# have often wondered what "R.K.O." stood for

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-often-wondered-what-r-k-o-stood-for/115553>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [June 23, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-often-wondered-what-r-k-o-stood-for/115553 "2002-06-23T11:16:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Juan-Andre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4da419/32.png) [@Juan-Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juan-Andre)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-often-wondered-what-r-k-o-stood-for/115553/1 "2002-06-23T11:16:54Z")

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Dear Straight Dope:

1. I have often seen the name of a famous movie studio in Hollywood called “R.K.O.” I have never seen the name not abbreviated and . I hope you will help me with this question I have wondered about for years.

2.Why isn’t your column available in the New Orleans Times-Picayune?

–Kim Marshall  
SDSTAFF Ken replies:

1.The letters stand for: Radio - Keith - Orpheum.

2.As to why the New Orleans Times-Picayune doesn’t carry the Straight Dope, some mysteries are too complex for even Cecil to fathom.

BUT ACTUALLY:

1.The letters stand for: ‘Radio - Kennedy - Orpheum’ for  
RCA, Joseph Kennedy and Keith Orpheum.

1. I’d say it’s for comitting basic factual errors such as this.  
Mystery solved.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-often-wondered-what-r-k-o-stood-for/115553/2 "2002-06-23T12:23:47Z")

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Welcome to the SDMB, **Juan- Andre**. A link to the Staff Report is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrko.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrko.html)

It’s true that Kennedy was involved, but I’m pretty sure Ken is right when he says the K stands for Keith, not Kennedy.

> [@](#):
>
> The new company was renamed the Radio-Keith-Orpheum Corporation, or RKO Corporation  
> [http://www.rko.com/noflash\_legacy.html](http://www.rko.com/noflash_legacy.html)

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**Author:** ![Juan-Andre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4da419/32.png) [@Juan-Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juan-Andre)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-often-wondered-what-r-k-o-stood-for/115553/3 "2002-06-24T19:20:28Z")

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In fact you’re correct.  
I withdraw my post, as well as any assertions, accusations and wayward attempts at sarcasm that were present in it.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-often-wondered-what-r-k-o-stood-for/115553/4 "2002-06-29T04:59:36Z")

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Hey! Wait a minute! You can’t be that civil, and get away with it. Don’t you know about this board. We eat people like you for lunch.

You **can’t** admit you are incorrect. That’s not the way one plays the game. You have to get indignant. And whine. We like whining.

Quitting is for losers! Fight like a man. C’mon. It’s just a flesh wound. etc…\

**Juan-Andre** That’s right. When all else fails, show class. 😃

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-often-wondered-what-r-k-o-stood-for/115553/5 "2002-07-01T03:15:10Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> 1. I’d say it’s for comitting basic factual errors such as this.  
> Mystery solved.

It’s acknowledged that Staff Reports may occasionally contain errors of fact, but they’re not printed in the newspapers. The newspapers only get the column by Cecil each week; it’s only here online that we also get classic Cecil columns from the archive and Staff Reports authored by other members of the Straight Dope staff.