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109-617: The Blue Network (previously known as the NBC Blue Network ) was the on-air name of a now defunct American radio network, which broadcast from 1927 through 1945. Beginning as one of the two radio networks owned by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), the independent Blue Network was born of a divestiture in 1942, arising from antitrust litigation. In 1945, the Blue Network formally became

218-610: A confidential memorandum, dated May 13, 1936, which sets forth a network policy against mixing the Red and Blue network stations. (Compare and contrast this with the way the Harry Lauder broadcast of 1929 was handled, above.) There also exists an October 1938 sales force memorandum, which contains talking points on how to differentiate the Blue Network from the Red Network and CBS . Even as far back as December 1932, NBC had set forth

327-509: A direct wire link for international news from London, England. The mast head logo, which became an icon of the paper, showed Oakland, a port to the world and nation. The logo changed with the times: the Tower, transport ship and steam locomotive; in later years, the Tower, the Bay Bridge , larger transport ship, diesel engine, the china clipper and later, a jet airplane. On September 1, 1950,

436-545: A half interest to A.B. Gibson. The Tribune moved, January 30, 1875, to 911 Broadway and Gibson sold his half interest to the paper to A. E. Nightingill. In 1876, Dewes and Nightingill, found a buyer for the Tribune . The Tribune became a major paper under William E. Dargie (1854–1911), who acquired the paper July 24, 1876. The Tribune Publishing Company , was created with William Edward Dargie as Manager and (Albion Keith Paris) A. K. P. Harmon, Jr., Secretary. The Tribune

545-461: A letter to the FCC in which it was stated that the Blue Network would meet "with an open mind" all requests for broadcasting time, "considering each on the merits", and excluding none on the basis of ideas or personality. Certainly, not all were pleased by Chairman Fly's stance. Columnist David Lawrence, in his October 7, 1943, column, thought that the FCC had overstepped its authority in attempting to force

654-599: A manner even more explicit than the June 1940 report. Subsequent congressional hearings in the fall of 1941 resulted in the FCC watering down the rules, but the 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 of operation. Mutual , at the same time, filed an antitrust suit of its own, in

763-630: A means of communication between the diverse members of its community. Communication is essential." Bill Knowland's personal life would soon affect the Oakland Tribune . Two days after the Tribune celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 21, 1974, William F. Knowland committed suicide. On the death of their father, Joseph William Knowland (1930-2019), became the Tribune ' s editor and publisher; Emelyn K. Jewett (1929–1988) became president of The Tribune Publishing Corporation . The California Press Association honored Joseph W. Knowland, as

872-528: A news roundup show that competed with Jack Benny, and later on Bible Week opposite the Chase and Sanborn Hour with Edgar Bergen . (The Blue did have the popular Inner Sanctum mystery anthology series later that night at 8:30, followed in turn by its number one show with Walter Winchell .) Lastly, of interest to those who may recall the satiric references in Warner Bros. cartoons of the era, at 10 p.m.,

981-660: A number of high-brow programs such as The Voice of Firestone , The Atwater Kent Hour , and the Cities Service Concerts . Furthermore, she points out that until the 1936–1937 period, the "back office" support for the networks was the same, and often stations would shift from one network to another, depending on sponsor needs. It was only when the Federal Communications Commission began investigating network practices, McLeod believes, that efforts were made by RCA to differentiate

1090-549: A number of programs that she did for NBC Blue during this time, including a Eugene O'Neill play cycle in August 1937, two different dramatic series of her own in 1935–1936 (one sponsored by General Foods ), and an appearance on a Blue series in 1940, one which 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 gives some idea of

1199-575: A part of its lineup from 1929 until March 1945, when the program shifted to NBC. Along with the NBC Symphony Orchestra broadcasts, the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts were part of the "crown jewels" of NBC Blue. A sober, dignified pamphlet issued by the network in 1937 stated that the broadcasts were under RCA sponsorship, and "[t]hrough the medium of nationwide NBC Network broadcasting, Grand Opera has been given to

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1308-449: A policy banning specific references not only to CBS, but even to the Red Network. Of note is the fact that NBC began to step up efforts to expand the network; while it had 33 stations in 1937, this total had nearly tripled by January 1941, when the network had 92 stations coast to coast. These efforts to expand the network are evidenced by an NBC publication in late 1936, Great and Growing Greater , which described efforts to increase both

1417-527: A promotional publication noted that: "As far back as 1932, a group of executives of the National Broadcasting Company conceived the idea that The Blue Network could progress faster and serve its stations, its advertisers and the listening public much better if, instead of being a part of NBC it were to become an independent network." During the 1930s, accusations were leveled at both NBC and CBS , in part by their rival Mutual, that

