blue network

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Blue Network

Type Radio

Country United States

Availability Most of the United States

Owner RCA: (19271943)American Broadcasting System, Inc.:(19431945)

Key people Edward J. Noble(controlling shareholder, October 1943June 1945)Mark Woods(President)

Launchdate

January 1, 1927 (as NBC Blue Network)January 9, 1942 (as Blue Network)

Dissolved June 15, 1945 (name change toAmerican Broadcasting Company)

Formernames

"WJZ Network""Radio Group""The Blue Network of the NationalBroadcasting Company"

Blue NetworkFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Blue Network, and its immediatepredecessor, the NBC Blue Network, were theon-air names of an American radio production anddistribution service from 1927 to 1945. Tracing itsformal origins back to 1927 as one of the tworadio networks owned by the NationalBroadcasting Company, the Blue Network wasborn of a divestiture in 1942, arising from anti-trust litigation, and is the direct predecessor of theAmerican Broadcasting Company.

Contents

1 Early history2 Creation3 Operations, 19271941

3.1 Cooperation with the RedNetwork3.2 Blue Network function throughthe mid-1930s3.3 Problems3.4 Image

3.4.1 Programming, 19351941

3.5 Proposed sale4 Divestiture, 19401943

4.1 Initial moves by the FCC4.2 Litigation against NBC4.3 Sale4.4 FCC hearings4.5 Anti-trust conclusion

5 Changes, 194319455.1 Finances and ownership5.2 Programming

5.2.1 Specific Blue Networkprograms

5.3 Affiliate growth5.4 Rebranding

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6 Television7 Blue Network stations8 See also9 References

9.1 Books9.2 Newspapers and magazines9.3 Broadcasts9.4 Web sites9.5 Miscellaneous

10 Notes

Early historyThe Blue Network can be dated to 1923, when the Radio Corporation of America acquired WJZ,Newark from Westinghouse (which had created the station in 1921)[1] and moved it to New York City inMay of that year. When RCA commenced operations of WRC, Washington on August 1, 1923, the rootof a network was born, though it did not operate under the name by which it would later become known.Radio historian Elizabeth McLeod states that it would not be until 1924 that the "Radio Group" formallybegan network operations.[2]

The core stations of the "Radio Group" were RCA's stations WJZ and WRC; the Westinghouse stationWBZ, then in Springfield, Massachusetts; and WGY, the General Electric station in Schenectady, NewYork.[2]

RCA's principal rival prior to 1926 was the radio broadcasting department of the American Telephone &Telegraph Company. AT&T, starting in 1921, had been using this department as a test-bed forequipment being designed and manufactured by its Western Electric subsidiary.

The RCA stations operated at a significant disadvantage to their rival chain; AT&T used its own high-quality transmission lines, and declined to lease them out to competing entities, forcing RCA to use thetelegraph lines of Western Union, which were not as well calibrated to voice transmission as the AT&Tlines.[3]

Nevertheless, the WJZ network sought to compete toe-to-toe with the AT&T network, which was builtaround WEAF (today's WFAN). For example, both stations sent announcer teams to cover the 1924Democratic National Convention, which was held in Madison Square Garden in New York City.[4]Promotional material produced in 1943 claimed certain "firsts" in broadcasting by WJZ, such as the firsteducational music program in April 1922, the first World Series broadcasts in 1922, and the firstcomplete opera broadcast, The Flying Dutchman, from the Manhattan Opera House.[5]

Creation

RCA (as well as its consortium partners General Electric and Westinghouse)[6] were to receive a breakin 1926, when AT&T made a corporate decision to exit the broadcasting business and focus on itstelecommunications business.

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The first step by AT&T was to create the Broadcasting Company of America on May 15, 1926, to holdits broadcasting assets. As reported in the press, this move was due to the growth in the radiobroadcasting activities of AT&T and the special issues related thereto,[7] though it would appear thatsubsequent activities in disposing of the assets of BCA may have also played a role in the decision.AT&T did in fact subsequently sell WEAF to RCA for $1 million in July 1926,[8] a price that newspaperreports indicated was a substantial premium over what other stations were commanding in themarketplace,[9] and represented a recognition of the status of WEAF in broadcasting, as well as itsaccess to AT&T's lines. Indeed, the negotiations for the sale may have taken place very shortly after thecreation of BCA, as Folder 129 in the NBC History Files at the Library of Congress contains a contractof sale for WEAF dated July 1, 1926.[10] The Oakland Tribune stated that 4/5ths of the purchase price ofWEAF could be attributed to good-will and the line access.[11] On July 28, 1926, the Washington Postreported in a front-page story that RCA had acquired WCAP. The Oakland Tribune reported the sameday[12] that WCAP had departed the field, and WRC would be operating on the frequency that they hadshared, which was 640 AM.

As part of the reorganization of the broadcasting assets in the wake of the acquisitions, on September 13,1926, the formation of the National Broadcasting Company was announced via newspaperadvertisements, and on November 15, 1926 NBC's first broadcast was made.[13] This first broadcast onNovember 15, 1926 marked the de facto formation by NBC of the Red Network from the WEAFnetwork assets, using WEAF as the "key station"; this network in eventual popular image tended tobroadcast the most popular entertainment programming. RCA merged its former radio operations intoNBC, and on January 1, 1927, WJZ became the "key station" of the Blue Network when its networkswitch operations began;[14] this network, again in eventual popular image, tended to place its focusmore on news and public affairs programming, as well as the "sustaining", or non-sponsored shows.

The Decatur Review (Illinois) for Sunday, December 12, 1926 reported the following in an articledescribing a broadcast to be sponsored by the Victor Talking Machine Company and aired the followingNew Year's Day, January 1, 1927, which is a description of this first Blue Network broadcastnote thatit makes it clear that January 1, 1927 marked the debut of the Blue Network:

"TWO BIG NETWORKS: The network to be used for the first concert will consist of acombination of chains of stations affiliated with WEAF and WJZ, New York. It is alsoannounced that this opening Victor program inaugurates a new chain system to be operatedby the National Broadcasting Company, with WJZ as the "key" station. This new chain,which will be known as the "blue" network, will allow simultaneous broadcasting fromWJZ through WBZ, Springfield and Boston, KDKA, Pittsburgh, and KYW, Chicago. Forbroadcasting of the first program, therefore, the "blue" network will be joined with the "red"network, as the WEAF chain is designated, as well as other stations in various cities.Following the New Year's night program, the concerts will be given bi-monthly, through the"blue" network (...)"[15]

Allegedly, the color designations came from the way the networks were represented on maps, with redlines (or pushpins) denoting the WEAF network circuits, and blue the WJZ circuits.[16]

Operations, 19271941Cooperation with the Red Network

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Advertisement placed bythe Enna Jettick ShoeCompany promoting theappearance of Sir HarryLauder on its NBC Blueprogram, December 1,1929. Note that the textimplies that the NBCBlue, NBC Orange (WestCoast) and NBC Rednetworks were allparticipating in thebroadcast.

The Red and Blue Networks shared a common pool of engineers and facilities,[2] and would, onoccasion, broadcast the same events. There are two early examples, from the biggest news events of1927. On June 20, 1927, both of the NBC networks covered the return of Charles Lindbergh to Americafrom his trans-Atlantic flight, star announcer Graham McNamee doing the honors. Three months later, acombined hookup of 67 stations on the two networks presented the second DempseyTunney fight,broadcast by McNamee and NBC colleague Phillips Carlin. See Elizabeth McLeod's discussion ofsurviving NBC broadcast material from this era.[17]

A slightly later example of cooperation came on the evening of Sunday,December 1, 1929, when the famed "Laird of the Music Halls", Sir HarryLauder, appeared on a coast-to-coast hookup that originated from KFI inLos Angeles (later an NBC Red station, but at this time part of NBC's WestCoast "Orange Network"), but was distributed by WJZ, which, as noted,was the key station of the Blue Network; advertisements suggest that certainNBC Red stations, as well as stations in the Orange Network, supplementedthe network. A description of this broadcast is contained in a 1930 pamphletput out by the Enna Jettick Shoe Company;[18] Enna Jettick sponsored thefirst of Lauder's performances that night on its "Enna Jettick Melodies"show, which was followed later by another performance during the timeordinarily used by The Collier Hour.[19]

