MY TV JOURNEY

I now had experience in music videos, talk-shows and live coverage of the New Jersey Legislature which was like watching paint dry.  Next on my new forms of production list was sports coverage.  NJN and Rutgers University Football games had been added to our schedule.  So I volunteered to act as assistant director for Frank Belmont who was on a comet ride to a major network sports job.  He started as a production intern and worked his way up the TV ladder to producer/director of ABC national network sports productions after “graduating” from the Jersey “training” studio.   I would be  the director for replays – which was pioneered by ABC's Monday Night Football.  Frank was determined to make our modest production facilities look like the new network coverage – which the audience now expected for all sports programs.  Video replays started out as off-line videotaped segments being recorded during the broadcast feed.  Because of our close ties ...

As the years passed my directorial skills improved with each new assignment - from "live" coverage to film to computer animation.  But one area I successfully avoided was directing musical performances.  I had no rhythm and couldn’t dance either.  One of my regular staff jobs was directing JerseyFile, public affairs and "how to" talk show produced and hosted by Ms. Ruth Alampi, a veteran NBC network producer and on-air talent before coming to NJN in the twilight of her career.  And there was no music on this show until our first Christmas season on the air and Ruth had scheduled a choir from the Princeton based Westminster Choir College which had a national reputation.  The segment was to be two numbers promoting an upcoming holiday concert.  On show production day 20 members and their conductor arrived in formal attire.  I was mortified.  (Some people can sing, some have a knack for the piano - I could never keep time to music - matter of fact wh...