1526-472: A role in the decision. AT&T did in fact subsequently sell WEAF to RCA for $ 1 million in July 1926, a price that newspaper reports indicated was a substantial premium over what other stations were commanding in the marketplace, and represented a recognition of the status of WEAF in broadcasting, as well as its access to AT&T's lines. Indeed, the negotiations for the sale may have taken place very shortly after

1635-474: A similar tag for the Blue Network. An example of this buildup comes in "Alice in Sponsor-Land", a publication put out by RCA some time in mid-1941 to market that network's shows. This book focuses squarely on the Red Network, describing its entertainment programming, without any reference to the Blue Network. Above the lineup of stations in the back of the volume is the tag-line: "This is the Red Network of

1744-516: A similar vein, one of the Blue Network's longest running programs was America's Town Meeting of the Air , a current-affairs discussion program. Both Lowell Thomas and Walter Winchell 's news programs were also broadcast over the Blue Network. Both of these shows were the Blue's highest rated programs in the late 1930s and early 1940s. In an interesting variation on the talent shows hosted by Major Bowes ,

1853-473: A time when the firm was under attack for being, in effect, a "merchant of death", and this show, which focused on American historical figures, was one way DuPont tried to burnish its image. Certainly, the show had high production values, as can be witnessed by its use of Raymond Massey for a show in February 1940 on Abraham Lincoln , as described in the February 26, 1940, issue of Time . It was also known for

1962-620: A triumvirate of California Republican newspapers with conservative viewpoints, along with the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle . The Tribune endorsed Republican candidates and "J.R." (as Knowland was widely known) often picked and controlled Republican elected officials. The Tribune would make many political careers, the most noted being Knowland's own son William F. Knowland and Earl Warren . In 1921, Knowland started radio station KLX and his newspaper library. The 305 feet tall Tribune Tower , an Oakland landmark,

2071-404: Is also the case for the portions of the two major satellite radio systems that are produced in-house (mainly music programming). Radio broadcasting originally began without paid commercials. As time went on, however, advertisements seemed less objectionable to both the public and government regulators and became more common. While commercial broadcasting was unexpected in radio, in television it

2180-663: Is an indication that the Blue Network had a well-established identity of its own by 1929. The descriptions of the material contained in the NBC History Files at the Library of Congress appear to indicate that at some level, there was discontent with the way NBC was managing the Blue Network vis-à-vis the Red Network. For example, one folder in the NBC History Files contains a three-page letter dated June 28, 1934, from station WSYR in Syracuse, New York , which complains of

2289-550: Is available and WorldSpace Satellite Radio was available. The best and most known commercial broadcasters in Asia are the South Korean radio and television networks SBS , Hong Kong television networks TVB , Taiwanese television networks FTV and Philippine radio and television networks GMA Network . Contemporary hit radio in bold . & Borno Radio Television (BRTV) The Oakland Tribune The Oakland Tribune

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2398-560: Is in contrast to public broadcasting , which receives government subsidies and usually does not have paid advertising interrupting the show. During pledge drives , some public broadcasters will interrupt shows to ask for donations. In the United States, non-commercial educational (NCE) television and radio exist in the form of community radio ; however, premium cable services such as HBO and Showtime generally operate solely on subscriber fees and do not sell advertising. This

2507-598: Is known as leased access . Other programming (particularly on cable television) is produced by companies operating in much the same manner as advertising-funded commercial broadcasters, and they (and often the local cable provider) sell commercial time in a similar manner. The FCC's interest in program control began with the chain-broadcasting investigation of the late 1930s, culminating in the "Blue Book" of 1946 , Public Service Responsibility For Broadcast Licensees . The Blue Book differentiated between mass-appeal sponsored programs and unsponsored "sustaining" programs offered by

2616-724: The American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The Blue Network dates to 1923, when the Radio Corporation of America acquired WJZ in Newark, New Jersey , from Westinghouse , which had established the station in 1921. WJZ moved to New York City in May of that year. When RCA commenced operations of WRC in Washington, D.C. , on August 1, 1923, the root of a network was born, though it did not operate under

2725-656: The Black Panther movement). The Tribune ' s readership declined after the early 1960s as a large portion of the paper's traditional subscription base relocated to the newly developing suburbs south and east of Oakland. In southern Alameda County , the readership went to Floyd Sparks's The (Hayward) Daily Review and in Contra Costa County to Dean Lesher 's Contra Costa Times . In 1973, Bill Knowland wrote in Fortune magazine, "Any city needs

2834-595: The Congress of Industrial Organizations filed a brief in a petition to intervene in the FCC proceedings on the network sale. The CIO complained that the NAB code regarding "controversial" broadcasts inhibited its ability to buy airtime. While the FCC denied the CIO's petition to intervene, it did invite the CIO to give testimony in the hearings. At the hearings held on September 10, 1943, FCC Chairman James L. Fly roundly denounced

