From the Stacks: Lights, Camera, Action!
In this photograph, young girls in costume perform for a camera crew.
Can you identify the people in this photo? Do you know what these girls were performing? Do you know which year this might have been? Where might this have been broadcasted? How did television differ in the Canal Zone from what you would see in the mainland United States?
Make sure to join us for the 2018 Panama Canal Society Reunion in Orlando from June 27 – July 1, 2018, where there will be an exhibit about popular culture in the Panama Canal Zone on display. See more information and register here: https://www.pancanalsociety.org/reunion.html. We hope to see you there!
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15 Comments
John Voelpel
The two guys behind the camera were in uniform. I would bet that they were broadcasting from SCN or Southern Command Network.
Jackie Mulvain I arrived at what was the CSB, Caribean Forced Network while was there the name was changed to Southern Command Network. Having
I arrived at what was then CSN, Caribean Forces Network. Snortli after arriving the name was changed to SCN, Southern Command Network. Having worked at 4 commercial stations and mastering every phase of TV production from floor manager to program and production manager, I was probably the oldest and most experienced membor of the staff
As we added some of the most creative and talented people I have worked with in my 50 years in TV and video production. Together, I like to think we revolutionized Armed forces television and radio in the Canal Zone. Later Navy Journalist Gabe Ironton and I probuced a video, “Goasts of Building 209” (I’m not sure of the building
nomber) I think the video can still be found on Utoob. The accomplishment of these guys are too numerous to mention. Our history and post service connections were like a real life story book.
Bob Dillon
CFN logo on side of camera. Caribbean Forces Network. Precursor to Southern Command Network. The authority on SCN history is probably Jim Kresge, AFRTS.
Bob Dillon
CFN from 1954 to 1963. 1963 changed to scn.
http://scncz.com/History/info.html
Pam Maedl Gutowski
It looks like Mary Morland, Steffi Beck, and Sandra Motta, with Dale Scott in the front! They were cheerleaders for CHS and I believe Dale was a mascot. Mary and Sandra graduated with my sister, Pat Maedl, from CHS in 1957, so this picture was probably taken around that time or earlier. Steffi was a year or two younger. Her dad, Paul Beck, was the principal.
Carlos Rodgers
In 1941, the American Forces Radio and Television (AFRTS) services initiated the first radio station outside the US in the Panama Canal area. In 1948, AFRTS acquired building 209 in Fort Clayton (Panama Canal) where they built new studios and became the Caribbean Forces Network (CFN). Black & white TV was added in 1956. In 1964, CFN transformed into the Southern Caribbean Network (SCN). Color TV & FM stereo radio were added in 1975.
Subject picture; presents a group of Cristobal High School cheerleaders and their tiger mascot, being interviewed by the CFN TV station at the start of the local football season, probably late 50s or early 60s.
Carl N Berg of Cocoli
AFRS/Armed Forces Radio Service, later AFRTS/Armed Forces Radio-Television Service, provided the operational support for first, CFN/Caribbean Forces Network, later SCN/Southern Command Network; housed, if my memory is accurate, in a two-story barracks-like building at Fort Clayton, located a very short distance inside the post’s security fence, adjacent to Gaillard Highway, actually, on the east side of the two-lane uphill (northbound) concrete highway to Red Tank and Pedro Miguel, and opposite the road entry to the Miraflores Locks dam and the electrical generating station at the south end of Miraflores Lake…Canned television was our lot during most of the 1950s, except for news and certain announcements, and we faithfully watched in black and white the World Series games in October, say, about a week later, already knowing, of course, the final scores…Joe Daley (sergeant?) was a popular disc jockey for my favorite (afternoon?) popular music program, The Pop Shop. Our alternate radio station for pop music was HOG in Panama City.
—Carl N Berg of Cocoli, 1947-1966
Robert Baldwin
Three television channels were available in the 1960’s. On the Pacific they were Channel 8, which was SCN, and then two Panamanian channels, 2 and 4. I remember my father saying that SCN had the capability to offer color TV long before it did, but because the Panamanian channels did not have it, SCN did not broadcast in color. One of the most striking difference between SCN and stateside TV, of course, is that we had not commercials. It was sort of fascinating watching the commercials when we were in the US on vacation.
Bob Dillon
790 Pacific, 1420 Atlantic. AM Radio
Channel 8 Pacific Channel 10 Atlantic
Can’t remember the FM frequencies….yet.
I think, 97.5 Pacific, 98.3 Atlantic
Bob Dillon
SCN did not show commercials. Instead they played public service announcements (PSA’s). Many were the kind you’d see on broadcast Television in the USA. Some were made and shown worldwide exclusively on AFRTS, and some were locally made. We saw the Indian Crying – Keep America Beautiful, Smokey the Bear, Dick Van Dyke – Stop Drop and Roll. International Road Signs (AFRTS) – something something something, “don’t be fool. When you drive a car, man, drive cook!” (gotta find that one). But here’s a little earwig from the ’70 that pops in my brain every blue moon, because it is a world class ear wig and it ran soooo often. Lots of pre-pubescent giggles… Anyone in the CZ through the ’70’s will remember this one well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtOLLLbekec
Ah the ’70’s
Bob Dillon
Just one more typical PSA seen a million times on SCN. Except, I don’t remember ever seeing it in color until tonight. Color came late to us, and the old PSA’s (pre color transmitter) were, of course, in monochrome (including the VD PSA above). I’m still amazed when I see Wild Wild West in color. I had no idea it was so colorful. Blows my mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=28&v=XXD-RynUpxQ
Bob Dillon
I found a great AFRTS PSA that we all saw soooo many time in the ’70s on SCN. Looking for the Guard Duty promo “Halt! Who goes there? Friend or Foe?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xF_hRb3ibk
N. Valentin Rodaniche
My dad was stationed in Fort Clayton from 1971 -1975. I remember going to the station when i was little. My dad’s friend who was also military had a show at night that featured a haunted house at the beginning. His last name was Holbrook. I cant remember his name. Does anyone recall? I’ve been trying to find Holbrook (ARMY) through years and no luck. I can’t remember his first name since i was around 7 years old at the time. Thabks
Paul henkemeyer
I worked at cfn as a navy journalist Nov 1957 to June 1958. I was cameraman radio and tv announcer and TV director. I think this was before I got there. Guy with boom Mike looks like Jim six of oshgoh and guy on camera may well be tom Sherman of I think new York
Mike Allen
Yes, I learned a lot from Jack Mulvain upon arriving at CFN. I had never been in radio or tv before Panama. At the time, they were the most amazing and talented bunch of misfits you could hope to know. I remember directing a show…Sight in Stereo. We split the audio of live studio groups between our TV audio as one channel, and our radio stations as the second channel. Both sides of the Canal Zone had access to true stereo music. Years later as Director of the House Recording Studio in Washington DC, I thought about writing a pilot for a TV show called AFARTS. It was a shame we didn’t just record our daily lives down there. Every day was a new adventure. We truly gave MASH a run for its money. Many thanks to all the talented souls I had the pleasure to work with at CFN/SCN.