Broadcasting (Jan - June 1940)

FERA Discusses Plans to CoDtinue Educational Work Summer Conferences Planned ; Additional Funds Needed PRELIMINARY discussion of plans for continuing action of the organization after the close of its current fiscal period June 30, including a group of 11 radio-educative conferences to be held this summer in cooperation with various colleges and universities, featured the May 7 meeting of the executive committee of the Federal Radio Education Committee in Washington. No definite plan was discussed for securing additional funds to continue the work of the Committee, although it was the sense of the executive group that the work 1 should continue. Summer plans of the FREC ceni ter around the conferences, to be : held in cooperation with Denver U, Wyoming U, Utah State Agricultural College, Utah U, Washington State College, Oregon U, New York State Teachers College, Minnesota U, Stanford U, Texas U and Southern Methodist U. The conferences are to be conducted by members of the Committee's technical staff, headed by Dr. Leonard Power and including I. Keith Tyler, director of the Ohio State U research project, and Dr. Paul Lazersfeld, director of the Columbia U research project. Research Reports At the meeting also were announced four printed reports resulting from its research studies already published and distributed, and details of several more being prepared. Publications covering completed studies include "Forums on the Air", a study of the effectiveness of radio forums in education, directed by Dr. Paul H. Sheats; "College Radio Workshops", an examination of four typical college radio workshops, conducted by Dr. Power, FREC research coordinator; "Local Station Policies", a study of the educational and public service policies of one station (WMBD, Peoria), also conducted by Dr. Power. A report also was made on the catalog of the Educational Radio Script Exchange, operated by the FREC, which now lists 575 educational scripts available on loan to educational groups or broadcasters. New publications due before June 30 include "Listener's Appraisal of a College Station", a companion study to the WMBD survey; "Survey of College Radio Courses, and Syllabus for Teacher Training Courses"; reports of two studies of listening groups, one conducted in the United States and the other in Europe, and a pictorial book depicting radio's role in educational and public service broadcasting on a national scale, using pictures made by J. Kenneth Jones, director of information, on a recent nationwide tour. Set up about four years ago at the suggestion of the late FCC Chairman Anning S. Prall, the FREC has operated on grants totaling' $481,000 from Rockefeller Foundation, Carnegie Corp., General Education Board and NAB. Although studies under the Rockefeller and General Education Board grants have been extended to Sept. 1, 1941, and June 1, 1942, respec V ENGROSSED in answering listeners' posers, the Professor of Professor Faxon Figgers on KVOO, Tulsa, injects a new note into the idea of spreading information. Sponsored by Atlas Life Insurance Co., the program invites listeners' questions on any subject. Before giving answers, the Prof reads the query for Organist Ken Wright, who invariably responds with a musical number whose title suggests the answer, viz., "Which member of the deer family is the largest?" once brought forth the free translation, "Moosic Maestro Please". Announcer Terry O'Sullivan is the professor. Aired twiceweekly for quarter-hour periods, the account is handled by Rogers, Gano, & Gibbons, Tulsa agency. tively, the FREC at present has funds sufficient to keep its other activities functioning only until this fall. It was stated that subsequent discussions will be held for securing additional funds. Of the $481,000 received to date General Education Board has contributed $234,000; Rockefeller Foundation, $120,000; Carnegie Corp., $60,500, and NAB, $66,500. With Dr. J. W. Studebaker, U. S. Commissioner of Education, as chairman, the May 7 meeting was attended by the full executive committee, including John Elmer, W C B M, Baltimore; Willard E. Givens, NEA; Rev. George Johnson, Catholic U of America; Harold B. McCarty, WHA, Madison, Wis., and representative of the National Assn. of Educational Broadcasters; Alfred J. McCosker, MBS; Neville Miller, NAB; Walter G. Preston Jr., NBC; Ralph L. Clark, FCC; Levering Tvson, Muhlenberg College; Frederic* A. Willis, CBS. 