[BC] Western Union Clocks

[radioranger]

The small towns didn't get real good service from the Western Union clock
maintenance crew, so our clock was only accurate once an hour, when the
reset tone came down the wire, and it would drift quite a bit in the next
hour. We carried Mutual News on the top of each hour, so it was considered
professional by us kids to backtime music so that it ended just in time for
a quick legal ID and then the news, but with the WU clock this was sometimes
difficult 

It was considered a rite at announcer shift change to inform the incoming
announcer "Mutual is 3 seconds late today" or "Mutual is 4 seconds early
today." Of course the problem wasn't with Mutual!  There was usually also a
discussion on which cart machines (early Collins) weren't working, and if
the Gates SpotTape head was tracking correctly.

And when you sign off, DO NOT forget to leave the turntables out of gear so
there's no flat spots on the idler rollers in the morning.

Steve Brown
Radio Rangers
Minneapolis