What If NBC Radio & Mutual Were Still Around?

[JeeperOne]

Last night, I got to thinking how ironic it is that ABC Radio (Once the NBC Blue Network, which NO ONE back in the days of Old Time Radio thought would SURVIVE, much less outlive its then-better programmed NBC Red Network sibling) & Mutual (Who, like NBC Blue, was also cast off as a network that didn't have a prayer of survival. But that network lasted well into the 90s if I'm not mistaken).

But alas, as we all know, NBC Red (Later NBC Radio) died off in 1986 after the takeover by Emmis & subsequent swapping of stations in New York & Chicago & TalkNet moved (??) to ABC Radio (Where it remains today).

So that got me to wondering WHAT IF 1986 never even happened??? What would the network radio dial in each city look like today if it didn't?

Going even further back than that, WHAT IF the explosion of TV in the 1950s didn't happen to the extent it did or it was determined that radio could co-exist with TV & has done so ever since? What would the network radio dial in each city look like today if radio was able to co-exist with TV & program all the stuff that radio started back in the 1930s?

Being the OTR buff I am, I'll start with what I think the Denver Radio dial would look like today if radio & TV were able to co-exist with each other & program all the stuff that radio started back in the 1930s.....

Note that since the networks today either broadcast news, talk or sports, I'm only going to list those.

AM

KLZ 560 - CBS
KVOD 630 - Mutual
KNUS 710 - ABC
KOA 850 - NBC
KCFR 1340 - NPR
KCKK 1510 - Sporting News
KEPN 1600 - ESPN
KBJD 1650 - CNN

FM

KCFR 88.1 - NPR
KTNI 101.5 - Fox News
KKFN 104.3 - Fox Sports

Thoughts? Corrections?

How about other markets? Let's have some fun with this.

Cheers

 

[TheBigA]

You're skipping a lot of history in your summary.

I'm not sure if one can say the Blue was "better programmed." It has better stations, but still had some unique and distinctive shows that were, in many ways, equal to the quality of the Red. After the break-up, the Blue struggled under its first owner, but the combination with Paramount was very smart, and not unlike what happened when Disney bought ABC. The Breakfast Club on ABC continued as a reminder of old time radio into the 60s. The Red suffered from lack of attention by NBC, which was more interested in TV. Meanwhile ABC thrived and ultimately became the biggest radio network in the 80s. NBC Red Network was sold to Westwood One in 1987, not Emmis. They continued the NBC brand in news and entertainment into the early 90s. Talknet went with NBC to Westwood, and Bruce Williams continued his show on that network until the late 90s. So you're kind of confusing network radio with local radio. They're two very different things.

What would the network dial look like today? Three things happened that are more important than ownership. The first was when radio stations began to play RECORDED music vs. original music. Prior to 1946, most radio stations had in-house bands playing music, or depended on network shows like the Grand Ole Opry to provide the music. Once they could play recordings, it made music a lot cheaper for a local station to do, thus eliminating the need for national programming. That explosion in recorded music as programming for local radio created a revolution in what people expected from radio, and what radio needed from networks. The emphasis moved away from entertainment and towards news and information.

The second big change was the explosion in FM radio in the 70s. Until that time, AM stations still maintained a relationship with a radio network for news and information. The growth in FM, where there was little news programming, meant that there were now thousands of radio stations that didn't need a network affiliation. That started to change in the 80s, as networks developed into program syndication. THat survives to this day.

One third big change was technical. Radio networks until 1978 were connected by telephone wires. The Red and Blue names refered to the colors of the wires at the AT&T Central Office in New York. As I recall, CBS was yellow, and Mutual was green. Mutual and NPR became the first networks to switch from phone lines to satellite distribution. ABC and NBC followed quickly, and CBS was last. More recently, distribition has shifted again towards a more proprietary system. And of course there is the internet, which in essence makes the idea of networks obsolete.

These three changes, which took place over the course of 50 years, completely changed the network system. Two changes could revive the network radio concept now. The first is the continuing financial crisis hitting radio stations. It is making locally hosted music shows less efficient, so there is a need for more centralization in programming, similar to what happened in radio during the 30s and 40s. The second is the possible music royalty. If that happens, local radio stations will be charged a portion of their revenue, expected to be as much as 10%, if they choose to play recorded music. Currently, they pay a much smaller amount, and it all goes to writers and publishers. That increase in royalty is likely to revive an interest in radio-owned original music programming, once again similar to what was done before 1946.

