The 2021 RCA CED Videodisc Workshop was held on Saturday, June 26th, 2021 at the Wingate Hotel in Indianapolis Indiana. I updated the presentation a little. It’s available for download here…
Be sure to check out how to make a CED Clock at the end of the presentation.
The 2021 Workshop was bittersweet as we had an amazing time as always, but little did we know it was the last workshop we would have with our beloved fearless leader Mr. John Stevens. Sadly John passed away on Aug 2nd 2021. He will be forever missed and we will do our best to carry on his legacy.
John cleaning a stylus.The display wall.Someone brought a stamper. The stamper is a negative of the copper substrate used to press the final disc. It would produce around 500 to 1,000 discs. The title number on this one is 99999-97178 meaning it was an internal test disc of some sort but we do not have any records of that program number. Blackhawk Films was going to release titles on CED so RCA pressed a few discs for them as samples. There were 5 titles pressed in total but the actual number of discs produced is unknown.
The Blackhawk Films titles are,
39556-50400 Lowell Thomas Remembers (The FDR Years)
39556-50401 On top of Old Smokey S1 / Last of the Pony Riders S2
39556-50102 Slapstick
39556-50818 Birth of a Nation
39556-50848 Phantom of the Opera
39556-52365 Nanook of the North
Blackhawk Films Birth of a Nation being played. It did not have any cover art.This is an unreleased McDonald’s Cartoon disc. According to Tom Howe on the CED Magic website, RCA teamed up with McDonalds for a disc sales promotion. This disc could have been made for display in a McDonalds location that was selling discs. No known commercial releases of this disc are known. Program number was 76476-60101.
This is a World’s Fair test disc. It was going to be used in an interactive kiosk at the fair but was produced. Program number as shown was 76476-27026.At the kiosk you would be able to select a category and it would show you a video.
Video of Lazon, a video game disc produced by Southgate. It was never used. Program number is 76476-60801.Autograph discs. When a special occasion occurred, like a retirement for example. They would pass a disc around for employees to sign, it was then coated with a reflective layer and framed. This framed disc was presented to Thelma Turner who retired in 1986 after 40 years with RCA. Before the workshop we were able to visit James and Rhonda Leech who were selling Rhonda’s mothers collection. Rhonda’s mother was Thelma Turner. Rhonda’s husband James Leech also worked for RCA for 15 years including during the videodisc program.Thelma Turner, former RCA employee 1946-1986.James Leech, former RCA Employee. Signed a test pressing of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid for me. (This was before the workshop)Another great year!
