 | The burning of a Yule Log is a tradition that goes back centuries, but in the modern era many homes no longer have a fireplace on which to burn the log. So in 1966 Fred M. Thrower, President and CEO of WPIX in New York hit on an ingenious idea. He wanted to give a Christmas gift to the people of New York, who lived in apartments and so couldn't experience the wonders of an open fire at Christmas time. The idea of broadcast, also provided time for employees of the television station to stay home with their families, instead of working for the usual morning news program. The film was a looped shot of a fireplace, with accompanying Christmas traditional music available until 1988 via the radio station WPIX-FM. The whole thing was broadcast without any commercials from Christmas Eve through to Christmas Day. And has been a tradition every year, except during the 90s and the year 2000. |
The original 1966 footage was filmed at Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor of New York. However during the filming, a spark from the fire damaged an antique fireplace rug, causing $4000 worth of damage. Only 17 seconds of footage was recorded on 16mm film, which looked a bit jerky and artificial. So in 1970, it was decided to re-record the footage. However, due to the damage caused during the original filming, the Mayor of New York wouldn't let them use the Gracie Mansion fireplace. A very similar fireplace was found in California, and a 6 minute loop was recorded on 35mm film in the height of the summer, on a roasting hot August day.
| Over the years, a number of TV stations across America have picked up the footage made their own broadcasts. Some have even imitated the original WPIX Yule Log, for broadcast. In the age of VHS tape and into DVD, there have been a large number of video fireplaces produced. And with the spread of the Internet and the availability of YouTube videos, traditionalists can go back and enjoy the wonders of the original WPIX Yule Log. | |
There is a full version playlist, with original music of the WPIX Yule Log from Christmas 1983, that can be viewed in all its glory on YouTube here.
