Results 1 to 20 of 20

Thread: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

  1. #1
    Veteran Member
    Joined
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    744
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Smiley Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    As a side issue, and not core to any discussion other than corporate history, here is the history of the NBC chime sounds started on the radio network (now defunct) about 1925. In 1925, (about) as a start up, General Electric founded and bankrolled NBC. Find a keyboard or piano. As a reference only , find middle C. Hit first octive "G". Then hit upper "E", than hit upper "C". You get the NBC chimes, one of the more brillant marketing advertising ID tags ever. Still used on NBC TV.

    The point. G E C musical tones stands for the original owner of NBC, General Electric Corporation. Due to political anti trust pressure, and NBC radio network being non core, NBC wound up being owned by RCA. For years the RCA building sign loomed over Rockefeller Center in New York City. Then GE bought RCA in the late 1980's, and got back NBC.

    You can erase this as being not club oriented I guess. Thought it was interesting to share.

  2. #2
    God/dess Deogol's Avatar
    Joined
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    5,493
    Thanks
    120
    Thanked 50 Times in 35 Posts

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    I reved up the Korg and it certainly sounds like it. I used Heaven's Bells with a high resonance setting. I bet Tubular Bells would have better but good enough for the experiment.

  3. #3
    Veteran Member
    Joined
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    744
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    First class equipment you have. Thanks for the verification. Lately with my postings, someone will complain that the keys are different or that I'm tone deaf.

  4. #4
    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,103
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    Not all correct according to the Museaum of broadcasting.
    http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/N/...tionalbroa.htm
    RCA was formed after World War I when General Electric signed an extensive patents cross-licensing agreement with Westinghouse, AT and T, and United Fruit. The product of this alliance, RCA was owned jointly by the four companies and was created for the purpose of marketing radio receivers produced by G. E. and Westinghouse. As the alliance unraveled during the late 1920s and early 1930s, due to internal competition and government antitrust efforts, RCA emerged as an independent company. In November 1926, RCA formed NBC as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
    Also westinghouse, united fruit, and At&t sound like crap as musical notes.

  5. #5
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    actually, as in other DD threads, more than one interpretation of the actual 'facts' appears to apply even to the NBC chimes ...

    "The famous 3-note chimes of NBC came about after several years of trying different musical note combinations. The three note combination (G-E-C; not related at all to RCA's original stockholder General Electric) came from WSB in Atlanta which used it for its own purposes until one day someone at NBC in New York heard the WSB version of the notes during a networked broadcast of a Georgia Tech football game and asked permission to use it on the national network. NBC started to use the 3 notes in 1931, and it was the first ever audio trademark to be accepted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. An alternate jingle was also used that went E-G-C-C, known as "the fourth chime" and used during wartime (especially in the wake of the Pearl Harbor bombing) and other disasters. The NBC chimes were mechanized in 1932; their purpose was to send a low level signal of constant amplitude that would be heard by the various switching stations manned by NBC and AT&T engineers, and thus used as a system cue for switching different stations between the Red and Blue network feeds. Because of fears of offending commercial sponsors by cutting their programs off in mid-sentence, the mechanized chimes were always rung by an announcer pushing a button; they were never set to an automatic timer, although heavy discussions on the subject were held between the Engineering and Programming departments throughout the 1930s and 1940s."

    from

  6. #6
    Veteran Member
    Joined
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    744
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    I continue to research G E C, and find the online encyclopedia a not credible source. The www.RCA.com web site says that in 1919 Franklin Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy. He “suggested” to Edison General Electric Company that it form a wireless company to keep wireless technology manufacture in America as a future growth industry. GE set up RCA taking a 1/3 ownership stake. The other companies in ownership were Westinghouse and American Marconi. American Marconi basically ceased to exist, as all of its assets became owned by RCA for the other 1/3 of equity. Westinghouse and GE continued to do other lines of business.

    RCA took over marketing, distribution, advertising and sales of radios produced by GE and Westinghouse, and later the in house brand RCA.

