Okeh sign (1935)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   Greetings from a parking ticket-Yankee-sleep deprived haze.  At five a.m.,
 I'll hop on a dog and take a turn for the Worcester.
   I got a good copy of this page from the Library of Congress on Monday.


      GLOSSARY OF RADIO'S NEW TERMS COMPILED
       CARROLL NYE.       Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File).       Los
Angeles, Calif.: Jul 7, 1935.              p. A6 (1 page)

(COL. 3 PHOTO CAPTION--ed.)
      RADIO'S SIGN LANGUAGE AND KEN NILES
   Ken Niles is pictured, center, as he reads from a script for a COlumbia
Broadcasting System show.  Meanwhile, Raymond Paige is using radio sign language
on his orchestra, which the maestro illustrates for us in the series of small
pictures of his own hands.  Explanations: reading from top, left, across the
top and then down to bottom right, (1) This is a Paige signal to harpost for
transposition modulations during program (First fingers form "T"--ed.); (2)
Orchestra goes to second editing of (Col. 4--ed.) chorus if fingers are pointed
up ("Victory" sign--ed.).  If one is pointed up the musicians play the first
ending.  (3) Orchestra takes up theme (Looks like the Yellow Pages
fingers--ed.).  (4) "Okeh," the sign that the program is coming up on schedule.  (5)
Orchestra swings into finish of music (Fist--ed.).  (6) Two thumbs up means
everything on time and perfect.  (7) A secret signal which means "Play better--the
sponsor is in the studio!"  (First two fingers touch the other hand's open
palm--ed.)  Sam Coslow, famous tunesmith, "shot" the pictures.

(Col. 1 article--ed.)

_GLOSSARY OF RADIO'S_
_NEW TERMS COMPILED_
_Contribution to Ether Vocabulary Made by_
   _Technicians, Musicians, Actors, Music_
   _Directors, Writers, Flunkeys_
BY CARROLL NYE
   Radio, at birth, struggled along with a variety of names bestowed upon it
be a number of persons who claimed to be its parents.  And, like all infants,
it was almost inarticulate.
   The parenthood records still are muddled, but there is nothing uncertain
about the vocabulary radio has acquired in the brief span of years since its
christening--unless it be the derivation of some of its terms.  SOme of the
expressions have been borrowed from the theater and screen; others from the
newspaper, but the greater part of the "just happened."
   _WEBSTER'S PROBLEM SAME_
   I've begun a glossary of terms which, admittedly, is incomplete and
subject to dispute.  Even Webster had to start somewhere.
   Here it is:
   SIGNATURE: Theme melody for program designed to establish it definitely in
the mind of the listener.
   MICROPHONE: Similar to telephone.  Little black box which receives sounds
and has the power to throw those who face it into a state of panic.
   TRANSMITTER:  Electrical contrivance which generates carrier waves.
   ANTENNA: Means for projecting carrier wave into space.  Fluctuations of
carrier wave form sounds in receiving set.
      _NOISE BOX_
   RECEIVER: Noise box you have in your home to amuse yourself and annoy the
neighbors.
   DIAL: Circular disk in receiver with markings for locating various
stations.
   KILOCYCLE: Unit of measurement for frequency.

