NBC - Introduction to Listen Magazine

Network radio was really exciting stuff back in its heyday and nobody was better than building up excitement and ballyhoo than NBC. From September 1937, we offer this special promotional 78 given away by the National Broadcasting Company to promote "Listen" magazine.  It was the "magazine within a magazine" - actually, a fancy advertising supplement in "Life" that was sponsored by RCA.

The edition of "Listen" distributed with the September 20, 1937 issue of "Life" was devoted to a "behind the scenes" look at NBC.  See how sound effects are made!  See your favorite NBC stars!  The disc includes an excerpt of the King George VI coronation broadcast and a nice copy of the NBC chimes at the end. Our mp3 was transferred from an original NBC 12" shellac 78 rpm disc pressed by RCA Victor, matrix number 013166-1.  The other side of the disc is the commercial release "Lohengrin-Prelude to Act 3" (Wagner) performed by Arturo Toscanani and the Philharmonic Symphony of New York, matrix number 14007-A from album M 308-3, and includes the original Red Seal Victor "scroll" label for the side. I'm not sure who the "Bruce Robertson" is that's mentioned on the label - perhaps an ad agency executive or company president?  They must have spent some time and money to customize the labels for this issue like this.  This promo disc is similar to the promo 45 set issued by NBC to promote "Night Beat" to potential advertisers that I posted on the blog a couple of years back. I have another NBC promo disc like this I'll be putting up in a couple of weeks.