In 1952, he volunteered to direct
American Bandstand (1952), a new show on Philadelphia's
WFIL-TV, featuring local teens dancing to the latest hits, debuted with
Bob Horn as host and took off after
Dick Clark, already a radio veteran at
age 26, took over in 1956. Became a national institution that made
Clark a star. Broadcast live in its early years, even after it became
part of the ABC network's weekday afternoon lineup in 1957 as "American
Bandstand"_. Yates pulled records, directed the cameras, queued
the commercials and communicated with Clark. This extraordinary
director managed to grab every exciting moment, pictures influenced a
whole generation of young people across America. Directed American
Bandstand for 17 years.