    In 1926 three companies formed what might now be called a joint venture, except it was a corporate form of organization and bought radio station WEAF New York City.
    GE and Westinghouse each contributed additional equity, lent credit, or corporate paper, to the RCA balance sheet and RCA became the legal owner of station WEAF.
    (This station is now WNBC New York.) WEAF became the anchor station, control room, production studio and corporate Headquarters of the NBC radio network. General Electric purchased 30 per cent of NBC stock directly. The other 70 per cent was owned by RCA. In turn GE owned .33 of the .70 of RCA stock or .231 (23.1 per cent)
    of NBC. 23.1 plus 30 percent equals 53.1 per cent of NBC, and the corporate web sites agree that GE controlled NBC and called the shots in the late 20’s and early 1930’s.

    I find it dubious that the history write ups of GE, RCA, and NBC all do not mention the origin of the NBC network ID chimes of musical tones G E C.

    General Electric did it’s best to be quiet and very behind the scenes of NBC at the time, as they were under grumbling of monopoly and too much control at the time.

    Further, there was an anti trust action to force GE to divest ownership in both RCA and NBC. So I have blundered onto the “Divinci Code” of the NBC Chimes. It is not inconceivable that the tones G E C do indeed stand to this very day for General Electric Corporation because Thomas Edison was still alive at the time NBC was formed and Thomas Edison was very proud of General Electric.

    It does not seem that NBC would “steal” the tones G E C from an Atlanta Radio station.
    NBC did copyright the musical tones as an audio copyright as stated earlier. Perhaps, like the controversy over the “Shroud of Torino” (ha ha) the NBC tone issues is just a coincidence. This is amusing because NBC created Torino in its past Olympic coverage and there is no city in Italy named “Torino.” There is a Turin. Todays Wall Street Journal and the New York Times correctly refer to the Olympics taking place in Turin Italy and there is an artifact called the “Shroud of Turin.” The only Torino I know is a early 1970’s Ford that didn’t run very well. I am researching two broadcast museums with no mention or references at all on the NBC Chime ID tones.

  7. #7
    Veteran Member
    Joined
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    744
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    The great NBC Chime search continues. I have hit on a hornets nest of chimes. I claim that the tones G E C for the NBC tone signal stood for the original owner of the NBC radio network General Electric Company.

    Monty the Geek says that the chimes were from station WSB Atlanta. I found a web site
    and will copy and paste the text which tends to emphasizes my view. If you want to find the web site and listen to all the early radio (and cruise ship and dinner chimes) it is www.nbcchimes.info. If you are interested in a side study of dinner chime mechanisms this web site is for you.

    First of all WSB Atlanta used the tones E G C which are in a different order than G E C.

    WSY which became one of the first NBC radio affiliates used G E C and the station proudly proclaimed to all that it was owned by General Electric. Here’s the quote---
    “Station WGY in Schenectady, NY, went on the air on February 22, 1922, and is said to have used the notes G-E-C played on a piano starting in 1923. In this case, G-E-C denoted the owner of the station, the General Electric Company.”

    According to the curator of the GE museum archives, the definitive word on this is in a book titled, “His Master Voice” in America edited by Frederick O. Barnum III and published by the General Electric Corporation in 1991. I tried to get a copy but it’s out of print with the only known copy retailing for $750. I’m working on an inter library transfer from Illinois to New York but I may never get a copy. I haven’t given up however and will post the definitive post when I receive it.

  8. #8
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    Is Frederick O. Barnum III the great grandson of P.T. Barnum, by any chance ?

    Even though this thread ostensibly has nothing whatsoever to do with a financial forum, in fact it does -- because it illustrates the principle of second and third hand news reporting, potential interpretations of a couple of incidents of anecdotal evidence as if they were the only evidence, and the very imprecise results which usually follow when the actual and full facts are only known to a 'select few' who have chosen to make no official announcement, or several 'reputable sources' offer conflicting information. Not all that different than trying to digest several business news websites/cable channels/magazines with different viewpoints.
    Last edited by Melonie; 02-15-2006 at 10:08 PM.

  9. #9
    Veteran Member
    Joined
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    744
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    I have no idea about the Barnum thing. Status Report: My local library is confounded about anyone asking for a book published by General Electric where the copies originally cost $500 each. What is odd is the book is on RCA, but published by General Electric.

    I spent several hours on the chime web site ringing the various chimes which all have audio links.

    So go ring your chimes.

  10. #10
    Veteran Member azcustomer's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    676
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    GE is the evil empire...

  11. #11
    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,103
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    Niceguy,

    The correction is Melonie said something about the chimes. I know nothing (best Sgt. Schultz voice) about the chimes, but posted the Museum of Broadcasting link.

