[GreenKeys] Model 20 and Wire Service Names (was "MessageBounce...")

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <dmm at lemur.com>
To: <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 3:10 PM
Subject: [GreenKeys] Model 20 and Wire Service Names (was 
"MessageBounce...")


>
> Don wrote:
>>Please send the abbreviations, aka acronyms, with an 
>>explanation to
>>the Greenkeys list.
>
> Don had very kindly sent to me the hi-res version of
> Bell System Practices (Plant Series) Section 572-400-100, 
> Issue 4, Dec. 1964,
> which is the "Description" of the "20 teletypewriter"
> covering the variations (RO/KSR/TPE/XD/Reperf) of the 
> Model 20.
> This is the 6-level variation used in newspaper wire 
> services
> often in conjunction with (6-level) Teletypesetter 
> equipment.
>
> Don had pointed out to me that one interesting feature of 
> the
> layout of the keyboard as shown in this 1964 document was 
> that the
> keycap for key lever 47 could have one of three possible 
> variations:
> "UP", "AP" [as a logotype], or "INS"
>
> UP (United Press) and AP (Associated Press) were 
> relatively clear,
> but he wondered about INS.
>
> So all I did was the obvious thing:  look it up in 
> Wikipedia.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_News_Service
>
> Briefly, "UP" was "United Press Associations" (not yet 
> United Press Int'l
> as it is today).  AP was Associated Press.  "INS" was 
> indeed
> "International News Service," as Don hypothesized.  In 
> 1958,
> UP merged with INS to form the current UPI.
>
> It is interesting that this 1964 document still shows a 
> pre-1958
> keyboard layout.  Of course, 1958 was when Teletypesetter 
> Corp.
> was aquired by Fairchild, so one might expect some 
> confusion.
>
> A question following up on this:  Clearly Fairchild took 
> over an
> existing Teletypesetter product line, but they did develop 
> it
> further - their own documentation, and some later models 
> of keyboard
> perferators, at least.  I presume that they took over the 
> physical
> manufacture of at least the Teletypesetter-specific 
> components of
> the sysem (e.g., the linecaster Operating Unit) and moved 
> this to
> their facilities in Long Island.  But does anyone know if 
> those parts of the
> system which could be used without linecasters (such as 
> the
> Model 20 equipment) were manufactured by Fairchild (in NY)
> or by Teletype Corp. (in IL)?
>
> Regards,
> David M.
> ===
> Dr. David M. MacMillan  -  dmm at lemur.com

     I am feeling my age... INS is International New 
Service, which also operated INP or International News 
Pictures.  Both owned by the Hearst Corp.  Hearst sold 
INS/INP to the UP, which then became UPI.  I remember as a 
kid visiting KFI (had a friend there). The news room had 
several Teletype machines, AP, UP, INS, City News Service 
(local news in many cities), a weather wire (Weather 
Bureau), and maybe something else.


--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
dickburk at ix.netcom.com