2943-585: The Contra Costa Times , Hayward Daily Review and Fremont Argus, The Alameda Journal under the new East Bay Times nameplate. The Oakland Tribune won the Pulitzer Prize for a photograph of a small private plane narrowly missing a B-29 Superfortress in 1950, and again for photographs of the aftermath of the October 17, 1989, Loma Prieta earthquake . The majority of this article

3052-673: The East Bay , would be folded into a new newspaper titled the East Bay Times starting April 5, 2016. The former nameplates of the consolidated newspapers will continue to be published every Friday as weekly community supplements. The Tribune was founded February 21, 1874, by George Staniford and Benet A. Dewes. The Oakland Daily Tribune was first printed at 468 Ninth St. as a 4-page, 3-column newspaper, 6 by 10 inches. Staniford and Dewes gave out copies free of charge. The paper had news stories and 43 advertisements. Staniford,

3161-595: The NBC Red Network from the WEAF network assets, using WEAF as the "key station"; this network in eventual popular image tended to broadcast the most popular entertainment programming. RCA merged its former radio operations into NBC, and on January 1, 1927, WJZ became the "key station" of the Blue Network when its network switch operations began. The network, again in eventual popular image, tended to place its focus more on news and public affairs programming, as well as

3270-487: The Oakland Coliseum . The Tribune Tower, a local and national landmark, remains, now housing several businesses and a ground-floor cafe. On August 2, 2007, Oakland Post editor and former (1993–2005) Tribune journalist Chauncey Bailey was murdered in a targeted hit on his way to work. This led the Tribune to start "The Chauncey Bailey Project", a series of articles focusing on the causes and aftermaths of

3379-569: The Sherwin-Williams paint company sponsored the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air for a number of years on Sunday afternoons in the 1930s and 1940s, in which singers competed for a chance to win contracts with the famed opera troupe. 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

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3488-505: The Tribune became the sole Oakland daily newspaper, with the demise of its competitor, William Randolph Hearst 's Oakland Post Enquirer . In 1960, Joseph R. Knowland's son, former U.S. Senator William F. Knowland (1908–1974), was named editor; he had shared being assistant publisher with his brother, Joseph Russell "Russ" Knowland, Jr. (1901–1961), since 1933. Russ Knowland's 1961 death made his brother Bill sole successor to their father. On February 1, 1966, Joseph R. Knowland died at

3597-536: The Tribune for $ 10 million from the Maynards. The final issue of the Tribune under the Maynards rolled off the Tribune Tower's presses on November 30, 1992; and the first issue under ANG's ownership was printed at the company's Hayward plant the following day. As a result, the Tribune was no longer considered the dominant East Bay newspaper. The group's entry into the computer age was first discussed at

3706-526: The Tribune had a conservative editorial position and a reputation for being strongly pro-business. As the city of Oakland became more ethnically and politically diverse in the 1960s and 1970s, the Tribune was unable to respond quickly enough to the demographic changes (and the political and social unrest exemplified, among other factors, by the University of California, Berkeley , student uprisings and

3815-482: The Tribune still was plagued by financial difficulties beyond Maynard's control. Facing a debt of $ 31.5 million and on the brink of folding in August 1991, the Tribune was saved by the Freedom Forum, Allen H. Neuharth's media foundation. The Freedom Forum paid Gannett $ 2.5 million, retired the Tribune ' s debt and gave Maynard $ 5 million in operating funds. But the rescue proved to be short-lived, and

3924-449: The audience measurement of a station or network. This makes commercial broadcasters more accountable to advertisers than public broadcasting , a disadvantage of commercial radio and television. In Europe, commercial broadcasting coexists with public broadcasting (where programming is largely funded by broadcast receiver licenses , public donations or government grants). In the UK, Sky UK

4033-495: The "sustaining", or non-sponsored shows. The Decatur Review ( Illinois ) for Sunday, December 12, 1926, reported the following in an article describing a broadcast to be sponsored by the Victor Talking Machine Company and aired the following New Year's Day, January 1, 1927, which is a description of this first Blue Network broadcast—note that it makes it clear that January 1, 1927, marked the debut of

4142-406: The 1983 International Typographical Union convention; newspaper internet websites came of age in the mid- and late-1990s. The ANG official website was InsideBayArea.com for the online Oakland Tribune ; the website was shared with other ANG/MediaNews newspapers. On May 20, 2007, the Tribune moved permanently from the Tribune Tower to new offices on Oakport Street, across Interstate 880 from

4251-456: The Air on Thursday night carried a debate among economists as to whether 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 of America , a show dramatizing historical events which was sponsored by DuPont . The show, which debuted in 1935 on CBS and moved to the Blue in January 1940, was created at

4360-647: The Blue Network before eventually transitioning over to larger audiences on the Red Network. On occasion, shows would make brief stops at NBC Blue before moving elsewhere, such as the Lux Radio Theatre (1934–35) and Will Rogers' program (1933), both of which would move to CBS. At some level, the Blue Network was known in the late 1920s and early 1930s for its children's programming. There are at least two volumes extant, from an Akron-based publishing house, which are collections of stories which purport to have been part of Blue Network programs. A copy of one, in

