The Papers of Sol Taishoff

BIOGRAPHY

Sol Taishoff was the editor-in-chief of Broadcasting magazine for 51 years. First as co-founder of the magazine and later as the sole owner, Taishoff guided Broadcasting from its beginnings in 1931, when radio was barely out of its infancy, through decades which saw its spectacular growth. In the mid 1940s, Taishoff and company reported the early development of television and renamed their magazine Broadcasting-Telecasting before most Americans became aware of the new medium. In the 1960s, cable television became part of their beat, and in the 1970s so too did satellite distribution. So uncannily prophetic was Broadcasting, that at the time of Mr. Taishoff's death in 1982, the magazine was already referring to the new "information age."

Through all the changes, Sol Taishoff was as much a part of the industry he covered as the station executives who read his magazine. A personable man who told a good story and made friends easily, the power brokers of the airwaves sought out Mr. Taishoff for his experience, knowledge, and insight. He was both a highly respected journalist and a beloved friend to hundreds in the American broadcasting community. A colleague described how late in Mr. Taishoff's career, an audience would line up outside his hotel room to greet him at every convention he attended.

Born in Minsk in Czarist Russia in 1904, Sol Taishoff immigrated to this country when he was 3. He dropped out of high school when he was 16 to become a night-shift copy boy for the Associated Press. After leaving the Associated Press in 1926, Mr. Taishoff continued his journalism career by joining the original staff of the United States Daily, which became U.S. News and World Report. In 1927, he married Betty Tash, and the couple later had three children: Joanne, Lawrence, and Robert.

In the later years of his service at U.S. News, Mr. Taishoff became interested in the development of radio and, through a series of articles, established the growing industry as his beat. Thus, in 1931, when Martin Codel was looking for a partner in a new magazine about the broadcasting business, David Lawrence, editor at U.S. News, recommended his young reporter with an interest in radio as a man of exceptional talent and energy.

Although 1931 was not viewed as an auspicious time to start any new business, Taishoff and Codel persevered and soon established their magazine as the bible of the fledgling industry. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the magazine found its greatest niche in providing station executives with insight into the activities and plans of the federal government vis-a-vis broadcasting. An inveterate reporter ("There's no more honorable estate," he liked to say), Taishoff came to know many of Washington's biggest names throughout his career and scored some of the magazine's most notable scoops through his friends and contacts.

In 1944, Mr. Taishoff bought out his partner Codel and became the magazine's sole owner. So closely did Taishoff come to be associated with Broadcasting that station executives talked of placing ads in "Sol's magazine." In his many years at the helm of the magazine, Mr. Taishoff became known as a strong advocate of the independence of broadcasting and of its freedom from government regulation and control. Exhibiting an editorial stance fundamentally in favor of free enterprise, the pages of each Broadcasting typically contained about 55% advertising.

As vociferous a supporter of commercial broadcasting, as he was an opponent of federal regulation, Mr. Taishoff nevertheless made friends with FCC Commissioners and politicians of both parties. A good friend of Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, Mr. Taishoff met the future President when Johnson arrived in Washington in 1931. Johnson's fortune -or more accurately, that of his wife -was founded on the strength of an investment Mr. Taishoff advised them to make in an Austin, Texas radio station. Johnson had protested that the station was not making any money. "But it will," Taishoff replied. In time, the Texas Broadcasting Company, as their business venture came to be known, owned, at least in part, nine radio and television stations as well as interests in cable television systems.

Late in his life, lauded with awards from his peers, including the National Association of Broadcasters' "Man of the Year," Taishoff was described by colleagues as a "man of quiet courage." Though he slowed down in his last decade, Mr. Taishoff never stopped working on the magazine he loved. The last piece of copy to bear his name was written in his hospital room just weeks before his death, a foreword he had written for Broadcasting's 50th anniversary book. He died August 15, 1982 at the age of 77, another victim of cancer.

Sources:
"Sol Taishoff 1904-1982, the best friend the industry ever had." Broadcasting, 103 no. 8, August 23, 1982.

