Edmund A. Chester facts for kids

Edmund Albert Chester Sr. (born June 22, 1897 – died October 14, 1973) was an American television boss. He worked as a vice president at the CBS radio and TV networks in the 1940s. He helped create CBS's "La Cadena de Las Americas" (Network of the Americas) radio network. This network helped connect countries in North and South America during World War II.

Chester was also a respected journalist. He was the head of the Latin America office for Associated Press in the 1930s. He received an award from the government of Cuba. This award recognized his work to help people in Cuba and the United States understand each other better.

About Edmund Chester

Edmund Chester had a long career as a journalist. For over 20 years, he played a key role in building a strong international radio network. This network connected the USA with countries in South America and Central America. He worked for the CBS network from 1940 to 1949.

As the Director of Short Wave Broadcasts for CBS, he oversaw this huge shortwave service. It was well-known in South America as the Network of the Americas (La Cadena de las Americas).

Working for Associated Press

Before joining CBS, Edmund Chester worked as a journalist for the Associated Press for 20 years. He started at Associated Press in 1930. During this time, he reported on several important events. These included the Lima Pan American Conference in 1938. He also covered a big earthquake in Chile in 1939. Later, he became the executive director for Associated Press's Latin America Department.

Working for CBS Network

Chester joined CBS in 1940. He became a Vice President of the Columbia Broadcasting System. He helped William S. Paley and important diplomats from South America set up the important rules for broadcasting. These rules were the base for this vital information link during World War II. He also worked with people in Europe after the war. They coordinated new broadcast rules and expanded the network that connected the two continents.

Chester's work was not just about building the technical side of CBS's broadcasting. As CBS's Director of Latin American Relations, he worked with the Department of State. He also worked with the United States Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs (OCIAA) and Voice of America. He supervised the creation of news and cultural shows. These were broadcast live to North and Latin America from CBS studios in New York City.

These creative cultural programs helped build good relationships between countries. They also encouraged cultural sharing throughout South America. This was part of President Franklin Roosevelt's support for Pan-Americanism. This idea meant countries in the Americas should work together. It was also part of cultural diplomacy in the 1940s. Popular shows like Viva America featured amazing musicians. They showed off real cultural styles. The Department of State and the Office of Inter-American Affairs oversaw these shows.

Chester brought famous musicians from both North and South America to perform on these broadcasts. Some of these artists included Alfredo Antonini (an American orchestra leader). Others were Juan Arvizu (a Mexican singer) and Nestor Mesta Chayres (another Mexican singer). Eva Garza (a Mexican singer) and Terig Tucci (an Argentine composer) also performed. John Serry, Sr. (an American accordion player) and Elsa Miranda (a Puerto Rican singer) were also featured. The Los Panchos Trio and Manolita Arriola also appeared. Members of the CBS Pan American Orchestra also played.

By finding the best entertainers from across the Americas, Chester wanted to show Americans as warm and artistic people. He didn't want them to seem like "just people who work in factories." He also made sure to provide accurate and quick news.

As World War II continued, the shortwave broadcasts from Chester's "La Cadena de Las Americas" became very popular. At first, broadcasts were only seven hours a day. By 1945, Chester had grown the network. It broadcast high-quality entertainment and news over 114 radio stations in 20 Latin American countries.

In 1945, Chester also produced the CBS broadcast of "Program of the Three Americas." This show featured music by famous American composers like Irving Berlin and Richard Rodgers. It was broadcast on the La Cadena de Las Americas network. This show highlighted Chester's teamwork with Alfredo Antonini (Conductor) and Harry Kramer (Commentator).

Later, Mr. Chester became the director of news, special events, and sports for the CBS Television Network (1948). During this time, he helped combine the huge CBS radio network with the growing television part.

In 1949, Chester worked with Larry LeSueur, a famous journalist. He also worked with Benjamin V. Cohen from the United Nations. They created a special series for CBS called "United Nations in Action." This series showed live TV coverage of the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council. It was broadcast from Lake Success, New York in November 1949. This showed Chester's strong commitment to excellent broadcasting. The series won the George Foster Peabody Award for Television News in 1949.

As the new decade began, Chester again worked with leading journalists at CBS Radio. These included Edward R. Murrow and Eric Sevareid. They discussed the big news events of the year on a broadcast called "Challenge of the 50's Years of Crisis" in 1951.

Politics and Later Life

After leaving CBS in 1952, Chester became an advisor on money and foreign affairs. He advised his friend Fulgencio Batista in Cuba. Earlier, in 1938, Chester had reported on Batista's ideas for keeping democracy in Cuba. In 1954, Chester wrote a book about Batista. It explained how Batista rose from an army sergeant to lead the Cuban government.

When Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, Batista's government leadership ended. Edmund Chester was one of many Americans whose investments in Cuba were taken over by the new Cuban government.

Death

Edmund Chester died when he was 75 years old. He passed away on October 14, 1973, in Mount Dora, Florida. His wife Enna and their four children survived him.

Works

• A Sergeant Named Batista (New York, NY: Henry Holt & Company, 1954)

Awards

The government of Cuba gave Chester the Carlos Manuel de Cespedes National Order of Merit in 1943. This was Cuba's highest award for civilians. He received it for his efforts to build better relationships between the people of Cuba and the United States.