Roy Neal
Encyclopedia
Roy Neal was an American television correspondent for NBC News
. An aerospace specialist, he reported live on the Apollo 11 landing
. His newscast from that event was later published on LP by Evolution Records
. He also reported on the Apollo 13
crisis, and provided reporting during the launch of the first Space Shuttle
, STS-1
.
His broadcasting career began as a radio actor at KYW, Philadelphia's NBC Red Network affiliate, in 1940, where he appeared on The Lost Continent radio show. His voice was recognized as a potential news voice by a KYW director, who recommended him to radio station WIBG, then based in the Philadelphia suburb of Glenside, Pennsylvania, where he hired on in 1941. He would work as a news director and announcer there until 1943, during which time, he worked on game broadcasts of the Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Athletics.
In 1943, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he saw combat action in Europe. After the war ended, he entered the Armed Forces Radio network, where he worked until his 1946 release from the Army. He then returned to WIBG, which had relocated to Philadelphia, but, in early 1947, he went into television at WPTZ, a Philadelphia station that was a predecessor of today's KYW TV, but was at the time owned by the Philco company, and was an early television affiliate of NBC Television. While there, Neal first did an interview show, then went to news coverage. Some of his news coverage was used on an early version of today's network morning shows, while the entertainment was provided by a student of the medium named Ernie Kovacs, whose study of how television worked at that time resulted in a comedy style that was copied by a number of shows, from Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In to Monty Python's Flying Circus. In 1952, both left Philadelphia for the NBC network, with Neal heading up its West Coast news operation.
In the 1950s, he appeared in two films: Cry Terror and The Night Holds Terror
.
Neal was a licensed Amateur Radio
operator, with the callsign K6DUE—which has since been reassigned to the Internaional Space Station Amateur Radio Club, and he was for many years an anchor and correspondent for Westlink Amateur Radio News; later Amateur Radio Newsline, a weekly audio news bulletin service staffed mostly by hams active in the broadcast and news industry.
He retired in 1986, and died in 2003 at age 82, after heart surgery.
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
. An aerospace specialist, he reported live on the Apollo 11 landing
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
. His newscast from that event was later published on LP by Evolution Records
Evolution Records
Evolution Records was a record label operated by the Stereo Dimension Records subsidiary of the Longines Symphonette Society, a unit of the Longines watch company...
. He also reported on the Apollo 13
Apollo 13
Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the American Apollo space program and the third intended to land on the Moon. The craft was launched on April 11, 1970, at 13:13 CST. The landing was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days later, crippling the service module upon which the Command...
crisis, and provided reporting during the launch of the first Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
, STS-1
STS-1
STS-1 was the first orbital flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program. Space Shuttle Columbia launched on 12 April 1981, and returned to Earth on 14 April, having orbited the Earth 37 times during the 54.5-hour mission. It was the first American manned space flight since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project...
.
His broadcasting career began as a radio actor at KYW, Philadelphia's NBC Red Network affiliate, in 1940, where he appeared on The Lost Continent radio show. His voice was recognized as a potential news voice by a KYW director, who recommended him to radio station WIBG, then based in the Philadelphia suburb of Glenside, Pennsylvania, where he hired on in 1941. He would work as a news director and announcer there until 1943, during which time, he worked on game broadcasts of the Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Athletics.
In 1943, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he saw combat action in Europe. After the war ended, he entered the Armed Forces Radio network, where he worked until his 1946 release from the Army. He then returned to WIBG, which had relocated to Philadelphia, but, in early 1947, he went into television at WPTZ, a Philadelphia station that was a predecessor of today's KYW TV, but was at the time owned by the Philco company, and was an early television affiliate of NBC Television. While there, Neal first did an interview show, then went to news coverage. Some of his news coverage was used on an early version of today's network morning shows, while the entertainment was provided by a student of the medium named Ernie Kovacs, whose study of how television worked at that time resulted in a comedy style that was copied by a number of shows, from Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In to Monty Python's Flying Circus. In 1952, both left Philadelphia for the NBC network, with Neal heading up its West Coast news operation.
In the 1950s, he appeared in two films: Cry Terror and The Night Holds Terror
The Night Holds Terror
The Night Holds Terror is an American crime film written and directed by Andrew L. Stone that stars Vince Edwards, John Cassavetes and Jack Kelly.It was originally shown on Z Channel, uncut and commercial-free.-Plot:...
.
Neal was a licensed Amateur Radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
operator, with the callsign K6DUE—which has since been reassigned to the Internaional Space Station Amateur Radio Club, and he was for many years an anchor and correspondent for Westlink Amateur Radio News; later Amateur Radio Newsline, a weekly audio news bulletin service staffed mostly by hams active in the broadcast and news industry.
He retired in 1986, and died in 2003 at age 82, after heart surgery.
External links
- http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/roynealbook.html