So that's my view on your post. Certainly the development of public radio after 1967, the formation of NPR in 1971, and the multiplicity of programming sources that exist in the non-commercial world also marks a big change from the Golden Age days. I'd say the public radio system is closer to the old time radio networks of the 30s than anything being done now in the commercial world.

 

[JeeperOne]

You're skipping a lot of history in your summary.

You're right. But that was intention in order to make a long story short

I'm not sure if one can say the Blue was "better programmed." It has better stations,

It has better stations NOW but way back when, one has to wonder.....

but still had some unique and distinctive shows that were, in many ways, equal to the quality of the Red.

Ohh really? Name one.

After the break-up, the Blue struggled under its first owner, but the combination with Paramount was very smart, and not unlike what happened when Disney bought ABC.

And then over 30 years later, Paramount launched a network of its own on TV - UPN (Of which CBS had a stake in)

The Breakfast Club on ABC continued as a reminder of old time radio into the 60s.

They also launched Theater Five to reiterate this

The Red suffered from lack of attention by NBC, which was more interested in TV.

And look what happened to it in the early 1980s & yet again (Only MUCH worse!) today

Meanwhile ABC thrived and ultimately became the biggest radio network in the 80s.

Next to CBS, yes

NBC Red Network was sold to Westwood One in 1987, not Emmis. They continued the NBC brand in news and entertainment into the early 90s. Talknet went with NBC to Westwood, and Bruce Williams continued his show on that network until the late 90s.

Thanks for the correction there ;D

So you're kind of confusing network radio with local radio.

How do you figure that?

What would the network dial look like today?

Yeah. What do you think the local radio dial would look like today had it not been for all these things happening?

Cheers

 

[TheBigA]

I'm not sure if one can say the Blue was "better programmed." It has better stations,

It has better stations NOW but way back when, one has to wonder.....

Actually, one doesn't have to wonder. Station lists are all over the internet. WEAF (which became WNBC and is now WFAN) was the founding station of the Red, while WJZ (which is now WABC) was the founding station of the Blue. They were both 50,000 watt stations.

but still had some unique and distinctive shows that were, in many ways, equal to the quality of the Red.

Ohh really? Name one.

“Amos & Andy” was one of the best known. A lot of shows that became staples on the Red were originally on the Blue. Jack Benny and Bob Hope to name a couple. They were coming from the same company, so there was a standard of quality to uphold that was consistent. Did that change after NBC sold the network? Probably, for a number of reasons. But the sale coincided with a lot of other changes in radio that I mentioned, including the use of recorded music.

After the break-up, the Blue struggled under its first owner, but the combination with Paramount was very smart, and not unlike what happened when Disney bought ABC.

And then over 30 years later, Paramount launched a network of its own on TV - UPN (Of which CBS had a stake in)

Two different Paramounts. The one that bought the Blue was the theater chain, called United Paramount. The movie studio, Paramount Pictures, was the one involved in UPN. Paramount Pictures is now owned by Viacom, which also owns CBS.

Meanwhile ABC thrived and ultimately became the biggest radio network in the 80s.

Next to CBS, yes

ABC Radio Network was bigger than CBS in terms of affiliates, revenues, and programming. In the early 60s, ABC broke into four networks, and later added two more. CBS as a radio news provider may have been on stronger radio stations than ABC, but there is no question they had fewer affiliates than either ABC or even Mutual. NBC was probably the smallest and weakest in its final years.

So you're kind of confusing network radio with local radio.

How do you figure that?

Because you’re focusing on the stations rather than the networks. While the networks owned radio stations, they were run as very different divisions, and their operations were very separate. Today, we view radio as stations, but 50 years ago, stations were identified by their network affiliation, in much the way we now identify TV stations. The networks didn't own all their affiliates. They made programming agreements. Today it's possible for a large station owner like Clear Channel to be more powerful than a network.

What would the network dial look like today?

Yeah. What do you think the local radio dial would look like today had it not been for all these things happening?