At least as late as January 1939, in spite of the fact that by this time NBCwas seeking to differentiate the images of its NBC Red and NBC Bluenetworks (see below), it would still arrange for special, joint broadcasts,such as a special two-hour presentation of the "The Magic Key of RCA"musical program (normally an NBC Blue program, sponsored by RCA'sVictor records division) entitled "Salute to 1939."[20]

Blue Network function through the mid-1930s

Ironically, even though the Blue Network generally was not given the morepopular programs, it was the network that broadcast Amos 'n Andy at theheight of its popularity in the early 1930s, when on average over half of thenation's radio audience would tune into the show.[21] During the 19321933season, Standard Oil of New Jersey (Esso) sponsored an unusual program,the Five-Star Theater, which each weeknight presented a show in a differentformat. The marquee show in this cycle was Flywheel, Shyster, andFlywheel, which starred Groucho Marx and Chico Marx. Considering theshow's relatively early (7:30p.m. ET) time slot, it did rather well in theratings,[22] but it could not compete with the much stronger ratings produced by Esso's arch-rivalTexaco, which sponsored Ed Wynn on NBC Red, and the show ended after one year.[23]

More commonly, the Blue Network would operate as a quasi-"farm team" for the Red Network, in termsof entertainment programs. Bob Hope (in 1935 and again in 1937), Jack Benny (in 1932), Fibber McGeeand Molly (in 1935), and Information, Please! (in 1938) are all examples of shows that debuted on theBlue Network before eventually transitioning over to larger audiences on the Red Network.[24]

On occasion, shows would make brief stops at NBC Blue before moving elsewhere, such as the LuxRadio Theatre (19345) and Will Rogers' program (1933), both of which would move to CBS.

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Advertisement[25]

advertising the debut ofthe Lux Radio Theatre,which had a brief run onNBC Blue in 1934-5before moving for a longrun on CBS.

At some level, the Blue Network was known in the late 1920s and early1930s for its children's programming. There are at least two volumes extant,from an Akron-based publishing house,[26] which are collections of storieswhich purport to have been part of Blue Network programs. A copy of one,in the collection of E.O. Costello, shows a cover with two children listeningto a late 1920s-style radio, from which shimmering images of fairy-talecharacters are emerging. Other than the title (and the radio on the cover), theprecise nature of the ties to the Blue Network is not known; the book doesnot even make direct reference to the National Broadcasting Company. Itcan also be said that this is an indication that the Blue Network had a well-established identity of its own by 1929.[27]

Problems

The descriptions of the material contained in the NBC History Files at theLibrary of Congress appear to indicate that at some level, there wasdiscontent with the way NBC was managing the Blue Network vis--vis theRed Network. For example, one folder in the NBC History Files[28] containsa three-page letter dated June 28, 1934, from station WSYR in Syracuse,New York, which complains of the neglect of the Blue Network in favor ofthe Red Network. This point can said to be reinforced firstly by amemorandum dated September 18, 1935,[29] in which the Blue complainedabout its lack of access to broadcasts of the World Series, and secondly by a

letter dated shortly after that, on October 5, 1935,[30] which is a communication from Hearst Radiocomplaining that Amos 'n Andy and the Al Pearce programs had been moved from the Blue Network tothe Red Network, and complaining in general about the weakness of the Blue's programming. Indeed,the NBC History Files contain[31] a February 1937 in-house memorandum so caustic of the performanceof the Blue Network that the author's name was redacted from the document.

A significant issue with the NBC Blue Network may have been its size. It started, in January 1927, with7 stations, had grown to 17 by the end of 1929, but still had only 33 stations by 1937.[32] This wouldhave made it significantly smaller than its rivals. In 1938, Mutual had 107 affiliates, and CBS had 114;the Blue Network, by contrast, was not able to blanket the United States when NBC Red sold out itstime, with the result that during 19371938, the Blue Network's revenues were generally falling, whileNBC Red's increased.[33] Radio historian Elizabeth McLeod has noted that as of 1938, NBC had 23stations in its core "Basic Red" group, and 24 in its "Basic Blue" group, with 107 stations that could beRed or Blue depending on the needs of a sponsor;[34] the relative ratings (and thus revenues) for NBCRed programs versus NBC Blue counterparts suggests that sponsors chose to use Red more often thanBlue.

Image

Perhaps more in line with the common perception of the Blue Network as a smaller, but more high-browand public affairs-centered network[35] was the fact that it was the original home of the NBC SymphonyOrchestra broadcasts, led by Maestro Arturo Toscanini.[36] In a similar vein, one of the Blue Network'slongest running programs was America's Town Meeting of the Air, a current-affairs discussionprogram.[37] Both Lowell Thomas and Walter Winchell's news programs were also broadcast over theBlue Network. Both of these shows were the Blue's highest rated programs in the late 1930s and early

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1940s.[38] In an interesting variation on the talent shows hosted by Major Bowes, the Sherwin-Williamspaint company sponsored the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air for a number of years on Sundayafternoons in the 1930s and 1940s, in which singers competed for a chance to win contracts with thefamed opera troupe.[39] The National Farm and Home Hour, a show backed for many years by the U.S.Department of Agriculture, was one of the Blue Network's standout daytime programs, and would be apart of its lineup from 1929 until March 1945, when the program shifted to NBC.[40]

Along with the NBC Symphony Orchestra broadcasts, the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts werepart of the "crown jewels" of NBC Blue. A sober, dignified pamphlet issued by the network in 1937[41]stated that the broadcasts were under RCA sponsorship, and "[t]hrough the medium of nationwide NBCNetwork broadcasting, Grand Opera has been given to the entire nation. No longer is it reserved for theprivileged few now even the most isolated listeners throughout the United States are able to enjoy theworld's finest music at their own firesides. The National Broadcasting Company (...) is proud to be themeans of bringing the Metropolitan Opera to American radio listeners." The pamphlet notes that 78stations broadcast these opera performances in 1937, and that reception for the program was"nationwide", something moderately unusual for an NBC Blue broadcast.

Radio historian Elizabeth McLeod has suggested, aside from a brief period where NBC Red and NBCBlue had different chime-sequences in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the two networks were *not*differentiated for many years, which would certainly be consistent with the roster of shows describedabove. She points out, with some justice, that NBC Red also broadcast a number of high-brow programssuch as The Voice of Firestone, The Atwater Kent Hour, and the Cities Service Concerts. Furthermore,she points out that until the 19361937 period, the "back office" support for the networks was thesame,[42] and often stations would shift from one network to another, depending on sponsor needs.[43] Itwas only when the Federal Communications Commission began investigating network practices,McLeod believes, that efforts were made by RCA to differentiate the two networks, and to fully positionNBC Blue as a high-brow/public affairs network. (In the same light, it has been suggested that thecongressional pressure was the real reason the NBC Symphony Orchestra was created.)[44]

The NBC History Files at the Library of Congress lend support to the notion that NBC was graduallygroping for a way to differentiate the Red Network from the Blue Network. For example, they contain aconfidential memorandum, dated May 13, 1936, which sets forth a network policy against mixing theRed and Blue network stations.[45] (Compare and contrast this with the way the Harry Lauder broadcastof 1929 was handled, above.) There also exists an October 1938 sales force memorandum, whichcontains talking points on how to differentiate the Blue Network from the Red Network and CBS.[46]Even as far back as December 1932, NBC had set forth a policy banning specific references not only toCBS, but even to the Red Network.[47]

Of note is the fact that NBC began to step up efforts to expand the network; while it had 33 stations in1937, this total had nearly tripled by January 1941, when the network had 92 stations coast to coast.[32]

These efforts to expand the network are evidenced by an NBC publication in late 1936, Great andGrowing Greater, which described efforts to increase both the size and quality of Blue Networkstations.[48] Among the improvements cited and proposed were increasing the broadcast power of WJZand KDKA to 50,000 watts each, adding new stations to the group such as WEAN, WICC and WEBR,adding a Pacific Coast network (with KGO, KECA, KFSD, KEX, KJR and KGA) and expanding thedaytime power of such stations as KOIL, KWK and KSO. This ad campaign, in a booklet tipped into the

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book, also showed a lengthy list of sponsors that had purchased Blue Network time. As the book stated:"All of these additions and improvements are daily increasing the effectiveness of the NBC BlueNetwork. All contribute considerably to the listener's pleasure and to the advertiser's sales results."

