The good old days,
when talent was snatched from the hallways and everybody pitched in on all jobs,
live again in the WMAQ logbooks engineers and announcers were browbeaten into
keeping.
The volumes, rescued from a rubbish heap by Judith
Waller, public service director of the NBC Central Division and manager of
Station WMAQ from its opening day, April 13, 1922, until it was purchased by NBC
in 1931, tell their own story. Here are some items, printed verbatim from the
books:
Tues., Aug. 26,
1924, signed off for the night after a scrap with WQJ [Curator's note:
WMAQ in those days shared its frequency with the station owned by the Calumet
Baking Powder Company].
Feb. 12, 1925, 12:00 noon no artists for American Legion program on hand. 12:42
off air, line fuse on 4000 V machine passed out. 12:46 on again. 12:48, off again,
another fuse. Back at 12:50.
Nov. 17, 1925, (Payday), 5:55, Chicago Theater program out. "A" battery
on theater amplifier passed out. Someone left tubes on all night and battery completely
drained. 6:38, some foreign waltz; no savvy Roumain language, hard enough to speak
English. 6:43 '¦1'%&-('/ Fox Trot. If I am to announce this stuff I must
have it written in United States language.
Nov. 28, 1:30 - Council of Foreign Relations. Speaker's name unobtainable but
he was some kind of foreigner. Sounded like a Russian.
April 8, 1926, ballroom for banquet pickup, Hotel LaSalle. 6:35, banquet not yet
ready, put on orchestra. BANQUETS SHOULD NOT BE BROADCAST IF THEY CANNOT START
ON TIME! 6:51, back to ballroom, still no signs of life. 7:00 p. m. banquet now
starts, just half hour late. Few words to the effect we will now eat. 7:03 off
air waiting for action. |
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