Saturday, May 20, 2017
It's all about PURPOSE
The American Radio History site has a section for promotional brochures issued by major stations.
Two of these brochures look remarkably similar, and the automatic first impression is that they are related. Maybe branches of the same operation, or maybe one was a later location of the same operation.
KTNT in Muscatine Iowa, and KFNF in Shenandoah Iowa. Similar call letters, similar towns.
Each brochure shows the radio facilities and personalities. Each shows the vast grounds around the station, with crowds of tourists happily wandering and buying merchandise. Each shows the vast mail-order business selling merchandise of all sorts.
Under the surface KTNT and KFNF are PERFECT OPPOSITES.
KTNT was run by Norman Baker, who was in fact a perfect parallel to JR Brinkley. A carnival barker who loved to start new carnival-style enterprises, and loved to skirt the law. Like Brinkley, Baker ran a fraudulent medical clinic. Like Brinkley, he soon scurried across the border into Mexico where radio regulations and fraud laws were looser.
KFNF was run by the Fields Seed Company, which had been selling seeds to farmers and gardeners since 1892, and is STILL selling seeds to farmers and gardeners. The mail-order business and catalog printing plant had been there before radio was invented. Radio was a useful advertising tool for a while, with programs of gardening and cooking hints encouraging people to buy and use Fields Seeds.
In terms of PURPOSE, KTNT was the WORST possible type of business. Medical fraud.
In terms of PURPOSE, KFNF was the BEST possible type of business. Real products serving agriculture. Can't get better than that.
Labels: Grand Blueprint
¶ 6:47 AM