That’s like asking what would the US look like today if explorers had not gone beyond their borders to discover America. We’re talking about such a series of changes that have taken place on so many different levels that it’s an impossible question. We have radio stations today that cherry pick programming, carrying radio shows like Rush from one syndicator and news from another. That would never have been allowed 30 years ago. You have radio stations owned by Citadel that carry news from CBS. And truthfully, when you study the way things evolved over the years, there’s no way to imagine things NOT happening, because they were driven by business. The concept of format radio, where a station plays one genre of music or is identified as talk or sports, is a fairly recent concept, and came about in the 70s after the explosion of FM.

While you’re asking “what if,” you might ask what would American broadcasting look like today if it had been run completely by the government (as it is in other countries) instead of being run as private businesses. That decision, made at the very beginning of radio, was the one that led to just about everything else that’s happened, and still affects changes happening today.

 

[JeeperOne]

I'm not sure if one can say the Blue was "better programmed." It has better stations,

It has better stations NOW but way back when, one has to wonder.....

Actually, one doesn't have to wonder. Station lists are all over the internet. WEAF (which became WNBC and is now WFAN) was the founding station of the Red, while WJZ (which is now WABC) was the founding station of the Blue. They were both 50,000 watt stations.

OK. So as far as power output is concerned, the NBC Blue had better stations, but that doesn't mean they were better programmed. One can say the same thing about WLS too (I believe it too was with NBC Blue affiliate with WMAQ (Now WSCR) being with NBC Red).

but still had some unique and distinctive shows that were, in many ways, equal to the quality of the Red.

Ohh really? Name one.

“Amos & Andy” was one of the best known.

Umm.....Unless I'm mistaken (And I probably am on this one), Amos & Andy was on NBC Red before it moved to CBS.

A lot of shows that became staples on the Red were originally on the Blue. Jack Benny and Bob Hope to name a couple.

NBC Red on both counts.

They were coming from the same company, so there was a standard of quality to uphold that was consistent.

So what. That don't mean anything. Why would NBC allow itself to be shot in the foot by having two networks with programming of equal quality? That would be like News Corp. taking THE BEST shows they have on Fox & put them on MyNetwork TV. How do you think that would make them look? Rather foolish & suicidal, wouldn't you say?

Did that change after NBC sold the network? Probably, for a number of reasons. But the sale coincided with a lot of other changes in radio that I mentioned, including the use of recorded music.

Right. But this thread isn't about the programming on the networks. But rather who would be the stations affiliated with the networks today had none of these things happened & all the stations in each kept their original network affiliations ever since the 1930s or so as well as whom we think would (Still) be affiliated with the news, sports & talk networks of today. Go back & re-read my OP & you'll see what I'm trying to accomplish with this.

After the break-up, the Blue struggled under its first owner, but the combination with Paramount was very smart, and not unlike what happened when Disney bought ABC.

And then over 30 years later, Paramount launched a network of its own on TV - UPN (Of which CBS had a stake in)

Two different Paramounts. The one that bought the Blue was the theater chain, called United Paramount. The movie studio, Paramount Pictures, was the one involved in UPN. Paramount Pictures is now owned by Viacom, which also owns CBS.

Semantics & name changes. Beyond that, there's no difference. They're both one & the same.

Meanwhile ABC thrived and ultimately became the biggest radio network in the 80s.

Next to CBS, yes

ABC Radio Network was bigger than CBS in terms of affiliates, revenues, and programming.

Not by much. Remember CBS had the radio rights to Monday Night Football until the mid-1980s or so & had the Sears Radio Theater & CBS Radio Mystery Theater until 1982. Before that, they too had semblances of post-1962 Old Time Radio programming with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney & Arthur Godfrey.

In the early 60s, ABC broke into four networks, and later added two more.

Yeah. Mainly news & information networks. Though they did provide some entertainment (I couldn't say what specifically as I myself wasn't born until 1966)

CBS as a radio news provider may have been on stronger radio stations than ABC, but there is no question they had fewer affiliates than either ABC or even Mutual. NBC was probably the smallest and weakest in its final years.

I'd have to disagree with you about Mutual being smaller than NBC as I don't think that's true, but would DEFINATELY agree that it was smaller than CBS though

So you're kind of confusing network radio with local radio.

How do you figure that?

Because you’re focusing on the stations rather than the networks.

