CBS Laboratories
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, Electronics, Research and Development |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Fate | Sold in parts; Professional Products Department sold to Thomson-CSF in 1974; remaining labs sold to EPSCO Corp. in 1975; later assets auctioned off in 1976; site became CBS Technology Center then closed by mid-1980s |
| Headquarters | New York City (initial), Stamford, Connecticut (from 1958) , United States |
Key people | Dr. Peter Goldmark, Dr. Frank Stanton, Dennis Gabor, Renville H. McMann, Arthur R. Taylor |
| Products | Field-Sequential Color Television system, LP vinyl record, Audimax I Audio Gain Controller, VoluMax FM Peak Limiter, Vidifont, Electronic Video Recording, SQ Quadraphonic vinyl encoding system, Minicam technology, Linotron typesetting machine |
Number of employees | 600+ (1970s) |
| Parent | CBS Corporation |
CBS Laboratories, later known as the CBS Technology Center or CTC, served as the research and development division for the CBS television network. It was instrumental in advancing technologies across broadcasting, industrial sectors, military applications, and consumer markets.
History and notable technological contributions
Established in 1936 in New York City, CBS Laboratories undertook research and development projects both for CBS and external clients. In 1957, Dr. Frank Stanton, then President of CBS, highlighted the Labs’ commitment to pioneering innovations in communications and electronics. By 1958, a team of 60 engineers under Dr. Peter Goldmark relocated to a newly constructed 30,000 square foot facility in Stamford, Connecticut. Over the following twenty years, the Labs expanded to encompass five buildings totaling more than 200,000 square feet and employed over 600 staff members, with roughly one-third being internationally recognized experts in electronics and communications research.
Dr. Peter Goldmark, who joined CBS Laboratories at its inception in 1936, was responsible for creating the Field-Sequential Color Television system demonstrated in 1940. This technology became the first color broadcasting system approved by the FCC in 1950; however, due to its incompatibility with existing black-and-white television receivers, CBS discontinued its use by 1951. Notably, this system was later utilized during the Apollo 14 Moon mission broadcasts because of its efficient low bandwidth requirements.
In addition to television technology, Goldmark invented the long-playing (LP) vinyl record spinning at 33-1/3 rpm, which Columbia Records introduced in 1948 and which transformed the music recording industry.
Within audio broadcasting innovations, CBS Labs developed pioneering devices such as the Audimax I Audio Gain Controller (1959) and the VoluMax FM Peak Limiter (1960s), setting new standards for AM/FM radio and television sound processing. The Labs also engineered a solid-state character generator that became a key component of the VIDIAC system used by the Air Force for high-speed data visualization.
Among other significant product breakthroughs were:
- Electronic Video Recording (1967)
- Vidifont (1966), recognized as the first electronic graphics generator designed for television production and commercially released in 1970
- Minicam technology employed during political conventions (1968)
- SQ Quadraphonic vinyl encoding system (1971), which enhanced audio playback quality on records
In 1971, Nobel Prize winner Dennis Gabor joined CBS Laboratories as a Staff Scientist. That same year, Renville H. McMann assumed leadership as Labs President following Dr. Goldmark’s retirement.
CBS Laboratories made major contributions to government aerospace initiatives:
- Development of a compact voice recorder for NASA’s Gemini missions (1964–66), providing reliable onboard audio capture
- Creation of a film scanning system utilizing a Line Scan Tube for Lunar Orbiter missions that enabled digital transmission of lunar surface images
- Design of the Reconotron electrostatic image dissector tube used on Mariner missions to Mars and Venus, facilitating star tracking under extreme conditions
Collaborating with Mergenthaler Company, CBS Labs helped develop the Linotron typesetting machine (1964), which revolutionized government printing by enabling electronic text composition at unprecedented speeds. Following its introduction at the Government Printing Office in 1967, Linotron significantly lowered printing costs.
The Labs spearheaded advancements in Electron Beam Recorders (EBR), producing ultra-high-resolution film imagery essential for Earth resource management through processing data from ERTS-Landsat satellites.
During the Vietnam War era, CBS Laboratories designed scanning and recording systems for Compass Link, which allowed secure battlefield image transmission via satellite with near-real-time capability—achieved within just 73 days after project approval.
