News Used To Come Across The 'Wires'

...literally

Components of the 'teletype' machine used to be manufactured right here in Lehigh Valley, Pa. by good old 'Western Electric' in partnership with "Western Union" with whom they once shared a close business relationship.

Not only did 'Western Electric' manufacture telephones and switching equipment for the Bell Telephone System, they also manufactured most of the audio equipment used in movies theaters in the 20's and 30's. The 'Rialto Theatre' in Allentown, Pa. used this 40 watt system up until the day the theatre was demolished. I still wonder what they did with the amplifier rack. Today they are prized by collectors and worth quite a few bucks.



Lesser known to listeners of radio and readers of newspapers is that up until the late 80's most of these media outlets received their news through the 'teletype' equipment 'Western Electric'/'Western Union' once manufactured... That is when we used to still actually make things here in this country.

The 'Teletype' used telephone landlines to send electronic signals to automated typewriters that news outlets throughout the United States relied on. These machines were either dialed up to the 'Associated Press' (AP) or 'United Press International' (UPI). Some linked to both of the news services. The machines typed around 60 WPM. Members would both feed stores to and receive stories from them. The costs involved were a permanent separate landline. The leasing of the equipment. The constant replacement costs for carbon ribbons. At least 40 lbs of paper a day and of course the cost(s) of membership to AP and/or UPI.

In 1984 the Bell System was divested. It was shortly thereafter both 'Western Electric' and 'Western Union' had a falling out.. This resulted in the 'teletype' name and logo being replaced by the AT&T name and logo. Eventually the brand disappeared all together. Still there was once a day the teletype was the chief means of communication between all of the news media outlets.

The Model 28 KSR Teletype (TTY)