Ran across these 1946 articles by chance and thought they were most interesting. This is not even the first such service in Portland from what is said but couldn't find anything earlier. There are two articles written a week apart. The second is far more informative but wanted to include both. The 3rd 1953 article is a totally different approach. What makes this radio related is the ownership of the company.
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The Billboard - November 30, 1946 - page 136.
Phone Music Has Charms For Ache ---If It's Sweet
Portland, Ore., Nov 23. -- Sweet music will help soothe aching teeth and frayed nerves if a new enterprise by General Music Service here meets with success.
John Egan, a firm official revealed this week that the company is piping music into dentists' reception and hospital operating rooms, as well as other professional and business fields.
Egan said the firm is appealing to the fields where music is deemed to have a desirable effect on customers and workmen. The type of music is selected for the particular field it is reaching.
Blare of brass and jumping & jive, according to Egan is not pleasing to a person with an aching tooth. Platters which spin in the company's studio are strictly sweet.
The firm's music is thus measured to fit the needs of the subscriber. Tunes furnished to an industrial plant are in a faster tempo, according to Egan, than those served to operating rooms.
Equipment is similar to that of other telephone music operations, except that the music is turned on or off at the receiving end by means of a switch.
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The Billboard - December 7, 1946 - page 136.
Lease Tune Time To Locations In Phone Music For Portland
Portland, Ore., Nov 30. -- New non-coin-operated telephone music system has been launched here by General Music Service, Inc., to serve industrial and professional subscribers with music on a lease-time arrangement. The firm is headed by John Egan one of the owners of Portland station KWJJ and by Mrs. Abe Bercovitz, who's husband is music director of KOIN.
General Music management says its subscribers include doctors, dentists, shipyard shops, theatre lobby outlets, banks and retail establishments. Also included are some restaurants, with a single outlet in the center of the location.
Egan says a deal is coming up with nightclubs for after-hours music, "So we won't be competing with any live talent." He reports that some 20 subscribers have already been signed and says the firm has expectations of 40 more before the first of the year. The system uses Western Electric and Langevin equipment with a studio in The Oregonian building.
Disk repertoire contains no recordings with brass, Egan says. Generally two types of records are used, sweet for restaurants and similar spots and faster tempos for industrial plants. Subscribers pay a flat rate for the service from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. with off and on switches located at the outlets.
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The Billboard - May 16, 1953 - page 77 [excerpt]
Telephone Music Boxes Profitable In Portland
Portland, Ore., May 9. -- The John Welch Music Company serves 28 locations in Portland with Phonotele equipment, whereby insertion of a coin opens a telephone line circuit between the location and a broadcasting studio. An operator obtains the customer's request, which is played on one of a battery of turntables. Welch finds that club locations are most responsive to the appeal of telephone music although the service includes a few taverns.
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The Billboard - December 19, 1953 - page 82 [excerpt]
The John Welch Company is owned by John W. Welch who started the company 20 years ago as a juke box & music supplier and continues. The company also operates a telephone music service, the only one in Portland. The company has its own building at 321 S.W. Hawthorne Blvd. Phone BE2-3429.