Otis S. Freeman; Helped Develop Sports Instant Replay

Otis S. Freeman, 71, credited with helping develop the sports instant replay and superimposed letters and graphics. Freeman started broadcasting at the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories in New York City in 1944. He was the chief engineer at WPIX-TV in New York City for 30 years. Instant replay was born out of a 1959 Yankees game. Freeman and three engineers were experimenting at the stadium with videotaping machines when the game announcer wished out loud that a play could be shown again. The comment sent them to work. Freeman also developed a system that mixes two signals to allow letters and graphics to be superimposed. In Anderson, S.C., on Sept. 17 following a heart attack.