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TV and Radio Handling Of Derby Is Excellent ExcellentBig Big Race Seen and Heard by Largest Audience in History HistoryNEW NEW YORK N Y May 3 The seventy eighth Kentucky Derby left its Old Ken ¬ tucky Home today and entered the homes and hearts of millions of Americans who couldnt be in Louisville for a great renewal of a great classic Through the magic of television and radio this latest edition of a stake that has done so much to advance the sport of thoroughbred racing in this country was seen and heard by the largest audience of turf fans in history historyNothing Nothing could be faulted in either the video or radio handling of the fixture Bryan Fields description of the running wafted through the air with the greatest of ease through the facilities of the CBS TV and 39 other television stations was matchless He made no mistakes calling them as he saw them and he saw them perfectly Fred Capossela deserting his New York track announcers post for the day to handle the mike for radios Derby broadcast also over CBS emulated Field He was right throughout throughoutThis This reporter trying to catch both the video and radio versions at the same time paid particular attention to the visual air ¬ ing of the stake This was the first TV Derby and it couldnt have been better There were no technical flaws The picture was presented clearly from the time ex jockey Sam Renick who handled the color portion of the video broadcast went on the air from a vantage point overlook ¬ ing the historic stands standsThe The camera hit every horse in the parade to the post pinpointing each with the precision of a marksman Sammy an oldhand at dishing out prerace particu ¬ lars gave the dope on each starter told who owned him trained him was going to ride him himField Field took over when the field neared the starting gate He called the obstreperous horses took the audience to Churchill Downs took it from New York and Illinois and California and points all over the map mapAnother Another thing of importance the camera showed the oddsboard Revealed the f lustuating prices of the starters near post time This was a departure from the fool ¬ ish censorminded business of making this public information a national secret This made the sport of kings the sport it actually is of the man at the track and just as important of the family at home with a television set setShortly Shortly after the finish the telecast was interrupted briefly for a news bulletin from Washington telling of the supreme courts banning of a governmentimposed wage increase in the steel dispute The screen was dark for about one minute When the picture came on again Hill Gail was shown with the traditional blanket of American beauty roses draped over his withers Then followed the cus ¬ tomary exchange of felicitations partici ¬ pated in by Laurence W Wetherby governor of Kentucky Bill Corum Mrs Warren Wright trainer Ben Jones and jockey Eddie Arcaro The governor referred to himself as a handicapper saying that he had picked Hill Gail last night nightThis This was racing at its best This was television at its best
