A History of Broadcasting in the United States, Volume II : the Golden Web. 1933 to 1953 PDF
Preview A History of Broadcasting in the United States, Volume II : the Golden Web. 1933 to 1953
THE GOLDEN WEB A HISTORY OF BROADCASTING IN THE UNITED STATES VOLUME I — A TOWER IN BABEL VOLUME II — THE GOLDEN WEB VOLUME III — IN PREPARATION THE GOLDEN WEB A History of Broadcasting in the United States Volume II -1933 to 1953 ERIK BARNOUW New York OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1968 Copyright © 1968 by Erik Barnouw Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number: 66-22258 Printed in the United States of America CONTENTS Introduction, 3 1 EITHER/OR, 5 A real pro, 7 The land of irium, 9 The press attacks, 18 Twenty-five per cent, 22 Eyebrow, 28 About ready, 37 Fascist rehearsals, 44 Radio at the ramparts, 51 2 REBIRTH, 55 Not for sale, 64 Marquee, 70 Another Archie, 71 Haystack, 74 Across the goal line, 76 New Jersey invaded, 83 We proudly present, 89 Studio 1936-38, 108 Ballad, 116 Front, 121 Edge of chaos, 125 This reporter, 140 Campaign 1940, 142 Lifeline, 146 Worldwide, 149 3 CRUSADE, 155 Chain break, 168 Coalition, 174 Gulliver, 181 Lifesaver, 187 Stars and atabrine, 190 Drive, 197 The champ, 206 Summit, 211 4 PEACE, 216 The groups, 220 A low-cost automobile, 225 Blue book, 227 Meanwhile back at the networks, 237 Tax-wise, 242 Or affiliated sympathetically with . . . , 246 5 PURGE, 253 Give 'em hell, 257 Peace meeting, 260 What we all want, 262 Desk copy, 265 Supermarket, 273 High places, 283 Sic transit, 284 Panicsville, 290 The margin of doubt, 292 1952, 295 APPENDIX A: Chronology, 305 APPENDIX B: Law, 311 Communications Act of 1934, 311 BIBLIOGRAPHY, 349 INDEX, 371 This page intentionally left blank THE GOLDEN WEB This page intentionally left blank INTRODUCTION The web of human things . . . that are not as they were. SHELLEY, Alastor Until the late ig2o's broadcasting in the United States was largely a story of separate transmitter towers, each independent, each vying for attention with countless others. This period has been chronicled in A Tower in Babel, first of three volumes in this study. Even in that first era, broadcast- ing showed an unexpected ability to move and persuade, and precipitated epic struggles for control. Then a new element was added. Transmitters in various parts of the country began broadcasting the same singer, the same speaker, the same comedian, the same drama. To listeners it seemed a logical, rational step, readily accepted. But in the process a new force had been added to the nation's power constellation: the network. Within a few years it was a dominant element not only in broadcasting but in many other fields. A far- ranging shift in relationships and influences was under way. What is a network? In a way it is—strangely enough—almost nothing, a phantom. It is mainly a tissue of contracts by which a number of stations are linked in operation. The linkage has been done largely through leased telephone cables which the entrepreneur—the "network"—does not own. Each of the stations so linked uses an air channel which is a public re- source and which neither network nor station can own. Thus networks as businesses would seem to rest on the flimsiest foundations. Yet they have become a major power center—having, in an age of American hegemony, world-wide ramifications. This volume, The Golden Web, will trace the rise of the American net- 3
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