With only eleven hours needed to obtain his doctorate degree, he opted to leave Northwestern to pursue a television career in New York City.
While pursuing his PhD and teaching radio courses on campus at Northwestern University, Banner worked evenings in Chicago at local television station WMAQ as a production assistant on the children's show Kukla, Fran and Ollie.
Advancements came quickly in those early days, and he soon became director of Garroway at Large, a local show that was picked up by NBC.
BBA's first production was The Garry Moore Show with regulars Durward Kirby, Carol Burnett, and Marion Lorne.
In the early 1960s, Carnegie Hall was targeted for demolition and Bob was asked by Isaac Stern to produce a special to save the cultural landmark.
[3] Family spokeswoman Lauren Cottrell told the Los Angeles Times that Banner died of Parkinson's disease at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital retirement community in suburban Woodland Hills.
[6] Whacko, Inc. has since sought, and received, an injunction barring BBA from marketing a DVD featuring Burnett's appearances on The Garry Moore Show from 1959 to 1962, during which she performed as a member of the program's ensemble cast.