On 13 Feb 2004 03:02:13 GMT, gbfmif wrote:

HI--Did radio stations play records before the settlement with the
musicians' union (in, I think, 1947)? This is part of the history I
just don't know, but I think that Johnny Mercer was one of the major
proponents for having recordings played on the radio, is this true?
One reason I am trying to figure this out, is because I am fervently
seeking radio station "top ten tunes" listings from any era up to
1956!!

Very often the musician's union required one of their members to be
present when records were played. When I first came to WOR in 1991 I
was told their last sound effects person had only been let go a few
years before. It took a long time to get the union rules changed to
face a new world of recorded music. Many stations who are still in the
buildings they used 20 years ago probably have one large studio big
enough for an orchestra or 4 studios carved out of the big one.

Before 1440 Broadway was refurbished I saw the old studios. It was
clear lots of live stuff originated there for both WOR and Mutual.
They were studios you couldn't economically duplicate today. Air
locks. Spring suspensions (WOR is just above the crossrails of nearly
every subway line in the city in Times Square). If you were to try and
record music without those isolated studios with today's ultra
sensitive mics you'd have every car sounding like a low rider. The WOR
Radio Network uses 20kHz satellite channels. I can picture every
subway train that passes sending a 25Hz component that would trigger
automation systems that use it.

Rich