WSB-TV, Georgia Giant Documentary Files, Series VI: Audiovisual Materials, 1969-1970

Summary

Creator:
WSB-TV (Television station: Atlanta, GA)
Date:
1969-1970
Extent:
157 item(s)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

WSB-TV, Georgia Giant Documentary Files, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.

Background

Scope and content:

WSB-TV, Georgia Giant Documentary Files, Series VI. Audiovisual Materials consists of 139 16mm films that were created in the production of Richard Russell: A Georgia Giant, in 1970. The reels include negative, internegative, magnetic sound, optical sound, answer print, and composite print reels. Additionally, one 2-inch videotape contains an introduction to the documentary by Herman Talmadge, aired on WSB-TV when the documentary was shown. Five Umatic videotapes and 11 VHS videotapes, containing copies of the final production, were made by the Russell Library in the 1980s and 1990s, and integrated into the collection in 2011. The full-length Georgia Giant runs two hours and 48 minutes, while the shorter classroom version is 34 minutes long. User copies are available only for the finished productions.

Biographical / historical:

WSB-TV is the first and largest of Georgia's radio and television stations. It became the South's first radio station when it signed on at 100 watts on May 15, 1922. It became the south's first television station on September 29, 1948. Ohio governor James Middleton Cox purchased WSB radio and the Atlanta Journal in 1939, and following World War II, he was able to bring first-class television news and entertainment programming to Atlanta viewers. Through the turbulent 60s and 70s WSB-TV continued to grow and thrive. In 1972 the Cox radio and television concerns became Cox Broadcasting Corporation.

Early in 1969, WSB-TV in Atlanta embarked on production of a series of interviews with Senator Russell that culminated in over twenty-five hours of film. Hal Suit, WSB's former news director, and WSB-TV's Washington correspondent, Jim Giltmier, spent months researching newspaper articles, combing Congressional Records, searching out film clips and photographs, to provide biographical information on Senator Russell and pinpoint key events in his career as a public servant. Hal Suit interviewed Senator Russell with the end result being a three-part television special titled Richard Russell, Georgia Giant, that was aired February 11, 12, and 13, 1970. A thirty minute condensed version of the three hour film was created to show at a Washington D.C. reception for the Senator, hosted by Cox Enterprises in February 1970.

Arrangement:

WSB-TV, Georgia Giant Documentary Files, Series VI. Audiovisual Materials is arranged by format.

Access and use restrictions

Restrictions:

Though the collection is open for research, reference copies of the audiovisual recordings are available upon request. Research requests will be filled as soon as possible and will be dependent upon the condition of the recordings.

Terms of access:

It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission to reproduce material for publication. Persons wishing to reproduce materials in the Russell Library collections should consult the Director. Reproduction or quotation of any item must contain a complete citation to the original.

Preferred citation:

WSB-TV, Georgia Giant Documentary Files, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.