TV Interviews, Multi-Media Mark 1972 Convention: "New Look" Makes Conclave "Open"
Diocesan Press Service. August 31, 1972 [72119]
(Note: The article below is reprinted from CHURCH LIFE, Diocese of Ohio, March- April, 1972, page 1. This is an example of "new ventures in the communicating arts," according to Bishop Burt.)
"Clergymen turned cameramen . .. Nominees on TV . .. Interviews of Convention personalities seen on hotel-room TV sets (special channel) " . . . these innovations marked a new openness at the 155th Diocesan Convention held at the Sheraton- Cleveland Hotel.
The "New Look" was designed by the Communication Department in response to delegates' inquiries about identifying nominees visually, getting out more information on resolutions, canons information and committee reports. This, combined with the department's concern for greater exposure and understanding of Cable TV, motivated experimentations at the Convention using available media.
Result: over 1,000 delegates, youth representatives, and guests met the nominees for diocesan posts via five Cable TV monitors set up in the hotel lobbies. Later they saw and heard Convention personalities on their hotel room TV sets on a special channel reserved for the Episcopal Convention.
(Extra dividends were comments of interested non-Episcopal hotel guests who stopped to watch the Convention proceedings on the monitors.)
Carpeted hallways provided seating for many of the 100 youth representatives who sat watching the Convention proceedings on TV. They gave this media the official youth OK !
The experiment in Closed Circuit TV "came off" due to Department volunteers working above and beyond the call of duty. Nancy Potter, St. James', Painesville, coordinated the planning. Mr. Robert Potter, St. James', Painesville, Manager of Radio News for NBC-Cleveland, volunteered as producer/director aided by Mr. Randy Gerber, St. Mark's, Canton, News Director, WJAN-TV.
Equipment, and there was a ton of it, was loaned by a St. Matthew's, Brecksville member, Tom Wisner, who helped setup and relocate equipment.
Mr. Doug Adair, St. Matthew's, Brecksville, News Anchorman for WKYC- NBC-TV, volunteered to do the interviews with Randy.
Five clergy/cameramen, who learned their craft quickly and manned the TV cameras for two days were the Rev. David W. Hoag, St. James', Painesville; the Rev. Robert H. New, St. Paul's, Mt. Vernon; the Rev. Hugh C. Laughlin, St. Matthew's, Brecksville; the Rev. John C. Fredenburgh, St. Mark's, Canton, and the Rev. John E. Butt, St. Barnabas', Bay Village.
Volunteer "runners" assisting TV crews were Parish Communicators, Miss Sandra Knott, Emmanuel, Cleveland; Mrs. Raymond Wood, St. Christopher's-by- the-River, Gates Mills; Mrs. Jason Crain, St. Martin's, Chagrin Falls; Miss Helen Bradburn, St. Martin's, Chagrin Falls, and Mrs. Robert Shannon, St. Bartholomew's, Mayfield Village.