In 1969, they developed a MIL-Spec In-Flight Photo-Processor Scanner for JIFDATS, enabling onboard processing of reconnaissance photographs aboard Mach-2 RF-4C aircraft and rapid data relay to ground stations.
These achievements underscore CBS Laboratories’ pivotal role in driving broadcast technology innovation while expanding its influence through government contracts and groundbreaking products that impacted various industries.
CBS Laboratories technical publications
The technical team at CBS Laboratories was responsible not only for creating products for commercial and governmental use but also for generating detailed reports and analyses tailored to government clients. Although the majority of these documents remain classified, a selection of unclassified reports is accessible to the public, showcasing the company's proficiency in areas such as electrostatic camera technologies, spacecraft frame imaging, and the properties of photocathodes.
Sale of CBS Laboratories and subsequent history
In 1974, with Arthur R. Taylor serving as President, CBS Corporation shifted its strategic focus back to its primary media and broadcasting businesses, leading to the divestiture of non-essential divisions. Among these was the Professional Products Department, which was sold to Thomson-CSF.
The following year, EPSCO Corp. purchased the remaining CBS Laboratories with the goal of broadening its footprint in government markets and enhancing its technological assets. The entity was rebranded as Epsco Labs and moved operations to Wilton, Connecticut after attempts to relocate to Buffalo, New York proved unsuccessful. However, regulatory hurdles in transferring government contracts caused significant delays and escalated expenses. By 1976, EPSCO opted to auction off Epsco Labs' assets.
Meanwhile, the Stamford site evolved into the CBS Technology Center, concentrating on cutting-edge development projects supporting CBS's radio and television divisions as well as consumer product lines from subsidiaries like Steinway pianos, Fender amplifiers, and Gulbransen organs.
In 1986, to thwart a hostile bid by Ted Turner, Laurence Tisch was invited by CBS’s board to invest and subsequently became Chairman. Under Tisch’s leadership, numerous non-broadcasting operations were divested and the Technology Center was shut down; the facilities on High Ridge Road were demolished and the land sold.
Patents
CBS Laboratories secured approximately 100 patents spanning various fields including television technology, quadraphonic audio systems, scanning apparatuses, laser-based recording methods, film handling techniques, image and character generation devices, noise monitoring equipment, hydrophone technology, electrophoretic surfaces, diffraction optics, photo-electronic imaging systems, and electron gun innovations.
Emmy awards for CBS Laboratories
- 1956: Development of videotape technology by Ampex with further enhancements by CBS
- 1958-1959: Advances in video tape editing adopted industry-wide by ABC, CBS, and NBC
- 1965-1966: Stop Action Playback technology developed by MVR Corporation in collaboration with CBS
- 1967: Introduction of the CBS Minicam – a portable camera system revolutionizing news reporting and live broadcasts
- 1968: Electronic Video Recording (EVR) system enabling high-quality video cassette recording and playback
- 1970-1971: Color Corrector device ensuring consistent color reproduction across different scenes and shoots
- 1970-1971: Miniature Rapid Deployment Earth Terminal (MRDET) – an advanced television communication technology
- 1974-1975: Electronic News Gathering System innovation
- 1977-1978: Digital Noise Reducer technology
- 1978: CBS Fieldtronics – a portable electronic news gathering system that enhanced live broadcast capabilities
- 1978: Enhanced SMPTE Color Bars Standard ECR 1-1978 – awarded jointly to CBS Technology Center and SMPTE
Nobel Prize Conferred to CBS Laboratories Researcher
In 1971, Dr. Dennis Gabor, a research scientist at CBS Laboratories, was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics for his creation and advancement of holography, a pioneering development in imaging technology.
David Sarnoff Medal Awardees from CBS Laboratories Technical Team
1969: Peter C. Goldmark
1976: Adrian B. Ettlinger
1977: Renville H. McMann
1989: William E. Glenn
External links
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- Defunct technology companies of the United States
- Companies based in Stamford, Connecticut
- Defunct companies based in Connecticut
- Technology companies established in 1936
- Technology companies disestablished in 1976
- American companies established in 1936
- American companies disestablished in 1976
- 1936 establishments in New York City
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- Radio technology
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