet impacted the way she works

Linda Ellerbee on the power of television

Dick Enberg on advice to an aspiring sportscaster

Ruth Engelhardt on how the various departments at William Morris got along and interacted, and how actors regarded television

Ruth Engelhardt on her mentors and on attending law school while at William Morris

Ruth Engelhardt on the role of the advertiser in the early days of packaging television shows, and on controversy over The Dick Van Dyke Show and The New Dick Van Dyke Show

Ruth Engelhardt on the early structure of the William Morris Agency, and what she liked about the company

Ruth Engelhardt on the early competitors of the William Morris Agency, and on working with company head Abe Lastfogel

Ruth Engelhardt on the William Morris Agency mailroom, and on her mentor, Samuel Sacks

Ruth Engelhardt on the various offices of William Morris working together, and on the focus on the West Coast operation

Ruth Engelhardt on the shift in television from sponsors to networks

Ruth Engelhardt on actors walking out of shows in order to get raises, and on the issue of piracy of movies and television

Ruth Engelhardt on the Hollywood Blacklist

Ruth Engelhardt on the Quiz Show Scandals

Ruth Engelhardt on the Quiz Show Scandals, and how they impacted the sponsors

Ruth Engelhardt on William Morris' relationship with ABC, and various other studios and networks

Ruth Engelhardt on working on the Writers Guild of America's live agreement of 1958

Ruth Engelhardt on becoming a vice president at William Morris, and later becoming an agent

Ruth Engelhardt on the formation of CAA, and the comings and goings at William Morris Agency

Ruth Engelhardt on being head of business affairs for television at William Morris

Ruth Engelhardt on advice to an aspiring agent

Ruth Engelhardt on the legacy of the William Morris Agency

Jeannie Epper on advice to an aspiring stunt person

Danny Epstein on advice to aspiring music professionals who want to work in television

Rod Erickson on going to work for the advertising agency Foote, Cone & Belding as executive director of the radio version of "Your Hit Parade" on behalf of American Tobacco

Rod Erickson on subjects that were taboo on Proctor & Gamble's serials and getting Proctor & Gamble into television

Rod Erickson on Procter & Gamble's initial reluctance to sponsor television programs

Rod Erickson on going to work for Young & Rubicam and putting We, The People on television

Rod Erickson on pushing his clients into advertising on television while at Young & Rubicam, and on reading the television ratings of the day

Rod Erickson on how early advertising on television worked and on broadcasting We, The People

Rod Erickson on dealing with Gulf, the sponsor of We, The People

Rod Erickson on Gulf sponsoring The Gulf Road Show  and dealing with guest star Billie Holiday

Rod Erickson on delegating responsibility for We, The People and The Gulf Road Show

Rod Erickson on how Holiday Hotel, sponsored by Packard, got on the air produced by Felix Jackson

Rod Erickson on how commercials were inserted into shows in the early days of television

Rod Erickson on creating a commercial for Goodyear Tires

Rod Erickson on advertisers discovering that television was a great sales tool

Rod Erickson on the process of pairing advertisers with shows and attempting to pair Whitman Chocolates with The Red Skelton Show

Rod Erickson on the sponsorship of I Love Lucy by Phillip Morris and later by Jello

Rod Erickson on the preferred networks of sponsors in the 1950s

Rod Erickson on working with David Sarnoff at NBC and William S. Paley at CBS

Rod Erickson on the notion of networks providing a public service

Rod Erickson on the reasons companies have for sponsoring a television show

Rod Erickson on the types of shows that sponsors generally preferred

Rod Erickson on working on The Silver Theater

Rod Erickson on the construction of ABC's studios for Paul Whitman's Goodyear Revue

Rod Erickson on working on The Fred Waring Show sponsored by General Electric 

Rod Erickson on working on The Arrow Show, sponsored by Arrow Shirts

Rod Erickson on working on Hopalong Cassidy

Rod Erickson on the advent of packaging television shows by William Morris Agency and MCA

Rod Erickson on being involved in a lawsuit with MCA

Rod Erickson on networks being paid off by agencies to carry their packaged programs

Rod Erickson on his dealings with Desi Arnaz

Rod Erickson on his trips to California to meet clients

Rod Erickson on ad men dealing with the mob

Rod Erickson on advertising being a "people business" and the role of alcohol in the business

Rod Erickson on the factors that go into the decision to advertise on a show and the importance of the writer

Rod Erickson on turning down Danny Thomas' Make Room for Daddy

Rod Erickson on the advertisers control over time slot and other factors dealing with a show

Rod Erickson on the dearth of black actors on television in the 1950s and 1960s and anti-Semitism in the ad industry

Rod Erickson on the Hollywood Blacklist's effect on television advertising

Rod Erickson on the ethics of advertising cigarettes on television

Rod Erickson on product placement in television and movies

Rod Erickson on the shift away from sponsors owning a whole show

Rod Erickson on reading the Neilson ratings and predicting people's television viewing habits on given nights of the week

Rod Erickson on ad agencies getting out of the business of producing shows and how his job changed as a result

