Architect of t.v. political news coverage dies at 85

Those political junkies out there who still follow the convention coverage might be interested in the passing of Reuven Frank. Frank was one of the original NBC News producers. Under his watch the Hunley-Brinkley Report thrived and the networks started blanket coverage of the presidential conventions (this is back when the parties would actually select their nominee at the convention, rather than laud them as they do now).

The obit is an interesting look at t.v. news history as well.

A good passage:

"Our men are already on the job from coast to coast," Mr. Frank said in a news release issued by NBC on June 8, 1960, a month before the Democratic Convention in Los Angeles. "They'll arrive at the conventions with their own assigned delegations or personalities. And when the conventions get under way, our men will belong to and be an integral part of their assignments."

He added, "It's a kind of aboveboard and perfectly ethical journalistic 'espionage,' if you will."

- Murphy