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Im April 1961 und vermutlich auch davor gab es für längere Zeit kein Editorial - Hier kommt das erste "As We Were Saying" :
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Es geht dort weiter, als wir damit aufgehört hatten ......

WE RESUME, with this issue, the publication of BROADCAST NEWS in the manner to which you had once become accustomed. What we refer to, of course, is the fact that in the past couple of years we have been experimenting somewhat with our approach to editorial content- and, to a lesser degree, with format.

Without going into the reasons, we'll simply note that the changes were not popular. So we bow to reader demand (and it's a pleasure!).

Starting right now we return to our original concept of BROADCAST NEWS. As stated in our first issue (October 1931), this is "to provide a pleasant and convenient medium for the exchange of ideas and information ... among those responsible for the success of the Broadcasting Art."

NO CODE of ethics governs the number or length of the "commercials" we can (or should) insert in the otherwise objective pages which follow.

Nor do we propose to establish any rules. We believe you will agree with us that "information" about new equipment items is helpful to our readers. If we honestly, although perhaps a little immodestly, believe that these items are more important because they are by RCA, we are sure that you will forgive us.

No dividing line, or identifying mark, will delineate the objective from the non-objective viewpoint. We believe our readers are old enough to know where the entertainment stops and the commercials begin.
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ANOTHER WARNING, while we're at it. New readers should recognize (old readers will know) that we have certain pet subjects for which we keep beating the drums. Most of these are obvious - things like color and automation (see note below). We make no apology for our enthusiasms.

These are things in which we believe-strongly! And they are things which we feel sure will be good for the industry-as well as ourselves. So, beat on we must!

"AUTOMATION" EXPLANATION is required. Everyone (including ourselves) is using the term loosely- and thereby raising hackles, which is unfortunate. To us "automation" is not, per se, a method of replacing men with machines. Rather it is a handy (perhaps too handy!) catchword to identify a long-time program we have been calling our "M-S-l- Plan." This is a three-phase program.
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First phase is Modernization - which, simplified, means adaptation or replacement of present equipment with equipment designed for automatic operation. This includes such things as self-cueing and quick-start projectors, stabilized camera and control circuits, etc.

These are required for automation - but are obviously desirable in any station, automated or not. The second phase of the program is Simplification - which means, in brief, the simplifying of operating procedures (as made possible by automatic equipment).

This, too, is desirable whether or not a station aims to take the ultimate step in automation. The final phase of the program is Integration - which, simply stated, means tying together all station operations - both business and technical. In this phase a memory device (presumably a computer-type device) will tie station programs, commercial schedules, spot availabilities, logging, bookkeeping and billing together to obtain the maximum in station efficiency. The three phases, tied together, are what we call "total automation."
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AUTOMATION VARIATIONS are countless. Not only does equipment vary - but even the approach philosophy. What confuses the most is that something many people are calling automation is really just "deep-dish" preset.

Equipment of this type usually provides for automatic operation during the "panic period" - and sometimes for "all-day" operation on a press-the-cut-bar-to-start basis.

In some cases it is modified for real time operation. According to one school of thought this is the way to get into automation by easy stages.

The purists, however, feel that it is better to start with a complete automation concept - and to install (initially and in all in-between steps) only such equipment as will be used in the final "total automation" kind of operation. We can do it either way. You pay your money, and you take your choice.
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TOTAL AUTOMATION obviously requires a lot of studying and planning. And it will certainly benefit by experience. We hope to present a series of articles which will help station people in making their plans.

Meantime, for those in a great rush, we can offer the personal help of our dyed-in-the-wool automation expert, Dick Edmondson.

Dick came to us from NBC where he was a key member of the facilities group which installed automation equipment at WBUF Buffalo and WRC-TV Washington. He has probably given more time and study to the subject than any engineer in this industry. His ideas and experience are available to help you with your advance planning.
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OLD FRIENDS are best, they say. We've been fortunate that many of the best-known and best-operated stations in the business have been our "old friends" for a long time. (Wir nennen das Kundenbindung.)

Through the years these stations have stayed with us, gaining prestige when we were right, suffering with us when we stumbled.

It is their confidence in us that makes it possible for us to say that "most of the best stations use mostly RCA equipment." It is fitting, therefore, that one of these stations, WMTC in Memphis, should be the subject of the lead story in this issue.

General Manager, "Hank" Slavic; Chief Engineer, Ed "Pop" Frase, and the other folks at WMCT are some of our favorite people. At WMCT you find the air of the Old South combined with the spirit of the space age.

RCA equipment fits such a station - and we're proud to have it there. The article in this issue will prove that WMCT is a well-equipped station - but in reflecting the charm and graciousness of WMCT, it falls far short. For that you'll just have to visit them.
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NAB REPRISE is played (in pictures) starting on page 11. We always have difficulty deciding how much space to give to the NAB story. Many of our readers, of course, were there - and, to them, its old hat.

On the other hand we'd like to have those who missed it know what they missed. Maybe the pictures will give them an idea. In our Convention display, as in BROADCAST NEWS, we've gone back to our old style-viz.

lots of equipment, plenty of space, and surroundings as comfortable as possible. Every year we try to make our display bigger and better. This year we had the ballroom of the Shoreham all to ourselves. It will be tough to top that next year. But you can bet we'll try.
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