Broadcasting (Jan - June 1940)

Industry Observes Christmas Season Drives for Charity and Special Programs Are Staged CHRISTMAS was observed throughout the radio industry, with broadcasters entering whole-heartedly into the Yuletide spirit by featuring special promotions and programs designed to bring cheer to the underprivileged as well as sending gifts and greetings. Many chose the Christmas season to pass on bonuses to employes, varying from a few days' salary to 10%. Among bonus payments reported to Broadcasting during December were: WHO, Des iMoines, bonuses ranging from 5% to 10% of annual salary; WOR, Newark, one to two weeks extra salary, with half -bonus for less than one year's service; WGAR, Cleveland, flat 10% to the entire staff; KFI-KECA, Los Angeles, one week salary; WHAS, Louisville, 6% of annual salary; WIBC, Indianapolis, half-week to full-week salary; WQAM, Miami, cash bonus; WKY, Oklahoma City, cash; WFAA, Dallas, one week salary; KVOO, Tulsa, $1,000 life insurance policy paid up for a year for each employee; Don Lee, cash. Novel Greetings Included among novel greetings reported to Broadcasting were: MBS, red cellophane stocking with samples of sponsors' products; CJLS, Yarmouth, N. S., hand-made bamboo and match stick fishing schooner carrying out Maritime theme; WFIL, Philadelphia, telegram sentiment on special Western Union blank bearing red and green WFIL decorations ; W M B D , Peoria, 111., special 30-minute recorded greeting program presenting every member of the staff ; WPEN, Philadelphia, 2,000 wires sent to local newspapers, agencies, officials and clients combining Christmas greetings v/ith a personal invitation to listen to a special Christmas program on the station; WOKO, Albany, rustic greeting printed via facsimile ; Walter Compton, newscaster of WOL, Washington, greeting in form of simulated Transradio News flash; Harrison Holliway, manager of KFI-KECA, Los Angeles, double postcard advising recipient "your name has been referred to me as one who might be interested in participating in the Wish-Holliway-a-Merry Christmas campaign. If so, just detach and mail the card attached". Among Xmas gift distributions to clients and friends were: WOR, Newark, leather cigarette container for desk with clock inset in lid; W'MCA, New York, desk pen and thermometer unit; RCA, copy of Magic Dials, beautifully illustrated book on radio and television; WFIL, Philadelphia, Farnsworth midget radios; WMEX, Boston, pocket knife; WELI, New Haven, letter opener; KMOX, St. Louis, basket of "St. Louis champagne" (beer) ; KOY, Phoenix, box of Arizona dates; WSPD, Toledo, letter opener and magnifying glass; Standard Radio, sterling money clip; Maj. Bowes, sterling money clip; KANS, Wichita, midget movie viewer; KLZ, Denver, Colorado celery; KFEL, Denver, Colorado celery; WCAU, cigarette box; KOA, Denver, key case; L. B. Wilson, crate of Florida fruit; WNEW, New York, brandy gourd; WPEN, Philadelphia, desk clock; WIP, Philadelphia, telephone index finder; WGAR, Cleveland, desk pads; WFAA, Dallas, basket of Texas pink grapefruit; and a miscellany of bottled goods. Holiday Programs Special Christmas programs, particularly promotions such as Radio Christmas and humanitarian features designed to collect food, clothing, books and toys for shutins and the underprivileged, were featured by stations over the nation. In addition special events programs were carried to describe the rush of Christmas shopping and various local celebrations, as well as network programs covering the national scene. Fifteen Chicago stations participated in the four-hour daily programs aired over 30 outlets of a public address system along Chicago's State Street during the Christmas shopping rush, Dec. 1423. Program directors and announcers of the various stations put on programs in two-hour blocks and considerable live talent was used in addition to transcribed carols. It is estimated the programs and station promotion were heard by six million shoppers. The venture was directed by D. E. Northam, chief of sound programs a t Chicago's Century of Progress, and given under auspices of the State Street Council, a Chicago businessmen's organization. Stations participating in the programs were WGN WJJD WBBM WLS WMAQ WCFL WIND WENR WAAF WEDC WCBD WHFC WGES WHIP WSBC. The annual Christmas party given to 5,000 of Philadelphia's poor FUNDS TO CHARITY Shepard Donates Receipts From Fr. Coushlin SEVEN individual checks totaling $5,000, representing funds received for the Fr. Coughlin broadcasts carried on Colonial Network, were given Dec. 16 to various New England charities by John Shepard 3d, Colonial Network president. In sending the contributions, Mr. Shepard explained that he had agreed, "in view of the new code of the NAB (which states that time