In the months leading up to the January 1942 spinoff of the Blue Network, NBC undertook vigoroussteps to create separate brand images for the Red and Blue Networks. To a certain extent, this had beengoing on since at least the summer of 1939, when Time magazine indicated that NBC was undertakingan extensive build-up of NBC Blue.[49] In both the fall of 1937, and the fall of 1941, NBC wouldspecifically identify a program as being broadcast on the "Red Network of the National BroadcastingCompany", and at least in the fall of 1941, would have a similar tag for the Blue Network.[50] Anexample of this buildup comes in "Alice in Sponsor-Land", a publication put out by RCA some time inmid-1941[51] to market that network's shows.[52] This book focuses squarely on the Red Network,describing its entertainment programming, without any reference to the Blue Network.[53] Above thelineup of stations[54] in the back of the volume is the tag-line: "This is the Red Network of the NationalBroadcasting Company." In addition, throughout the book are slogans such as "Any time is Good Timeon NBC Red!" This book, in part, demonstrates exactly how NBC differentiated the Red Network fromthe Blue Network in the fall of 1941, when, as noted, the Blue Network was still a part of NBC.

Programming, 19351941

What follows are some examples of the programming on NBC Blue that illustrate the gradual shift intone.

The official website for Helen Hayes[55] shows a number of programs that she did for NBC Blue duringthis time, including a Eugene O'Neill play cycle in August 1937, two different dramatic series of herown in 19351936 (one sponsored by General Foods), and an appearance on a Blue series in 1940, onewhich brought famous people who would explain why a particular book has been their favorite.

The "preview" section of the November 28, 1938 edition of Time[56] gives some idea of the kind ofprogramming that the Blue Network carried. On Friday, November 25 at 4 p.m., it carried a speech bythen-Secretary of State Cordell Hull. Later that night, it carried the welterweight championship fightfrom Madison Square Garden, followed by Wagnerian opera from Chicago's Lyric Opera. Saturday,November 26 shows that the Blue carried both the ArmyNavy football game and the NBC SymphonyOrchestra. The Town Meeting of the Air on Thursday night carried a debate among economists as towhether an economic plan for world peace was possible.

For one season in the early 1940s, a high-profile sponsored program on the Blue was The Cavalcade ofAmerica, a show dramatizing historical events which was sponsored by DuPont. The show, whichdebuted in 1935 on CBS and moved to the Blue in January 1940,[57] was created at a time when the firmwas under attack for being, in effect, a "merchant of death", and this show, which focused on Americanhistorical figures, was one way DuPont tried to burnish its image.[58] Certainly, the show had highproduction values, as can be witnessed by its use of Raymond Massey for a show in February 1940 onAbraham Lincoln, as described in the February 26, 1940 issue of Time.[59] It was also known for the useof university professors to vet the historical accuracy of the stories, as well as scripts by future PulitzerPrize-winner Arthur Miller.[60] (This show would eventually stay with NBC Red and NBC, starting in1941, and the network would continue to broadcast the show even into the age of television).[58]

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A poignant example of the Blue Network's counterprogramming comes on the night of Sunday, May 4,1941. The network carried an address by exiled Lithuanian president Antanas Smetona at 7:45p.m.,where he was addressing a mass rally in Chicago. Given that NBC Red was, at the same time,broadcasting the popular Fitch Bandwagon radio program (on right after Jack Benny), one wonders howmany people tuned in to hear this statesman speak of the tragic fate of his nation.[61]

An interesting perspective can be seen on one of the most dramatic days in the history of network radio.On the morning/afternoon of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, while the firstattack wave was over Oahu, NBC Blue was broadcasting The Inspector General, as part of its GreatPlays program, while NBC Red was broadcasting a program with popular bandleader Sammy Kaye. At4 p.m., ET, the Blue's broadcasts of the National Vespers was interrupted by various news reports. Lateron in the evening, at 6:30p.m. and 6:45p.m., Drew Pearson's and Eleanor Roosevelt's regularbroadcasts are heard, followed at 7 p.m. by a news roundup show that competed with Jack Benny, andlater on Bible Week opposite the Chase and Sanborn Hour with Edgar Bergen. (The Blue did have thepopular Inner Sanctum mystery anthology series later that night at 8:30, followed in turn by its numberone show with Walter Winchell.) Lastly, of interest to those who may recall the satiric references inWarner Bros. cartoons of the era, at 10 p.m., the Blue carried The Goodwill Hour with John J. Anthony,dispensing advice to those who sought it, and who presumably were not tuned into Phil Spitalny'sorchestra on the Red network.[62]

Proposed sale

In light of subsequent events, it is most interesting that NBC seriously considered, during the late 1930s,disposing of the Blue Network on its own initiative. There are substantial materials contained in theNBC History Files at the Library of Congress[63] on this point. The fact that David Sarnoff, the head ofRCA, was involved in these discussions indicates the high level at which this proposal was givenconsideration. A plain reading of the finding guide at the Library of Congress on the NBC History Filesdoes not disclose the precise nature of these discussions, though the fact that these discussions existed isof interest. In 1943, after the Blue Network had been spun off (but before its eventual sale), apromotional publication noted that:

"As far back as 1932, a group of executives of the National Broadcasting Companyconceived the idea that The Blue Network could progress faster and serve its stations, itsadvertisers and the listening public much better if, instead of being a part of NBC it were tobecome an independent network."[64]

Divestiture, 19401943Initial moves by the FCC

During the 1930s, accusations were leveled at both NBC and CBS, in part by their rival Mutual, that thetwo senior network systems engaged in a series of anticompetitive activities, by locking up talentthrough in-house talent bureaus, and tightly tying together the system of affiliated stations throughonerous contracts.

In May 1940, after a three-year investigation, the Federal Communications Commission (which had hadoversight over radio broadcasting since 1934) issued a scathing report (the "Report on ChainBroadcasting") attacking the affiliation policies of NBC and CBS, as well as the talent booking agency

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practices. The report proposed limiting each network to one affiliated station per city, which would havehad a direct impact on NBC's dual-network ownership.[65] In May 1941, the FCC went a step further andissued formal rules to break up what it perceived to be monopolies in radio; one of these rulesspecifically barred a network from operating more than one hookup, which would have been aimeddirectly at NBC's ownership of its two networks, in a manner even more explicit than the June 1940report.[66]

Litigation against NBC

Subsequent congressional hearings in the fall of 1941 resulted in the FCC watering down the rules, butthe reprieve was short-lived, as the antitrust division of the Department of Justice, on December 31,1941, filed an antitrust action against NBC and CBS, seeking to break up the networks' methods ofoperation. Mutual, at the same time, filed an antitrust suit of its own, in the amount of $10.275 million,according to the January 12, 1942 edition of Time.[67]

This account by Time[67] describes at least one of the accusations leveled against NBC by Mutual, froman affidavit by Mutual's general manager. In the fall of 1941, Mutual debuted a comedy-variety seriessponsored by Ballantine Ale, called Three Ring Time, starring Milton Berle and Charles Laughton.[68]The show was set to debut on a 77-station network, but 14 of these stations were under contract to NBC,which had the power to exercise options on the most desirable time, in cities where there was limitedcompetition. NBC eventually exercised options for six of these stations, with the result that Three RingTime was being carried simultaneously on NBC Blue and Mutual.

While the antitrust suits were pending, NBC and CBS had appealed to the courts regarding the ability ofthe FCC to regulate the operations of radio networks.[69] While these appeals were in progress, NBCstarted the process of formally separating the operations of the Red Network and the Blue Network, aprocess which had begun in 1939 with the formation of a separate sales department for the BlueNetwork and which continued into 1940 and 1941 with the formation of other departments for the BlueNetwork.[64] NBC began to specifically identify the networks, contrary to its general practice, and beganto divide personnel and facilities; eventually, it formed a separate corporate entity for the Blue Networkon January 8, 1942, "Blue Network Company, Inc."[70] From this date on, while NBC still maintainedownership of the Blue Network, it was for most purposes an entirely separate network. NBC Red at thispoint became known as simply NBC.[71]

In June 1942 the United States Supreme Court upheld the jurisdiction of the FCC over the issuance ofrules relating to chain broadcasting. While the FCC litigation continued in the wake of this ruling, thepublic and private antitrust litigation was held in abeyance.[73]

On May 10, 1943 the Supreme Court (National Broadcasting Co. v. United States, 319 U.S. 190) upheldthe right of the FCC to regulate practically everything that was radio, by sustaining the jurisdiction of theFCC to regulate the contractual relations of the major networks with affiliated stations.[74] Efforts in late1943 before the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee to obtain legislation to, in effect, reverse thedecision went nowhere.

