WELLESNET MESSAGE BOARD

I'm doing some research on how the Mercury broadcasts were recorded.

I was wondering if anyone on the board would know if the business records of the Mercury broadcasts are in an archive somewhere.

Last year, I found a "War of the Worlds" lacquer set that I posted on my blog and the set appears to be one recorded "live" the night of the broadcast and not a dub made at a later time.

I've done quite a bit of talking with otr enthusiasts and there's conflicting information about how the Mercury Theater series was recorded. I'm hoping, if the business records survive, there might be receipts from the recording studio that made lacquers of the broadcasts that would show how many discs were typically made and in what formats.

Sorry we can't help you out, Randy, but let us know if you find any of the information you're looking for. It would be good to know.

Dear randyariddle: My memory and reading on the subject would suggest that THE MERCURY THEATER ON THE AIR, a sustaining program, was broadcast live, once for the East and again in the West. Station-breaks would be different on individual stations carrying the program -- not every station did, by any means -- as would have been recordings or "air checks." These large disks, recorded from the center out, were required by the FCC and were not intended to be in any way commercial. Not every station kept their copies after the passing of a regulated period of time, and the stations which did maintain them over a longer period, did so in various states of care.

These observations are only my memories, as I stress, and however accurate they were originally are less so almost monthly during each passing month.

Nevertheless, I hope the information is of some help to you.

Glenn Anders