TWX (magazine)
TWX was a trade magazine published by the Long Lines Department of AT&T Corporation.[1] The magazine first appeared in June 1944 and was published sporadically, ceasing publication in March 1952 after 41 issues.[2]
| Editor | William Gafford |
|---|---|
| Categories | Trade magazine |
| Frequency | Bi-monthly |
| Circulation | 8,000 |
| Publisher | AT&T Corporation - Long Line Division |
| First issue | June 1944 |
| Final issue | March 1952 |
| Company | AT&T Corporation |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | New Jersey |
| Language | English |
TWX magazine took its name from the Teletypewriter Exchange Service, which was developed by AT&T Corp. in 1931.[3] The TWX service was sold to Western Union in 1969,[4] but it remained an industry standard until 1981, when it was converted to the Telex II system.
Free subscriptions to TWX magazine were offered to companies that were using AT&T's equipment and services. As such, the content tended to focus less on the technical aspects of telegraph/Teletype operations and more on practical usage in an office environment. Each issue featured industry news, product evaluations, and testimonials from office managers extolling the virtues of the teletypewriter.[2] Although most of the articles were published without a byline, some of the magazine's content has been attributed to science-fiction writer William Tenn, who was working as a technical editor for AT&T's Bell Labs at the time.[5]
Although TWX magazine boasted a circulation of 8,000, most of that was due to its free circulation to AT&T's clients and partners. Few people actually read the magazine, and those that did accused it of being little more than "twenty pages of fluff and advertisements for products with a niche market at best".[2] Although the TWX system itself remained viable for several decades, TWX magazine shut down in March 1952.
See also
- Bell Labs Record
- Bell Labs Technical Journal
References
- Brooks, John (1976). Telephone: The First Hundred Years. Harper & Row. p. 124. ISBN 0060105402.
- Ford, James L. C. (1969). Magazines for Millions: The Story of Specialized Publications. Southern Illinois University Press. p. 113, 115-116.
- Huurdeman, Anton A. (2003). The Worldwide History of Telecommunications. John Wiley & Sons. p. 302. ISBN 978-0-471-20505-0.
- "WU to Buy AT&T TWX". Western Union News Volume II (4). January 15, 1969.
- Clareson, Thomas D. (editor) (1976). Voices for the Future: Essays on Major Science Fiction Writers, Vol. 1. The Popular Press. p. 212. ISBN 0-87972-119-7.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)