    As for the use as an audio tone, the logic for doing that is impecable and matches what was done in oldtimey movies. Ever see the dots in the upper corner on an old movie show. That was the cue to 1, start the other projector running, and 2 to switch to the 2nd projector for the next reel. I was a projectionist for the film society in college, and can't watch an oldtimey movie without seeing those dots
    I can't help but wonder about how United fruit ended up in the MOB piece though. United fruit morphed into becoming United Brands, then Chicquita banana. the other long dead name in broadcasting was Crosley. Powell Crosley Jr owned a radio making company (My dad worked there in the 1940s) and had a chain of midwest radio stations, including WLW, famous for Rod Serling's start in broadcasting and Rosemary Clooney. The Lindner family (United Dairy farmers and insurance companies) runs Chiquita I believe (or did), but had no known connection to broadcasting that I know of.

  12. #12
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    Again lacking a nearly 100 year old paper trail to back this up, rumor has it that United Fruit wound up investing in 'infant' radio for the same reasons that mature and profitable industries today invest in 'leading edge' new technology companies ... as a speculative investment. However, the investment world has now changed to the point where, for many reasons related to law and taxes, acquisitions of the entire company are now a much more likely scenario than simply holding a minority interest. Thus today you seldom see a company in an 'unrelated' industry acquiring a new technology company whose business shares nothing whatsoever in common with the larger company's business pursuits.

    As for Crosley radio manufacturing and the Crosley regional radio network, think in terms of RIM (vs blackberry) and in terms of Carrols hamburgers. If you can't beat 'em, and if you can't make decent money trying to undersell them, join em.

  13. #13
    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,103
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    Your regionalism is showing Melonie, Fuggedabout Carrols, you need a Frisch's Big Boy. My mom would kill for one of their fish sandwiches and an order of onion rings and pumpkin pie for dessert.
    http://www.frischs.com/history4.asp#

    (PS: they are listed on the AMEX, so it qualifies for DDen)

  14. #14
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    Your regionalism is showing Melonie, Fuggedabout Carrols, you need a Frisch's Big Boy.
    Regionalism about the Crosley radio network was exactly my point Monty ! And I actually love Frisch's Big Boys when I travel to parts of the country where they're available. Here's hoping that merger mania doesn't 'gobble them up' and ruin their recipes as happened to Carrols and so many other regional efforts.

  15. #15
    Veteran Member
    Joined
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    744
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    Used to be Elias Brothers Big Boys in Michigan, primarily Detroit. Used to be Bob's Big Boys
    around Palm Springs in California. Used to be Marc's Big Boys in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, (but not Chicago.) Not sure if any of them are still around. Marcus Corporation is still around doing movie theatres and hotels. Thought both of the Elias Brothers in Michigan died and the chain folded, but don't remember.

  16. #16
    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,103
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    It ain't regionalism in my case Melonie, I am so old it is current events. hehehe
    there still is a crosley radio http://www.crosleyradio.com/prods/company.html
    The radio stations are owwned by a national chain, however. The former (2 fields ago) home of the Cincinnati Reds was Crosley Field (off 1-75 near the train station). I remember that well with the stands that vibrated when the fans pounded their feet in rhythm and the trough urinals in the mens room.

    As for Frisch's they probably do not do enough business per store to make them attractive as a takeover target. I believe niceguy is correct and the Big-Boy name and symbolcame from Bob's in Glendale, California and they own the trademark. Frisch's was a drivein at the Mainliner when McD's was just a Ray Kroch dream. Melonie, I am dating myself but I remember servers on skates at the Mainliner.

  17. #17
    God/dess threlayer's Avatar
    Joined
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Syracuse
    Posts
    5,921
    Thanks
    369
    Thanked 419 Times in 290 Posts
    My Mood
    Fine

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    More usless info... Carrols is a Syracuse-based company. http://www.carrols.com/html/bk.htm They used to sell fast food burgers, etc., up to the mid-to-late 70s. I believe Carrols got out of the franchised food origination business and bought franchises from Burger King, which is all over this region. Most of the Carrols joints were converted to Burger King storefronts and menus. I'm sure this in an incomplete version, looking at it only from a customer point of view, but I did check into their site. Carrols is a large employer here with of course a low average wage-base.