Sale

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This 1944 advertisement,[72] while itdates from after the sale by NBC ofthe Blue Network, shows how theBlue Network continued to haveaccess to NBC facilities; in this case,the famed radio studios at RockefellerCenter in New York City

The January 11, 1943 edition of Time states that seven investment houses, three insurance companies,two manufacturers, a daily newspaper, and an industrialist had all taken serious looks at purchasing thenetwork.[75] However, with the ruling from the Supreme Court, NBC was now spurred to take vigorousaction to sell the Blue Network. The bidding came down to three groups, with an initial bid of $6million, which was raised in sequence by rivals to $6.5 and then $7 million. In late July, 1943, theinvestment banking firm of Dillon, Read & Co. made a bid of $7.8 million.[76]

On July 30, 1943, just over two months after the court's ruling, RCA announced the sale of the networkto American Broadcasting System, Inc., a firm controlled by Edward J. Noble, a former undersecretaryof commerce who was better known as the chairman of Life Savers Corp. The price was announced as$8 million.[77] This was followed by a petition to the FCC to approve the sale, which was filed onAugust 13.[78]

FCC hearings

One of the significant issues surrounding the sale of the BlueNetwork involved the network's practices regarding"controversial" topics and proponents. The network, citing thecode of the National Association of Broadcasters, declined to selltime to labor organizations, cooperatives, and other organizationsadvocating "controversial topics", but did give them free air time,provided there was an opportunity for the other side to be heard.On August 27, 1943, the Congress of Industrial Organizationsfiled a brief in a petition to intervene in the FCC proceedings onthe network sale.[79] The CIO complained that the NAB coderegarding "controversial" broadcasts inhibited its ability to buyairtime. While the FCC denied the CIO's petition to intervene, itdid invite the CIO to give testimony in the hearings.[80]

At the hearings held on September 10, 1943, FCC ChairmanJames L. Fly roundly denounced the policy of the Blue Networkin refusing to sell airtime, but granting air time for free, toproponents of controversial broadcasts. He colorfully describedthe policy as chasing would-be purchasers from the front of theshop, but "directing them to the back door for a handout." MarkWoods, the head of the Blue Network, defended the policy,stating that it was in compliance with the NAB code.[81] When Edward J. Noble testified at the hearingsheld on September 20, 1943, he was questioned closely by Chairman Fly as to the policies regarding therefusal to sell air time to labor organizations, cooperatives and other special interest groups.[82] Noblewas directed by Chairman Fly at this hearing to submit a statement as to what the policy would be of theBlue Network in terms of "the expansion of the mechanisms of free speech."[82] On October 3, 1943,Noble released a letter to the FCC in which it was stated that the Blue Network would meet "with anopen mind" all requests for broadcasting time, "considering each on the merits", and excluding none onthe basis of ideas or personality.[82] Certainly, not all were pleased by Chairman Fly's stance. ColumnistDavid Lawrence, in his October 7, 1943 column, thought that the FCC had overstepped its authority inattempting to force the Blue Network to change its policies regarding the sale of airtime.[83]

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Jessie Royce Landis (l) and CelesteHolm (r) pose with a Blue Networkmicrophone in this 1943 publicitystill for the show The House on QStreet. Collection of E.O. Costello[86]

Noble's written response seems to have been sufficient. The sale was approved by the FCC on October12, 1943.[84] Noble was forced to divest himself of New York station WMCA, which he had ownedsince 1940, but his American Broadcasting System, Inc., the entity formed to be the parent of the BlueNetwork, acquired WJZ, additional stations in Chicago and San Francisco, as well as land-line leases,certain studio facilities and leased studio facilities, and the affiliation system.[85]

Anti-trust conclusion

Following the sale, the Department of Justice dropped itsantitrust proceedings against NBC on October 17, 1943,[87]having previously dropped proceedings against CBS on October11, and the federal courts, upon its motion, dismissed Mutual'santitrust claims against CBS and NBC.[88]

Changes, 19431945

In the April 21, 1947 issue of Time,[89] Mark Woods called theBlue Network of 1942 (that is, just before the sale) "a dump."The article describes the then-116 station network as the home ofcast-off speeches and classical music, which had only generated$14 million in revenue. It could, perhaps, be argued that Woodswas denigrating the state of the Blue Network at that time, tocontrast with the relative success of the network later in the1940s; this is possible in light of the fact that the Blue Networkhad been profitable in 1942.[90] Woods and the rest of the management team, after the sale to Noble,began to take steps to make the Blue Network more competitive with NBC and CBS.

Finances and ownership

An early step was to obtain a deep pocketed backer. Noble, on December 28, 1943, sold a 12.5% staketo Time Inc.,[91] and a similar stake to advertising executive Chester LaRoche, for $500,000 each.Smaller stakes were taken by Blue Network executives Mark Woods (president) and Edgar Kobak(executive vice-president, who would the next year leave the Blue for Mutual).[92]

Programming

During the 19431945 period, the Blue Network used many of the NBC broadcasting facilities,including the Radio City facilities in New York (see the KATE ad, above), as well as studio space in LosAngeles. The back of the ticket for "Fun Valley", a show starring veteran comedian Al Pearce,sponsored by Dr. Pepper and broadcast on Sunday afternoons in 1944, makes reference to both BlueNetwork Company, Inc. and the National Broadcasting Company, Inc. in terms of the rules andregulations audience members had to obey.[94]

Of obvious import were steps taken to preserve the best programming the network had, and makeimprovements; these were happening in the period immediately prior to, and following, the sale of thenetwork. While the Blue Network did lose a few programs to NBC, such as Quiz Kids and Duffy'sTavern (more shows that debuted or had a previous run on the Blue; see Lackmann, op. cit.) and theNBC Symphony Orchestra (Lackmann, op. cit.), it did retain one highly rated show, the Jergen's Journal

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Advertisement[93] promoting abroadcast of the long-running NBCBlue, Blue Network and ABC publicaffairs program, "Town Meeting ofthe Air." Note that even at this latedate, in 1947 (i.e. 20 months after theofficial change), ABC is still usingthe Blue Network tag for certainpromotional purposes.

Publicity photo issued by theBlue Network to promote itswartime program Meet YourNavy, which originated fromthe Great Lakes NavalTraining Center via affiliateWLS (AM).

with Walter Winchell, which managed to compete successfullywith NBC's powerhouse Sunday night lineup (it was the 11th-ranked program for all of 19431944, and Blue's only program inthe top 20).[95] The Blue Network also retained the rights tobroadcast the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts; Milton Crosswas the host for NBC, Blue, ABC, CBS, and the opera's ownbroadcasts from 1931 through 1975. This was in spite of the factthat NBC did not want to assign the rights to either the TownMeeting of the Air or the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts to theBlue Network.[96]

In an interview with Time published on January 11, 1943, Woodsnoted that the Blue Network was seeking to differentiate itselffrom NBC and CBS by the aggressive use of transcriptions,contrary to the practice of the larger networks.[75] This wouldhave its full fruition when Bing Crosby started transcribing hisprime-time shows later in the decade.

In certain respects, the Blue made attempts to grab the spotlightwith unusual broadcasts. On December 25, 1942, the Coca-ColaCompany sponsored an all-day broadcast on the network, a"Victory Parade's Christmas Party of Spotlight Bands".[97] Thehiring, in 1943, of noted bandleader Paul Whiteman as Director

of Music was an attempt by the network, in its own words, to strengthen the entire musical schedule, aswell as obtain a prominent figure.[98] The "Metropolitan Auditions of the Air", discussed above, hadmoved to the Blue Network by 1943 as well, joining the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts and the BostonSymphony Orchestra.[99]

News continued to be a priority for the network; indeed, RaymondSwing would win a Peabody Award for the network in 1944 for hisnews commentary.[101] A 1943 promotional pamphlet listed MartinAgronsky, Drew Pearson, Swing, Lowell Thomas, Dorothy Thompsonand Walter Winchell, among others, as part of "the most impressiveroster of news analysts and commentators on the air today."[102]Newsman George Hicks was on a landing craft heading to theNormandy invasion beaches on D-Day when it was strafed by enemyplanes, the sound of the combat being broadcast.[103] The network didhave some difficulty with its news commentators during the war,however. The February 22, 1943 edition of Time notes that Woods hadto clamp down on both Winchell and Drew Pearson for over-aggressivename calling in their broadcasts, much to the dismay of Winchell, forone.[104]

Specific Blue Network programs

While space limitations prevent a detailed overview of all of the programming on the Blue Networkduring its 19431945 period, there are a few examples of programming that can be cited to show howthe Blue was striving to reach beyond its previous reputation, and compete head-on with CBS and NBC

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1944 souvenir booklet for theBlue Network audienceparticipation show Ladies BeSeated, which would continueto have a multi-year run onABC radio. This show wasalso one of the very firstprograms to be televised byABC. A script survives from aFebruary 25, 1945 localbroadcast over WRGB, theSchenectady, New Yorktelevision station of GeneralElectric, hosted by JohnnyOlson. The network is referredto in the script as being "TheBlue Network of the AmericanBroadcasting Company."[100]

as a stand-alone network.

One ambitious broadcast, copies of which are generally available to collectors of old-time radiobroadcasts, was a special two-hour program broadcast on Christmas Day, 1944. Entitled "Christmas onthe Blue", the show was emceed by Gracie Fields, and featured, among other stars, Joe E. Brown, TheAndrews Sisters, Ed Wynn, Paul Whiteman and others. The show alsofeatured broadcasts of overseas servicemen talking to their loved onesat home, something slightly unusual for the era.

One of the pairings on this special program involved Wendell Niles, along-time announcer on many radio shows, including Bob Hope's. TheBlue Network gave him and partner Don Prindle a comedy series, Nilesand Prindle, which is referenced in the special as being scheduled for adebut the following month. Little can be found regarding this show,other than it involved two friends "who argued about everything", andhad a brief life in 1945.[105] It was certainly most unusual for the Blueto attempt to convert a long-time announcer into a featured comedystar, and in this sense, "Niles and Prindle", if not unique (given thatGraham McNamee was the "Perfect Foil" to Ed Wynn), it must be saidto be at least quite singular.

Of some interest to animation fans is the existence of a show calledNitwit Court, which sought to do to John J. Anthony's The GoodwillHour what It Pays to Be Ignorant did to Information, Please!. HostRansom Sherman would pose problems to a jury consisting of ArthurQ. Bryan, as "Willow", a man with a lisp, Mel Blanc, as "Hornblower",a fumbling motorboat owner, and Sara Berner as "Bubbles Lowbridge",a not terribly bright woman.[106]

Affiliate growth

Strengthening the affiliate station group was a third matter ofimportance to the network. While the network had 116 stations inJanuary 1942 and 155 stations as of June 1943, this still meant that itcould only offer to advertisers coverage of approximately 76% of theradio homes in the United States.[107] In this sense, the moves by theFCC to loosen the provisions of the contracts binding affiliated stationsto networks helped the Blue. This allowed the Blue Network to pick upa few additional stations in 1944, including (ironically) a few fromMutual[108] This was one of its priorities, as in general the BlueNetwork had inherited smaller and less powerful stations than the group of stations that had made up itsformer twin sister network.

Rebranding

Finally, a major priority of the Blue Network was to form a new identity, one that would mark a breakwith the past. In December, 1945, the FCC approved the transfer of The Blue Network, Inc.'s broadcastlicenses to American Broadcasting Company. Beginning on January 22, 1945, the network's opening andclosing announcements changed to "The Blue Network of the American Broadcasting Company";starting February 18, the same wording was instituted as the network outcue for station breaks.[109] On

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Matchbooks advertising the BlueNetwork affiliated stations inIndianapolis and Cleveland, frombetween 1943 (when WJW joined theBlue Network) and 1945.

MatchbookfromWFCI/1420(now defunct) atPawtucket,Rhode Island.

June 15, 1945, the Blue Network formally changed its name tothe American Broadcasting Company.[110] They were not alonein desiring this catchy acronym.[111] Two prior claimants werebought out prior to June 1945,[112] and in negotiations with theAssociated Broadcasting Corp. in December 1945, it acquired therights to the name "ABC" from yet a third party.[113] From June1945 forward, the entity has been known generally as theAmerican Broadcasting Company, and reference should be madeto that entry for its subsequent history.

Of course, things are never all that simple. The souvenir programfor the Maurice B. Sachs Amateur Hour broadcast of Sunday,September 30, 1945 refers to the broadcast as coming from "BlueNetwork Studio A."[114] Even into 1947, in some markets, ABCwould promote its shows with the tag-line "It's a Blue NetworkProgram!"[115]

TelevisionAs of June 1945, commercial television in the United States hadbeen frozen, owing to the lower level of priorities given to it ascompared to war work. Furthermore, ABC was generally slow to

move into television broadcasting. It did win approval to build five televisionstations; the first, WJZ-TV in New York was completed in the summer of 1948.WJZ-TV was followed by stations in Chicago and Detroit later in 1948; and SanFrancisco and Los Angeles during 1949all five stations were assigned to broadcaston channel 7. Until those stations were built, ABC had to lease time and studiofacilities from other stations including DuMont network New York flagship WABD,as well as other stations in Philadelphia and Washington which eventually helpedform the core of the ABC television network.[116] It might be supposed that the BlueNetwork never existed in television, but as noted above, the Blue Network did makeat least a few known forays into television prior to the June 1945 name change. Forexample, the Blue Network applied for a construction permit for a TV station in theupper VHF band, but all such applications were shelved during the war years.Experiments were also conducted by the Blue Network in television programproduction before it permanently became ABC and formally opened a networkunder the ABC name in 1948. The script for a February 25, 1945 broadcast ofLadies Be Seated, which was a relatively popular audience-participation/stunt gameshow on Blue Network radio, still exists, and is reprinted in full in Ritchie;[117] it is,in fact, the script for the first broadcast.[118] It was hosted by Johnny Olson, whowould later become the long-running announcer on most of CBS's Goodson-

Todman-produced game shows, most notably Match Game and The Price Is Right. Technically, this wasnot a network broadcast, as it was broadcast locally on WRGB, the General Electric television station inSchenectady, New York. However, the opening title card, according to the script, was for "The BlueNetwork of the American Broadcasting Company." No video copy of this broadcast is known to exist.

Blue Network stations

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As noted above, during the 1930s and 1940s, the Blue Network was divided into groups of stations. Thecore group of stations was known as "Basic Blue", and covered the Northeast United States/NewEngland and portions of the Upper Midwest, around the Great Lakes area. The Southern Blue Networkcovered the Deep South, the Mountain Blue Group the Mountain states, the Pacific Coast Blue Networkthe Pacific Coast states, and the Southwestern Blue Group the Oklahoma-Texas region.

A pamphlet published by the American Rolling Mill Co. in connection with a radio talk on "The Miracleof Steel" given on the Blue Network on April 9, 1939 has a listing of the Blue Network stationsparticipating in this broadcast.[119] They are as follows:

Basic Blue

WJZ New YorkWBZ BostonWBZA SpringfieldWEAN ProvidenceWICC BridgeportWFIL PhiladelphiaWBAL BaltimoreWMAL WashingtonWSYR SyracuseWHAM RochesterWEBR BuffaloKDKA Pittsburgh

WHK ClevelandWSPD ToledoWXYZ DetroitWOWO Ft. WayneWENR ChicagoKXOK St. LouisWMT Cedar RapidsWTCN Minneapolis-St. PaulKSO Des MoinesKOIL OmahaWREN Kansas CityWLW Cincinnati

Southern Blue

WMPS MemphisWSGN BirminghamWAGA AtlantaWDSU New OrleansWJBO Baton Rouge

Rocky Mountain Blue

KVOD DenverKLO OgdenKUTA Salt Lake City

Pacific Coast Blue

KGO San FranciscoKECA Los AngelesKEX PortlandKJR SeattleKGA SpokaneKFSD San Diego

Southwestern Blue

KTOK Oklahoma CityKGKO Ft. Worth-DallasKXYZ Houston.

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KTMS Santa Barbara

Other Blue Network basic stations in 1939 were WABY (Albany, New York); WJTN (Jamestown, NewYork); WRTD (Richmond, Virginia); WLEU (Erie, Pennsylvania); CFCF (Montreal, Quebec) andWMFF in Plattsburgh, New York.[120]

See also

Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts

ReferencesBooks

Barson, Michael (1988). Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel: The Marx Bros' Lost Radio Show. NewYork: Pantheon Books. ISBN0-7011-3423-2.Blue Network Company (1943). The Blue Network Today; a Memorandum on Its FirstIndependent Year, and Its Present Position in the American System of Broadcasting, with a Noteon Blue History. New York: Blue Network Company, Inc. OCLC43939184(https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/43939184).East, Ed (1944). Ed East & Polly's fun book: with hundreds of tongue twisters, games and stuntsas broadcast on Ladies be seated: a Blue Network presentation. New York: Blue NetworkCompany, Inc. OCLC9885450 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/9885450).Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc. Britannica Book of the Year. Chicago: Encyclopdia Britannica,Inc. OCLC911926 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/911926).Enna Jettick Shoe Co. (c. 1930). Favorite Songs. New York: Enna Jettick Shoe Co.OCLC10494778 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/10494778).Lackmann, Ron (1996). Same Time, Same Station: an A-Z Guide to Radio from Jack Benny toHoward Stern. New York: Facts on File. ISBN0-8160-2862-1.National Broadcasting Company (1929). Blue Network Stories for Children: a Collection ofStories which are Favorites with Children Over the Radio. identified as Catalog #928. Akron,Ohio: Saalfield Publishing Company. OCLC21178623(https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21178623).National Broadcasting Company (1929). Blue Network Stories for Children: a Collection ofStories which are Favorites with Children Over the Radio. Akron, Ohio: Saalfield PublishingCompany. OCLC21178623 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21178623).National Broadcasting Company (1941). Alice in Sponsor-Land: a Chronicle of the Adventures ofAlice, the Hatter, the March Hare, and the Dormouse in that Twentieth Century Wonderland onthe Other Side of Your Radio Loud Speaker: with a Special Reference, As They Say, to theEntertainment Offerings of the NBC Red Network. illustrated by Barney Tobey. New York:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLChttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7011-3423-2https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/10494778https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLChttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLChttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAMChttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KZERhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Opera_radio_broadcastshttps://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21178623https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WPSEhttps://www.worldcat.org/oclc/911926https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WJTNhttps://www.worldcat.org/oclc/9885450https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/43939184https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CINWhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WEAVhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLChttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WRNLhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLChttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8160-2862-1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLChttps://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21178623



National Broadcasting Company. OCLC3314045 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/3314045).Ritchie, Michael (1994). Please Stand By: A Prehistory of Television. Woodstock, New York:Overlook Press. ISBN0-87951-546-5.Swartz, Jon and Reinehr, Robert (1993). The Handbook of Old-Time Radio: a ComprehensiveGuide to Golden Age Radio Listening and Collecting. Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press.ISBN0-8108-2590-2.Terrace, Vincent (1981). Radio's Golden Years: The Encyclopedia of Radio Programs 19301960.San Diego: A.S. Barnes & Co. ISBN0-498-02393-1.

Newspapers and magazines

Albert Lea Evening Tribune (MN), via newspaperarchive.comBerkshire County (MA) Eagle, via newspaperarchive.comCharleston (WV) Daily mail, via newspaperarchive.comDecatur (Illinois) Review, via newspaperarchive.comFresno Bee, via newspaperarchive.comGalveston News, via newspaperarchive.comIowa City Press-Citizen, via newspaperarchive.comLima (Ohio) Sunday News, via newspaperarchive.comMcKean County Democrat (PA), via newspaperarchive.comNew York TimesOakland Tribune, via newspaperarchive.comOneonta Star (New York), via newspaperarchive.comSan Mateo Times, via newspaperarchive.comSyracuse Herald, via newspaperarchive.comTime Magazine, via time.comWisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, via newspaperarchive.com

Broadcasts

Christmas on the Blue, Blue Network, December 25, 1944Inner Sanctum Mysteries, December 7, 1941Johnson's Wax Program, a/k/a Fibber McGee and Molly, NBC Red, October 11, 1937 andSeptember 30, October 14 and December 23, 1941The Chase and Sanborn Hour, NBC Red, September 5, 1937The Jergens Journal, Blue Network, May 13, 1945Joseph W. Stilwell message to the American people from Burma via the Blue Network [soundrecording], circa 1944, in Joseph Warren Stilwell papers(http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf958006qb/), Hoover Institution Archives, StanfordUniversity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLChttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-498-02393-1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttp://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf958006qb/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87951-546-5https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttps://www.worldcat.org/oclc/3314045https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8108-2590-2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number



Web sites

Haendiges, Jerry. "Vintage Radio Logs" (http://otrsite.com/radiolog/index.html). Retrieved2007-01-08.Harris, Bill. "Three Little Notes of Broadcasting History...The History of the NBC Chimes(Harris)" (http://radioremembered.org/chimes.htm). Retrieved 2007-01-08.McLeod, Elizabeth. "Known Broadcasts 19251927" (http://www.old-time.com/mcleod/mcleod4.html). Retrieved 2007-01-08.McLeod, Elizabeth. "Network Option Time" (http://jeff560.tripod.com/am11.html). Retrieved2007-01-08.McLeod, Elizabeth. "Red and Blue Networks (McLeod)" (http://jeff560.tripod.com/am1.html).Retrieved 2007-01-08.Shedden, David. "The First Convention Broadcast"(http://www.poynter.org/dg.lts/id.70880/content.content_view.htm). Retrieved 2007-01-08.Shoshani, Michael. "History of the NBC Chimes" (http://www.nbcchimes.info/). Retrieved2007-01-08.Shreve, Jr., Ivan G. "Uncle Miltie" (http://blogs.salon.com/0003139/2004/02/22.html). Retrieved2007-01-08.White, Thomas H. "United States Early Radio History" (http://earlyradiohistory.us/sec019.htm).Retrieved 2007-01-08."NBC History Files" (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?faid/faid:@field(DOCID+rs000001)).Retrieved 2007-01-08."Top-Rated NBC Blue"(http://web.archive.org/web/20070928092734/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htm). Archived from the original(http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htm) on 2007-09-28.Retrieved 2008-12-09."Top Blue/ABC"(http://web.archive.org/web/20070928092722/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/Blue&ABC%27sTop25.htm). Archived from the original(http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/Blue&ABC%27sTop25.htm) on 2007-09-28.Retrieved 2008-12-09."George Foster Peabody Award Winners"(http://web.archive.org/web/20061209105007/http://www.peabody.uga.edu/media/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original(http://www.peabody.uga.edu/media/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdf) on 2006-12-09. Retrieved2007-01-08."Official Web Site of Helen Hayes Radio" (http://www.helenhayes.com/about/radio.htm).Retrieved 2007-01-08.

http://www.helenhayes.com/about/radio.htmhttp://www.old-time.com/mcleod/mcleod4.htmlhttp://web.archive.org/web/20070928092734/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htmhttp://blogs.salon.com/0003139/2004/02/22.htmlhttp://www.nbcchimes.info/http://radioremembered.org/chimes.htmhttp://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/Blue&ABC%27sTop25.htmhttp://www.poynter.org/dg.lts/id.70880/content.content_view.htmhttp://jeff560.tripod.com/am11.htmlhttp://www.peabody.uga.edu/media/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdfhttp://otrsite.com/radiolog/index.htmlhttp://jeff560.tripod.com/am1.htmlhttp://web.archive.org/web/20070928092722/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/Blue&ABC%27sTop25.htmhttp://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htmhttp://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?faid/faid:@field(DOCID+rs000001)http://earlyradiohistory.us/sec019.htmhttp://web.archive.org/web/20061209105007/http://www.peabody.uga.edu/media/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdf



"duPont Advertising"(http://web.archive.org/web/20070101212737/http://heritage.dupont.com/floater/fl_advertising/floater.shtml). Archived from the original(http://heritage.dupont.com/floater/fl_advertising/floater.shtml) on 2007-01-01. Retrieved2007-01-08."duPont Heritage"(http://web.archive.org/web/20061208154809/http://heritage.dupont.com/touchpoints/tp_1939/depth.shtml). Archived from the original(http://heritage.dupont.com/touchpoints/tp_1939/depth.shtml) on 2006-12-08. Retrieved2007-01-08."The Authentic History Center"(http://web.archive.org/web/20061206141431/http://www.authentichistory.com/ww2/news/19411207-8.html). Archived from the original (http://www.authentichistory.com/ww2/news/19411207-8.html) on 2006-12-06. Retrieved 2007-01-08."This Day In History, Dec. 25" (http://www.440.com/twtd/archives/dec25.html). Retrieved2007-01-08."19431944 Ratings" (http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/1940's/19431944PT.htm).Retrieved 2007-01-08.

Miscellaneous

Matchbook covers for radio stations WFCI, WJW and WISH, collection of E.O. CostelloPublicity photo for "The House on Q Street", Blue Network, 1944, collection of E.O. CostelloPublicity photo of Dorothy Thompson, dated 9/6/39, NBC Blue, collection of E.O. CostelloNBC publicity photo No. 15538 (Smetana photo)Souvenir program, Maurice B. Sachs Amateur Hour, dated September 30, 1945, collection of E.O.CostelloTicket for the March 19, 1944 broadcast of "Fun Valley", collection of E.O. CostelloNational Broadcasting Company (1937). Broadcasting the Metropolitan. New York: NationalBroadcasting Company., collection of E.O. CostelloThe American Rolling Mill Co. (1939). Miracle of Steel: A Radio Talk by the Armco Ironmaster.Middletown, Ohio., collection of E.O. Costello

Notes

1. ^ In a publication dated June 1943, the Blue Network itself traced its origins back to the founding of WJZ, asthat eventually became the key station of the network. "The Blue Network Today", Blue Network Company,Inc. (New York, 1943), page 1

2. ^ a b c McLeod, Elizabeth. "Red and Blue Networks (McLeod)" (http://members.aol.com/jeff560/am1.html).Retrieved 2007-01-08.

3. ^ White, Thomas H. "United States Early Radio History" (http://earlyradiohistory.us/sec019.htm). Retrieved

http://web.archive.org/web/20061208154809/http://heritage.dupont.com/touchpoints/tp_1939/depth.shtmlhttp://heritage.dupont.com/floater/fl_advertising/floater.shtmlhttp://heritage.dupont.com/touchpoints/tp_1939/depth.shtmlhttp://members.aol.com/jeff560/am1.htmlhttp://www.authentichistory.com/ww2/news/19411207-8.htmlhttp://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/1940's/19431944PT.htmhttp://web.archive.org/web/20070101212737/http://heritage.dupont.com/floater/fl_advertising/floater.shtmlhttp://www.440.com/twtd/archives/dec25.htmlhttp://web.archive.org/web/20061206141431/http://www.authentichistory.com/ww2/news/19411207-8.htmlhttp://earlyradiohistory.us/sec019.htm



3. ^ White, Thomas H. "United States Early Radio History" (http://earlyradiohistory.us/sec019.htm). Retrieved2007-01-08.

4. ^ For a colourful description of the radio coverage of this convention by WEAF and WJZ, as well as areference to the Western Union lines, see Shedden, David. "The First Convention Broadcast"(http://www.poynter.org/dg.lts/id.70880/content.content_view.htm). Retrieved 2007-01-08.

5. ^ "The Blue Network Today", page 2; it is noteworthy that RCA, then still owner of the Blue Network, givesthe credit to itself, and not to Westinghouse, the actual owner at that time.

6. ^ GE and Westinghouse, aside from owning radio stations that were in the "Radio Group" such as KYW andWGY, also owned a controlling interest in RCA. This controlling interest was sold in 1932, in the wake ofaction by the anti-trust division of the Department of Justice. Time magazine, November 28, 1932 Big PoolPunned (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,744808,00.html)

7. ^ The Iowa City Press-Citizen, May 15, 1926, 3:2, at Newspaper Archive(http://www.newspaperarchive.com)

8. ^ New York Times, July 22, 1926, 1:29. ^ Oakland Tribune, September 13, 1926, 12:6

10. ^ See "NBC History Files" (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?faid/faid:@field(DOCID+rs000001)).Retrieved 2007-01-08., hereinafter referred to by folder number.

11. ^ Oakland Tribune, September 13, 1926, 12:6 Newspaper Archive (http://www.newspaperarchive.com)12. ^ Oakland Tribune, July 28, 1926, 12:613. ^ White, Thomas H. "United States Early Radio History" (http://earlyradiohistory.us/sec019.htm). Retrieved

2007-01-08.14. ^ Shoshani, Michael. "History of the NBC Chimes" (http://www.nbcchimes.info/). Retrieved 2007-01-08.15. ^ Decatur (Illinois) Review, December 12, 1926, 28:2 Newspaper Archive

(http://www.newspaperarchive.com)16. ^ McLeod, Elizabeth. "Red and Blue Networks (McLeod)" (http://members.aol.com/jeff560/am1.html).

Retrieved 2007-01-08., Shoshani, Michael. "History of the NBC Chimes" (http://www.nbcchimes.info/).Retrieved 2007-01-08.

17. ^ McLeod, Elizabeth. "Known Broadcasts 19251927" (http://www.old-time.com/mcleod/mcleod4.html).Retrieved 2007-01-08.

18. ^ "Favorite Songs, Published by Enna Jettick Shoes" (New York, 1930 (?)), in the collection of E.O. Costello19. ^ Lima (Ohio) Sunday News, December 1, 1929, 2:78, available at Newspaper Archive

(http://www.newspaperarchive.com).20. ^ Time Magazine, January 2, 1939 Programs Previewed

(http://jcgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,760561,00.html); another slightly earlier examplewould be the March 5, 1938 joint Red-Blue broadcast of the season's last concert of the NBC SymphonyOrchestra conducted by Arturo Toscanini.

21. ^ A listing of the top-rated shows on NBC Blue can be found at "Top-Rated NBC Blue"(http://web.archive.org/web/20070928092734/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htm). Archived from the original(http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htm) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved2007-01-08., showing that Amos 'n Andy's rating of 53.4 in 1930-1 was far and away the best performance byan NBC Blue show; in fact, four of the top ten performing shows were Amos 'n Andy seasons.

22. ^ In fact, as demonstrated by "Top-Rated NBC Blue"(http://web.archive.org/web/20070928092734/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htm). Archived from the original

http://www.newspaperarchive.com/http://www.newspaperarchive.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arturo_Toscaninihttp://www.newspaperarchive.com/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htmhttp://www.old-time.com/mcleod/mcleod4.htmlhttp://www.poynter.org/dg.lts/id.70880/content.content_view.htmhttp://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htmhttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,744808,00.htmlhttp://www.nbcchimes.info/http://web.archive.org/web/20070928092734/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htmhttp://members.aol.com/jeff560/am1.htmlhttp://www.nbcchimes.info/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?faid/faid:@field(DOCID+rs000001)http://web.archive.org/web/20070928092734/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htmhttp://jcgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,760561,00.htmlhttp://www.newspaperarchive.com/http://earlyradiohistory.us/sec019.htmhttp://earlyradiohistory.us/sec019.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_Symphony_Orchestra



(http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htm) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved2007-01-08., it was the 19th best performance by *any* NBC Blue program during the period it was ownedby NBC.

23. ^ The surviving scripts for this show, in addition to a discussion of the show's history and an interview withone of its chief writers, can be found in the book Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel: The Marx Brothers' LostRadio Show, edited by Michael Barson (Pantheon Books, New York 1988).

24. ^ For the Hope, Benny and Information Please programs, consult Haendiges, Jerry. "Vintage Radio Logs"(http://otrsite.com/radiolog/index.html). Retrieved 2007-01-08., which show when these shows originated onNBC Blue; information confirming this, and adding Fibber McGee, came from Same Time, Same Station byRon Lackmann (Facts on File, 1996).

