TWiRT Ep. 747 - How We Got the Cart Machine with Andy Rector

Update: 2025-05-09

Description

Most of us in radio engineering have worked with broadcast cart machines. While it’s been a good 25 or 30 years since we’ve had them in our studios, we’ll never forget the pleasure - and occasional pain - of using them and maintaining them. But how did cart machines come to be? Were they always like the ones we grew up with in the 70s and 80s? Or did the development come with fits and starts? Andy Rector worked with broadcast carts nearly from the very beginning of their existence. He’s been interviewed many times and provided historical presentations to SBE groups, AES sections, and others. We’re delighted to have Andy Rector join us on this TWiRT episode to look at the early days of broadcast cart machines and the early technologies employed.

Show notes:

* These Were the Carts of Our Lives - Radio World article

Guest

Andy Rector - Broadcast Equipment Historian

Hosts

Chris Tarr - Group Director of Engineering at Magnum Media Kirk Harnack - Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, Akamai Broadcasting, & South Seas Broadcasting

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