4469-593: The Blue Network to change its policies regarding the sale of airtime. Noble's written response seems to have been sufficient. The sale was approved by the FCC on October 12, 1943. Noble was forced to divest himself of New York station WMCA , which he had owned since 1940, but his American Broadcasting System , Inc., the entity formed to be the parent of the Blue Network, acquired WJZ , additional stations in Chicago and San Francisco , as well as land-line leases, certain studio facilities and leased studio facilities, and

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4578-492: The Blue Network to the Red Network, and complaining in general about the weakness of the Blue's programming. Indeed, the NBC History Files contain a February 1937 in-house memorandum so caustic of the performance of 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, with 7 stations, had grown to 17 by

4687-505: The Blue Network. NBC began to specifically identify the networks, contrary to its general practice, and began to divide personnel and facilities; eventually, it formed a separate corporate entity for the Blue Network on January 8, 1942, "Blue Network Company, Inc." From this date on, while NBC still maintained ownership of the Blue Network, it was for most purposes an entirely separate network. NBC Red at this point became known as simply NBC. In June 1942, The United States Supreme Court upheld

4796-647: The Blue Network: TWO BIG NETWORKS: The network to be used for the first concert will consist of a combination of chains of stations affiliated with WEAF and WJZ , New York . It is also announced that this opening Victor program inaugurates a new chain system to be operated by 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 from WJZ through WBZ , Springfield and Boston, KDKA , Pittsburgh , and KYW , Chicago . For broadcasting of

4905-443: 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 's orchestra on the Red network. During the late 1930s, NBC seriously considered disposing of the Blue Network on its own initiative. There are substantial materials contained in the NBC History Files at the Library of Congress illustrating this point. The fact that David Sarnoff ,

5014-470: The East Coast-based media conglomerate Gannett Company , and the Tribune was thus acquired by Gannett Company. That year, Allen H. Neuharth , Gannett CEO, used the Tribune as a pilot project with a new morning paper called East Bay Today , which served as an early prototype of Gannett's later national paper USA Today . In 1979, Gannett named Robert C. Maynard (1937–1993) editor, becoming

5123-643: The Music Halls", Sir Harry Lauder , appeared on a coast-to-coast hookup that originated from KFI in Los Angeles (later an NBC Red station, but at this time part of NBC's West Coast " Orange Network "), but was distributed by WJZ , which, as noted, was the key station of the Blue Network; advertisements suggest that certain NBC Red stations, as well as stations in the Orange Network, supplemented

5232-457: The National Broadcasting Company." In addition, throughout the book are slogans such as "Any time is Good Time on NBC Red!" This book, in part, demonstrates exactly how NBC differentiated the Red Network from the Blue Network in the fall of 1941, when, as noted, the Blue Network was still a part of NBC. What follows are some examples of the programming on NBC Blue that illustrate a gradual shift in tone. The official website for Helen Hayes shows

5341-537: The Oakland Tribune, November 14, 1915, he wrote, "It is perfectly understood that what the Tribune does, rather than what it promises, will determine the true measure of its worth; and with that understanding, the Tribune , under its new control, girds to its work." Knowland moved the Tribune to a new location at 13th and Franklin Streets on March 25, 1918. Under Knowland, the Tribune became one-third of

5450-409: The Red and Blue Networks. To a certain extent, this had been going on since at least the summer of 1939, when Time magazine indicated that NBC was undertaking an extensive build-up of NBC Blue. In both the fall of 1937, and the fall of 1941, NBC would specifically identify a program as being broadcast on the "Red Network of the National Broadcasting Company", and at least in the fall of 1941, would have

5559-647: The Tribune Publishing Company. Bruno Albert Forsterer (1869–1957), was publisher and general manager. He was executor of Dargie's estate. Bruno and his son, Harold B. Forsterer, also served the Knowlands and the Tribune . After five terms in the United States House of Representatives , Joseph R. Knowland (1873–1966) purchased the Oakland Tribune from Dargie's widow, Hermina Peralta Dargie. In his first edition as publisher of

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5668-630: The US and some Latin American countries. Commercial broadcasting is the dominant type of broadcasting in the United States and most of Latin America. "The US commercial system resulted from a carefully crafted cooperation endeavor by national corporations and federal regulators." The best-known commercial broadcasters in the United States today are the ABC , CBS , Fox , and NBC television networks , based in

5777-460: The United States. Major cable television in the United States operators include Comcast , Charter Communications and Cox Communications . Direct-broadcast satellite (DBS) services include DirecTV and Dish Network . In an hour of broadcast time on a commercial broadcasting station, 10 to 20 minutes are typically devoted to advertising . Advertisers pay a certain amount of money to air their commercials , usually based upon program ratings or