25. ^ Salt Lake Tribune, October 13, 1934,26. ^ "Blue Network Stories For Children: A Collection of Stories Which Are Favorites With Children Over the

Radio" (Saalfield Publishing Company, Akron, 1929)27. ^ There are also at least two other, similar books, also published by Saalfield, which reference the Red

Network. Why volumes by the same publisher were produced with titles referring to both the Red and BlueNetworks, and what the connection with NBC was, is not clear. Saalfield for most of the 20th century was amajor publisher of children's books, and published other radio tie-ins; by way of colorful example, a set ofpaper dolls dating from 1943 and tied to the NBC program The Hour of Charm, with its all-girl orchestra, isknown to exist.

28. ^ Folder 99829. ^ NBC History Files, Folder 78430. ^ NBC History Files, Folder 29931. ^ NBC History Files, Folder 431

32. ^ a b "The Blue Network Today", page 3.33. ^ Time Magazine, September 19, 1938 Money for Minutes

(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,931744-5,00.html)34. ^ McLeod, Elizabeth. "Network Option Time" (http://members.aol.com/jeff560/am11.html). Retrieved

2007-01-08.. Generally speaking, in this era NBC would offer a package built around a "basic" group ofstations, with regional blocks added on depending on a sponsor's needs. An early example of this would bethe above-referenced Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel program, which was not broadcast nationwide becauseEsso only sold its gasoline in certain markets, unlike Texaco, which sold gasoline nationwide and thus used anationwide system to broadcast Ed Wynn.

35. ^ A story in the October 2, 1948 edition of the Oneonta Star (New York) described a lecture given by aproduction manager at a local radio station, in which she described the NBC Red network as handling"commercial" programs, and the NBC Blue network as handling "sustained" programs. This is one exampleof how the networks were viewed, at least in retrospect. Oneonta Star (NY), October 2, 1948 2:6.

36. ^ See Lackmann, op cit.37. ^ This show won Peabody Awards for the Blue Network for the Best Educational Program in 1943, and

again in 1945; lists of Peabody Award winners can be found at "George Foster Peabody Award Winners"(http://web.archive.org/web/20061209105007/http://www.peabody.uga.edu/media/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (http://www.peabody.uga.edu/media/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdf) onDecember 9, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-08.

38. ^ See the ratings for NBC Blue at "Top-Rated NBC Blue"(http://web.archive.org/web/20070928092734/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htm). Archived from the original

http://members.aol.com/jeff560/am11.htmlhttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,931744-5,00.htmlhttp://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htmhttp://otrsite.com/radiolog/index.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Wynnhttp://web.archive.org/web/20070928092734/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flywheel,_Shyster,_and_Flywheelhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essohttp://web.archive.org/web/20061209105007/http://www.peabody.uga.edu/media/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdfhttp://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htmhttp://www.peabody.uga.edu/media/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdf



7s)top25.htm). Archived from the original(http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htm) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved2007-01-08. and "Top Blue/ABC"(http://web.archive.org/web/20070928092722/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/Blue&ABC%27sTop25.htm). Archived from the original(http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/Blue&ABC%27sTop25.htm) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved2007-01-08.

39. ^ Time Magazine, April 10, 1939 Winners(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761006,00.html); by 1941, this show had moved to theRed Network.

40. ^ see the description in Lackmann, op cit.41. ^ "Broadcasting the Metropolitan", NBC Blue Network, circa 1937; in the collection of E.O. Costello42. ^ Compare, however, "The Blue Network Today", which cites later dates, 19391940, for the creation of

separate departments for the Blue Network; "The Blue Network Today", page 4.43. ^ On this point, see also Shoshani, Michael. "History of the NBC Chimes" (http://www.nbcchimes.info/).

Retrieved 2007-01-08., discussing the need for chimes to tell a station serving both networks which feed touse

44. ^ See McLeod's discussion at McLeod, Elizabeth. "Red and Blue Networks (McLeod)"(http://members.aol.com/jeff560/am1.html). Retrieved 2007-01-08. on all these points; with referencespecifically to congressional pressure, see Lebrecht, Norman (2001). The Maestro Myth. Citadel Press, page73, cited in NBC Symphony Orchestra.

45. ^ NBC History Files, Folder 29346. ^ NBC History Files, Folder 12847. ^ NBC History Files, Folder 3048. ^ Great and Growing Greater , National Broadcasting Company, Inc., 1936. It is perhaps worth noting that

this document is a hardbound volume with a tip-in sheet with a cellophane overlay showing the changesmade to the network; obviously, a product of significant expense.

49. ^ Time magazine, August 21, 1939 Platters for the Pacific(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,762479,00.html); it is worth noting that the articlespecifically describes NBC Blue as being the "weak sister." Information, Please! is listed as the star programfor NBC Blue at this time.

50. ^ See, for example, the September 5, 1937 broadcast of The Chase and Sanborn Hour and the October 11,1937 broadcast of Fibber McGee and Molly, and the September 30, October 14 and December 23, 1941broadcasts of Fibber McGee and Molly, versus the December 7, 1941 broadcast of the Inner SanctumMysteries.

51. ^ The book is not dated, though there are references to data as of March 1941; the facts are slightlycomplicated by the fact that the book refers to the Burns and Allen program being sponsored by Hormel,which was not the case after March 1941.

52. ^ "Alice in Sponsor-Land" National Broadcasting Company (New York, 1941). The illustrations are byBarney Tobey, a contributor for over five decades to The New Yorker.

53. ^ There are a few references to news programming, mostly Hans von Kaltenborn, who in one illustration isshown dancing with Alice! It is worth noting that both Information, Please! and Cavalcade of America arelisted as Red Network shows; the latter had been a Blue Network show the previous year.

54. ^ Which, by point of interest, includes two stations in the then-Commonwealth of the Philippines, twostations in Canada, and one station in Havana, Cuba.

http://web.archive.org/web/20070928092722/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/Blue&ABC%27sTop25.htmhttp://members.aol.com/jeff560/am1.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information,_Please!http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761006,00.htmlhttp://www.nbcchimes.info/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information,_Please!http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,762479,00.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._V._Kaltenbornhttp://web.archive.org/web/20070928092734/http://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormelhttp://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/Blue&ABC%27sTop25.htmhttp://www.dg125.com/Gazette/BestOfTheBest/NBC(Blue%27s)top25.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_Symphony_Orchestrahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Yorker



55. ^ "Official Web Site of Helen Hayes Radio" (http://www.helenhayes.com/about/radio.htm). Retrieved2007-01-08.

56. ^ Monday, Nov. 28, 1938 (1938-11-28). "Programs Previewed"(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,771251,00.html). Time.com. Retrieved 2011-11-09.

57. ^ Lackmann, op. cit., states that this program was broadcast on the Red Network, but at least for its fifthseason, according to 1940 newspaper radio listings, the show was a Blue Network program

58. ^ a b "duPont Advertising"(http://web.archive.org/web/20070101212737/http://heritage.dupont.com/floater/fl_advertising/floater.shtml).Archived from the original (http://heritage.dupont.com/floater/fl_advertising/floater.shtml) on January 1,2007. Retrieved 2007-01-08.

59. ^ Monday, Feb. 26, 1940 (1940-02-26). "Cellophane's Lincoln"(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,763240,00.html). Time.com. Retrieved 2011-11-09.

60. ^ "duPont Heritage"(http://web.archive.org/web/20061208154809/http://heritage.dupont.com/touchpoints/tp_1939/depth.shtml).Archived from the original (http://heritage.dupont.com/touchpoints/tp_1939/depth.shtml) on December 8,2006. Retrieved 2007-01-08.

61. ^ Source: NBC publicity photo No. 1553862. ^ "The Authentic History Center"

(http://web.archive.org/web/20061206141431/http://www.authentichistory.com/ww2/news/19411207-8.html). Archived from the original (http://www.authentichistory.com/ww2/news/19411207-8.html) onDecember 6, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-08.

63. ^ NBC History Files, Folders 300304, inclusive

64. ^ a b "The Blue Network Today", page 4.65. ^ See the 1941 edition of the Britannica Book of the Year, under the entry for "Radio, Industrial Aspects of",

pages 566766. ^ See the 1942 edition of the Britannica Book of the Year, under the entry for "Radio", page 556, as well as

the May 12, 1941 edition of Time Chains Unchained?(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,795283,00.html)

67. ^ a b Time magazine, January 12, 1942 Old Law v. New Thing(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,773032,00.html)

68. ^ While a critical succe

blue network

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