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Historical Research

S

Stu Dio

I'm working on an historical novel set in a radio station in Atlanta during World War Two. I've got some books published by CBS during the war that supposedly are transcripts of their broadcasts during Pearl Harbor and D-Day and the death of Roosevelt. I've heard only bits of the set of CDs available of the CBS and NBC D-Day coverage, and read all of Elizabeth McLeod's posts on both events.

What I'd like to have would be some first-hand (or second, third or fourth-hand) recollecitons of how these three major events were covered here in Atlanta. WSB was NBC, WAGA was CBS, but I'm not certain about the ABC affiliate (WCON? WGST?)

Particularly wanting to understand station operations behind the mikes as the coverages unfolded. I can get the historical facts, just need some atmosphere.

Thanks, everybody.
 
I recall from conversations with former WGST staffers, the New York Philharmonic broadcast was interrupted for the first bulletins on Pearl Harbor. If I remember correctly,
the first bulletins were read on air locally, from wire services reports. It was several minutes before CBS announcer John Daly broke in. Atlanta Constitution radio guides verify that WGST was a CBS affiliate at the time. I have no information on what happened when Roosevelt's death was announced over WGST. If Don Dornberg reads this board,
he may be able to help. Don has a vast working knowledge of WGST's past.
 
FWIW:

From 1949 (http://jeff560.tripod.com/1949am.html)

Calls S/O Freq Pwr Net
WAGA 1937 590 5000 CBS (formerly on 1480 in 1942)
WCON 1947 550 5000 ABC
WGST 1923 920 5000/1000 Mutual
WSB 1922 750 50,000 NBC

There was also a WATL on 1400 in 1942, don't know the network affiliation.
 
Stu Dio said:
I'm working on an historical novel set in a radio station in Atlanta during World War Two. I've got some books published by CBS during the war that supposedly are transcripts of their broadcasts during Pearl Harbor and D-Day and the death of Roosevelt. I've heard only bits of the set of CDs available of the CBS and NBC D-Day coverage, and read all of Elizabeth McLeod's posts on both events.
Click to expand...

rtibbs was there i think, u should ask him.
tibbs, tell us about when u started out in radio. ;D
 
1944, was a great year at Q100. They were the top-rated station, even back then. The morning show was Burton Weiss (F4) and Jeffrey Dauler (flat feet) playing all the hits of the day like: Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral - Bing Crosby, Trolley Song - Judy Garland, Swinging On A Star - Bing Crosby, Hamp's Boogie Woogie - Lionel Hampton, and You Always Hurt The One You Love - Mills Brothers. In 1944, the Mills Brothers and Lionel Hampton were considered hip-hop. The newswoman was Mrs. Carter. Something always seemed off with her, during station functions, she always made excuses as to why her husband wasn’t there. Yet he wasn’t in any branch of the military as far as anyone knew. Then there was that hussy Jen Hobby, I heard she sent her brave man in Germany a Dear John letter. I remember one contest they had, see how many people you could stuff in a phone booth. The winning caller got free tickets to “Double Indemnity.” I always had a thing for Barbara Stanwyck.

Ah, it brings back memories.
 
Insert Quote
1944, was a great year at Q100. They were the top-rated station, even back then. The morning show was Burton Weiss (F4) and Jeffrey Dauler (flat feet) playing all the hits of the day like: Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral - Bing Crosby, Trolley Song - Judy Garland, Swinging On A Star - Bing Crosby, Hamp's Boogie Woogie - Lionel Hampton, and You Always Hurt The One You Love - Mills Brothers. In 1944, the Mills Brothers and Lionel Hampton were considered hip-hop. The newswoman was Mrs. Carter. Something always seemed off with her, during station functions, she always made excuses as to why her husband wasn’t there. Yet he wasn’t in any branch of the military as far as anyone knew. Then there was that hussy Jen Hobby, I heard she sent her brave man in Germany a Dear John letter. I remember one contest they had, see how many people you could stuff in a phone booth. The winning caller got free tickets to “Double Indemnity.” I always had a thing for Barbara Stanwyck.

Ah, it brings back memories.


So, Millman...

Kinda funny. Pretty damn funny, actually. Not "slap-your-knee" funny... Maybe deep is a better word.
I chuckled, none-the-less. Maybe it was more of a chortle... dare I say, a guffaw???
 
Neil Millman said:
1944, was a great year at Q100. They were the top-rated station, even back then. The morning show was Burton Weiss (F4) and Jeffrey Dauler (flat feet) playing all the hits of the day like: Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral - Bing Crosby, Trolley Song - Judy Garland, Swinging On A Star - Bing Crosby, Hamp's Boogie Woogie - Lionel Hampton, and You Always Hurt The One You Love - Mills Brothers. In 1944, the Mills Brothers and Lionel Hampton were considered hip-hop. The newswoman was Mrs. Carter. Something always seemed off with her, during station functions, she always made excuses as to why her husband wasn’t there. Yet he wasn’t in any branch of the military as far as anyone knew. Then there was that hussy Jen Hobby, I heard she sent her brave man in Germany a Dear John letter. I remember one contest they had, see how many people you could stuff in a phone booth. The winning caller got free tickets to “Double Indemnity.” I always had a thing for Barbara Stanwyck.

