Muzak got a bad reputation as bland garbage music. In this classic episode, we aim to set the record straight.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chapter 1: What is Muzak and why is it significant?
That's an enormous advancement in telecommunications that we're still putting use today in some applications, but definitely helped like the early Internet along, right? It was just a huge contribution to humanity. Like, forget even just Muzak. Like, just that alone would probably warrant, like, an episode for George Square.
Yeah, and I think he was like, everyone should be able to use this. So I'm going to open source it, and everyone can use this new multiplexing technology. AT&T came along and said, we'll use it. And then, you know what, you stole it from us, actually. Yeah.
Right. He came up with it, but since he left it open, they decided to just take it from him and sue him for it.
I think he sued them, but it didn't work.
That's right. You're right. So – but he still was able to use this wire, wireless technology with multiplexing. And – At the time, people were starting to get into radio broadcasts, but radio, wireless radio that you would just have in your house that's picking up radio waves at a station, that was not widespread at the time. So George Squire said, you know what?
I understand people want music in their house. I'm going to give it to them. I'm going to use that multiplexing technology, and I'm going to run sound waves over the electrical wires that go into the house. Brilliant. It is brilliant. I'm going to sell this service to people's homes for $1.50 a month, about $20 today. Wow.
And it's just part of your utility bill because it's coming in through your electrical company. And there's actually a section of Cleveland called the Lakewood, I believe Lakewood area, that was the pilot for this wired wireless radio that George Square invented. The problem was is by the time they deployed it, wireless radio was already a thing.
Yeah.
And so he had this really great idea that just no longer had an application.
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Chapter 8: Why do people have mixed feelings about Muzak?
We've taken it easy on her for years. Yeah. Yeah, that's about it, Chuck. I can't think of anything else we really edited out.
But that's not to say that shows that are heavily edited and very kind of scripty and slick, like there's room for those too.
Oh, yeah.
We're not the only way to do it.
No, we're like the Muzak of podcasts. There's other people who are all like the Ted Nugent of podcasts, and there's room for both. Yeah, like Roman Mars, the Ted Nugent of podcasting. That's right, man. That guy's always wearing like a studded leather wristband and stuff.
I keep waiting on Roman to text me and being like, you guys are consistently talking smack about me.
He doesn't listen and no one he knows listens. Oh, that's impossible. So who is that? Lila and Lauren.
Correct.
Nice. Well, thank you very much for writing in. Hope we answered your question. And if you want to get in touch with us like Lila and Lauren did, you can send us an email. Send it off to stuffpodcasts at iheartradio.com.
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