Edmund Albert Chester, Sr. - (June 22, 1897 – October 14, 1973) - was a senior Vice President and executive at the CBS

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

networks during the 1940s. As Director of Latin American Relations he collaborated with the

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other na ...

to develop CBS's "La Cadena de Las Americas" radio network in support of Pan-Americanism during World War II. He also served as a highly respected journalist and Bureau Chief for Latin America at

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

and Vice President at La Prensa Asociada in the 1930s.''Time'', June 1, 1942

Biography

During the course of a journalistic career which ranged over two decades, he assumed a central role in the development of a viable international radio transmission network linking the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

with the developing nations of

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and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

for the CBS network from 1940 through 1949. As Director of Short Wave Broadcasts for CBS he supervised the creation of this vast shortwave service which was widely known throughout South America as the Network of the Americas (La Cadena de las Americas).''In All His Glory: the Life And Times of William S. Paley''
Salley Bedell Smith. Random House. New York, 2002 p. 18 William S. Paley, CBS, Edmund A. Chester on books.google He assisted William S. Paley and high level diplomats from

in the development of the intricate broadcast standards which would serve as the foundations for this vital information link during the turbulent

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

era. He also collaborated with his counterparts in

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during the post World War II era in order to coordinate the creation of new technical broadcast standards and the expansion of the broadcast network which linked the two continents. His endeavors were not limited to the technical development of CBS' worldwide broadcasting capabilities. As CBS' Director of Latin American Relations Mr. Chester worked in concert with the

, the United States Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs (OCIAA) and

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the State media, state-owned news network and International broadcasting, international radio broadcaster of the United States, United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international br ...

while supervising the development of news and cultural programming for live broadcasts to North America and Latin America from the CBS broadcast studios in

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. These imaginative cultural initiatives served to foster benevolent diplomatic relations and high level cultural exchanges throughout South America as part of President

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's support for Pan-Americanism during the 1940s. Popular programs such as ''

Viva America Viva may refer to: Companies and organisations * Viva (network operator), a Dominican mobile network operator * Viva Air, a Spanish airline taken over by flag carrier Iberia * Viva Air Dominicana * VIVA Bahrain, a telecommunication company * ...

showcased professional musical talent of the highest caliber in live concert and were supervised by the Department of State and the Office of Inter-American Affairs during the tenure of

Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...

.''The New York Times'', January 18, 1942, pg. 27''The New York Times'', November 5, 1983, pg. 34 He presented prominent musicians from both North America and South America for extended appearances on these broadcasts. Included among these artists were: Alfredo Antonini (

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

orchestral conductor); Juan Arvizu (

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

"Tenor with the Silken Voice

Nestor Mesta Chayres, Nestor Mesta Chaires (

tenor aka "El Gitano De Mexico

Eva Garza Eva Garza (May 11, 1917 – November 1, 1966) was a Mexican-American singer and film actress who acquired international recognition in the 1940s and 1950s during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. She collaborated on live radio shows and films wi ...

(

songstress);

Terig Tucci Terig Tucci (June 23, 1897 – February 28, 1973) was an Argentine composer, violinist, pianist, and mandolinist. Tucci was born in Buenos Aires, in 1897. His first composition, “Cariños de madre” was performed for a zarzuela at the ...

(

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...

composer/arranger); John Serry, Sr. (

concert accordionist/composer), Elsa Miranda (Puerto Rican vocalist) and members of the CBS Pan American Orchestra. As World War II evolved, the shortwave broadcasts which were transmitted over Chester's "La Cadena de Las Americas" grew in popularity and scope throughout Latin America. Initially broadcasts only lasted for seven hours each day. By 1945, Chester successfully developed the network to broadcast high quality entertainment and news programming over 114 affiliated radio stations in twenty Latin American nations. In later years (1948), Mr. Chester emerged as the Director of News, Special Events and Sports for the CBS

Television Network A television network or television broadcaster is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay television providers. Until the mid ...

. During this period he assumed a central role in coordinating the integration of the vast CBS radio network with the evolving television division. In the course of supervising CBS' historic live television coverage of the proceedings of the

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...

in November 1949, Mr. Chester demonstrated an enduring commitment to the lofty professional standards for excellence in broadcasting which served as the hallmark of the entire CBS network for decades to come.''The New York Times'', November 4, 1949, pg. 50

References

External links

WorldCat.org Library holdings for Edmund A. Chester
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chester, Edmund A. American television executives American male journalists 1897 births 1973 deaths American radio executives CBS executives Journalists from New York City