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Before going to Ed's modifications done by CBS to this historic TK40A camera, I wanted to say that aside from a TK 40 owned by Chuck Pharis, Ed's camera is probably the next oldest color camera left. With the recent discovery of a TK40A, that was one of a pair of the first two TK40As delivered to a local station (WKY in Oklahoma City, OK) in 1954, it will be interesting to see which set of serial numbers is the lowest or oldest. That WKY-TV TK40 is on it's way to it's new home at the Museum of Broadcast Technology.
No matter though which is older, Ed's camera has the distinction of being a very rare CBS owned RCA color camera that spent it's life at Television City. I have a TK41 that was once owned by CBS. Read about the CBS rivalry with RCA and NBC at Ed's excellent site at 'Ed Reitan's Color Television History' by clicking here: http://novia.net/~ereitan/
Bobby Ellerbee
There are a number of interesting modifications done for/by CBS shown in the photo.
1.There are no holes on the sides of the camera for the "RCA Color Television" RCA Red Meatball and Vassos script (the holes have been carefully filled to leave no indentations on the camera side doors)
2.There are only two holes vertically on each side door for mounting a 9-inch diameter CBS Eye with a red center with white lettering:
CBS
Television
Color
3 There are three holes across the top of the camera front for mounting a teleprompter support frame (I still have this frame which was removed in this photo)
4. Note the black lever on the left of the front for selecting 3-inch Wratten Filters that are on an internal horizontally moving frame for indoor/outdoor color temperature selection or neutral density filter selection
5. The front Left red tally light jewel has been replaced with a intercom connection jack for a floor manager. The normal standard small right red tally light jewel has been replaced with a larger jewel. Similarly, a large jewel is now on the top rear of the viewfinder
6. There originally was no RCA Red Meatball on the camera front but instead a similar diameter small black and white CBS Eye logo
7. A Fan has been mounted in the hinging top door directly behind the camera front to increase the cooling. A black fuse holder has been mounted for that muffin fan.
8. (Not Visible) Additional vents louvers have been added to both rear side panels of the cameras.
7. (Not Visible) The Right focus handle has been changed to be half the length of the standard TK-40A/41
8.The Camera is mounted on a Houston-Fearless Cradle Head, and heavy duty Tripod on dolly.
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"Reitan trying to match the macho attitude of his CBS Television City TK-40A Color Camera".
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Standing next to the CBS (my) TK-40A at the CBS Exhibit is Charles Cappleman, the head of CBS Television City (now retired).
If you look closely at the front of the side panel, you can see two holes for the mounting of the CBS Color Eye, which in its red center iris said,
"CBS Television Color" (stacked vertically). Not wanting any RCA markings on the camera, CBS carefully removed the RCA meatball on the side and front and the Vassos designed flowing red, blue, green Color Television. CBS neatly filled the holes in the sides for these insignias and had a CBS Eye under the front turret (the RCA meatball on the front was placed later there by myself). CBS replaced one tally light on the side with an intercom connector and added the louvers on the side for better cooling. The insides are marked with white stamping messages of many CBS modifications.
Ed Reitan
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