A History of Broadcasting in the United States, Volume II : the Golden Web. 1933 to 1953

421 Pages·1985·27.474 MB·English

by  Barnouw, Erik

THE GOLDEN WEB
A HISTORY OF BROADCASTING IN THE UNITED STATES
VOLUME I — A TOWER IN BABEL
VOLUME II — THE GOLDEN WEB
VOLUME III — IN PREPARATION
THE GOLDEN WEB
A History of Broadcasting
in the United States
Volume II -1933 to 1953
ERIK BARNOUW
New York OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1968
Copyright © 1968 by Erik Barnouw
Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number: 66-22258
Printed in the United States of America
CONTENTS
Introduction, 3
1 EITHER/OR, 5
A real pro, 7 The land of irium, 9 The press attacks, 18
Twenty-five per cent, 22 Eyebrow, 28 About ready, 37
Fascist rehearsals, 44 Radio at the ramparts, 51
2 REBIRTH, 55
Not for sale, 64 Marquee, 70 Another Archie, 71
Haystack, 74 Across the goal line, 76 New Jersey invaded, 83
We proudly present, 89 Studio 1936-38, 108 Ballad, 116
Front, 121 Edge of chaos, 125 This reporter, 140
Campaign 1940, 142 Lifeline, 146 Worldwide, 149
3 CRUSADE, 155
Chain break, 168 Coalition, 174 Gulliver, 181 Lifesaver, 187
Stars and atabrine, 190 Drive, 197 The champ, 206
Summit, 211
4 PEACE, 216
The groups, 220 A low-cost automobile, 225 Blue book, 227
Meanwhile back at the networks, 237 Tax-wise, 242
Or affiliated sympathetically with . . . , 246
5 PURGE, 253
Give 'em hell, 257 Peace meeting, 260 What we all want, 262
Desk copy, 265 Supermarket, 273 High places, 283
Sic transit, 284 Panicsville, 290 The margin of doubt, 292
1952, 295
APPENDIX A: Chronology, 305
APPENDIX B: Law, 311
Communications Act of 1934, 311
BIBLIOGRAPHY, 349
INDEX, 371
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THE GOLDEN WEB
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INTRODUCTION
The web of human things . . . that are not as they
were. SHELLEY, Alastor
Until the late ig2o's broadcasting in the United States was largely a story
of separate transmitter towers, each independent, each vying for attention
with countless others. This period has been chronicled in A Tower in
Babel, first of three volumes in this study. Even in that first era, broadcast-
ing showed an unexpected ability to move and persuade, and precipitated
epic struggles for control.
Then a new element was added. Transmitters in various parts of the
country began broadcasting the same singer, the same speaker, the same
comedian, the same drama. To listeners it seemed a logical, rational step,
readily accepted. But in the process a new force had been added to the
nation's power constellation: the network. Within a few years it was a
dominant element not only in broadcasting but in many other fields. A far-
ranging shift in relationships and influences was under way.
What is a network? In a way it is—strangely enough—almost nothing, a
phantom. It is mainly a tissue of contracts by which a number of stations
are linked in operation. The linkage has been done largely through leased
telephone cables which the entrepreneur—the "network"—does not own.
Each of the stations so linked uses an air channel which is a public re-
source and which neither network nor station can own. Thus networks as
businesses would seem to rest on the flimsiest foundations. Yet they have
become a major power center—having, in an age of American hegemony,
world-wide ramifications.
This volume, The Golden Web, will trace the rise of the American net-
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