    They still overcook their burgers, but not as bad as MacDonalds. By the way GE is almost gone from Syracuse. They were a major employer here for many years - TVs, military etc. Just to tie it in.
    Last edited by threlayer; 02-23-2006 at 09:51 AM. Reason: added the link, other info
    I loved going to strip clubs; I actually made some friends there. Now things are different for the clubs and for me. As a result I am not as happy.

    Customers are not entitled to grope, disrespect, or rob strippers. This is their job, not their hobby, and they all need income. Clubs are not just some erotic show for guys to view while drinking.

    NOTE: anything I post here, outside of a direct quote, is my opinion only, which I am entitled to. Take it for what you estimate it is worth.

  18. #18
    God/dess threlayer's Avatar
    Joined
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Syracuse
    Posts
    5,921
    Thanks
    369
    Thanked 419 Times in 290 Posts
    My Mood
    Fine

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    Now, Big Boy itself is not a restaurant franchise, but a line franchise - the fat boy statue with sandwiches named Big Boy, Brawny Lad, etc. This food line is sold to numerous franchises in the US. Frisch's may be only one of those line franchisees. I'm not sure where the line originated, possibly at Frisch's; then I would be wrong. The TJs restaurants in CNY used to franchise the lineBig Boy, but that is long out of business here. But I still come across it in my travels.
    I loved going to strip clubs; I actually made some friends there. Now things are different for the clubs and for me. As a result I am not as happy.

    Customers are not entitled to grope, disrespect, or rob strippers. This is their job, not their hobby, and they all need income. Clubs are not just some erotic show for guys to view while drinking.

    NOTE: anything I post here, outside of a direct quote, is my opinion only, which I am entitled to. Take it for what you estimate it is worth.

  19. #19
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    again not wanting to get too far afield, but I'm also quite familiar with the financial climate in both downstate and upstate NY over the last 20 years or so. All I can say is that NY had about a 10 year jump on similar states in terms of levying oppressive taxes, enacting restrictive and expensive state environmental and labor laws, half-assed deregulation of energy and communications, and extremely generous welfare / medicaid benefits.

    Thus if Californians or Michiganers or other blue state residents want to get a 'peek' at what their state's economy is likely to look like very soon, just have a look at what has happened in New York (and particularly in formerly industrialized upstate NY). I am told that upstate NY now has only two 'growth' industries ... state prisons and higher education ... both of which are primarily funded by tax money.

  20. #20
    God/dess threlayer's Avatar
    Joined
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Syracuse
    Posts
    5,921
    Thanks
    369
    Thanked 419 Times in 290 Posts
    My Mood
    Fine

    Default Re: Side Issue GE Inc. and NBC history

    Mel,
    ...and healthcare services... which is the case all over the nation, along with pharmaceuticals.

    It is arguable whether healthcare is an industry or a service. In terms of urban planning, the "industry" sector brings in money from outside the area, where commercial (services) sector moves money around inside the area. In some places "industry" means vacation resorts since it brings money into the area; no 'machinery' or tangible product is involved. Of course taxes remove a huge chunk of that money from the area whenever it does move around, so taxes could be called an ANTI-industry. This all says that the government must replace the money it takes out of an area somehow or the area becomes quickly depressed; usually Medicare and Federal contribution to highways just don't cut it. This all belongs in another thread.
    I loved going to strip clubs; I actually made some friends there. Now things are different for the clubs and for me. As a result I am not as happy.

    Customers are not entitled to grope, disrespect, or rob strippers. This is their job, not their hobby, and they all need income. Clubs are not just some erotic show for guys to view while drinking.

    NOTE: anything I post here, outside of a direct quote, is my opinion only, which I am entitled to. Take it for what you estimate it is worth.

Similar Threads

  1. NBC Boycott called for ...
    By Melonie in forum Member Boards
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 12-08-2007, 09:27 PM
  2. Biggest Loser on NBC
    By blondhottie in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 09-26-2007, 09:11 PM
  3. nbc dateline 2 catch a predator
    By hotpocket11 in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 17
    Last Post: 02-14-2007, 07:27 PM
  4. The history of sex on the history channel
    By leilanicandy in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 11-19-2006, 01:33 AM
  5. Replies: 5
    Last Post: 07-31-2006, 12:57 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •