[GreenKeys] Historial archive

[Sheldon Daitch]

David,

thanks and your comments have reminded me of a thought or two.

When I was with the AP in Raleigh, I think the last newspaper setting
hot type with the Linotypes was the Durham Herald-Sun.  I remember my
first service call over there and I thought I'd stepped back about 50 
years in
newspaper publishing.

I knew there were tape reading Linotypes, but I'd never seen one, and I was
thrilled to get the opportunity to have a quick tour of their composing 
room,
watching these machines "do their thing."  I think the Herald-Sun turned 
off
the hot lead rather shortly after that.

I don't recall the name Linofilm, but I do recall the Compugraphics name.

Most of the NC newspapers were using some type of phototypesetting
equipment.  I seem to recall the term VELOX used, and again, bear in
mind I am trying to think about events from 1978. 

Some of the newspapers were capable of direct computer input, that is,
whether they were on the slow speed 6-level TTS circuits or the high speed
1200 baud circuits (OK, high speed then) there was no mechanical connection
other than wire between the AP terminal equipment.

Other newspapers used a paper tape input.  We had Model 14 or similar
tape punchers, again, 6-level, and probably a Model 20 page printer, so 
there
was paper copy for the editors.  The tape was then fed into a tape 
reader system
which outputted a ready for paste-up page layout.  I guess that was the 
Velox
process.  I think Velox was a brand name of a Kodak product but it may have
turned semi-generic at that time.

The newer tape readers used optical reading heads and that was a 
problem, as the
tape punched holes had to be quite clean.  The mechanical readers with 
the fingers,
picture a Model 28 tape reader was far more forgiving of worn puncher pings,
think of them as reading chadless tape.  The optical readers would miss 
a hole if
there was just a little fuzz from less than perfect punches.

As for 5-level and 6-level coexisting, I'd say up until the end of the 
TTY based
news distribution by the AP, no radio station ever had any 6-level paper 
printers.
I recall that WRAL-TV did subscribe to one of the 6-level newpapers 
circuits,
as I had to go over there a time or two to check on our machines.  I 
would guess
WRAL-TV had the afternoon paper circuit, as I am suspecting it fit 
better with
their evening local newscasts.  Also, the newpaper wire circuits had 
more feature
material than the radio wires, and that might have been interesting for 
the TV
audience. 

73
Sheldon


dmm at lemur.com wrote:
> This is just a (somewhat belated) note of thanks to Sheldon for
> posting the information on the use of 6-level and 5-level
> equipment at AP.  Thanks!  It is especially nice to
> confirm that 5-level equipment continued in use alongside TTS.
> In 1978 6-level circuits could have been driving either Linotypes or any
> of a number of phototypesetting machines (e.g., Linofilm) or standalone 
> composing computers (e.g. Compugraphics Justape).
>
> Regards,
> David M.
> ===
> Dr. David M. MacMillan * dmm at lemur.com * www.lemur.com & www.CircuitousRoot.com
>
>    The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts.
>        - Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915); Aldo Leopold
>
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