Thanks. This is terrific. I worked in the periphery of local radio in the 1970s through the '90s. It has always fascinated me how affiliate stations transition to network programming so seamlessly.

I remember those CBS chirps! I knew they meant something because they preceded the local ads. What intrigues me is how the entire network had to synchronize to the second. When I became aware of the date of the very last Arthur Godfrey Time over WCBS-AM in NYC, I airchecked the broadcast, which ended at 12:00 noon. The network aired the 4-second chime, and to my recollection the age of network radio entertainment was pretty much over.

In the 90s, Charlie Kaye on Voice Cue would prompt stations and the urgency in his voice would tell you what was coming was very important!

I'd forgotten about the chirps. I wondered how stations would get network programming; now I understand. I was at WMBS-AM, in Uniontown, PA, in 1978, and the DJ on duty at the time showed me either that or something very similar. I believe it was a beacon that would alert the station (WMBS was then and has been for many decades a CBS affiliate), in the event of an important national or world news event. Thanks so much for posting this.

Nice walkout. 🙂

How fine! So nice to have this history to remember.

Speaking of Nov. 22, 1963 - NBC, which evidently didn't have the smooth CBS notification system, had just finished a Martin Agronsky five-minute newscast with stories of the normal Washington wrangling when there was silence for a few ominous seconds, then a voice speaking the listeners as well as the affiliate said "Attention NBC affiliates," then to stand by for a special bulletin in 10 seconds. To keep dead air from happening, they repeated that at five seconds. Then of course, the world was shattered. It was awkward and unavoidable for NBC to broadcast that insider stuff to the whole listenership, but what else could they do? They had to let the stations know not to resume their programming. Maybe they switched to a CBS-like system because of that.

How would the networks do this in the Old Time Radio Days (prior to 1960) when almost the entire day was covered?

I remember seeing the CBS net alert box with the numbers on it around 1973 at WKAT Miami Beach.

Before watching this, those CBS Radio chirps annoyed me to no end.

I have the "Net Alert 3" chirps as one of my notification tones for getting a text message...

@MarkJ1961 - Wasn't Metz the one who, pre-1965, used to ID CBS-TV in a way that sounded like "the CBS Televisionetwork"?

In band signalling like CCITT 5 / R1 for Bell System. Imagine the mischief if someone got to THOSE leased lines

Ah! I've been looking for a biol on a Stuart Ness. So now I know his last name. I recall him on Suspense. Very official sounding guy.

@jimstokes6742

5 жыл бұрын

Last name is Metz, RW. He goes waaaay back to the first radio soap operas.

I don't know if CBS radio still had "Net Alert" in 2001, but if they did, they probably used nine chirps on the morning of September 11th.

@MaoistBanker

2 жыл бұрын

They didn’t.

To this day, even now that we are on digital satellite receivers, news networks still use these closed circuit feeds. Cumulus Media Networks offers ABC News and on the news channel feed, they still to this day send down these feeds, but not like they once did. Oh Yes, I remember the chirps, tones etc. to cue the operator to hit the top of the hour I.D., and into network newscast. It got so simple, I taught my 8 year old niece how to do it so I could play "catch up on work", network affidavits!

I remember The top of the hour chimes WCBS radio and WEEI Boston (then CBS owned)ran. Bong Bong Bong ...ping! They may have been inspired by the BBC "pips" that were well known in the UK.

Why?

The description says "January 31, 1973", but the graphic at the beginning of the video says, "12/31/1973". I know people today can't do math, and can't tell time, but, apparently, they can't read dates, either. Thank you, Joe Biden. You did that.

@GrowlyBear917

Жыл бұрын

at 2:11 the word "Surprises" in the crawl is spelled wrong. Errors like that make videos lose credibility. Same with "it's" where it should be "its", and the list goes on and on.