5886-512: The WEAF network circuits, and blue the WJZ circuits. The Red and Blue Networks shared a common pool of engineers and facilities, and would on occasion, broadcast the same events. There are two early examples, from the biggest news events of 1927. On May 20, 1927, both of the NBC networks covered the return of Charles Lindbergh to America from his trans-Atlantic flight, star announcer Graham McNamee doing

5995-524: The affiliation policies of NBC and CBS, as well as the talent booking agency practices. The report proposed limiting each network to one affiliated station per city, which would have had a direct impact on NBC's dual-network ownership. In May 1941, the FCC went a step further and issued formal rules to break up what it perceived to be monopolies in radio; one of these rules specifically barred a network from operating more than one hookup, which would have been aimed directly at NBC's ownership of its two networks, in

6104-542: The affiliation system. Following the sale, the Department of Justice dropped its antitrust proceedings against NBC on October 17, 1943, having previously dropped proceedings against CBS on October 11, and the federal courts, upon its motion, dismissed Mutual 's antitrust claims against CBS and NBC. Commercial broadcasting Commercial broadcasting is primarily based on the practice of airing radio advertisements and television advertisements for profit. This

6213-466: The aftermath of the conflagration, San Francisco Mayor Eugene E. Schmitz , declared the Oakland Tribune the official San Francisco newspaper. The circulation grew as displaced San Franciscans moved to Oakland and Alameda County . The Tribune ' s editorial direction was then under Managing Editor John Conners. After 35 years as publisher, William E. Dargie died on February 10, 1911. Former Oakland Mayor Melvin C. Chapman served as acting president of

6322-400: The age of 92. William F. Knowland was appointed president and publisher. His son, Joseph William Knowland became vice-president and general manager. Bill Knowland added to the logo, A Responsible Metropolitan Newspaper . The Senator had assumed duties as the Tribune ' s publisher and editor. He became the president of The Tribune Publishing Corporation . Under Bill Knowland's ownership,

6431-405: The amount of $ 10.275 million, according to the January 12, 1942, edition of Time . This account by Time describes at least one of the accusations leveled against NBC by Mutual, from an affidavit by Mutual's general manager. In the fall of 1941, Mutual debuted a comedy-variety series sponsored by Ballantine Ale , called Three Ring Time , starring Milton Berle and Charles Laughton . The show

6540-447: The book, also showed a lengthy list of sponsors that had purchased Blue Network time. As the book states: "All of these additions and improvements are daily increasing the effectiveness of the NBC Blue Network. 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 vigorous steps to create separate brand images for

6649-400: The collection of E.O. Costello, shows a cover with two children listening to a late 1920s-style radio, from which shimmering images of fairy-tale characters are emerging. Other than the title (and the radio on the cover), the precise nature of the ties to the Blue Network is not known; the book does not even make direct reference to the National Broadcasting Company. It can also be said that this

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6758-471: The continuing financial pressures—combined with the disclosure in July 1992 that Robert Maynard had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer—forced the Maynards to put the Tribune up for sale. The Tribune Tower was severely damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake of October 17, 1989, yet the paper continued to publish there until ANG moved it to a building located at Oakland's Jack London Square at

6867-411: The court's ruling, RCA announced the sale of the network to American Broadcasting System, Inc., a firm controlled by Edward J. Noble , a former undersecretary of commerce who was better known as the chairman of Life Savers Corp. The price was announced as $ 8 million. This was followed by a petition to the FCC to approve the sale, which was filed on August 13. One of the significant issues surrounding

6976-418: The courts regarding the ability of the FCC to regulate the operations of radio networks. While these appeals were in progress, NBC started the process of formally separating the operations of the Red Network and the Blue Network, a process which had begun in 1939 with the formation of a separate sales department for the Blue Network and which continued into 1940 and 1941 with the formation of other departments for

7085-520: The creation of BCA, as Folder 129 in the NBC History Files at the Library of Congress contains a contract of sale for WEAF dated July 1, 1926. The Oakland Tribune stated that 4/5ths of the purchase price of WEAF could be attributed to goodwill and the line access. On July 28, 1926, the Washington Post reported in a front-page story that RCA had acquired WCAP. The Oakland Tribune reported

7194-603: The edge of San Francisco Bay. The Tower sat empty until 1995, when John Protopappas purchased it for $ 300,000. His company, Madison Park Financial Corporation, renovated the Tower in the late 1990s. The Tribune returned to the Tower after it reopened in 1999. On October 15, 1992, the Alameda Newspaper Group (Now the Bay Area News Group ), a division of MediaNews Group that published several competing suburban community newspapers, agreed to buy

7303-660: The editor and Dewes, the printer, were credited with producing a paper with fine typographical look and editorial nature. The competition was the Oakland News and Oakland Transcript . The first editorial stated, "There seems to be an open field for a journal like the Tribune in Oakland, and we accordingly proceed to occupy it, presenting the Tribune , which is intended to be a permanent daily paper, deriving its support solely from advertising patronage." Later that year, Staniford sold his half interest to Dewes; then, Dewes sold

