Transradio Press Service
Encyclopedia
Transradio Press Service was founded by Herbert Moore in 1934. Its mission was to supply news to radio stations by teleprinter
and shortwave. The service folded in 1951.
in 1934 Herbert Moore had an idea, why not set up a service to provide copy for radio news broadcasts. At that time many radio stations were limited by the big press services to just two five minute broadcasts per day and many had shoddy news writing services. Moore was able to raise $150,000 of start up capital and launch the Transradio Press Service in Manhattan.
When the service began it had 50 radio clients and another 75 clients which received limited news by shortwave radio. Some of Transradio's early clients included: KNX
in Hollywood, KSTP in St. Paul, the Michigan Network, the Yankee Network
in New England, WLS
in Chicago and KWK
in St. Louis. Transradio charged different rates for different clients, depending on their market. A station in Casper, Wyoming paid only $15 per week while the Yankee Network paid $1000 per week.
In Oct. 1934 Moore managed to work out a deal with WOR
in Manhattan for $1500 a week. The deal launched Transradio into the largest radio market in the country.
, United Press and the International News Service
. They all soon realized that they had missed the boat with radio coverage and began to peddle their own news to radio stations. This put the squeeze on the upstart Transradio.
By 1940 Transradio was sending news out to hundreds of stations in the U.S. and Canada, distributing foreign news from France's Agence Havas, Britain's Central News Agency, Germany's Transocean News Service (part of DNB (Deutsche Nachrichten Buro)), British Official Wireless, and its own private sources, including the pioneering foreigncorrespondent Betty Wason
, who started the Czechoslovakian bureau in 1938. In 1940 year Canadian authorities expressed their ire with commercially sponsored news, which was outlawed in Canada, when Transport Minister Clarence Howe arose in Ottawa's House of Commons and announced the two sponsored news services in Canada, Transradio and British United Press, must "show their news sources to be accurate," or risk losing their licenses on July 1.
Moore stormed up to Ottawa and claimed there was a plot by "selfish publishing and monopolistic interests ... to destroy independent news services throughout the Dominion." As the licenses were set to expire the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
, whose own unsponsored news came from Canadian Press
, reversed the decision and agreed to let Transradio transmit indefinitely.
Herbert Moore left Transradio in 1942 for the publishing business and his brother, Robert Moore, took over as president.
Teleprinter
A teleprinter is a electromechanical typewriter that can be used to communicate typed messages from point to point and point to multipoint over a variety of communication channels that range from a simple electrical connection, such as a pair of wires, to the use of radio and microwave as the...
and shortwave. The service folded in 1951.
The beginnings
After leaving CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1934 Herbert Moore had an idea, why not set up a service to provide copy for radio news broadcasts. At that time many radio stations were limited by the big press services to just two five minute broadcasts per day and many had shoddy news writing services. Moore was able to raise $150,000 of start up capital and launch the Transradio Press Service in Manhattan.
When the service began it had 50 radio clients and another 75 clients which received limited news by shortwave radio. Some of Transradio's early clients included: KNX
KNX (AM)
KNX is an all-news radio station in Los Angeles, California, USA. The station operates on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio. KNX broadcasts from facilities shared with sister stations KFWB, KCBS-FM, KTWV, and KAMP on Los Angeles' Miracle Mile...
in Hollywood, KSTP in St. Paul, the Michigan Network, the Yankee Network
Yankee Network
For the radio network of the New York Yankees, see New York Yankees Radio Network.The Yankee Network was an American radio network. It was founded in 1930 by John Shepard III; in 1949, a controlling interest in the network was purchased by General Tire when Robert Shepard chairman of the network's...
in New England, WLS
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
in Chicago and KWK
KSLG (AM)
KSLG is an all-sports radio station, operating from St. Louis, Missouri. The station has used this format since June 2004. Prior to switching to an all-sports format, KSLG was a religious broadcasting radio station...
in St. Louis. Transradio charged different rates for different clients, depending on their market. A station in Casper, Wyoming paid only $15 per week while the Yankee Network paid $1000 per week.
In Oct. 1934 Moore managed to work out a deal with WOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
in Manhattan for $1500 a week. The deal launched Transradio into the largest radio market in the country.
Transradio's heyday
Transradio took off, within five years the company had 400 radio and newspaper clients and 600 stringers and reporters worldwide. In fact, Transradio's success was influential over the other big news services, Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, United Press and the International News Service
International News Service
International News Service was a U.S.-based news agency founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires...
. They all soon realized that they had missed the boat with radio coverage and began to peddle their own news to radio stations. This put the squeeze on the upstart Transradio.
By 1940 Transradio was sending news out to hundreds of stations in the U.S. and Canada, distributing foreign news from France's Agence Havas, Britain's Central News Agency, Germany's Transocean News Service (part of DNB (Deutsche Nachrichten Buro)), British Official Wireless, and its own private sources, including the pioneering foreigncorrespondent Betty Wason
Betty Wason
Elizabeth Wason was an American author and broadcast journalist; a pioneer, with such others as Mary Marvin Breckinridge and Sigrid Schultz, of female journalism in the United States. She worked for and with Edward R. Murrow during World War II, though she and a handful of other journalists were...
, who started the Czechoslovakian bureau in 1938. In 1940 year Canadian authorities expressed their ire with commercially sponsored news, which was outlawed in Canada, when Transport Minister Clarence Howe arose in Ottawa's House of Commons and announced the two sponsored news services in Canada, Transradio and British United Press, must "show their news sources to be accurate," or risk losing their licenses on July 1.
Moore stormed up to Ottawa and claimed there was a plot by "selfish publishing and monopolistic interests ... to destroy independent news services throughout the Dominion." As the licenses were set to expire the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, whose own unsponsored news came from Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
, reversed the decision and agreed to let Transradio transmit indefinitely.
Herbert Moore left Transradio in 1942 for the publishing business and his brother, Robert Moore, took over as president.