Broadcasting (Jan - June 1940)

BOB EASLEY. until recently a salesman-announcer with KRMD. Slireveport, has joined WJBW, New Orleans, in the same capacity. He ran for a seat in the Louisiana State Legislature between jobs, and was defeated narrowly iu the same election which ended the Long regime. GEORGE H. ALLEN, formerly in the sales promotion department of the National Theatre Supply Co., has joined the sales promotion department of WOR, Newark. WALTER TURNER, new to radio, has joined the announcing staff of WLOK, Lima, O. Hugh Downs has been promoted to chief announcer. GILBERT MACK, network actor and formerly of WHN, New York, on April 18 became the father of a six-pound girl. Mrs. Mack is the former radio actress, Rosella Davis. DAN O'BRIEN, formerly of WHAZ, Troy, N. Y., and WABY, Albany, has joined the announcing staff of WMFF, Plattsburg, N. Y. Edward Furman also has joined the sales staff of WMFF. EVERETT HOWARD, announcer of WFYA. Fredericksburg, Va., has succeeded Carl Saunders as program director. With Sam Lauder added to the announcing staff, production has been put in charge of Ronald Dawson, in addition to his promotion and dramatic direction duties. TED MORSE, beadliner of the 2V'ational Barn Dance. WLS, Chicago, underwent an appendectomy April 18. JOE ROCKHOLD. formerly of WMMN, Fairmont, W. Va., has joined WLS, Chicago, to write and produce Elm Creek Folks which he originated on WXYZ, Detroit, in 1933. Joe proves his versatility by playing three of the show's four characters. RUSS JOHNS, announcer of WNYC, New York municipal station, has joined the radio staff of the New York World's Fair as announcer and producer. "CURT" POULTON, formerly of WSM. Nashville, KVOO, Tulsa, and KMOX, St. Louis, has joined the announcing staff of WDZ, Tuscola, 111. JOHN M. C. PEASE has become a permanent member of the NBC Chicago continuity staff, succeeding William C. Hodapp. BOB TROUT, CBS ace announcer, on April 19 addressed Columbia U's class in radio journalism on the preparations necessary for special events broadcasts, such as the forthcoming national political conventions. WILSON NORTHCROSS, new to radio, has joined the announcing staff of WHBQ, Memphis, Tenn. PAT BARRETT, the Uncle Ezra of National Barn Dance, originated by WLS, Chicago, for NBC-Blue, on April 19 arrived in Hollywood to spend five weeks working in a new Paramount picture. Barrett is the latest of several other Barn Dance performers to enter movie work, among them Gene Autry, Lulu Belle and Scotty, Louise Massey and the Westerners, the Ranch Boys and the Hoosier Hot Shots. HUGH LAWRENCE is the professional name of L. Nazar Kurkdjie, recently appointed musical director of KMPC, Beverly Hills. Cal. He is wellknown in Cleveland, having broadcast on WTAM and WHK from the Hotel Cleveland for several years. EDWIN MULLINAX, formerly with WHMA, Anniston, Ala., has joined the announcing staff of WSIX, Nashville. BOB ANDERSON, newscaster of KPO-KGO, San Francisco, resigned May 1 to join KSFO, San Francisco. [Bert Buzzini has joined KPO-KGO i as relief announcer. KEN MILLER, news editor of KVOO, Tulsa, led the field in the recent elecition for the Tulsa School Board. Delivery Error FOR WEEKS Ed Wallis, production chief of WIP, Philadelphia, had worked on a series of dramatic scripts to be submitted to a client for possible sponsorship. At the same time Wallas worked on an exhaustive series of instructions on the care and feeding of an anticipated offspring. Both were completed about the same time and both were well handled — except that the client got the wrong opus and phoned President Benedict Gimbel Jr. to ask what was the idea of sending him a piece about baby rearing. IRVING REIS, Hollywood writerproducer, will start as an RKO Radio Pictures director under Cliff Reid, cueing actors in the film "Once Around the Clock"', scheduled to start May 15. He is the third radio producer to draw a directorial assignment at RKO, being preceded by Orson Welles and Frank Woodruff. PUTTING his monicker on the dotted line, Rube Bressler (right) recently signed a contract to handle a five-weekly evening program on WCKY, Cincinnati, for Western & Southern Life Insurance Co. Bressler was in the National League for 18 years, 10 of them with the Cincinnati Reds. Watching him sign are E. C. (Jim) Krautters, WCKY sales manager (left), and George H. Moore, WCKY sales promotion director. Atlantic City Considers Man Made Static Law MAN-MADE static would be penalized by a fine of $200 or 90 days imprisonment under a proposed ordinance before the Atlantic City, N. J., city commissioners. A twofold campaign to eliminate interference with radio reception here was started April 18 with the introduction of the plan by Director Cuthbert and the creation of a board to study the subject. The measure would forbid operating any apparatus in the city limits which causes interference that is "reasonably preventable," excepting therapy apparatus "when properly equipped to avoid interference". It does not apply to broadcast stations or transmitters. A resolution was introduced by Director Cuthbert creating the "Atlantic City Radio Advisory Board", a non-salaried group of nine, to investigate radio interference, receive complaints, suggest means of eliminating man-made static, and conduct a campaign to clear the air waves. BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising May 1, 1940 • Page 55