The Progressive Broadcasting System (PBS) was a short-lived
radio network
There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass media, mass-media entertainment, and the two-way radio (Duplex (telecomm ...
of the early 1950s. "
tering to smaller radio stations," the company had hoped to affiliate with around 1,000 radio stations in the United States which did not already have affiliation agreements with the "Big Four" national radio networks of those days:
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
,
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
,
ABC, and
Mutual, as well as
LBS, second in size to Mutual.
''Time'' announced the company's formation on September 4, 1950. Broadcasts began November 26, 1950.
Operation
Progressive planned to offer programming for 10 hours of the day on as many as 350 radio stations. At a press conference August 10, 1950, Progressive President
Larry Finley told reporters, "Advertising will be local, except for the night programs, and there will be no network option time."
The network's flagship station was
KGFJ in Hollywood.
[
Two hundred stations were needed for the network to break even. However, only "about 100 stations" joined, and the network folded at the end of its schedule on January 31, 1951.
]
Organization
After "nearly two years of planning and organization," PBS had capitalization of $1,500,000 and was incorporated in California.[
Executives of the network included Miller McClintock, chairman and chief executive; Larry Finley, president; Donald Withycomb, executive vice president; Edgar H. Twalmley, vice president in charge of the eastern division; Robert B. White, vice president in charge of the central division;]
Programming
Billing its offerings as "The world's greatest daytime network radio programming,"[) available to affiliates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.][
]
Public service
On December 15, 1950, President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
proclaimed "the existence of a state of national emergency."[ Afterward, PBS officials sent a letter to approximately 60 agencies and departments of the federal government saying that "its program lines ]ould be Ould is an English surname and an Arabic name ( ar, ولد). In some Arabic dialects, particularly Hassaniya Arabic, ولد (the patronymic, meaning "son of") is transliterated as Ould. Most Mauritanians have patronymic surnames.
Notable p ...
kept open until 11 p.m. and offering those evening hours to the government for any messages or programs which PBS can take to its member stations in support of defense and emergency activities."[
]
Initial program lineup
The following is the lineup of programs with which PBS launched its operation.[
]
References
Defunct radio networks in the United States
Radio stations established in 1950
Radio stations disestablished in 1951
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Defunct radio stations in the United States