May 19, 1943

The Minutes of Board of Directors register Steinway & Sons’ plan to market Operadio (also known as Operadic Plant Broadcaster) – a public address and music system for factories – after the war. Steinway & Sons installs a $8,000, 133-speakers Operadio system, transmitting “six music periods during the day, and at 3:30 PM five minutes of the latest news”, at its Riker factory, to increase productivity and improve the workers morale, and also for demonstration purposes. (After the war, the idea of selling Operadio systems will be abandoned.)