Subject: [removed] Digest V2016 #68
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 10/17/2016 9:03 AM

To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to: [removed]@[removed]

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                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2016 : Issue 68
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Magnetic tape                         [ Welsa <welsa@[removed]; ]
      RE: The Eternal Light                 [ "scherago" <scherago@[removed]; ]
      re: Bing on tape                      [ rand@[removed] ]
      Der Bingle and recording              [ "jsalerno@[removed]" <jsalerno@ ]
      Eternal Light                         [ Mary Poehler <MoCelt@[removed]; ]
      This week in radio history 16-22 Oct  [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]

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    Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2016 18:28:55 -0400
    From: Welsa <welsa@[removed];
    To: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Magnetic tape
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    Bing Crosby's involvement with magnetic tape came along after WWII ended.
    His shows were pre-recorded on magnetic tape.  Prior to tape, if something
    was pre-recorded (which seldom happened) it was done on 16" discs.  Wire
    recording was not very good quality and tended to skip a lot.  It would be
    used when portability was needed.

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    Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2016 18:30:29 -0400
    From: "scherago" <scherago@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  RE: The Eternal Light

    I remember working at WTIC radio in Hartford as an engineer in the 1960s
    and 1970s. We were an NBC affiliate, and I worked Sundays for years, and
    heard The Eternal Light.

    Although I had no interest in the religious message, I loved hearing all
    the old radio actors in the last vestige of drama on the radio. The
    shows were always well written, acted, and produced.

    Many of the actors showed up on WTIC's Golden Age of Radio, which can be
    heard at [removed] - check it out!

    Bob Scherago
    Webmaster and former WTIC Engineer
    [removed]

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    Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2016 18:30:58 -0400
    From: rand@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  re: Bing on tape

    Jan asked:

>     I've often heard the story of how Bing Crosby encouraged ABC to use magnetic
>     tape to prerecord his shows, and that led others to follow the same route.
>     But how were his shows pre-tape recorded? On large glass disks? On wire?

    Initially, they were recorded on 16" lacquers - the same method used to
    record syndicated shows for later broadcast or to preserve a recording of
    programs broadcast live.

    When they made the switch to tape, they were recorded direct to tape.
    That tape was edited for time and to preserve the best of the performance
    and dubbed to a 16" lacquer.  ABC didn't trust the new technology, so they
    wanted it dubbed to lacquer for broadcast.  Finally, they allowed the tape
    masters to be broadcast over the network.

    I have some Radio Recorders lacquers that were made of Bing's show as
    airchecks from a San Francisco station with the local ids and such.  On
    one, you can hear some warble at the beginning of the show where the tape
    wasn't tracking quite right.

    The workflow when radio went to tape production is interesting for
    collectors.

    Generally, a show like "Gunsmoke" or "Dragnet" that was produced on tape
    would be recorded as a master at 15 inches per second, full-track, on
    quarter inch tape.  The show wouldn't include any sponsor identifications
    or commercials.

    Then, for the broadcast, they would take out the master tape and make a
    dub of it, cutting ads and sponsor info into the show for that particular
    airing of the program.  After broadcast, they would usually erase the dubs
    with the commercials and reuse the tape.

    Sometimes they would make a lacquer of this version, sometimes not -
    that's why some of these surviving shows include the original ads and some
    don't.  Some were preserved by individuals recording the shows off the
    air, so that's the only way we get to hear the program as it was
    broadcast.

    Many of these masters still survive and the sound on them is really
    impressive.  I've got some dubs of master reels for "This Is Your FBI" and
    the clarity and range will knock your socks off.  I'll probably post some
    to my blog in a few months after I get some more digitizing done.

    Randy

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    Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2016 18:35:47 -0400
    From: "jsalerno@[removed]" <jsalerno@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Der Bingle and recording

    Jan Bach asked about recording OTR before tape. Programs were recorded
    on 16" lacquer discs, also known as acetates. These consist of an
    aluminum substrate with a coating into which the stylus cut the groove.
    I am not aware of wire ever being used for a professional application,
    but in Britain metal ribbon machines were used by the BBC. Dr. Biel has
    remarked about this technology from time to time. But now we have
    wandered away from OTR.

