Radio pioneer dead
(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) NEW YORK, Dec. 13. Mr David Sarnoff, the Russian immigrant messengerboy who became the head of the Radio Corporation of America, has died, aged 80.
Mr Sarnoff organised the National -Broadcasting Corporation in 1926, and headed the Radio Corporation of America for more than three decades.
When he retired in January, 1970, from the board’s chairmanship, the R.C.A. had gross sales of more than SUS3OOm a year, employed 128,000 people, and had 64 establishments throughout the world. It was Sarnoff who, as a Marconi wireless operator, broke the news of the Titanic disaster in 1912, having picked up the message: "S.S. Titanic. Sinking Fast Ran into iceberg.” For the next 72 hours Sar- ' noff did not move from his ' station, which became the talk ■of the world. By special 'order of the United States President, ail other stations ■ were shut down to avoid in- , terference.
He became the ears of the world for that 72 hours, relaying the names of survivors that were coming in by Morse code from rescue vessels.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32789, 14 December 1971, Page 17
Word Count
177Radio pioneer dead Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32789, 14 December 1971, Page 17
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