“The Radio Collector” A TV Series from 1985

Here is a really nice five part series of PBS TV programs about the history of radio and about restoring old radios. I got a kick out of W6AM’s description of the “exam” that got him his first radio license — you will find that story at the end of the first episode (above).

Here are all five of the progams:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLTogcYJemH5Oc_W8Q4gsae4a0zHvi5L8&fbclid=IwAR1H1Eq1vqMb_-MntRvPId5f_UpU5h-KJVtz2Wj8ijbTmSusr1BmGvcAROk

 And here is the background info (from the YouTube Channel):

The Radio Collector from the California Historical Radio Society

5 videos 156 views Last updated on May 25, 2020

The 5-part PBS series from 1985, “Radio Collector” was nominated for a Los Angeles Area Emmy for Best Informational Series. Radio Collector was shot in 1985 on 3/4″ video, a marginal format that boasted 240 lines of resolution. It was edited 3/4″ to 3/4″ using a control track/insert cuts-only editor, then that 2nd generation 3/4″ was transferred to 2″ at KOCE in Southern California where the credits were added. KOCE sent it to PBS and it was available to all member stations, and it has been aired on many stations. Mike Adams’ students in Radio-TV-Film at California State University, Fullerton, were the camera operators, musicians, etc. Twenty eight years later CHRS President Steve Kushman transferred a copy of a copy of a copy of the master which went from 2nd generation 3/4″ to 2″ to 1″ to Beta SP to his computer. The story has held up well, and of course many of those profiled here are silent keys/valves. Mike’s inspiration for this series was the original “This Old House,” thus “This Old Radio.” Enjoy

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