The Berlin Convention

In the U.S. we didn't license any radio stations until KDKA in 1920. But that was by no means the birth of radio. Even that single station had been previously granted the experimental calls 8XK. Which is more to the point: broadcasting regulation co-existed with radio from the beginning. (I'm sure Murphy law includes some special corollary about bureaucrats.)

One of the very earliest regulations regarding broadcast came about from the Berlin convention. In 1903 the nation of Germany sponsored a "preliminary conference concerning wireless telegraphy..." They treated it as a developing technology with a frightening level of foresight. Thomas H. White summarized it thusly:

"Although the conference found some areas of agreement, there were still unresolved disputes, especially about intercommunication between stations owned by different companies. "

The Conference ended as many do.. by calling for another conference to clear up the issues left unresolved at the conclusion of the first conference. That sequel convened in 1906. The result of that second conference was impressive. Much of the document regarded shito-to-ship and ship-to-shore transmissions. the document also formed the International Wireless Telegraph Convention aka (Convention Radiotélégraphique Internationale) effective July 1, 1908. the pdf is here.

Also crucial but overlooked is the implication that telegraph lines, whether on land or submarine, were of neutral jurisdiction. It's conceptually complicated but the 1910 Grafton book of International law immediately grasped the ramifications. Essentially it brought into civil law that which had been declared under the Hague convention.

"Submarine cables, connecting belligerent with neutral points, were liable to such treatment outside of neutral jurisdiction as the necessities of war might require, though at the close of the war damages might be assessed...Submarine cables connecting an occupied territory with a neutral territory shall not be seized or destroyed except in the case of absolute necessity. They must likewise be restored, and compensation fixed when peace is made."

The story gets twisted. The U.S. Representatives that attended the conference signed the agreement in 1906. Actually in the document they're called plenipotentiaries... But the U.S. Senate did not ratify it for another 6 years. Just in time to ramp up for WWI.

Tesla Day!

Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla!

He was born July 10th 1856, over 150 years ago. I have written about him before and referred to him easily a dozen times. His contributions sane and insane cannot be over-stated.

Learning Morse Code

I rarely endorse products, even free ones. But If you want to learn Morse code, I must recommend you try the Koch Method. You can get an Amateur license by passing only a 5-wpm test. But slow Morse sill requires you know Morse Code. Real proficiency is useful, possibly even life-saving, so a goal of over 12 wpm is sensible. Wrote memorization sucks. It's slow and it relies on the same dumb part of your brain that refused to recollect all your rimes tables. There is a better way. it's called the Koch Method. Koch's method was invented by German psychologist Ludwig Koch in the 1930s. More here, and here.

It's less reliant on wrote memorization and raw speed exercises. It works with a software application and adds one character at a time and relies on exercises and retesting. Think of it as Rosetta Stone for CW. You can download that HERE

After WTAR

1924 was a quiet year for radio in Virginia. Until June 20th 1924 there was only one radio station in the whole state: WTAR-AM in Norfolk. After June 20th 1924 there were two, including new comer WDBJ-AM.On May 5, 1924, The Richardson-Wayland Company secured a license to broadcast with 20 watts power on a frequency of 930 kilohertz. Frank E. Maddox was it's head engineer and only engineer. His previous experience was as a hobbyist having built 3BIY. It was his boss at his day job with Richardson-Wayland Electrical Corporation that asked him to build the real thing. Richardson-Wayland manufactured radios. Like most manufacturers of that time the prevailing wisdom was that a fuller radio dial would sell more radios. It did. More here.

That first test broadcast was of a local bluegrass trio led by future station manager Raymond Jordan. they performed Turkey in the straw and some other standards. the test broadcast was clear for some 7 miles, not bad for 20 watts. The operation moved to 106 West Church Avenue in some converted space in Mr. Richardson's office. They moved from there to the Thurman and Boone Company then in 1929 to the Shenandoah Life Insurance building. That same year they joined the Columbia Broadcasting System. They crept up to 500 watts, then by 1934 1,000 watts. By 1936 they had topped out at 5,000 watts. In 1936 they began building their own studios on 124 West Kirk Avenue. In 1941, the station moved to its current 960 KHz. In 1955 they started WDBJ-TV.

If anything WDBJ developed a greater historical significance than WTAR. Lester Scruggs of Flatt and Scruggs made his radio debut on WDBJ in Roanoke, VA in 1939. Charlie Poole played her in 1930 with the Carolina Ramblers. Roy hall played here. So did Leonard Moody from the Sons of the Mountaineers. Then local groups like the Texas Troubadours, the Blueridge Fox Chasers, McCray Family, the Roanoke Jug Band, the N&W String Band, the Charlie Scott Harmonizers, The Floyd County Ramblers. When you read it from the printed page it seems like everyone played here.

