NEWS CARAVAN - J.C. SWAYZE - (1949-56) - DVD

NEWS CARAVAN February 14, 1949, to October 26, 1956 The News Caravan was a 15-minute television news program aired by NBC News and anchored by John Cameron Swayze. Initially sponsored by Camel cigarettes and broadcast as the Camel News Caravan, it was the first NBC news program to use NBC filmed news stories rather than movie newsreels. Launched in 1948 as NBC Television Newsreel it began as a 10-minute program featuring Fox Movietone newsreels with Swayze provided voice-over for the series. The Camel News Caravan became an expanded version featuring Swayze on-camera. In 1954, the Camel News Caravan became the first news program broadcast in color. In 1955 the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (makers of Camel cigarettes), cut back its sponsorship to three days a week. Chrysler-Plymouth sponsored the other days, and on those days, the program was labeled the Plymouth News Caravan. The program featured a young Washington correspondent named David Brinkley, and competed against CBSÍs Douglas