[78-L] Metropolitan Opera broadcasts in the old house

[Kevin P. Mostyn]

The ones that I have do not mention the White Network.

A few speculations on my part:

1. NBC and others transcribed many and perhaps most of their sponsored
programs, to prove if needed that the commercials were indeed broadcast.
2. Not all transcriptions were saved. Indeed, the saving appears to be
random. Certain NBC produced programs are saved in great depth, such as "The
Magic Key of RCA" and the NBC Symphony.
3. Numerous discs were "borrowed" from the NBC Archive before the donation
to the Museum of Broadcasting. I have heard rumors that not all were
returned. This applies especially to MET Opera discs.
4. Somewhere I have seen a reference of a gift to the MET from the LoC or
NBC of certain broadcasts. I don't know if these were the discs or copies.

--Kevin Mostyn

-----Original Message-----
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of
lizmcl at midcoast.com
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2010 12:03 PM
To: 78-L Mail List
Subject: Re: [78-L] Metropolitan Opera broadcasts in the old house

> Now that the Library of Congress Sonic catalog is back on line (it was 
> down last night for routine maintenance), I am able to see at least a 
> dozen full length recordings of MET Opera broadcasts from the 1930s, 
> in the NBC Collection, starting about 1936. Linechecks, not airchecks. 
> Made by NBC. I invite you to verify this for yourself.

Interesting -- they seem to exist in isolated batches, with apparently no
effort being made to preserve all of the broadcasts, in keeping with the Met
contract stipulation that this wasn't to be done. However, at least one of
the recordings listed indicates that it was made for use on the "White
Network," which was NBC's International Division -- maybe that explains what
these were intended for, and it may be that some sort of arrangement was
negotiated to allow this, an arrangement which didn't turn up when Jackson
was researching his discussion of the subject.

A lot of random intermission features were preserved as well -- these were
produced by NBC and wouldn't have been covered any contractural restriction
in the Met contract.