The
Fidelipac, commonly known as a "
NAB cartridge" or simply "
cart", is a
magnetic tape sound recording format, used for
radio broadcasting for playback of material over the air such as
radio commercials, jingles,
station identifications, and music. Fidelipac is the official name of this
industry standard audio tape cartridge. It was developed in 1954 by inventor George Eash (although the invention of the Fidelipac cartridge has also been credited to Vern Nolte of the Automatic Tape Company), and commercially introduced in 1959 by
Collins Radio at the 1959
NAB Convention. The cartridge was widely used at radio stations until the late 1990s, when such formats as
MiniDisc and computerized
broadcast automation made the Fidelipac cartridge obsolete.