Not entirely. As I said before, I'm focusing on where we think each network would be on the local dial had none of the changes in the history of radio happened & each station (At least as best as possible as many stations had to switch frequencies, calls, etc for various reasons) kept their heritage network affiliation. And just for fun (As well as to throw a curve), we'd also have to figure out just where the news, sports & talk stations of today (In other words Fox News, Fox Sports, ESPN, CNN etc) would go as well.

Now do you get it?

While the networks owned radio stations, they were run as very different divisions, and their operations were very separate.

Will you get off the O&O bandwagon long enough to go along with this? I hate to sound frustrustrated, but you're so hung up on the network O&Os that you're forgetting that.....

1) The networks DID NOT own each station in each little corner of America in which they were carried (This would've been against the law)

2) Not everyone is used to being so lucky to have an O&O (Or have had an O&O) in their backyard (Basically put, you're taking the standards of today's CBS Radio & trying to apply them towards yesteryear. It just doesn't work like that. The FCC regulations were MUCH stricter then than they are nowadays)

Today, we view radio as stations, but 50 years ago, stations were identified by their network affiliation, in much the way we now identify TV stations.

True.

The networks didn't own all their affiliates. They made programming agreements. Today it's possible for a large station owner like Clear Channel to be more powerful than a network.

Thank the FCC for that

What would the network dial look like today?

Yeah. What do you think the local radio dial would look like today had it not been for all these things happening?

That’s like asking what would the US look like today if explorers had not gone beyond their borders to discover America. We’re talking about such a series of changes that have taken place on so many different levels that it’s an impossible question.

Is it though? I don't believe it is.

We have radio stations today that cherry pick programming, carrying radio shows like Rush from one syndicator and news from another. That would never have been allowed 30 years ago. You have radio stations owned by Citadel that carry news from CBS.

Apples to oranges.

And truthfully, when you study the way things evolved over the years, there’s no way to imagine things NOT happening, because they were driven by business.

But again, suppose NOTHING happened. Would we actually see radio in the mess it's in? I don't think so. Why? Simple. The FCC wouldn't have let things get that far.

While you’re asking “what if,” you might ask what would American broadcasting look like today if it had been run completely by the government (as it is in other countries) instead of being run as private businesses. That decision, made at the very beginning of radio, was the one that led to just about everything else that’s happened, and still affects changes happening today.

Thank god the government doesn't have that kind of control. ;D

Now can we get the thread back on topic?

Cheers

 

[TheBigA]

OK. So as far as power output is concerned, the NBC Blue had better stations, but that doesn't mean they were better programmed. One can say the same thing about WLS too (I believe it too was with NBC Blue affiliate with WMAQ (Now WSCR) being with NBC Red)

My point is that neither was “better programmed” than the other. They each had their strengths under NBC, and they used the same staffs and facilities. The original Blue affiliate in Chicago was KYW.

Umm.....Unless I'm mistaken (And I probably am on this one), Amos & Andy was on NBC Red before it moved to CBS.

Other way around. Got its start on the Blue. Even though it originated at WMAQ. As I said, lot of interplay between the two networks.

Why would NBC allow itself to be shot in the foot by having two networks with programming of equal quality? That would be like News Corp. taking THE BEST shows they have on Fox & put them on MyNetwork TV. How do you think that would make them look? Rather foolish & suicidal, wouldn't you say?

This was the 1930s. Radio was in its infancy. NBC was the biggest and the best, with enough quality programming to fill two networks. Neither CBS nor Mutual could do that. To someone with an ego the size of David Sarnoff’s, it was anything but suicidal.

But this thread isn't about the programming on the networks. But rather who would be the stations affiliated with the networks today had none of these things happened

That would depend on the programming on the networks, don’t you think? If CBS had Rush, then the biggest and most powerful stations would want him. The interplay between stations and networks is all about programming and compensation. These networks changed and adapted to the marketplace. I’m amazed at how often stations changed network affiliations even before 1950.

Remember CBS had the radio rights to Monday Night Football until the mid-1980s or so & had the Sears Radio Theater & CBS Radio Mystery Theater until 1982. Before that, they too had semblances of post-1962 Old Time Radio programming with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney & Arthur Godfrey.

After the 50s, all the old style radio theater programming lost money. CBS had their Mystery Theater, and Mutual had a radio drama series as well during the 80s. They both lost money. Stations didn’t carry them in good time periods, and the more popular stations didn’t want to break format. Once format radio became popular in the 70s, it killed this kind of radio.

