Arco Birthday Party was an NBC Red Network

NBC Red Network

The NBC Red Network was one of the two original radio networks of the National Broadcasting Company. After NBC was required to divest itself of its Blue Network , the Red Network continued as the NBC Radio Network.It, along with the Blue Network, were the first two commercial radio networks in the...

 series heard in 1930-31. It was sponsored by Arco Publishing.

The format honored the birthdays of past writers and composers. For instance, the program of Thursday, November 13, 1930, offered a tribute to the writer Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....

, who was born November 13, 1850.

That same evening the musical offerings included a male quartet harmonizing on "When You and I Were Young, Maggie" and tenor Harold Hansen singing "Roses of Picardy". The orchestra performed the "Polovetzian Dance No.1" from Alexander Borodin

Alexander Borodin

Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin was a Russian Romantic composer and chemist of Georgian–Russian parentage. He was a member of the group of composers called The Five , who were dedicated to producing a specifically Russian kind of art music...

's Prince Igor. Borodin was born November 12, 1833.

The show's host was Charles K. Field.