146: Craig Braddick History of TV Sport special

Nostalgia Interviews with Chris Deacy

My guest this week is Craig Braddick, a British born race caller from Arizona who I have interviewed previously in this podcast series. Craig is a specialist on the history of TV sport and here we focus on various sporting events in the monochrome era from 1948-1966.
We begin by discussing the way in which sport has always been on demand and has united people in a community. Craig talks about pre-Second World War women’s amateur sport which came to prominence in the 1948 London Olympics. There is very little of the 1948 Olympics in the archives and it is important for giving us the genesis of what we are used to in TV sport coverage today.
We then look at the 1953 FA Cup Final, the oldest soccer broadcast in the archives, and how it is atmospheric of a different era. This is when TV for the first time became the first choice over radio for experiencing sport.
We discuss Roger Bannister and the 4 minute mile, and how it was broadcast on a programme called Sportsview which was the first show in the UK to use an autocue.
Then we have the launch of Grandstand in 1958 and (later) its football results teleprinter. It introduced people to regional sports events. Craig talks about its presenter David Colman’s expertise and how the programme covered the Grand National for the first time in 1960 which again united people around television.
We look at the 1964 Olympics which was broadcast by satellite and the 1966 World Cup final when BBC and ITV worked together to share facilities. It was the first time slow motion was used in real time in football coverage and gave other countries the chance to develop their own coverage of football. It was also a time when football and politics came together, epitomized by Harold Wilson, and we learn why Tony Benn scuppered the chance for the BBC to screen the World Cup in colour.
At the end of the interview we find out how Craig plans to draw on all of this knowledge and expertise in the future.
Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Craig Braddick and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.