'Food Fair' Clicks AFTER three months of broadcasting, the WEEI Food Fair, which offers a complete merchandising plan to advertisers, has also been presented in many of the leading food, department stores and markets of New England. Such -widespread attention has been given the booth, from which Margaret Kiley distributes samples of advertisers' products, and the resulting boost in sales has been so marked, that the Massachusetts Retail Grocers' Assn. made the demonstration a part of its annua] convention in Boston the week of May 6. The entire east of the Food Fair program — "Mother" Parker, Roberta Green, Margaret Kiley and Hal Newell — was present at the last monthly meeting of the association in Faneuil Hall, May 8 and staged an actual broadcast of the show just as it is done in the studios of WEEI. 'Cavalcade' to Be Staged At Women's Convention E. I. duPONT de NEMOURS & Co., Wilmington, on May 21 will present the broadcast on NBC of Cavalcade of America from the auditorium in Milwaukee where the General Federation of Women's Clubs will hold its annual convention. Helen Hayes will be the feature star of the program, to be based on Jane Addams' career at Hull House, Chicago. DuPont executives will be present for the broadcast. BBDO, New York, handles the account. Arrangements to broadcast the program in conjunction with Women's convention were handled by Mrs. Harold Milligan, radio chairman of the Federation, who also is chairman of the radio luncheon to be held May 21 at which guest speakers, as yet unselected, will discuss new techniques in radio and children's programs. Margaret Cuthbert, NBC's director of women's activities; Louella Laudin, director of the iQuilting Bee program on NBC, and Mrs. Lavinia Schwartz, CBS midwest regional director of education, will attend the convention. Radio Education Session Is Arranged for Texas NBC and the University of Texas on May 31 and June 1 will cosponsor an educational conference on radio for station managers and public service directors of NBC affiliated stations, members of the Texas U faculty and teachers from adjoining States. The opening session will be for representatives of NBC affiliates and NBC officials and will feature talks on public service programs and school programs by Dr. James Rowland Angell, NBC educational counselor, Walter G. Preston Jr., assistant to the NBC vice-president in charge of programs, and Dr. Franklin Dunham, NBC educational director. Dr. Angell will address several hundred teachers at the Friday evening banquet on "Radio's Contribution on the Public Welfare". Saturday sessions for teachers interested in education by radio will include talks by Dr. Dunham and Mr. Preston, and a round-table discussion of "The University and Radio Programs." Test of New Quiz GROLIER SOCIETY Ltd., Toronto (Book of Knowledge), starts as a test campaign on May 15 on CKCR, Kitchener, Ont., a weekly half -hour quiz program / Know, Teacher! Competing teams of public school pupils will take part, the teams being recruited from schools in neighboring cities. The whole program is based on the Book of Knowledge and this schoolroom of the air will be in the form of an actual schoolroom with the teacher acting as master of ceremonies. A visual audience of 1,000 will see the program in the auditorium of the Kitcher Waterloo Collegiate Institute. Prizes will be awarded, and the audience will participate in half-hour programs immediately before and after the show goes on the air. The campaign is produced by Radio Centre Ltd., Toronto, and account placed by J. J. Gibbons Ltd., Toronto. WDRC -THE ADVEBTISINC TEST STATION IN THE ADVERTISIHCTEST CITY" HARTFORD«CONN.< .5846% According to Sales Management, our Trading Area has .3430% of U. S. A. population and .5846% of U. S. A. retail 6ales. There's another reason — and a good one — for including WDRC on your summer schedule. Your advertising more productive he BASIC STATION OF COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM . ^ National Representatives PAUL H. RAYMER COMPANY CHNS HALIFAX, N. S. The Key Station of the Maritimes, ^ Has Just Rounded Out the ^ Busiest Season in Its Fourteen § § New York City ^ Years of Existence. Acl</ertisers Would Be Well Advised to Make Their Summer Bookings AT ONCE. U . S. Representatives: Weed 8c Company, 350 Madison Ave., BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising LARGEST PUBLIC DOMAIN RECORDED LIBRARY in the WORLD LANG-WORTH FEATURE PROGRAMS 420 Madison Ave. New York THE NORTHWESrS LEADING RADIO STATION KSTP MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL, MINN. NOW 50,000 WATTS NBC BASIC RED NETWORK May 15, 1940 • Page 83