Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

medical, clothing and household ap- pliance fields. Even such things as patterns, with theii* sale increasing by the thousands, might be the sub- ject of a program. Never afraid to tackle something new, we have tried out an average of ten or more shows a month dur- ing the last year. With such variety, there have been some "flops" which were instantly recognized and thrown out but a majority have proved their worth and built u]) a public following. Since radio's first aim is the win- ning of the war, the program struc- ture throughout the year has been imbued with a definite war flavor. A recount of the total amount of time devoted to the war effort on the BLUE from January 1 through October 30 shows that 525 hours of sustaining time, and 80 hours of sponsored time ( not including local programs on WJZ) were used for this purpose. Of this total 232 hours of network time were devoted to programs presented in coopera- tion with Government agencies. Aside from Government pro- grams, contribution to the war ef- fort was made in sustaining shows presented by other organizations. One of this type, "This Nation at War," presented by the National Association of Manufacturers, pic- tured the work being done on the home front. Another "Men, Ma- chines and Victory," presented by the National Safety Council, dra- m.itized the danger to the war effort of accidents in war production plants. In addition, there were a host of other sustaining shows pre- sented by the BLUE itself. Alive to the public's hunger for news, the BLUE has built up an impressive list of commentators and news reporters which now includes H. H. Baukhage, Earl Godwin, John Gunther, William Hillman, James G. McDonald, Drew Pearson. Roy Por- ter, Raymond Gram Swing, Lowell Thomas, Dorothy Thompson, Ed- ward Tomlinson, John ^'andercook and Waiter Winchell. In the field of children's programs the BLUE has forged ahead, too, with Hop Harrigan, Jack Arm- strong, Captain Midnight, Don Winslow of the Navy, the Lone Ranger, Scramble, Little Blue Play- house and The Sea Hound. Realizing that to achieve a varied offering the program department must draw on every source of ideas. the BLUE early in its career opened the door to the independent pro- ducer, gave him air credit, encour- aged him to submit new ideas and talent. This cooperation resulted first in good shows at the lowest practical cost and then in commer- cial sponsors. Another new idea, whereby the BLUE gets the aid and counsel of its affiliated stations, was the in- auguration of weekly "closed cir- cuit" broadcasts on which we speak with station staffs and ask for an expression of opinion on programs. The results of this aggressive de- sire to cooperate in seeking ideas and opinions can be seen in the affiliated stations' quick acceptance of sustaining shows, quick spon- sorship by advertisers, and in rising ratings. For the first half of 1942, the BLUE'S total of rating points is well over those for the same period in 1941, and many of the shows did not start until the Fall. On the whole, we feel that the BLUE has done a good job of giv- ing the public what it wants, which means giving the advertiser what he wants. And the changing world of 1943 will find the BLUE fie.xible and sensitive to its everv need. ACTIVITIES OF THE ARMY AIR FORCE ARE BEING DESCRIBED IN THIS SCENE FROM A BROADCAST OF "THIS NATION AT WAR," AT ALBUQUERQUE, N. M., BY THE BLUE NETWORK.