Weil, Martin, "Sol Taishoff Dies; Published, Edited Broadcasting Magazine." Washington Post, August 16,1982.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTES

The Papers of Sol Taishoff contain mostly business correspondence and financial information from the latter part of Mr. Taishoff's career at Broadcasting. Also included in the collection are personal letters, information relating to the professional activities of Mr. Taishoff (meetings, awards banquets, speeches, etc.), some items found on his desk when he died, and a small accumulation of books, magazines, pamphlets, photographs, awards, and other objects from his office.

The collection affords a view of the activities, friendships, and financial affairs of Mr. Taishoff as an older, established man. There is very little information about the early life and career of Mr. Taishoff, his founding of the magazine or the long term struggles or day-to-day decisions that made Broadcasting the pre-eminent trade journal in its field.

Virtually all of the material in the collection dates from the last two decades of Mr. Taishoff's life (ca. 1962 -1982), with the vast majority of it dating from the last twelve years of his life. By this point, Sol Taishoff had settled into a comfortable semi-retirement and, with the exception of the editorial department of Broadcasting, was involved less and less with the day-to-day operation of his business.

The papers in this collection reflect these facts and reveal a man less pre-occupied with meeting publication deadlines than with maintaining family ties, managing financial affairs, and corresponding with friends and business associates from over 60 years of service in broadcasting and journalism. The series are arranged as follows:

Series I:	Correspondence
Series II:	Personal Correspondence
Series III:	Financial
Series IV:	Professional Activities
Series V:	Photographs
Series VI:	Desk Materials
Series VII:	Printed Materials
Series VIII:	Awards, Citations and Commemorative Memorabilia
Series IX:	Audio Tapes

PROVENANCE

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series I: Correspondence, 1962-1982, (42.5 lin. ft.)

This series contains the business correspondence of Mr. Taishoff. The traditional distinction between business and personal matters is sometimes hard to make in the case of Mr. Taishoff because his business was, to a large extent, his life.

Generally, though, the researcher will find in the Correspondence Series the materials Mr. Taishoff kept on file at work. The correspondents were sometimes friends, sometimes colleagues, sometimes both. In no cases are the correspondents in this series family members. Material from infrequent or one-time correspondents is filed in the miscellaneous folders (e.g. "A Miscellaneous").

Researchers should note: Inconsistent filing methods over the years in Mr. Taishoff's office have scattered topically similar material into different parts of the Correspondence series. Researchers who are looking for information on particular persons or organizations are advised to look in both subseries within the Correspondence Series to insure they do not miss anything.

Researchers may also want to check the miscellaneous folders, in case material that should be filed in a more specific folder was filed in one of these folders (e.g. a letter to WGN Broadcasting is found in the "W Miscellaneous" folder even though there are several folders in the collection for WGN correspondence.)

Subseries 1: Correspondence by State (9.5 lin. ft.)

The correspondence in this series spans the years 1962 to 1970 and is arranged according to the correspondent's state.

Subseries 2: Correspondence by Name (33 lin. ft.)

The correspondence in this series spans the years from 1970 to 1982 and is arranged according to the name of the correspondent (whether an individual or organization). Some of the more prominent names include those of FCC Commissioners; Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan; Senator Jesse Helms; Nixon Press Secretary Herb Klein; Broadcasting magnates William S. Paley, Ward Quaal, and William S. Hedges; Journalists Eric Sevareid and Chet Huntley; and Washington Post owner Katherine Graham.

Series II: Personal Correspondence, 1916-1982, (3.5 lin. ft.)

This series contains family correspondence, condolence cards, flowers, birthday cards, Christmas cards, and invitations.

Series III: Financial, 1949-1982, (8.5 lin. ft.)

Series IV: Professional Activities, 1945-1982, (6.5 lin. ft.)

Series V: Photographs, 1939-1982, (1 lin. ft.)

Series VI: Desk Materials, 1974-1980, (2.0 lin. ft.)

Series VII: Printed Materials, 1929-1981, (7.5 lin. ft.)

Series VIII: Awards, Citations, & Commemorative Memorabilia (6.0 lin. ft.)

Series IX: Audio Tapes, 1974-1981, (0.25 lin. ft.)

For further information, contact the Library of American Broadcasting.