Decoders

Although several different items are called "decoders," in the popular mind, these are primarily premiums from old radio and television shows, which sent out messages to be deciphered by their audiences.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first widespread decoders were issued by Ovaltine Foods (the Wander Company) in 1935 for the radio show they sponsored, Italic textLittle Orphan AnnieItalic text This was called a Radio Orphan Annie (ROA) Secret Society Decoder Pin. Once a week, at the close of the show, a "secret message" was sent in cipher that would provide a preview for the next episode of the show, which was a serial. ROA Secret Society Decoder Pins were issued annually throiugh 1940, when Ovaltine dropped sponsorship of the program. An Urban Legend is that one of the secret messages was, "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine," but that never took place.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The second series of decoders was associated with the Italic textCaptain MidnightItalic text radio show. These were called Code-O-Graphs, and were used the same way as the ROA decoder pins. They were offered annually from 1941 through 1949, with a two-year hiatus during World War II, where materials restruictions prevented any being manufactured for the 1943 and 1944 seasons.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although Italic textLittle Orphan AnnieItalic text and Italic textCaptain MidnightItalic text were the primasry radio programs to use decoders, other programs issued them as well. These include Italic textTom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters,Italic text Italic textTennessee Jed,Italic text and Italic textRed Ryder.Italic text The radio show, Italic textSky King,Italic text had a radio premium that included a decoder element, but this was never used to decipher incoming messages from broadcasts.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another legend from radio days is the "Secret Decoder Ring." No radio program ever offered such a premium, but many are convinced that such existed. By the early 1960s, a "decoder ring" was offered by PF Shoes, in comjunction with the Italic textJonny QuestItalic text primetime television cartoon. After that, a few more "decoder rings" were offered, including one by Ovaltine in 2000.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~