for controversial subjects shall not be sold), to give to charity the profits made by Colonial Network from this contract until such time as the broadcasts were of a political nature, which is in accordance with the NAB code. This new contract, having been in force approximately two months, and in view of the Christmas season, it was decided by the directors of the Colonial Network to make this distribution at this time." The checks distributed included: Boston Post Santa Claus Fund, $1,000; Community Federation of Boston Fund, $1,000; Volunteers of America Christmas Fund, $1,000; Salvation Army Christmas Fund, Boston, $1,000 ; Providence JournalBulletin Christmas Fund, $500; Salvation Army Christmas Fund, New Haven, Conn., $250; Salvation Army Christmas Fund, Bridgeport, Conn., $250. children by members of the Penn A.C. was carried Dec. 23 by WCAU direct from the ballroom of the club. WCSC, Charleston, S. C, conducted a "Letters to Santa Claus" contest for children, offering a top prize of $20 in cash for best letters. WMBD, Peoria, 111., conducted its eighth annual drive in cooperation with the local American Legion Post to gather Christmas baskets for needy veterans and families, collecting enough provisions CROSS-SECTION of Christmas was pictured by WSYR, Syracuse, N. Y., on Christmas Day with three special program pickups, from a wealthy home, an orphanage and a hospital. Ruth Chilton (left), up at dawn, was on hand in the parlor of the home of Earl Drake, president of a Syracuse oil company, when the famous 5-year-old Drake triplets — (1 to r) Alice, Henry and Charles — tripped downstairs Christmas morn to see what Santa had left. Later in the day Nick Stemmler dropped into a cottage of the Onondaga Orphans Home as St. Nick was visiting to distribute presents, and Bill Rothrum went to City Hospital to interview 17-year-old Clarence Caruso, polio victim, as he lay in an iron lung. and cash to exceed the quota set for the drive. WWL, New Orleans, for the third successive year presented its International Christmas Party, on which the children of various foreign consuls, representing 22 nations, sent Christmas greetings in their native tongues to other children over the world. On WHFC, Cicero, 111., Dick Hoffman conducted a special two-hour program nightly on which he played recorded requests in exchange for cartons of cigarettes to go to the Edward Hines Memorial Hospital for World War Veterans, collecting more than 4,000 cartons. WCAR, new Pontiac, Mich., station, made a special pickup from what was billed as the world's largest Christmas party for kiddies, the celebration sponsored by Yellow Truck & Coach Co. for children of its employes. The program was carried while studios and transmitter building were still under construction. Radio Christmas WSYR, Syracuse, N. Y., included in each of its daily cartoon ads in the Syracuse Herald during the Christmas season the balloon line, "Give a radio this year". Tying in with the joint RMA-NAB Radio Christmas promotion the station also used frequent spot announcements to push receiver purchases. WEEI, Boston, again this year cai-ried a series of daily programs build around carol-singing commuters in the local Boston & Maine Railway Station. The station set up a Hammond organ in the main concourse of the station and presented a morning half-hour of organ music, played by Del Castillo and Irene Hanify, along with a late afternoon half-hour during which commuters joined in the singing of Christmas carols, words of which were screened in the station though a stereoptican. As a special feature of the series, part of the programs were recorded for rebroadcast so the singers themselves could hear their songs after their return home in the evening. WTAR, Norfolk, Va., during the Christmas season carried seven special remote broadcasts, including a Salvation Army party, interviews in a local office building as workers left for the holiday weekend, pickups from Joy Fund trucks delivering baskets to the underprivileged, and a shortwave show on which roving reporters knocked on residence doors at 10 p.m. Christmas Eve and int«rviewed residents. Among other special features reported as Broadcasting went to press were: KTSA, San Antonio, three-week campaign collecting 5,000 books and 12,000 magazines; WCKY, Cincinnati, charity show in cooperation with Cincinnati Enquirer for Fifty Neediest Families fund; WSNJ, Bridgeton, N. J., Santa Claus airplane flight; WWJ, Detroit, staff artist visits to seven hospitals to entertain crippled children; WKRC, Cincinnati, kids' party at Cincinnati Children's Hospital; KYW, Philadelphia, book drive, conducted through morning announcements of sponsoring Bond Stores. Page 74 • January 1, 1940 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising