Re: [ARSCLIST] "Aircheck" history

[David Lennick <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

By 1951, I'm sure a great many shows were being "transcribed", following Bing
Crosby's lead in 1947 and ABC's having ignored the self-imposed ban of the
other two networks on using recordings. Tape made everything easier by that
time and the networks were pouring production money into television.

The CBC seems to have had no problem in using transcriptions for the west and
mountain regions..they had a delay center in Winnipeg which recorded programs
off the line and re-fed them an hour or two later. Vancouver even recorded
programs off the line (complete with horrible hum and whistle and amplification
noises) and sent them up to Prince Rupert for broadcast the following WEEK,
which is why a lot of programs exist in the Archives at all.

dl

Rod Stephens wrote:

> Tom,
>
> I just checked a number of our Family Theater radio shows that
> originated on the Mutual Network from Hollywood (KHJ) and found several
> different conditions as far as delayed broadcasts.  In 1948, probably
> due to scheduling difficulties, a show opened with "A program
> transcribed from Hollywood" which meant they didn't play the show live,
> and instead had recorded it earlier to transcription disks.  Usually,
> "transcribed" meant that it had been recorded at previous time to be
> used for a later or delayed broadcast.  Later that year, the announcer
> just said,"Transcribed" at the beginning of one of the shows, so I guess
> that meant that my set of disks were made from a previous set of
> transcriptions.
>
> Of course, maybe all of my disks were made and used for Hollywood
> rebroadcasts while the shows went out live over the network to New York
> and the east.  Or, maybe they did the show twice (not as likely) for the
> two time zones.  I think I've heard of that being done.  I don't have
> any direct information on that.  If anyone does know what Mutual
> actually did, we at Family Theater would like to know to add to our
> database and archival background.
>
> On 8-29-51, the show opened with "The following feature was transcribed
> from Eastern Mutual".  I would guess something happened to our
> transcription masters in Hollywood, so they rerecorded the show in
> Hollywood from the disks made and fed from New York.  That reinforces my
> idea that the shows were done live and fed to New York (who recorded
> them for protection) and also recorded in Hollywood at the same
> (earlier) time for feeding later for west coast air time.
>
> On 12-19-51, the show opened with "The following is transcribed", so it
> would seem these were special situations, since none of the other shows
> had this disclaimer at their opening.
>
> Of course, there were a few rebroadcasts via transcription (reruns) of
> earlier shows to periodically fill the schedule, since the show went
> year round without any hiatuses; quite an accomplishment considering
> they were done with a new music score and script every week without
> stopping.
>
> So, I guess these were all delayed broadcasts in some way or another.
> My hat's off to those people of "yesteryear".
>
> Rod Stephens
> Family Theater Productions
>
> Tom Fine wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> > Now here's a followup question. If an affiliate recorded a program off
> > the network feed line for delayed broadcast, is that an air-check or
> > something else?
> >
> > -- Tom Fine
>
> <snip>