7412-573: The end of 1929, but still had only 33 stations by 1937. This would have 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 its time, with the result that during 1937–1938, the Blue Network's revenues were generally falling, while NBC Red's increased. McLeod has noted that as of 1938, NBC had 23 stations in its core "Basic Red" group, and 24 in its "Basic Blue" group, with 107 stations that could be Red or Blue depending on

7521-503: The entire nation. No longer is it reserved for the privileged few – now even the most isolated listeners throughout the United States are able to enjoy the world's finest music at their own firesides. The National Broadcasting Company (...) is proud to be the means of bringing the Metropolitan Opera to American radio listeners." The pamphlet notes that 78 stations broadcast these opera performances in 1937, and that reception for

7630-466: The first African-American editor in the paper's history. In 1983, Maynard—who by this time had become publisher and with Gannett's blessing—consolidated the Tribune and East Bay Today into a single morning newspaper under the Tribune name. In 1983, Maynard and his wife, Nancy Hicks Maynard , purchased the Tribune from Gannett for $ 17 million (financed by a loan from Gannett) in the first management-led leveraged buyout in U.S. newspaper history. It

7739-579: The first educational music program in April 1922, the first World Series broadcasts in 1922, and the first complete opera broadcast, The Flying Dutchman , from the Manhattan Opera House . RCA (as well as its consortium partners General Electric and Westinghouse ) received a break in 1926, when AT&T made a corporate decision to exit the broadcasting business and focus on its telecommunications business. The first step by AT&T

7848-463: 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 (...) Allegedly, the color designations came from the way the networks were represented on maps, with red lines (or pushpins) denoting

7957-416: The head of RCA , was involved in these discussions indicates the high level at which this proposal was given consideration. A plain reading of the finding guide at the Library of Congress on the NBC History Files does not disclose the precise nature of these discussions, though the fact that these discussions existed is of record. In 1943, after the Blue Network had been spun off (but before its eventual sale),

8066-433: The hearings held on September 20, 1943, he was questioned closely by Chairman Fly as to the policies regarding the refusal to sell air time to labor organizations, cooperatives and other special interest groups. Noble was directed by Chairman Fly at this hearing to submit a statement as to what the policy would be of the Blue Network in terms of "the expansion of the mechanisms of free speech." On October 3, 1943, Noble released

8175-414: The honors. Three months later, a combined hookup of 67 stations on the two networks presented the second Dempsey – Tunney fight, broadcast by McNamee and NBC colleague Phillips Carlin. Radio historian Elizabeth McLeod has published a discussion of surviving NBC broadcast material from this era. A slightly later example of cooperation came on the evening of Sunday, December 1, 1929, when the famed "Laird of

8284-471: The jurisdiction of the FCC over the issuance of rules relating to chain broadcasting. While the FCC litigation continued in the wake of this ruling, the public and private antitrust litigation was held in abeyance. On May 10, 1943, the Supreme Court ( National Broadcasting Co. v. United States , 319 U.S. 190) upheld the right of the FCC to regulate practically everything that was radio, by sustaining

8393-556: The jurisdiction of the FCC to regulate the contractual relations of the major networks with affiliated stations. Efforts in late 1943 before the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee to obtain legislation to, in effect, reverse the decision went nowhere. 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

8502-569: The kind of programming that the Blue Network carried. On Friday, November 25 at 4 p.m., it carried a speech by then- Secretary of State Cordell Hull . Later that night, it carried the welterweight championship fight from Madison Square Garden , followed by Wagnerian opera from Chicago's Lyric Opera. Saturday, November 26 shows that the Blue carried both the Army–Navy football game and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. The Town Meeting of

8611-666: The morning of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, while the first attack wave was over Oahu , NBC Blue was broadcasting The Inspector General , as part of its Great Plays program, while NBC Red was broadcasting a program with popular bandleader Sammy Kaye . At 4 p.m., ET, the Blue's broadcasts of the National Vespers was interrupted by various news reports. Later in the evening, at 6:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m., Drew Pearson 's and Eleanor Roosevelt 's regular broadcasts are heard, followed at 7 p.m. by

8720-503: The murder. In 2011, BANG announced a plan to merge the Tribune with other sister East Bay newspapers, but on October 27, 2011, BANG announced that it would retain The Oakland Tribune masthead. On August 30, 2012, the Tribune moved its offices to 1970 Broadway in Oakland's Uptown district. The last daily edition of the Tribune was published on April 4, 2016, as it was combined with other BANG-owned East Bay papers

