What does transcribed mean?

A word that comes up frequently in the world of old time radio is transcribed. I frequently receive e-mails from members asking me exactly what it means. Just in case you've ever wondered here is my little definition, although I'm sure there are far more accurate explanations.

Transcribed means it was recorded for broadcasting at a later date. Often a show would be broadcast live on the East Coast, for example, and then a few hours later the recording of that show would be broadcast on the West Coast or in other parts of America. Usually, this was done to make sure the big shows reached the peak time audience in each time zone. Sometimes it would be due to the show being syndicated to lots of small local radio stations over a lengthy period of time.

Happy listening my friends