   WAVE  LENGTHS: Meters.
   WATTS: Power output.
   MEGACYCLE: One thousand kilocycles.  Unit of measurement in short-wave
transmission.
   REMOTE or REMOTE CONTROL:  Radio had made noun out of verb.  Means picking
up program from place outside radio studio.
      _BLEND OF SOUNDS_
   MIX: To blend sounds various microphones pick up, into one effective whose
(Illegible last word--ed.).
   MONITOR:  Verb.  Same as mix.
   NEMO:  Simon-pure radio coined word meaning remote pick-up.  Announcer's
key carries the word.
   NETWORK: Thousands of miles of telephone wires, used to transmit radio
programs over great distances.
   BOOSTER STATIONS: Small structures built at 100-miles intervals across the
country, in which control men keep network broadcasts at the proper levels.
   LINE HUM: Trouble in telephone line.
   STATIC: Atmosphere electricity.
      _MAN-MADE STATIC_
   INTERFERENCE: Man-made static through operations of electrical appliances.
   SIGNAL: Man-made code for station identification.
   SIGNAL STRENGHT: Indication of how far a station's broadcast is reaching.
   FADE: Gradually soften music or sound on program.  Lifted from motion
picture dictionary..
   CUT: Stop program.  Motion picture term also.
   SEGUE: Blend parts of program without verbal interruptions.
   SIGN ON: Introductory announcement indicating what station is going on the
air.
   SIGN OFF: Closing announcement if the same character.
   CALL-LETTERS: KMTR, KHJ, KFI, etc. Identification of stations given out by
Federal Radio Commission, now the Federal Communications Commission.
      _VERSITILITY NEEDED_
   ANNOUNCER: Man who is forced to be pleasant while selling Mrs.
Pepperdine's Pleasant Pills for Pale People.  Combination of side-show barker, train
announcer, press agent and Congressman who as (has?--ed.) been inoculated with a
phonograph needle.
   EMCEE:  Master of ceremonies.
   CROONER:  Term that came in with radio.  Man who massages the (Col.
2--ed.) microphone while softly singing sweet nothings.  Supposed to have "S.A."
   BLUES SINGER: Wailing singer.
   TORCH SINGER: Female crooner.
   NEWSCAST: Broadcast of news.
   SPORTSCAST: Broadcast of sports event.
   CANARY: See torch singer.
   STOOGE: The human wall against which the chief comic bounces his gags.
      _IT'S CONTAGIOUS_
   MICROMANIA: Disease which attacks one who loves the sound of his own
voice.  If he once gets on the air it takes an act of Congress to get him off.
   SPONSOR: Commercial firm which puts out the money for radio programs.
   COMMERCIAL: Sponsored program.
   SUSTAINING: Unsponsored program.
   SPOT ANNOUNCEMENT: Brief commercial announcement put on between commercial
or sustaining programs.
   TIME SIGNAL: Inexpensive form of advertising by telling listeners what
time of day it is.
   FLUFF: To see one word or phrase in radio script and say something else.
      _TONGUE-TWISTERS_
   SPOONERISM: Tongue-twisting comedy routine employed by Roy Atwell, Senator
Fishface, J. C. Flippen and Joe Twerp.  Not to be confused with stuttering.
   ARTIST:  Performer who gets more than $10 a week.
   COMMENTATOR: Anyone who imitates Edwin C. Hill, Alexander Woollcott or
read Time magazine.
   FORMAT: Synopsis of radio program.
   SOUND-EFFECTS MAN: One who was bounced on head when a child.
   CHAIN: See "Network."
   HOOK-UP: Same.
   TUNERINNER: Listener.
   TUNEROUTER: Radio editor.
   BEEFER: Malcontent.
      _NO OVERLAPPING_
   SELECTIVITY: Quality of receiving set to reproduce programs of many
stations without having one overlap the other.
   AUDITION: Same as "tryout" in theater parlance.
   AIR CHECK: Recording on wax of program that has been on the air.
   ELECTRICAL TRANSCRIPTION: Program originally recorded on wax and used
subsequently for broadcasts.
   LIVE AUDIENCE: Audience in radio station during broadcast.
   CROSS-TALK: Annoying effect produced when lines are crossed and programs
from two stations come on the air simultaneously.
      _ECHO PRODUCED_
   FEED_BACK: Effect produced when the loudspeaker is in operation in the
control room and the echo goes back through the microphone.
   DEAD MIKE: Microphone that hasn't been connected with the controls.
   LIVE ROOM: Room full of echoes.  Unsuitable for broadcasting purposes.
      _PROFESSIONAL "HAMS"_
   AMATEUR SHOW: Radio program contributed with professional "hams" and
"stooge hams."
   THIN: Expression used to denote the fact that instruments or voices are
not being properly reproduced.
   So much for the nucleus of radio's vocabulary.  Let's polish this off with
some of the strange expressions which are peculiar to the industry.
   SHE'S IN THE MUD: Volume too low.
   SOUNDS LIKE A DRUM: Broadcast sounds hollow.
   SHE'S BOOMY: Indicating performer is too close to the microphone.
   OUT OF THE BEAMS: Performer is out of range of the microphone.
   ON THE NOSE: Program has started and finished at the proper second.
   SHE'S PIQUING: Performer is giving more volume than the microphone can
take.
   There's a starter.  You are welcome to add to it--or correct it.