Indy 500 on Television – Part 2 (1964-1970)

The Indianapolis 500 has been broadcast on television in the United States dating back to 1949. Local Indianapolis television station WFBM-TV (now WRTV-6) carried the “500” live for the first time in 1949 and again in 1950. Then from 1964 to 1970, MCA broadcast the race live on closed-circuit television, a telecast which was available in theaters and other venues across the country. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) first covered the “500” with highlights on its popular anthology series “Wide World of Sports” from 1965 to 1970. ABC’s coverage of Time Trials dated back to 1961. From 1971 through 1985, the race was aired on same-day tape-delay in primetime on ABC. Since 1986, the race has been has aired live in “flag-to-flag” format. A year later in 1987, cable network ESPN joined the fray covering qualifying (and later practice), sharing Time Trials coverage with ABC.

In 2009, cable network Versus (later NBC Sports Network, and then simply NBCSN) covered Time Trials and Carb Day as part of a ten-year contact, while ABC continued to air the race itself. In 2019, after more than five decades on ABC, the race made a highly publicized switch to NBC.

In addition to Indy 500 race coverage, time trials, practice, and other ancillary events (including the 500 Festival Parade and the 500 Victory Banquet) have also been aired on television, dating back to as early as 1950. While some film and newsreel footage of the race exists as far back as the first “500” in 1911, the earliest telecasts are generally presumed to be “lost”. Much like race itself, the Indy 500 has a colorful and extensive history on television in the U.S.. This six-part series will dive deep into the history of the Indianapolis 500 on television.

Indianapolis 500 on Television — Six-Part Series
Part 1 1949‒1963 Local Era	Part 2 1964‒1970 MCA/WWOS	Part 3 1971‒1985 Tape Delay	Part 4 1986‒2008 ABC Live Era	Part 5 2009‒2018 ABC/Versus	Part 6 2019‒Present NBC

Closed Circuit Television &
Wide World of Sports era
(1964-1970)

By the early/mid-1960s the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network had exploded in popularity. Sid Collins anchored the coast-to-coast radio broadcast which by 1963, was carried by 700 affiliates in 49 states. By the end of the decade, the affiliate count would grow to over 900 affiliates, and the network boasted a worldwide audience of over 100 million listeners. The broadcast was carried overseas on Armed Forces Radio, and heard in English-speaking countries abroad. Foreign language translations were heard in other countries. Nationwide interest in the “500” was growing rapidly and speculation of national network television coverage became a topic of serious discussion. The biggest obstacles remained the high cost and overwhelming logistics of such an effort.

On October 8, 1963, the Music Corporation of America (MCA) signed a multi-year deal to broadcast the Indianapolis 500 live, flag-to-flag, on closed-circuit television beginning in 1964. The telecast would be aired in theaters and arenas, and similar venues across the country. At the time, closed-circuit television had already been used for other sporting events, such as boxing and football, and was also being experimented with in the education field. The deal would be in place from 1964 through 1970. Charlie Brockman, a veteran of the IMS radio network, and sports director for WLW-i (channel 13), served as the anchor.

The closed circuit television broadcasts effectively ushered in a new rule change pertaining to the race. Prior to 1964, once the winner crossed the finish line, the race was not immediately over. Officials permitted a certain amount of time for the other participants to finish the full 500 miles. In the very early years of the race, completing the full 500 miles was even a requirement to receive prize money. Beginning in 1934, membership into the exclusive Champion Spark Plug 100 MPH Club was a highly sought after honor. It required drivers to complete the “500”, without relief help, at an average speed of better than 100 mph. The so-called “extra time” allotted by the officials at the end of the race provided as many drivers as reasonably possible the opportunity to not only finish the race, but to qualify for that prestigious club. Over the years, the specific amount of time varied, and was sometimes loosely based on a desired number of finishers (e.g., ten cars). Extra time of 35-45 minutes was not uncommon, and sometimes as much as an hour was observed. Beginning in 1964, however, at the request of MCA, owing to the closed circuit broadcast (and not wanting the race to run too long), the amount of “extra time” was reduced. Once the winner crossed the finish line, a maximum of only 5-10 minutes was allowed for the remaining drivers on the track to finish the full 500 miles. Some races appear to have been red flagged and officially stopped as soon as the top five cars finished, regardless of time. The rest of the cars running were “FLAGGED” and directed back to the pits.

ABC-TV gradually expanded their coverage of the “500” during the 1960s. After covering time trials/previews only from 1961 to 1964, in 1965 they aired dedicated coverage of the race for the first time. Taped highlights were shown about a week after the race on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. The delay was not only due to logistics, but also due to the fact that MCA’s contract included a 72-hour “embargo” of home television viewing. Chris Schenkel served as ABC’s anchor for the first two years (1965-1966). In 1967, hall of fame sportscaster Jim McKay covered the “500” for the first time, the first of twenty years that he would cover the race.

1964

MCA Closed Circuit television

Broadcast Details: After signing the broadcasting contract, in the fall of 1963, MCA descended upon the Speedway to scope out the project. Former “500” winner Sam Hanks joined the network as a technical advisor. Incidentally, Hanks had just ended his role as Director of Racing. From 1958 to 1963, he held that position, one duty of which was to drive the pace car at the start of the race. Crews installed 16,500 feet of bundled cable and telephone wires, two microwave antennas, platforms or towers for eleven fixed camera positions, new power lines, and broadcast infrastructure equipment downtown, all at a reported cost of over $300,000 – though some estimates went as high as $1 million (roughly $2.9-$9.7 million adjusted for inflation in 2023). A production crew of 60 technicians and over 100 persons in total, in conjunction with WFBM-TV, confronted what was described as the largest communication system ever provided for a sporting event.

Charlie Brockman, the sports director at WLW-i (channel 13), was named the chief announcer for the live telecast. Brockman had worked for several years on local “500” coverage on WLW-i, and also worked on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. Production began on May 1, as various highlights, features, and interviews were taped throughout the month for playback on race day.

The telecast signed on twenty minutes before the scheduled start of the race. At 10:40 a.m. local time (11:40 a.m. in New York, and 8:40 a.m. on the west coast), live coverage of pre-race ceremonies preceded the green flag. Twelve cameras (eleven fixed and one roving) comprised the black and white broadcast, which covered the entire 2.5-mile oval. The plans called for a four-hour broadcast, which would include a post-race interview with the race winner.

1964 advertisement from the *Philadelphia Inquirer*

Venues/Blackout: The closed circuit telecast was carried live in over 100 cities at over over 130 venues in 35 states & D.C., and Canada. Prominent theaters included the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Fox Theater in Atlanta, Boston Garden, and the Texas State Fair Auditorium theater. The largest venue was the Los Angeles Sports arena, which aired the race on four screens with seating for up to 16,248. A total coast-to-coast audience of over 600,000-700,000 paying viewers was expected. Depending upon the venue, tickets were in the range of $3-$10.

In an effort to prevent the gate attendance from suffering, the telecast was blacked out inside a large radius surrounding the Speedway. The entire state of Indiana was blacked out, as were nearby cities such as Columbus (OH), Cincinnati, Louisville, and parts of Illinois. The closest theater to the track which carried the telecast was the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, about 158 miles away.

On-Air Crew: Jay Michaels was the broadcast supervisor, and Frank Chirkinian served as the director. Tom Carnegie, who served as the public address announcer at the track on race day, recorded various segments earlier during the month, which were played back during the broadcast. However, Carnegie did not appear live. The broadcast crew was stationed in a glass booth in the “Paddock Press Penthouse”, the press box which is suspended under the Paddock Penthouse grandstand.

Charlie Brockman, a veteran of the Mutual Broadcasting System radio coverage of the “500”, as well as the IMS Radio Network, served as the play-by-play anchor. Sam Hanks (1957 Indy 500 winner) and Bernie Herman were analysts. Driver Roger McCluskey, who was injured in a sprint car crash in April, and sidelined for the month, was added to the crew as a consultant and analyst. Chris Economacki and Darl Wibel covered the pit area.

Screenshot of the 1964 MCA closed circuit telecast with on-screen stopwatch
Courtesy of AutomobileHistoryUSA on YouTube.

Broadcast Critique: The first nationwide telecast of the “500” was generally considered a success. Innovative features in the very first telecast included an on-screen stopwatch graphic and video taped replays. Some venues complained about audio problems, video problems and others had various growing pains. At least one venue complained that they did not receive their programs from the track until two days after the race (official race programs were supplied to the venues for them to sell during the telecast).

Attendance was reported as a sellout at some venues, but disappointing at others. Financially, Tony Hulman stated that the broadcast “about broke even” in its first year. The admission fees were split between MCA and the venues, but none contributed towards the race’s purse.

The fiery crash which killed Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald on the second lap cast a pall over the race. Some venues reported a somber mood by attendees. The 1 hour and 42 minute red flag to clean up the crash stretched the broadcast out to almost six hours. The down time was filled by interviews, highlights, and various features, and as a result, there were no significant reports of people leaving the theaters after the crash. However, some critics noted that the cameras did not catch a good angle of the crash, and few details were reported about the incident.

Broadcast Disposition: Despite being aired nationwide to as many as 161 outlets, it is not clear if any full recordings were captured. No copies, presumably kinescopes, of the full 1964 MCA telecast are known to exist. However, a newsreel advertisement for the 1965 broadcast (comprised of footage from the 1964 telecast) has surfaced on YouTube. Another highlight reel includes brief footage that may have been taken from the MCA telecast. Additionally, a 2-minute clip from a British newsreel includes some video of the race that might have been taken from the MCA feed.

ABC’s Wide World of Sports

Time Trials: ABC’s Wide World of Sports returned for the fourth year of national coverage of time trials. Pole qualifying was featured on Saturday May 16. The 90-minute broadcast aired from 2:30-5:00 p.m. (eastern) in most parts of the country, and was taped-delayed on WLW-i in Indianapolis. The episode included coverage of “500” time trials with Charlie Brockman, the Eiffel Tower Climb, and the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race.

Race: The WWOS episode of Saturday June 6 included a filmed review of the race between coverage of the English Derby and the National AAU Gymnastics Championships. A syndicated highlight film produced by Race Film Productions was also offered to television stations.

Local Coverage

Local Indianapolis television channels WFBM (channel 6), WLW-i (channel 13), and WISH (channel 8) continued to feature extensive coverage of the month of May at Indy. Daily wrap-up shows, all four days of time trials, special features, festival events, and various ancillary events were televised across all three channels, each utilizing in-house dedicated crews.

WFBM-TV continued to be the leader in local coverage, their 15th year covering the “500”. The on-air crew on TV and radio consisted of Tom Carnegie, Jim McIntyre, Fred Agabashian, John Totten, Fred Everett, Jim Gerard, and Frank Prater. The daily wrap-up show “Trackside” once again aired nearly every day leading up to the race with McIntyre & Agabashian hosting.

WLW-i expanded their coverage in 1964. They also featured a daily wrap-up show titled “Today at the Track“, hosted by Charlie Brockman.

WISH stepped up their coverage, airing a nightly wrap-up show titled “Track Talk” with Rodger Ward and Jim Wilson.