The New Orleans PressRadio War: 19221936

1
The New Orleans Press-Radio War 1922-1936

• Brian Collins

2
Introduction

• The emergence of radio in America in the early
  1920s was at first considered a novelty.
• Many newspapers scrambled to affiliate with radio
  stations because they were good publicity.
• Headlines soon emerged all over the country about
  new radio stations or newspaper-radio
  affiliations.

3
Introduction

• Many members of the press quickly became
  concerned by radios rapid growth and popularity.
• The Associated Press issued a warning to its
  members in 1922 not to broadcast AP news.
• Concerns about radio were brought up at various
  press association meetings beginning in the early
  1920s.

4
Introduction

• Radio was soon looked upon by many members of the
  press as a threat and a direct challenge to the
  future stability of the newspaper industry for
  two reasons.
• Radio was stealing advertising that would
  otherwise be used in newspapers.
• Radio was beginning to encroach on the press
  main purpose news dissemination.

5
Introduction

• The result of radios challenge to newspapers was
  the Press-Radio War, which was played out in
  three stages.
• First Stage (1922 to mid-1933) Involved
  assessing radios threat to newspapers and
  deciding on a course of action.
• Second Stage (mid-1933 to 1934) Press unifies to
  block radios growth and development.
• Third Stage (1934 to 1936) Alliance and
  acquisition by nations press and radio.

6
Introduction

• The press-radio war in New Orleans followed a
  similar pattern of other cities its size,
  however, there were several differences that made
  the relationship between the citys press and
  radio unique.
• New Orleans newspapers successful implementation
  of a radio log blackout.
• The successful radio piracy suit brought against
  WDSU by four New Orleans newspapers.
• The rise in political power of Huey P. Long at
  the same time that the relationship between press
  and radio was most volatile.

7
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• Radio broadcasting existed in New Orleans early
  in the 20th Century.
• In 1913, Loyola University opened what was
  probably the first wireless telegraphy school in
  Louisiana.
• The first amateur radio organization in New
  Orleans was formed in 1914 and had six members.
• In January 1921, a New Orleans factory manager
  named Dorr Simmons became the first amateur to
  broadcast phonograph music.

8
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• As in other cities throughout the United States,
  the newspapers of New Orleans were the first to
  start radio stations.
• The Item founded WGV in April 1922.
• The Times-Picayune founded WAAB in the same
  month.
• The States founded WCAG in May 1922.

9
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• Radio affiliations were good publicity and
  information concerning radio proliferated in the
  pages of newspapers all over the country.
• Newspapers printed photographs of amateur radio
  setups or those listening-in on programs.
• Newspapers published advice columns or
  informative stories about radio technology.
• Newspapers highlighted musicians or talent
  (increasingly borrowed from the vaudeville stage)
  performing on their stations.

10
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• Information pertaining to radio helped increase
  circulation and advertising. Typical classified
  radio advertisements included
• RADIO receiving sets, serial installations
• instruments made to order. The Elec-
• tric Repair Shop, 332 Chartres, Main 1859
• ------------------------
• RADIO INSTRUCTION
• PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR RADIO
• NOLA RADIO SCHOOL, 134 CHARTRES
• MAIN 1436

11
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• Typical instructions and diagram for building a
  radio receiving set in the States. The Rose Radio
  Supply Company advertisement is prominently
  displayed in the lower right (New Orleans States,
  7 May 1922).

12
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• Radio was plagued by interference and static in
  the 1920s due to overcrowded frequencies and
  imprecise equipment.
• Many cities had silent nights, when no stations
  would broadcast in order for listeners to pick-up
  distant signals.
• Hot summer weather created static that infuriated
  many listeners.
• Until mid-1920s, all stations were initially
  given the same frequency of 360 meters, causing
  overcrowded chaos over the airwaves.

13
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• For some, the often intangible rewards of running
  a radio station did not offset its expense.
• Costs for Detriot News station WWJ went from
  3,606 in the first year to 80,000 in the third.
• The Times-Picayune abandoned WAAB only a month
  after its founding, citing its prohibitive cost
  and radios uncertain future as reasons.
• By mid-1924, all three newspapers had abandoned
  their original efforts at broadcasting.

