LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS
Reporting From the World's Fair
"We visited the World's Fair the other day and looked in on the sumptuous quarters assigned to WNYC, the municipal station, in the City of New York Building. They are positively the last word in modernity and you can take our word for it. The studios are right in the heart of the fair under the shadow of the Trylon and Perisphere. Several decent-sized studios have been constructed on the mezzanine floor and there is also an auditorium studio on the main floor which seats 285 persons. The upper floor studios are so constructed that visitors can observe the broadcasts from specially built windows. The city station is the only broadcasting organization at the fair with complete studio facilities…"
Source: Jo Ranson's daily column "Radio Dial Log," in The Brooklyn Eagle, March 13, 1939.
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"WNYC, the city station, will use special new [back] pack transmitters to cover the World's Fair activities. The apparatus was designed by WNYC Engineer James Berry under the direction of Isaac Brimberg, Chief Engineer of the city station. These transmitters are so practical that CBS and WOR will employ similar ones on the Fair grounds…"
Source: Jo Ranson's daily column "Radio Dial Log," in The Brooklyn Eagle, April 26, 1939.
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"Metropolitan stations will do a good job of covering the World's Fair this semester. WNYC will reopen its studios in the City of New York Building and Russ Johns will once again serve as its 'World's Fair Reporter.' The station will also offer a daily calendar of events at the Fair…Nat [Nathan] Berlin, masquerading under the romantic name of Mel Eliot, will describe the Fair's activities over WNEW daily starting tomorrow at 8 p.m. Berlin served as one of WNYC's ambassadors on the Fair grounds last year and turned in a creditable job…"
Source: The Brooklyn Eagle, May 10, 1940, p. 28
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This week we marked the passing of Paul Robeson Jr. by posting two WNYC programs with him and hosted by David Sear in 1976. You can listen to them at: Robeson.
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