If I remember correctly, by the late 80s, ABC Radio had over 1000 affiliates, Mutual had about 800, CBS had around 600, and NBC had about 450. All four networks provided a wide range of entertainment options. They HAD to. AM radio was dying, and the real money was in FM music programming. So ABC created specialty shows like Casey Kasem’s Top 40, Mutual had Dick Clark, NBC started The Source for FM rock stations, and CBS formed RadioRadio also for FM rock stations. They all did music events, concerts, and regular shows, but as syndication, not traditional network programming. But to be an affiliate by the 80s was very different than it had been in the 40s. A station didn't have to run all of the network programming. Just carry a minimum spot load of commercials.

As I said before, I'm focusing on where we think each network would be on the local dial had none of the changes in the history of radio happened & each station (At least as best as possible as many stations had to switch frequencies, calls, etc for various reasons) kept their heritage network affiliation.

Now can we get the thread back on topic?

Sorry, but I just disagree with the entire premise. We went from a country with a thousand or so radio stations in the early 30s to 14,000 stations today. The stations with network affiliations were all on AM. Could Babe Ruth out hit Barry Bonds? Too many variables to even know where to begin.

 

[cyberdad]

Radio networks until 1978 were connected by telephone wires. The Red and Blue names refered to the colors of the wires at the AT&T Central Office in New York. As I recall, CBS was yellow, and Mutual was green. Mutual and NPR became the first networks to switch from phone lines to satellite distribution. ABC and NBC followed quickly, and CBS was last.

I worked at a CBS affiliate in the mid-70s and at Mutual and ABC affiliates before then. The audio quality we had of the Mutual and ABC feeds was pretty lousy....especially Mutual's. The NBC feed up the road at my competitors' was noticeably better but still not all that great. Meanwhile the feed we had at the CBS station was crystal clear. Something that was also true with every (or at least almost every) other CBS network station.

I stand to be corrected, but my guess is if CBS was the last to switch to satellite, it probably was because they already had the best high quality dedicated wired audio distribution system already in place.

 

[Prais]

LOTS depended on the LOCAL Phone Company, too. Two of my stations were NBC, but the phone comapny made the feed sound like 2 cans and a string.

 

[TheBigA]

LOTS depended on the LOCAL Phone Company, too. Two of my stations were NBC, but the phone comapny made the feed sound like 2 cans and a string.

That's exactly right. The system was set up in the 1920s, and was anywhere between 3K and 5K of audio quality. The noise level varied depending on location and number of COs the audio passed through. It was ALL copper wire. Very ancient.

The history on this is fascinating. AT&T was in the radio business in the 1920s. They owned WEAF in New York. Bell Labs owned the patents on a lot of radio technology. RCA was starting NBC, and bought WEAF, but agreed to use AT&T to build the network. (as if there was a competing phone company?) So they strung together dedicated circuits for program delivery. A very similar system was put together for the TV networks.

The switch to satellite was extremely expensive. Two competing systems: Western Union's Westar and RCA's Satcom. NPR and Mutual were on Westar. NBC, CBS, and ABC on Satcom. When Westwood One came along, they too went on Westar.

 

[Tom Wells]

What I really liked about the old long-lines network feeds was the weird, low level hum that sounded like it had reverb in it.
Many, if not most of the old lines ran near 60 hz power lines and ultimately picked some up. This was cancelled in hum bucking circuits at each repeater, but the efffects were not always perfectly cancelled. If you were lucky the hum was too low to hear on air,
but it was audible in the studio monitors or headphones.

 

[TheBigA]

I've seen the AT&T long lines maps, and it really was an ingenius system considering the technology available. Thousands of interconnections and switching offices. It could become a two-way system, that would allow the Chicago bureau or a member station to originate programming and feed it back to the network. The Lone Ranger (from Detroit) or the Opry (from Nashville) would feed back down the line live to New York where it would be turned around and refed on the network. Some networks had dedicated backfeed lines from LA, for example, so the switch didn't have to be made.

 

[cyberdad]

LOTS depended on the LOCAL Phone Company, too. Two of my stations were NBC, but the phone comapny made the feed sound like 2 cans and a string.

