Our FREE summertime event this year was a tour of "Citizens Bank Park," home of the Philadelphia Phillies. We all met at 11 am on Wednesday, July 17, 2013.
During this tour, we announced who our 2013 "PERSON OF THE YEAR" will be and the people who will be inducted into our Hall of Fame. The banquet is in November.
Photos courtesy of members Mel Klawansky, Joaquin Bowman, Michael Muderick and Brad Seecof of Metramedia Studios!
Member Joaquin Bowman in Master Control
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Broadcast Pioneers Board Member Dave Abramson
Chief Engineer of the Philadelphia Phillies
in Master Control
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Joyce Klawansky
(Joyce is the wife of Member Mel Klawansky)
in the Phillies Locker Room
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
(By the way, Joyce is a former WFIL "Boss Chick")
Broadcast Pioneers Chairman of the Board Gerry Wilkinson
in the Phillies Dugout
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Broadcast Pioneers member Mike Boce
in the Phillies broadcast booth
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
(above photo is a screen capture from our video)
VIDEO OF THE TOUR!
Here's an 11 minute video of the tour. It was shot by Broadcast Pioneers Board Member Brad Seecof and his production company "Metramedia Studios."
Watch in You Tube in HD!
Watch in Windows Media Format!
Broadcast Pioneers member Joaquin Bowman wrote a nice little piece about our visit with the Philadelphia Phillies and we would like to share it with you. He wrote:
In 1958 when I was a 14-year-old boy living in West Oak Lane, I loved to take the El down to 46th and Market to enjoy an afternoon in Studio B and to be part of American Bandstand. Sure, I danced; but, quite frankly, I was more focused on the way the show was produced. It was a quite a learning experience to watch Dick Clark rehearse Clearasil commercials, then do them “live” on the air. I was fascinated by the interaction between the control room and Dick and watched as instructions were given to the camera operators.
That’s why when we were given the opportunity to get a “behind-the-scenes tour” of Citizens Bank park on July 17th, I jumped at the chance along with six dozen of other Pioneers and their guests.
After we all arrived at the Phillies store, our designated meeting place, we were directed up the stairs to the official group tour room. A short video introduced us to Citizens Bank Park. Before moving out in our individual tour groups, Gerry Wilkinson announced the Broadcast Pioneer Honorees for 2013 including the Person of the Year, Tom Moran. I’ve known Tom for 40 years and never knew a nicer guy. He was a perfect choice. As people were coming in, I noticed Tom holding the door for the various attendees. Tom is an extremely talented and a down-to-earth kind of guy.
Shortly after the announcements, we headed out in our smaller groups. We were fortunate the Phillies had an off day because of the MLB All-Star game (the night before) and we had the run of the park.
We were shown the press room along with the media room where the Phillies make announcements and do interviews. The radio and TV broadcast booths were smaller than I would have thought, considering the size of the 21 acre park, with more than a million square feet of interior space. Plaques outside some of the rooms celebrated well known people from the organization including Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn.
As a collector of antiques, I was fascinated with the memorabilia displayed in the various hallways and sports paintings done by artists including Dick Perez. One of the most amazing pieces of art was a mural in the lobby above the Diamond Club showing legendary Phillies players, casually gathered together in the club house. Australian artist Jamie Cooper, added some interesting symbolic commentary including a rose in a vase representing the banned, but well- loved, Pete Rose.
One of the more impressive sites covered on the tour was the $10 million control room for the park’s graphics and sound system, including the 7,372 square foot scoreboard display. Broadcast Pioneers Board Member Dave Abramson, Chief Engineer for the Phillies Broadcast Division, explained how the control equipment was used, citing that it would be capable of managing any network television show produced in Hollywood. Some of the Pioneers asked Dave a few technical questions (digital vs. analog, and the like) but I have to admit it was way over my head, and by that time I was getting hungry.
For me, the last part of the two-and-a-half hour tour was the best. We got to see the players’ clubhouse. The red leather seats and polished wood alcoves were certainly above the metal lockers I had expected. It was a thrill to see personal items belonging to the star players, like Ryan Howard, jammed in their lockers just like our closets at home. Most of the players were packed up for their for the upcoming road trip with the Mets.
Finally, we walked the same hall the players use to go to the dugout and onto the field. The dugout was unadorned and no frills. It really did look like a dugout that would have served a Phillies team back in the early 1900’s. It was exciting to sit on the hard wood scarred benches that the players use while they wait for their next “at bat.” We were all like little kids getting our pictures taken and imaging what it would be like to be a National League ball player.
The overall experience reminded me of something Temple Professor (and former President and Chairman of the Board of Broadcast Pioneers) John Roberts said in 1962 that after his course, we would never view television the same. By knowing how it was done, the magic would be gone. I can assure you that even though we saw all of the equipment and activity behind the production of a baseball game, nothing could ever take away from the magic of watching the Phillies in action, whether on TV or in person.
