The Camel News Caravan or
Camel Caravan of News was a 15-minute
American television news program aired by
NBC News from February 14, 1949 to October 26, 1956.
Sponsored by
the Camel cigarette brand and
anchored by
John Cameron Swayze, it was the first NBC news program to use NBC filmed news stories rather than movie
newsreels. On February 16, 1954, the
Camel News Caravan became the first news program broadcast in color, making use of 16mm color film. In early 1955, the
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, maker of Camel cigarettes, cut back its sponsorship to three days a week.
Chrysler's
Plymouth division sponsored the other days, and on those days, the program was labelled the
Plymouth News Caravan. The program featured a young Washington correspondent named
David Brinkley, and competed against
Douglas Edwards with the News on rival
CBS. With greater resources, the
News Caravan attracted a larger audience than its CBS competition until 1955.