Ted Bergmann

Ted Bergmann was interviewed for five hours in Pacific Palisades, CA.  Bergmann talked about his early years breaking into the business at NBC radio, working as a page before World War II, then as an announcer/ producer after the war.  He described in great detail the next phase of his career, and his primary association in television, working for the Du Mont Television Network.  Bergmann talked about his work rising through the ranks at Du Mont, as a staff member in the Sales Department up until becoming the Managing Director of the Broadcast Division.  Bergmann described in detail several series that appeared on the network (many of which he was responsible for selling), including: The Original Amateur Hour, Fashions on Parade, Captain Video and His Video Rangers, The Arthur Murray Party, Cavalcade of Stars, and Life Is Worth Living.  He also talked about sports on the Du Mont network— one of their staples in programming.  Bergmann reminisced about Dr. Allen B. Du Mont, who ran the network, and Thomas Goldsmith, the Chief of Research who pioneered such innovations as the color tube in television.  Bergmann described the FCC rulings regarding UHF and VHF stations that greatly contributed to the network’s downfall.  Bergmann also talked about his later work as an advertising executive, as well as his association on an executive-producing level for The Best on Record specials (the first Grammy Awards shows) and the hit sitcom Three’s Company.  B-roll consisted of over a dozen photographs from his days at the Dumont network as well as a few from Three’s Company.  The interview was conducted by Gary Rutkowski on March 17, 2004.