So if my recall of CBS having the best audio is correct, perhaps it wasn't the result of anything special concerning their audio distribution system. But rather it had to do with CBS generally avoiding having affiliates in the smallest small towns. (And presumably thus avoiding some of most technology-challenged local phone companies).

 

[TheBigA]

What I remember was that the load on a particular leg was also important. A lot of affiliates on a leg, the quality goes down. I never saw comparative studies on sound quality, but I imagine NPR's system was the best quality, since it was built in the early 70s, had the fewest affiliates, and was designed to carry music as well as news.

 

[Prais]

Big A said, "I've seen the AT&T long lines maps..."

For many years, most/alot of NBC radio's programs originated in Chicago. Back in the day, many were done LIVE, multiple times, to accomodate the time zones.

Many of the staff announcers there (had lots of gtreat stories) told me about leaving the building, and on the way back, a drawbridge would be up, or other excuses, and they would miss their next live break.

Evidently this happened with great frequency (you'll pardon my expression).

When WMAQ (now wscr) was in the Merchandise Mart, they had a great big lighted map with red for the red net, blue for the blue net, and other colors (for the Pacific net, etc) that hung above the elevator for (probably) 40+ years. It was amazing. I'm 60 now, and i first saw it when I was in 8th grade (roughly 1962).

I HOPE that lit map is preserved , somewhere.

 

[News6397]

Prais:
The lighted map at WMAQ was supposed to go to the Chicago Historical Society when the TV and radio stations moved out of the Merchandise Mart, but I've never heard anything more about it.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

But rather it had to do with CBS generally avoiding having affiliates in the smallest small towns.
(And presumably thus avoiding some of most technology-challenged local phone companies).

Can you imagine the Mayberry phone company installing--and trying to equalize--
a phone line for a network radio feed?

They'd give up at 3.5 kHz and tell the station's GM: "Forget about CBS, we can't
get 5 kHz...you'd better go with with Mutual's affiliation offer."

And of course, no network service for much of Sunday afternoons, as that's when
the Mendelbright sisters visit by phone.

 

[Prais]

Oldiesfan, Your post rings TRUE. In the 70's We went from abc that we picked up from an fm about 40 miles away- to NBC on a phone line - but the phone company was perplexed at their having to hook it up.

The line was VERY good (by United Telephone standards) but was very noisy. Then came satellite - and disconnecting from the phone company was wonderful.

We were the closest NBC afil to Chicago.

 

[Kurt Toy]

A couple of corrections involving ABC: ABC split their network in 1968, second, ABC inherited [not created] Kasem's Top 40 when it purchased Watermark in '82.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

ABC split their network in 1968

January 1, 1968. Also known as "freedom day" for the likes of WABC,
WLS and others.

Which reminds me, since there's been discussion about how good or bad
the network feeds sounded via Telco lines...the local ABC affil (news live
at :55, or rather 54:30) where I was had a putrid-sounding 3.5 kHz line
right up through 12/31/67. Come the next day, where the same station
continued with ABC/I and ABC/E, the net feed magically became 5 kHz.

The other affils in the market (CBS/MBS/NBC) were still stuck with 3.5.

Later in '68 on the the local Top 40s affiliated with ABC/C and from day
one it was a 5 kHz line there too.

 

[smedge2006]

I've seen the AT&T long lines maps, and it really was an ingenius system considering the technology available. Thousands of interconnections and switching offices. It could become a two-way system, that would allow the Chicago bureau or a member station to originate programming and feed it back to the network. The Lone Ranger (from Detroit) or the Opry (from Nashville) would feed back down the line live to New York where it would be turned around and refed on the network. Some networks had dedicated backfeed lines from LA, for example, so the switch didn't have to be made.

Retired KQED and KNBR engineer Fred Krock says in an article that the eastern stations were tied together in a loop called the "round robin." Basically New York to Chicago and back. If a city was on the round robin, they didn't need a loop back to New York, New York just went silent and City X took over. The lines to LA weren't dedicated in the sense you mean, according to Krock. They just took the regular West Coast circuit and reversed it using a switch that changed the settings of all the relays from Chicago west.

Also, the Red-Blue distinction only existed in the biggest markets for most of the 1930's. Even in cities as big as Dallas and Atlanta, there was only one NBC station for much of that decade, which cherry-picked the Red and Blue chains -- or rather, the chains cherry-picked stations according to which advertisers wanted to reach that part of the country.