Copyright 2020
Greenstone Media Consulting, LLC
Greenstone Media Consulting, LLC
American Broadcasting Company
Seattle - 1929
Seattle - 1929
It was Fabulous
Today, few remnants of the ABC's brief life remain. Yet it is obvious that, while in operation, ABC was a classy affair with a large staff and business being conducted on a grand scale. Even NBC and CBS couldn’t boast such huge staffs as ABC’s which included a variety of vocalists, comedians, a string quartet, a dance band, a symphony orchestra, an opera company and a plethora of announcers and actors.
Homer Pope, who came to the KJR staff in 1928 and remained until 1970, was interviewed by John Schneider in 1993. According to Pope, KJR/ABC “had a 12-14 piece orchestra - they played a couple of hours a day. We had trios, classical, as well as pop, and a lot of people, like Vic Meyers. Vic had an orchestra in Seattle at the Butler Hotel for years, and at the Trianon Ballroom. He traveled around the northwest, and would go to Spokane and to Portland. Then we had another whole crew in San Francisco, a concert orchestra. It was on three days a week, Herman Kenin with his Orchestra, on every night.” Between the Seattle and the San Francisco personnel, ABC had as many as 300 people on staff.
Other things suggest in small ways the manner in which ABC was “flying high.” For example, a surviving script for the situation comedy “The Great American Appleburys” was bound in handsome, gold-embossed leatherette folio. Neither NBC nor CBS seemingly sported such literary finery.
Homer Pope, who came to the KJR staff in 1928 and remained until 1970, was interviewed by John Schneider in 1993. According to Pope, KJR/ABC “had a 12-14 piece orchestra - they played a couple of hours a day. We had trios, classical, as well as pop, and a lot of people, like Vic Meyers. Vic had an orchestra in Seattle at the Butler Hotel for years, and at the Trianon Ballroom. He traveled around the northwest, and would go to Spokane and to Portland. Then we had another whole crew in San Francisco, a concert orchestra. It was on three days a week, Herman Kenin with his Orchestra, on every night.” Between the Seattle and the San Francisco personnel, ABC had as many as 300 people on staff.
Other things suggest in small ways the manner in which ABC was “flying high.” For example, a surviving script for the situation comedy “The Great American Appleburys” was bound in handsome, gold-embossed leatherette folio. Neither NBC nor CBS seemingly sported such literary finery.
Linden was ahead of his time. Ultimately, there was indeed a niche for a fourth network established on somewhat different principles than NBC and CBS which led to the formation of the Mutual Broadcasting System (MBS) in 1934.
In Homer Pope's words: “You can’t believe how fabulous it was.”
In Homer Pope's words: “You can’t believe how fabulous it was.”
Click image to read script of
Episode #4
Episode #4
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