In 1969, the family was broken up. WDBJ-AM and WDBJ-TV were sold to different buyers. The TV station went for 8.2 million and retained it's WDBJ calls. The AM stick became WFIR-AM standing for "First In Roanoke". They abandoned their long-standing country format for soft AC and eventually became News Talk. WFIR is still on air today. While they do carry craptastic programs like Rush and Hannity, much of the day is still help by local talent. It's as if they still remember a January 1944 Billboard article about them and new upstart WSLS...

"...Naturally, WSLS in the same town, feeling itself competitive with WDBJ, has also announced a series of live half-hour dramas under the direction of Francis Ballard. Station reps give the lead to WDBJ in bringing back live stuff to the Roanoke area, but neither WSLS or WDBJ will give the nod to the other in who's first. And it really doesn't matter, since live stuff on the air, no matter who is first, is what radio needs locally—and nationally. "

Broadcasting Yearbook

David Gleason is a fine caliber of radioman.

These days we call it the Broadcasting & Cable yearbook. David Gleason is scanning every page of all the Broadcasting Yearbooks from the late 1930s to 1980. The sheer volume of material is amazing. But it's not just that. He's scanned hundreds of copies of Broadcasting Magazine, Radio Annual, Communications Magazine, Whites Radiolog, radio Index, Jones Log, Stevenson's Bulletin... the list goes on. He is a man on a quest. His collection is amazing, and growing.

Check it out HERE

Music of your Ham

Albert W. Ham is responsible for many things. He wrote hundreds of jingles, a sin in itself. He was an A&R man at Columbia records. (He did a lot of mood music and schlock exotica) He wrote the song "I'd like to teach the world to sing" He owned Mayoham Music which syndicated his television news packages. He also is the creator of the satellite-fed Music of Your Life radio format. Egads man, have you no sense of decency?"

Al's life had ups and downs. Columbia fired him in 1959 after a gaffe where he was dubbing applause on a Tony Bennett record.. and he dubbed it in the wrong places! But this horror show began in 1978. It's been three decades and today they operate with about 50 affiliates which may not sound like many to you, but there are only about 350 stations left even vaguely in format these days.

Al started out I think rather innocently missing the music of the 1940s. In the 70s Big band music was on the wane, Glenn Miller, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Jack Teagarden, Harry James, and even dixieland groups like Bob Crosby were all big on the air. In the 1970s they were really nowhere. Al though this might be an untapped market. He was right. He mixed big band and 50s pop vocals and it took off.

There are some claims to WAIT-AM in Chicago debuting the format. But in this case I side with Ham. In 1977 Al had a radio show on daytimer 1530 WDJC-AM in Bridgeport, CT. It was there he tested out all-big band programming. I can prove this because IN may of 1978 Billboard wrote him up a full-page article.The response was good enough locally that he looked around for an ally. He found. He crossed paths with Jim West formerly of the Artie Shaw orchestra presently of 830 WCRN-AM and together they convinced Bob Lappin at WMAS to try the new format. It went well-enough to begin syndication. They shipped reels around the country. The format was referred to as "Nostalgia." Billboard described it as "non-rock oldies" A term that's ironicly more accurate now.

The target demo was 50+ , the very definition of a hard sell but the format had a great TSL, an average of 3 hours spent listening. It was almost as good as the Beautiful Music format. Other networks launched compete ting programming. In 1990 he sold it to a company called "AM Only." AM Only got rid of the reels and put Al's programming on a satellite feed. WGCX-AM was their first test station. In 1990 Al gave the format a tweak to keep the format focused on 50 year olds. It's been 20 years.. his original target demo was now 70+.. he had to trip some of the older releases. But now with AM Only, and some strange arrangement with the staff of WGCX...there were getting to be a few too extra cooks in the kitchen. Suddenly, nobody was allowed to use the word "nostalgia" anymore.

They asked Chuck Southcott from KPRZ-AM in Los Anglees to rework the playlist. WinkMartindale came thru and fluffed the branding as well. By 1996 Jones Radio network was syndicating the format. Jones had their opinions too, they tweaked the playlist even further away from big band. Jones had reach btu they peaked out at around 110 affiliates. No matter what they did to the playlist.. their demo was dying off. The format struggles on today slowly chipping away at the big bands and adding more and more oldies. Al Ham died in 2001.

2fer

The Horrors - Primary Colours
Navvy - Idyll Intangible