    During the war years glass based discs were used as metals were rationed
    for the war effort.

    Altho editing was very difficult, dubbing from record to record, it was
    not impossible and the Armed Forces Radio Service developed the art to
    an amazing degree. Occasionally you may hear an AFRS disc from which a
    single word or phrase has been deleted. Timing is everything.

    This process was not suitable to the amount of editing that Crosby
    wanted to do. So when tape came along, the age of the razor blade began.

    Programs were also distributed on 16" transcriptions, pressed first in
    shellac like conventional 78 rpm records. When vinyl came into use about
    1934, shellac was pretty quickly abandoned. If you want to see pictures
    of transcriptions, there are plenty to be had on ebay.

    Joe Salerno

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    Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2016 02:02:56 -0400
    From: Mary Poehler <MoCelt@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Eternal Light
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    You can find download copies at

    [removed]

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    [ADMINISTRIVIA: To lighten the load on their servers, I've copied all of The
    Eternal Light episodes into the OTR Digest's Shared Folder Annex. If you have
    access to the Shared Folder, you received an invitation to this Annex. If you
    DON'T have access (and I can't figure out why, since it is completely free),
    drop me email and I'll tell you how to access it.  --cfs3]

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    Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2016 02:03:00 -0400
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otr-digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  This week in radio history 16-22 October

    10/16

    1939   Radio listeners welcomed The Right to Happiness on the NBC Blue
    network. The 15 minute drama turned out to be one of the longest running
    shows of its kind. It moved over to CBS in 1941, then back to NBC in
    1942. Fourteen years later Right to Happiness returned to CBS where it
    stayed until its last days in 1960. The show had a theme song, Song of
    the Soul, and what seemed like a cast of thousands. It just took a lot
    of different actors to play the continuing roles over a 21 year period.

    1945   Barry Fitzgerald starred as Judge Barnard Fitz in His Honor, the
    Barber, which debuted on NBC.

    10/17

    1919   The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was formed.

    1938   This was a big day in Tinseltown. NBC moved to the corner of
    Sunset and Vine, the 'Crossroads of the World'. The new Hollywood Radio
    City drew thousands of visitors ready to fill studio audience seats for
    popular radio programs.

    1938   Captain Midnight was heard on radio for the first time, on
    Mutual. The Captain flew his single engine plane all over the place
    fighting crime.

    10/18

    1922   As the British observed the wild growth of radio in the [removed],
    they realized the potential of broadcasting in their own country, as
    well as the need for its regulation. The British Broadcasting
    Corporation (BBC) was established on this day to monitor the development
    of the radio biz in Great Britain.

    1943   The first broadcast of Perry Mason was presented on CBS. In the
    15 minute (Monday Friday) shows, Perry was played by Barlett Robinson,
    Santos Ortega, Donald Briggs and John Larkin.

    10/19

    1937   "The freedom of the press is a flaming sword. Use it justly, hold
    it high, guard it well." The radio classic, Big Town, made its debut on
    CBS radio. Star reporters at the Illustrated Press, Steve Wilson and
    Lorelei Kilbourne, were played by Edward G. Robinson and Claire Trevor.
    Tell the Story was the theme song. Sponsors included Ironized Yeast
    tablets and Lifebuoy soap.

    10/20

    1930 - One of the most memorable of all radio shows, "The Adventures of
    Sherlock Holmes", was first heard on the NBC Red network. Its debut
    entry, "The Speckled Band", featured William Gillette in the role of the
    famous detective. Gillette introduced Holmes to New York audiences as
    early as 1899 ... on the stage, not the radio, of course.

    1932 - Journalist Robert Trout joined CBS. Trout became a household name
    to CBS listeners.

    Joe

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    End of [removed] Digest V2016 Issue #68
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