Ah, it brings back memories.
Click to expand...

That's great, Neil. Could you tell us what was happening at the time on Rachmaninoff 100.5?
 
Couple ideas.....read Welcome South Brother..the 50th anniversary book on WSB Radio written in 1972. Also, see if your local library can get you a copy of Rhett Turnipseed's college thesis about the history of Georgia broadcasting from the beginning with WSB in 1922 to about 1960. Rhett wrote this in the early 1960s but he interviewed a number of broadcasters who got the industry off the ground in Georgia. The thesis has been on file at the University of Georgia in Athens but usually a local library can use their affiliation with the UGA Library system to secure a copy.



Stu Dio said:
I'm working on an historical novel set in a radio station in Atlanta during World War Two. I've got some books published by CBS during the war that supposedly are transcripts of their broadcasts during Pearl Harbor and D-Day and the death of Roosevelt. I've heard only bits of the set of CDs available of the CBS and NBC D-Day coverage, and read all of Elizabeth McLeod's posts on both events.

What I'd like to have would be some first-hand (or second, third or fourth-hand) recollecitons of how these three major events were covered here in Atlanta. WSB was NBC, WAGA was CBS, but I'm not certain about the ABC affiliate (WCON? WGST?)

Particularly wanting to understand station operations behind the mikes as the coverages unfolded. I can get the historical facts, just need some atmosphere.

Thanks, everybody.
Click to expand...
 
Stu Dio said:
What I'd like to have would be some first-hand (or second, third or fourth-hand) recollecitons of how these three major events were covered here in Atlanta. WSB was NBC, WAGA was CBS, but I'm not certain about the ABC affiliate (WCON? WGST?)
Click to expand...

There was no ABC during (most of) the war.

NBC ran two networks, "Red" and "Blue". (for most of the period those names were used internally only) Around the beginning of the war, they got in anti-trust trouble. The Blue Network was sold effective in October 1943. It became known as simply "the Blue Network" at that time, becoming ABC in June 1945.

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Network WAGA was the Blue Network affiliate in Atlanta in 1939.

According to http://jeff560.tripod.com/cbs.html, WGST was the CBS affiliate in the 1930s and 1940s.

The 1942 RADEX magazine posted on http://www.davidgleason.com/Radio_Archives.htm lists Atlanta network affiliations as follows:

WAGA-590: NBC Blue (CP to move from 1480kHz)
WSB-750: NBC Red
WGST-920: CBS
WATL-1400: Mutual

Long-distance listening was a lot more common back then, with less interference and fewer local stations to choose from.
 
Yep. WGST was the CBS affiliate until the late 40's. There was a lawsuit (don't recall the details) and GST wound up carrying Mutual for a brief time before switching to ABC in the '50's. GST rejoined CBS in the 70's.
 
Maybe some stories from Google's News Archive will serve as backgroung for your novel, Stu.

BTW are you related to Ray? (Ray Dio married into the Rafone family whose Papa and leaader, Mike, almost nixed the marriage because there were too many of the famlies already "in the business". ;))
 
Neil Millman said:
1944, was a great year at Q100. They were the top-rated station, even back then. The morning show was Burton Weiss (F4) and Jeffrey Dauler (flat feet) playing all the hits of the day like: Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral - Bing Crosby, Trolley Song - Judy Garland, Swinging On A Star - Bing Crosby, Hamp's Boogie Woogie - Lionel Hampton, and You Always Hurt The One You Love - Mills Brothers. In 1944, the Mills Brothers and Lionel Hampton were considered hip-hop. The newswoman was Mrs. Carter. Something always seemed off with her, during station functions, she always made excuses as to why her husband wasn’t there. Yet he wasn’t in any branch of the military as far as anyone knew. Then there was that hussy Jen Hobby, I heard she sent her brave man in Germany a Dear John letter. I remember one contest they had, see how many people you could stuff in a phone booth. The winning caller got free tickets to “Double Indemnity.” I always had a thing for Barbara Stanwyck.

Ah, it brings back memories.
Click to expand...

Ah yes 1944 will also be remembered for:

The Regular Guys Alpha 0.1 were already taking calls on the FU “Freedom and Unity” line.

Clark Howard with news on how to stretch your dollar on your gasoline ration.

Rush spewing hate speech in support of Dewey. Limbaugh's use of the term “feminazi” in describing then first lady Eleanor Roosevelt was even more controversial back in the 40s!

B98.5 for the 12th year in a row (since the Great Depression) was voted the #1 station to listen to “while you look for work”.

“The Morning Mess” were already making a name for themselves in Indianapolis with a prank call to a Japanese internment camp.
 
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