Mutual/MBS

[Kurt Toy]

When did Mutual stop identifying itself on the air as MBS?

 

[Eric Cooper]

I am not sure they ever referred to themselves as "MBS". I think they always stuck with the old fashioned way of either "Mutual" or the full network name.

 

[cjwest]

I don't remember MBS being used. Of course I never heard much Mutual after the 80's. I remember "THIS IS THE MUTUAL BROADCASTING SYSTEM" as a close.

 

[KeithE4]

Other than in newspaper listings (for brevity) and some advertising, Mutual always identified with its full name or just "Mutual," AFAIK.

 

[TheBigA]

There was a stretch of time when it was known as the Mutual Radio Network. I believe that was mainly in the 70s. But then it returned to the Mutual Broadcasting System, and stayed with that name until the end.

 

[FredLeonard]

In the movie, A League of Their Own," the announcer introduces a program with "The Mutual presents..." I never head the network referred to as "The Mutual." The mic flag shows the Chicago station originating the program as WHN - at the time, it was WGN. WHN was in New York and not a Mutual affiliate at the time (the Mutual station was WOR). At the time of the film (World War II) Mutual was owned by WOR, WGN and other major affiliates. In the early 80's, WHN was a Mutual affiliate and both the station and the network were co-owned.

When I was growing up in the Detroit area, Mutual was carried by CKLW, Windsor and I thought of Mutual as a Canadian network. I though the name must have come because it carried it operated between the two countries. At the time, Mutual was broadcasting "Challenge of the Yukon" (aka "Sergeant Preston), which I also thought of as Canadian, not knowing it actually came from WXYZ in Detroit. CKLW at the time was also one of Mutual's owners. Orginally, WXYZ had been a partner in Mutual and then pulled out to join NBC (Blue Network). However, WXYZ was contractually obligated to provide "The Lone Ranger" to Mutual and for the next several years, WXYZ produced "The Lone Ranger" but Detroit listeners heard it on CKLW. Later, there was a similar situation for Sgt. Preston.

 

[Hot Hits]

In the early 80's Mutual started Radio Plays that came in on Disc, and featured Daws Butler, Jessie White, and other classic actors!

BE DO BE DO

 

[rnigma1]

In the early 80's Mutual started Radio Plays that came in on Disc, and featured Daws Butler, Jessie White, and other classic actors!

That was probably the "Sears Radio Theater," later the "Mutual Radio Theater" after Sears dropped its sponsorship. In the mid-70s Mutual broadcast the Rod Serling-hosted "Zero Hour."

 

[rwells2265]

They used MBS very sporadically, if going by one aircheck from the late '60s. I heard the newscaster cue an actuality as, "That story now from MBS reporter _____ ...."

 

[desertv]

Maybe during the 3M ownership years (The MBS logo was the same font style as the 60s 3M logo)

 

[Bongwater]

The name "Mutual Broadcasting System" today is trademarked by Tom Read, who owns a chain of religious stations in Eastern Washington.

 

[TheBigA]

I never head the network referred to as "The Mutual."

It was short for The Mutual Broadcasting System. I've heard an old jingle where NBC is referred to as "The NBC," which was also short for the National Broadcasting Company.

 

[onairb]

The only "MBS" reference I know of was in the Brooks and Marsh "Complete Directory of Prime Time Network TV Shows", which had an appendix chapter listing all the programs that had aired on both radio and TV;they also referred to the NBC Blue network as "BLUE".

 

[FredLeonard]

The only "MBS" reference I know of was in the Brooks and Marsh "Complete Directory of Prime Time Network TV Shows", which had an appendix chapter listing all the programs that had aired on both radio and TV;they also referred to the NBC Blue network as "BLUE".

After Ed Noble took control of the network, it was branded (on air and in promotions) as "The Blue Network," before getting the rights to the name "American Broadcasting Company" from George Storer.

During radio's Golden Age, all the networks often used the full name to "brand" themselves, not just the initials.

 

[K.M. Richards]

There was a stretch of time when it was known as the Mutual Radio Network. I believe that was mainly in the 70s. But then it returned to the Mutual Broadcasting System, and stayed with that name until the end.

I think, A, that you're remembering that period around 1975 to 1978 when they branded the top-of-hour and half-hour newscasts as "Comprehensive News from Mutual Radio" and the :55 cast as "Progressive News from Mutual Radio". Both brands were a mouthful, compared to the "Mutual News" brand that preceded and followed that period of time.

 

[JeffM]

The best source I know of for info on the Mutual network has been put together by a veteran Washington state radio guy named Kenneth Johannessen, and can be found at:

http://misterk60.com/mrtshome.html

There's a comprehensive history of Mutual, and lots of soundbites that are just plain fun. (By the way, according to KJ, Mutual did use their initials regularly in print advertising, but rarely on the air.)

 

[FredLeonard]

Interesting tribute site. Good description of how Mutual's ownership by several of its major affiliates "crippled" the network. Curious that the public broadcasting act decided to use the same flawed structure when it set up NPR.

 

[TheBigA]

Curious that the public broadcasting act decided to use the same flawed structure when it set up NPR.

Actually that's not how NPR was set up. If you actually read the Public Broadcasting Act, it was originally set up very different. Then in 1983, the Congress pulled the funding rug out from under it. The way to replace the loss of funding was to tap into the affiliates. More out of necessity than anything else.

Also, I'd suggest Mutual was a lot stronger when it was owned by its stations than when it was owned by the various non-broadcast companies that simply owned it to promote their own agenda.

 

[FredLeonard]

Actually that's not how NPR was set up. If you actually read the Public Broadcasting Act, it was originally set up very different. Then in 1983, the Congress pulled the funding rug out from under it. The way to replace the loss of funding was to tap into the affiliates. More out of necessity than anything else.

Also, I'd suggest Mutual was a lot stronger when it was owned by its stations than when it was owned by the various non-broadcast companies that simply owned it to promote their own agenda.

Members have always had voting control of the NPR board.

Maybe you should "actually read" the tribute site and then we'll talk about it.