Rod Erickson on the effectiveness of commercials

Rod Erickson on the research involved in making effective commercials and on the psychology of commercials

Rod Erickson on the power of television and on violent television programming

Rod Erickson on retiring from the advertising industry in 1961

Rod Erickson on how the advertising industry had changed since he retired

Rod Erickson on the then-current state of television advertising

Rod Erickson on television ratings and demographics, and going to work for the American Research Bureau

George Faber on the initial reaction of overseas markets to American television programming

George Faber on how overseas press compares to the American press

George Faber on Sumner Redstone and Viacom's ascent 

George Faber on the divesture of CBS and Sumner M. Redstone's role

George Faber on how the divesture of CBS impacted his job

George Faber on how the industry changed during his career

George Faber on how audiences have changed since he started in the industry

George Faber on advice to aspiring publicists

Nanette Fabray on the Hollywood Blacklist

Nanette Fabray on good advice she's gotten regarding her acting in her career

Nanette Fabray on advice to aspiring actors

Jeff Fager on resistance from the network on CBS Evening News reporting on certain stories, with the example of a story about Palestinian refugee camps

Jeff Fager on changes at CBS when Laurence Tisch became CEO in 1986, and conflicts between him and Don Hewitt

Jeff Fager on a conflict between then-CEO of CBS Laurence Tisch and 60 Minutes creator Don Hewitt over the story of tobacco industry whistleblower Jeffrey Winger, who alleged that the tobacco industry knew the addictive and deadly nature of cigarettes

Jeff Fager on network input into 60 Minutes stories

Jeff Fager on being executive producer of CBS Evening News with Dan Rather at a time when news was becoming more sensational

Jeff Fager on the creation of 60 Minutes Overtime, 60 Minutes' online companion and the 60 Minutes app

Jeff Fager on what has changed about news since he started in the business

Jeff Fager on the public's perception of the news media

Jeff Fager on the biggest problem facing the news media and the choices that are being made in response to digital media and the search for "clicks"

Jeff Fager on the best advice he received on producing a story, from Don Hewitt

Jeff Fager on advice for young journalists

Jeff Fager on the lifestyle of being a journalist

Edie Falco on violence on The Sopranos

Edie Falco on winning an Emmy for Nurse Jackie in 2010 and her feelings about the series being classified as a comedy

Edie Falco on her interactions with network executives

Edie Falco on how the television industry has changed since she started out

Edie Falco on how roles for women have changed since she started out in television and how she relates to her characters as a woman

Edie Falco on advice to aspiring actors

Jerry Falwell on his purchase of the Liberty Broadcasting Cable Network

Jerry Falwell on what defines television at its best

Jerry Falwell on advice to aspiring televangelists 

Elma Farnsworth on moving to Los Angeles with Philo T. Farnsworth to set up a laboratory

Elma Farnsworth on her husband Philo patenting television in 1927

Elma Farnsworth on her husband Philo T. Farnsworth avoiding the television demonstration at the 1939 World's Fair

Jamie Farr on cross-dressing as "Klinger" on M*A*S*H and reaction from fans from the "Big Mac" episode

Jamie Farr on difficulties with the original format of The Gong Show

Jamie Farr on memorable episodes of The Gong Show with Jaye P. Morgan

Ruth Duskin Feldman on the sponsors of Quiz Kids

Ruth Duskin Feldman on her advice to parents with children in the public eye

Barbara Feldon on her advice to students: "just acting is not enough"

Barbara Feldon on the one time she was directed on television

Barbara Feldon on advice to students about changes in the industry and how to protect yourself; on her agents and publicists and not being as in demand after Get Smart

Barbara Feldon on what she wished she had known when she was first starting her career

Julian Fellowes on advice to those starting out in the television business 

Mike Fenton on the craft and technique of casting for television and on the Hollywood Blacklist

Mike Fenton on the then-current state of casting for television 

Mike Fenton on advice to aspiring casting directors

Sally Field on ageism against women in the industry, and how things were changing at the time

Gerald Perry Finnerman on Larry Parks and the Hollywood Blacklist

Dorothy Fontana on working at Revue Studios during the actor and writers' strikes in 1960

Dorothy Fontana on the status of Desilu Studios at the time Star Trek was being developed

Dorothy Fontana on the minimal censorship issues on Star Trek

Dorothy Fontana on writing for interactive video games

Dorothy Fontana on advice to an aspiring writer

Dorothy Fontana on how the business has changed since she started

Tom Fontana on dealing with censorship issues and the head of Broadcast Standards at NBC during his time on Homicide: Life on the Street

Tom Fontana on the then-innovative Internet presence of Homicide: Life on the Street  and using new media to supplement his subsequent shows

Tom Fontana on writing Oz  with no network censorship 

Tom Fontana on advice to aspiring television writers and producers

Horton Foote on the Hollywood Blacklist

Horton Foote on what represents television at its best

Horton Foote on his thoughts on the golden age of television

June Foray on how animation has changed over the years

Ray Forrest on rumblings about television when he worked in NBC radio