14
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• Throughout the course of the 1920s and early
  1930s, New Orleans newspapers tried their hand at
  radio again, this time only affiliating with
  stations, not owning them.

15
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• In April 1925, the Item-Tribune affiliated with
  WSMB. At the time, it was the most powerful
  station in New Orleans. The radio towers atop the
  Canal Street Maison Blanche building, at first
  impressive, suggest the stations low power and
  the radio industrys infancy (Item-Tribune, 19
  April 1925).

16
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• The States tried its hand once again at
  affiliating with a radio station, this time in
  1928 with WDSU (DeSoto-States-Uhalt). The
  stations owner, Joseph Uhalt, soon ended the
  affiliation to obtain a radio network affiliation
  (New Orleans States, 6 July 1928).

17
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• The doomed relationship between the States and
  WDSU helps explain the animosity that newspapers
  across the country felt about radio.
• While the affiliation lasted with WDSU, the
  States enjoyed much radio advertising.
• Once WDSU became a Columbia Broadcasting System
  (CBS) affiliate, it dropped the States.
• Press-radio relations nationwide soon took a sour
  turn.

18
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• As a newspaper affiliated with New Orleans radio
  station WDSU, the States enjoyed business from
  radio advertisers. This RCA ad is typical of what
  could be expected from an affiliation with a
  radio station (New Orleans States, 6 July 1928).

19
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• Despite many setbacks, the States affiliated once
  again with a New Orleans radio station. In March
  1931, the States began broadcasting two
  fifteen-minute news bulletins for Loyola
  University station WWL. Loyolas Father Orie
  Abell setup a remote studio in the States offices
  from which the bulletins were broadcast.

20
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• Although newspaper advertising decreased after
  the birth of network chains in 1926, the main
  culprit for the drop was the Great Depression.
  Newspapers, however, blamed all their financial
  woes on radio.

Advertising Expenditures in Millions of Dollars
21
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• One 10 June 1932, the four New Orleans daily
  newspapers States, Item, Tribune,
  Times-Picayune stopped printing the schedules
  of radio programs. Radio stations had heretofore
  relied on the free printing of these schedules to
  inform their listeners of programs. The program
  log blackout continued, despite considerable
  protestations by the citys radio stations, until
  March 1934.

22
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• The blackout in New Orleans was unique for two
  reasons.
• It took place nearly a year before the nations
  press decided to take collective action against
  radio stations and the networks.
• Only a handful of other cities, usually smaller
  cities with minimal newspaper competition, were
  able to successfully implement a program log
  blackout.

23
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• In June 1933, the New Orleans newspapers sued
  station WDSU for news piracy.
• They claimed that the radio station stole news
  from their papers, then broadcast it without
  authorization or even checking the accuracy of
  the information.
• The New Orleans civil district court issued an
  injunction against the station and ordered that
  it not broadcast any news from the citys
  newspapers less than 24 hours old.

24
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• Huey P. Long rose to political power at the same
  time the relationship between the New Orleans
  press and radio stations was most volatile.

25
New Orleans Press-Radio War

• He showed great skill in manipulating both
  mediums to his advantage.
• Long used radio to bypass the Louisiana press,
  often using much of the airtime to denounce the
  lying newspapers of Louisiana.
• Long established his own newspaper, called the
  Louisiana Progress (later the American Progress
  to reflect his national political aspirations) in
  which it gave special attention to the issues he
  believed were important.
• Long implemented a tax on newspaper advertising
  in order to control the states press. The
  newspapers sued and the case Grosjean v.
  American Press Co. went all the way to the
  Supreme Court. The newspapers won.

26
Conclusion

• The New Orleans press-radio war from 1922 to 1936
  was similar to that of other cities throughout
  the nation. It was truly unique, however, in
  several ways.
• The successful implementation of a program log
  blackout by the citys newspapers.
• The successful collective action taken in a news
  piracy case against station WDSU.
• The manipulation by the Long regime of the
  volatile relationship between the citys press
  and radio.

27
THE END
Louisiana State University Library and
Information Science program 267 Coates Hall,
LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803 (225) 578 -
3158, or fax (225) 578 - 4581.