Re: [ARSCLIST] NBC chimes and routing

[Michael Shoshani <mshoshani@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob Olhsson wrote:
> -----Original Message-----
> > From Michael Shoshani: "...San Francisco could receive programming from the
> east for circulating on 
> this loop, and could originate both for the loop and for the east coast 
> (but not the latter while receiving programming), but other stations on 
> this loop could not feed back to San Francisco..."
>
> My understanding is that programs to and from the east traveled by train in
> the form of transcriptions because there were no high fidelity phone lines
> across the Rockies until the 1940s.

No, the networks had strict regulations forbidding transcriptions until 
the mid 1940s when it was realized that programs such as "Quiz Kids" or 
"Information Please" had spontaneous moments that could not be 
duplicated on the traditional 
we'll-do-the-whole-thing-over-one-hour-later way of doing shows for both 
coasts.

It is true that when NBC started, AT&T had not laid down 
broadcast-quality phone lines further west than the Rocky Mountains. 
Because of that, NBC established an Orange Network, which was the 
west-coast round robin arrangement - essentially a closed network - in 
late 1926. It was not transcriptions that traveled westward, but rather 
scripts and musical scores; these were sent to San Francisco by railroad 
express, and the programs therein were performed and broadcast live, by 
a west coast cast, one week after their east coast performance.

This arrangement continued for two years, until AT&T managed to get 
lines strung across the rockies; regular transcontinental service was 
inaugurated in late 1928 or early 1929.

There is an excellent description of NBC's west coast operations, 
including a schematic diagram of the round robin circuit (which 
continued after the west coast was hooked up to the rest of the 
network), here: http://www.bayarearadio.org/schneider/nbc.shtml

Michael Shoshani