8829-673: The name by which it would later become known. Radio historian Elizabeth McLeod said it was not until 1924 that the "Radio Group" formally began network operations. The core stations of the "Radio Group" were RCA's stations WJZ and WRC, along with the Westinghouse station WBZ , then in Springfield, Massachusetts , and WGY , the General Electric station in Schenectady, New York . RCA's principal rival before 1926

8938-440: The needs of a sponsor; the relative ratings (and thus revenues) for NBC Red programs versus NBC Blue counterparts suggests that sponsors chose to use Red more often than Blue. Perhaps more in line with the common perception of the Blue Network as a smaller, but more high-brow and public affairs-centered network was the fact that it was the original home of the NBC Symphony Orchestra broadcasts, led by Maestro Arturo Toscanini . In

9047-551: The neglect of the Blue Network in favor of the Red Network. This point can said to be reinforced firstly by a memorandum dated September 18, 1935, in which the Blue complained about its lack of access to broadcasts of the World Series , and secondly by a letter dated shortly after that, on October 5, 1935, which is a communication from Hearst Radio complaining that Amos 'n Andy and the Al Pearce programs had been moved from

9156-487: The network. A description of this broadcast is contained in a 1930 pamphlet put out by the Enna Jettick Shoe Company; Enna Jettick sponsored the first of Lauder's performances that night on its "Enna Jettick Melodies" show, which was followed later by another performance during the time ordinarily used by The Collier Hour . At least as late as January 1939, in spite of the fact that by this time NBC

9265-485: The network. However, with the ruling from the Supreme Court , NBC was now spurred to take vigorous action to sell the Blue Network. The bidding came down to three groups, with an initial bid of $ 6 million, which was raised in sequence by rivals to $ 6.5 and then $ 7 million. In late July 1943, the investment banking firm of Dillon, Read & Co. made a bid of $ 7.8 million. On July 30, 1943, just over two months after

9374-431: The policy of the Blue Network in refusing to sell airtime, but granting air time for free, to proponents of controversial broadcasts. He colorfully described the policy as chasing would-be purchasers from the front of the shop, but "directing them to the back door for a handout." Mark Woods, the head of the Blue Network, defended the policy, stating that it was in compliance with the NAB code. When Edward J. Noble testified at

9483-740: The presidential election. On August 28, 1891, the name Oakland Tribune was officially adopted. Prior names include Oakland Daily Tribune , the Oakland Evening Tribune and the Oakland Daily Evening Tribune . Dargie had news offices in New York and Chicago. Dargie also acquired a patent approved R. Hoe & Co. double cylinder press. The Tribune was a charter member of the Associated Press upon its founding in 1900. Among Dargie's hires, at

9592-453: 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 NBC Blue 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 described above. She points out, with some justice, that NBC Red also broadcast

9701-475: The radio networks. This sustained programming, according to the Blue Book, had five features serving the public interest: Commercial time has increased 31 seconds per hour for all prime time television shows. For example, ABC has increased from 9 minutes and 26 seconds to 11 minutes and 26 seconds. Programming on commercial stations is more ratings-driven— particularly during periods such as sweeps in

9810-495: The sale of the Blue Network involved the network's practices regarding "controversial" topics and proponents. The network, citing the code of the National Association of Broadcasters , declined to sell time to labor organizations, cooperatives, and other organizations advocating "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,

9919-470: The same day that WCAP had departed the field, and WRC would be operating on the frequency they had shared, 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 newspaper advertisements, and on November 15, 1926, NBC's first broadcast was made. This first broadcast on November 15, 1926, marked NBC's de facto formation of

10028-573: The show's relatively early (7:30 p.m. ET) time slot, it did rather well in the ratings, but it could not compete with the much stronger ratings produced by Esso's arch-rival Texaco , which sponsored Ed Wynn on NBC Red, and the show ended after one year. More commonly, the Blue Network would operate as a quasi-"farm team" for the Red Network, in terms of entertainment programs. Bob Hope (in 1935 and again in 1937), Jack Benny (in 1932), Fibber McGee and Molly (in 1935), and Information, Please! (in 1938) are all examples of shows that debuted on

10137-410: The size and quality of Blue Network stations. Among the improvements cited and proposed were increasing the broadcast power of WJZ and 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 the daytime power of such stations as KOIL, KWK and KSO. This ad campaign, in a booklet tipped into

10246-710: The telegraph lines of Western Union , which were not as well calibrated to voice transmission as the AT&;T lines. Nevertheless, the WJZ network sought to compete toe-to-toe with the AT&T network, which was built around a different New York station, WEAF . For example, both stations sent announcer teams to cover the 1924 Democratic National Convention , which was held in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Promotional material produced in 1943 claimed certain "firsts" in broadcasting by WJZ, such as

10355-593: The turn of the century, was Jack Gunin, a one-eyed lensman, the first full-time photojournalist in the Western United States . In 1906, the Tribune added a Sunday edition. The newspapers of San Francisco were destroyed in the earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906 . The Tribune printed many "extras." Dargie lent the Tribune ' s presses for a joint edition of the San Francisco Call-Chronicle-Examiner . In

10464-425: The two networks, and to fully position NBC Blue as a high-brow/public affairs network. (In the same light, it has been suggested that the congressional pressure was the real reason the NBC Symphony Orchestra was created.) The NBC History Files at the Library of Congress lend support to the notion that NBC was gradually groping for a way to differentiate the Red Network from the Blue Network. For example, they contain

10573-506: The two senior network systems engaged in a series of anticompetitive activities, by locking up talent through in-house talent bureaus, and tightly tying together the system of affiliated stations through onerous contracts. In May 1940, after a three-year investigation, the Federal Communications Commission (which had had oversight over radio broadcasting since 1934) issued a scathing report (the "Report on Chain Broadcasting") attacking

10682-417: The use of university professors to vet the historical accuracy of the stories, as well as scripts by future Pulitzer Prize-winner Arthur Miller . (This show would eventually stay with NBC Red and NBC, starting in 1941, and the network would continue to broadcast the show even into the age of television). An interesting perspective can be seen on one of the most dramatic days in the history of network radio. On

10791-602: The winner of the 1975, Publisher of the Year award. This honor was bestowed on Joe Knowland for his progressive innovations in the operations and makeup of the newspaper. In 1977, the Knowland Family sold the Oakland Tribune to Combined Communications Corporation, owned by Arizona-based outdoor sign mogul Karl Eller . The Tribune Publishing Corporation , was dissolved by the Knowland Family. Eller had recently acquired The Cincinnati Enquirer . In 1979, CCC merged with

10900-515: Was a daily newspaper published in Oakland, California , and a predecessor of the East Bay Times . It was published by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group . Founded in 1874, the Tribune rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the decline of print media, in 2016, the paper announced that the Tribune , along with its owner's other newspapers in

11009-472: Was a solid Republican newspaper under Dargie and (later) the Knowlands. Dargie was a news innovator in several ways: 1876, wire service dispatches; 1877, a book and job department added; 1878, when the Bell Telephone System arrived in Oakland, one of the first telephones was installed at the Tribune - Number 46; 1883, a Saturday edition was introduced; 1887, special editions; 1888, an extra for

11118-454: Was also historic for the Tribune becoming the first major metropolitan daily newspaper owned by an African-American . This was seen as especially notable as Oakland was developing a relatively large African-American community which, by the 1980s, was becoming increasingly influential in local business and politics. Maynard helped restore the paper's reputation, earning a Pulitzer Prize in 1990. But for all of its editorial kudos under Maynard,

11227-615: Was completed in 1923. The Tribune moved its business into the tower in 1924. The Tribune Publishing Corporation , was founded by Knowland on January 4, 1928. The publishing corporation held interests in KLX , part owner of a paper mill in Tacoma, Washington and subsidiary businesses, U-Bild, Tower Graphics and Tribune Features, Inc. In the mid-1930s, J.R. tied in with the Associated Press Wirephoto Service. He had

11336-524: Was planned due to commercial radio's success. Television began with commercial sponsorship and later transformed to paid commercial time. When problems arose over patents and corporate marketing strategies, regulatory decisions were made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to control commercial broadcasting. Commercial broadcasting overlaps with paid services such as cable television , radio and satellite television . Such services are generally partially or wholly paid for by local subscribers and

11445-426: Was seeking to differentiate the images of its NBC Red and NBC Blue networks (see below), it would still arrange for special, joint broadcasts, such as a special two-hour presentation of " The Magic Key of RCA " musical program (normally an NBC Blue program, sponsored by RCA's Victor records division) entitled "Salute to 1939." Ironically, even though the Blue Network generally was not given the more popular programs, it

11554-435: 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 limited competition. NBC eventually exercised options for six of these stations, with the result that Three Ring Time was being carried simultaneously on NBC Blue and Mutual. While the antitrust suits were pending, NBC and CBS had appealed to

11663-563: Was the network that broadcast Amos 'n Andy at the height of its popularity in the early 1930s, when on average over half of the nation's radio audience would tune in to the show. During the 1932–1933 season, Standard Oil of New Jersey ( Esso ) sponsored an unusual program, the Five-Star Theater , which each weeknight presented a show in a different format. The marquee show in this cycle was Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel , which starred Groucho Marx and Chico Marx . Considering

11772-506: Was the radio broadcasting department of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company . In 1921, AT&T began using this department as a test-bed for equipment 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 high-quality transmission lines, and declined to lease them out to competing entities, forcing RCA to use

11881-529: Was to create the Broadcasting Company of America on May 15, 1926, to hold its broadcasting assets, which included WEAF and WCAP in Washington. As reported in the press, this move was due to the growth in the radio broadcasting activities of AT&T and the special issues related thereto, though it would appear that subsequent activities in disposing of the assets of BCA may have also played

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