Bob Doyle

News & Documentary Producer/Director
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

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About
About this interview

In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Bob Doyle (1921-1999) discusses how, in 1948, he became one of the network directors for the first national political convention ever televised. He describes being the first director for the landmark news shows The Huntley-Brinkley Report and Meet the Press. He then speaks about how he was appointed chief of the Television Division for National Geographic Society in the 1960s and how he helped guide the Society into television by executive producing and selling 28 documentaries to the networks. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on October 29, 1998 in Chevy Chase, MD.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"...down below was a television set, which reflected up into the mirror, and then reflected out into the audience. It just fascinated me. From then on, I knew I wanted to be in television." 

People Talking About ...
Bob Doyle
Highlights
Bob Doyle on becoming a page at the NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C. and later a junior news editor
03:06
Bob Doyle on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall
09:28
Bob Doyle on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak
02:55
Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report
03:17
Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report
03:14
Bob Doyle on working for the Bureau of National Affairs and Communications
01:14
Full Interview

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Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his earliest memories of television
On his experiences during World War II; on becoming a page at the NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C. and later a junior news editor; on working with David Brinkley early in his career

Chapter 2
On the kinds of shows he worked on at the NBC affiliate in Washington D.C. in the late 1940s; on becoming a director for television; on directing a broadcast with President Harry S. Truman
On getting a television set from David Sarnoff; on directing televised events that President Harry S. Truman would be a part of; on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak
On the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report; on directing coverage of the 1948 political conventions

Chapter 3
On directing the 1948 political conventions; on directing some of ABC's earliest programming, including sporting events; on directing NFL Football games and the Metropolitan Opera
On the state of television in the early 1950s, and on shows he watched; on meeting his wife, Pricilla Lombard
On producing and directing the television pool coverage of the 1952 presidential elections; on the atmosphere of the 1952 conventions

Chapter 4
On working with Walter Cronkite and Betty Furness at the 1952 presidential conventions; on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions; on becoming ABC's director of all remote events, including sports events
On returning to NBC in Washington, D.C. and directing Meet the Press; on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report; on how television news was perceived at the time, and on Fred Friendly and Edward R. Murrow's See It Now; on the Hollywood Blacklist

Chapter 5
On the impact of the McCarthy hearings being aired on television; on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
On buying a radio station; on directing the pool coverage of the 1960 conventions, and on working with Richard M. Nixon; on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
On producing David Brinkley's Journal; on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall

Chapter 6
On getting the National Geographic Special "Americans on Everest" on the air with the help of David L. Wolper; on executive producing the National Geographic Specials; on executive producing the National Geographic Special "Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees"
On executive producing the National Geographic Special "The World of Jacques-Yves Cousteau"; on executive producing the National Geographic Special "Alaska!" and various other episodes; on leaving the National Geographic Specials
On working for the Bureau of National Affairs and Communications; on then-favorite shows, and on the then-future of television news

Chapter 7
On celebrity journalism, and on a code of ethics for journalists; on his greatest career achievements, and on regrets; on various people with whom he's worked in his career
Shows

Camel News Caravan

View Show Page
Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report
03:17

David Brinkley's Journal

View Show Page
Bob Doyle on producing David Brinkley's Journal
01:52

Huntley-Brinkley Report, The

View Show Page
Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report
03:17
Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report
03:14
Bob Doyle on the format of The Huntley-Brinkley Report
04:08
Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
02:43

Meet the Press

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Bob Doyle on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak
02:55
Bob Doyle on returning to NBC in Washington, D.C. and directing Meet the Press
02:18

National Geographic Specials

View Show Page
Bob Doyle on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall
09:28
Bob Doyle on getting the National Geographic Special "Americans on Everest" on the air with the help of David L. Wolper
05:03
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Specials
02:40
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees"
02:34
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "The World of Jacques-Yves Cousteau"
02:50
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "Alaska!" and various other episodes
03:01
Bob Doyle on Metromedia taking over the National Geographic Special
01:11
Bob Doyle on leaving the National Geographic Specials
02:44

See It Now

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Bob Doyle on how television news was perceived in the 1950s, and on Fred Friendly and Edward R. Murrow's See It Now
03:32
Topics

Dwight D. Eisenhower

View Topic
Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions
05:01

Harry S. Truman

View Topic
Bob Doyle on directing a broadcast with President Harry S. Truman
06:24
Bob Doyle on directing televised events that President Harry S. Truman would be a part of
03:06
Bob Doyle on directing the 1948 political conventions
07:20
Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions
05:01

Historic Events and Social Change

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Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II
06:20
Bob Doyle on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates, and on knowing John F. Kennedy
02:12
Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
02:41

Hollywood Blacklist

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Bob Doyle on the Hollywood Blacklist
01:52
Bob Doyle on the impact of the McCarthy hearings being aired on television
01:28

Industry Crossroads

View Topic
Bob Doyle on the Hollywood Blacklist
01:52
Bob Doyle on the impact of the McCarthy hearings being aired on television
01:28
Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
02:41

JFK Assassination and Funeral

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Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
02:41

John F. Kennedy

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Bob Doyle on directing the pool coverage of the 1960 conventions, and on working with Richard M. Nixon
01:37

Kennedy-Nixon Debates

View Topic
Bob Doyle on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates, and on knowing John F. Kennedy
02:12

Quiz Show Scandals

View Topic
Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
02:41

Television Industry

View Topic
Bob Doyle on the Hollywood Blacklist
01:52
Bob Doyle on the impact of the McCarthy hearings being aired on television
01:28
Bob Doyle on his decision to leave television news and work for TelePrompter
06:16
Bob Doyle on how the Quiz Show Scandals and the assassination of John F. Kennedy impacted television
02:41
Bob Doyle on then-favorite shows, and on the then-future of television news
03:03

Television and the Presidency

View Topic
Bob Doyle on directing a broadcast with President Harry S. Truman
06:24
Bob Doyle on directing televised events that President Harry S. Truman would be a part of
03:06
Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1948 political conventions
04:59
Bob Doyle on directing the 1948 political conventions
07:20
Bob Doyle on producing and directing the television pool coverage of the 1952 presidential elections
04:34
Bob Doyle on the atmosphere of the 1952 political conventions
04:08
Bob Doyle on directing coverage of the 1952 presidential conventions
05:01
Bob Doyle on directing the pool coverage of the 1960 conventions, and on working with Richard M. Nixon
01:37

War

View Topic
Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II
06:20

World War II

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Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II
06:20
Professions

Directors

View Profession
Bob Doyle on directing the 1948 political conventions
07:20
Genres

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

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Bob Doyle on directing NFL Football games and the Metropolitan Opera
04:36

News and Documentary

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Bob Doyle on directing the first episode of Meet the Press, hosted by Lawrence E. Spivak
02:55
Bob Doyle on the Camel News Caravan and The Huntley Brinkley Report
03:17
Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
02:43
Bob Doyle on producing David Brinkley's Journal
01:52
Bob Doyle on becoming producer of the National Geographic Specials, with specials on climbing on Mt. Everest and Jane Goodall
09:28
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Specials
20:05
Bob Doyle on celebrity journalism, and on a code of ethics for journalists
03:06

Sports

View Genre
Bob Doyle on directing some of ABC's earliest programming, including sporting events
05:10
Bob Doyle on directing NFL Football games and the Metropolitan Opera
04:36
Bob Doyle on becoming ABC's director of all remote events, including sports events
06:15
People

David Brinkley

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Bob Doyle on working with David Brinkley early in his career at WRC, and on the first television news broadcasts
03:44
Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report
03:14
Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
02:43
Bob Doyle on David Brinkley
00:38

Jacques Cousteau

View Person Page
Bob Doyle on executive producing the National Geographic Special "The World of Jacques-Yves Cousteau"
02:50

Walter Cronkite

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Bob Doyle on working with Walter Cronkite and Betty Furness at the 1952 presidential conventions
02:45

Reuven Frank

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Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
02:43

Fred Friendly

View Person Page
Bob Doyle on how television news was perceived in the 1950s, and on Fred Friendly and Edward R. Murrow's See It Now
06:11

Chet Huntley

View Person Page
Bob Doyle on teaming Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for the 1956 political conventions, which resulted in The Huntley-Brinkley Report
03:14
Bob Doyle on how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were different on The Huntley-Brinkley Report, and on producer Reuven Frank
02:43

John F. Kennedy

View Person Page
Bob Doyle on the Kennedy-Nixon Debates, and on knowing John F. Kennedy
02:12

Sig Mickelson

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Bob Doyle on Sig Mickelson
00:21

Edward R. Murrow

View Person Page
Bob Doyle on how television news was perceived in the 1950s, and on Fred Friendly and Edward R. Murrow's See It Now
06:11

Richard M. Nixon

View Person Page
Bob Doyle on directing the pool coverage of the 1960 conventions, and on working with Richard M. Nixon
01:37

David Sarnoff

View Person Page
Bob Doyle on getting a television set from David Sarnoff
02:32

David L. Wolper

View Interview Page
Bob Doyle on getting the National Geographic Special "Americans on Everest" on the air with the help of David L. Wolper
05:03
Bob Doyle on David L. Wolper
00:13

All Interviews

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