Juan Monroy — Electronic Media: Class 4, Golden Days of Radio Programming

1 AT&T
- 1.1 establishes WEAF radio station
- 1.2 establishes revenue system based on toll broadcasting
- 1.3 interconnects stations over own telephone wires
- 1.4 creates radio network to
  - spread coverage for national advertisers
  - reduce programming production costs
2 National Broadcasting Company
- 2.1 AT&T sells broadcasting radio stations to RCA
- 2.2 RCA establishes two networks
  - NBC Red: WEAF and old AT&T stations
  - NBC Blue: WJZ and stations RCA “radio group” interconnected prior to 1926
  - connected via AT&T telephone lines
- 2.3 national radio networks would foster national mass culture
3 RCA expanded into recording (transcription, as it was known)
- 3.1 merged with Victor Company
- 3.2 formed RCA-Victor
- 3.3 managed talent
  - performed on NBC radio stations
  - recorded on RCA-Victor
4 Columbia Broadcasting System
- 4.1 Arthur Judson, talent agent who could not get his performers booked on NBC stations
- 4.2 Columbia Phonograph Company, resented dominance of RCA-Victor
- 4.3 Columbia Phonograph Broadcast Company (1927)
- 4.4 Since AT&T would not lease telephone wires
  - interconnected stations over Western Union telegraph wires
- 4.5 William Paley took helm in 1928
- 4.6 signed stations unaffiliated
  - often second or third most powerful
- 4.7 paid local stations to carry network programs
- 4.8 lured talent to CBS
5 NBC and CBS Compared
- 5.1 NBC
  - AT&T Telephone Network
  - charged affiliate stations for programming
  - local stations sold advertising against network programming
  - local affiliates could opt-out of airing programming
- 5.2 CBS
  - Western Union Telegraph Network
  - paid affiliate stations to carry programming
  - national advertising packaged with network programming
  - local affiliates had to carry network programming
6 Golden Age of Radio
- 6.1 features
  - not necessarily the best radio programming ever
  - dominance of national radio networks
  - national culture
- 6.2 Amos and Andy
  - originated as a local program in Chicago
  - two white performers speaking in minstrel style dialog
  - became a television show in the 1950s
  - “Amos Reads a Law Book” (1929)
- 6.3 FDR and Radio
  - Great Depression
  - World War II
  - Fireside Chats
  - “Bank Holiday of 1933”
- 6.4 Royal Gelatin Hour
  - variety program
  - Rudy Vallee
  - singer and band
- 6.5 Edward R. Murrow
  - CBS correspondent during the war
  - reports from London
  - “London After Dark” (August 1940)
- 6.6 Burns and Allen
  - started as a variety show
  - became a situation comedy
  - “George Goes to College” (1945)