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3/8/40
ORIGIN OF "FIRESIDE CHAT" TRACED TO BUTCHER OF WJSV
How President Roosevelt's radio messages to the nation came to be called "fireside chats" was disclosed this week during a review of highspots of the history of Station WJSV, CBS station in Washington, which increased its power to 50,000 watts.
Harry Butcher, Vice President of CBS in charge of WJSV, suggested the label during a broadcast preceding President Roose¬ velt' s address following the declaration of the bank holida.y in March, 1933. The following dialogue between Ted Church, Special Events Director, and Mr. Butcher at the time, as reproduced by WJSV follows I
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TED; I don't like this one, Harry. I made it a little too
stiff. It's the usual formal thing. I think we ought to get something more human.
BUTCHER; You're right, Ted. The President says he isn't just
making a speech. He wants to sit down and ta.lk to people just as he would if they were here.
TED; Just a sort of a friend].y chat.
BUTCHER; Sure. Let’s see... he's broadcasting from the Diplomatic Reception room — tha.t sounds stuffy — m-m-, there's a fireplace in it, isn't there?
TED; Sort of a fireplace.
BUTCHER; Fireplace., friendly chat. .. people listening to their President as if he were right at their own firesides... I know, I think I've got something; Let's call it a fireside chat.
Fireside chat. .. fireside chat. That sounds exactly right to me, Harry.
The introduction was drafted and together with the more fomal introduction was taken to the White House for the broadcast. Later, Mr. Butcher was talking to Mr. Marvin McIntyre, one of the secretaries to the President.
McIntyre ; Harry, the President has read them both and he says this one about the fireside shat is a honey.
butcher; Swell, that's the one we like, too.
McIntyre ; Let's go ahead and call it that. Maybe we'll have a
series of them. .. fireside chats to the nation...! think ma.ybe you put a new phrase in the American language.
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