Broadcasting (July - Dec 1941)

I pren. Mauborgne [letires Sept. 30 xpected to Leave DCB Post, Jen. Olmstead Acting Head MAJ. GEN. Joseph 0. Mauborgne, iChief Signal Officer of the Army, liiember of the Defense Communilations Board and a recognized autiority on communications, will etire from the jirmy Sept. 30 .pen completion f his four-year our as Chief > i g n a 1 Officer, imultaneously it ? expected he all resign his Qen. Mauborgne est on DCB. Gen. Mauborgne left Washington |ast Thursday on an extended inpection tour of all Signal Corps Ictivities of the four Armies in ield maneuvers, which he will conlude about the end of August. He viW then take a month's leave prior o retirement Sept. 30. Brig. Gen. Dawson Olmstead, ommandant of the Signal Corps ipchool at Fort Monmouth, N. J., kas been designated Acting Chief 3ignal Officer during the absence fti Gen. Mauborgne and until furher notice. Brig. Gen. George L. K'an Deusen, commandant of the i^'ort Monmouth Signal Corps Relacement Center, will become commandant of that post during Gen. vlmstead's service in Washington. Lt. Col. William S. Rumbough, ^f the Signal Corps War Plans Section, will act as Gen. Mauborgne's tlternate on DCB until further no'ice. Gen. Mauborgne also has Lsked to be relieved of his post as jtlie Army's representative on the National Inventors' Council. It was believed that Gen. Maukorgne, after his retirement as an -ctive Army officer, presumably vith the rank of major general, vill be called upon by defense auhorities to participate in an im•ortant role in the communications •reparedness for national defense. KGBS, Harlingen, Starts 4ug. 15, Staff Is Named 3WNED by McHeiiry Tichenor, a "etired newspaper publisher, the jiew KGBS, Harlingen, Tex., is scheduled to go on the air Aug. 15, l?,ccording to Ingham S. Roberts, general manager who formerly was ivith KPRC, Houston; KTSA, San l|\ntonio, and KRGV, Weslaco. The station is Western Electric jquipped throughout and utilizes a Slaw-Knox tower. Mr. Ingham announced the folowing staff : Thomas B. Moseley, )f KGKO, Fort Worth, chief engineer; Charles Craig, KMAC, San Antonio, program director; Howard Holbrook, KTEM, Temple, ■"ex., operator; Don Phillips, !VACO, Waco, announcer; Roy Rogers, new to radio, announcer; Sathryn Porter, KVIC, Victoria, Tex., continuity; Eleanor Shafer, Texas State Network, traffic; Lee latchett, auditor. DCB Report (Continued from page 10) for air raid warnings, messages, communiques and announcements of national or regional importance. The DCB said that its surveys reveal that broadcasting is well adapted to air raid warnings and similar uses but observes that "certain remediable shortcomings are still to be overcome". These are taken to mean the need for reaching rural areas and the insurance that an adequate power supply can be maintained in case the regular power supply is interrupted. Possible Supernetwork In conjunction with the Office of Civilian Defense, headed by Mayor LaGuardia, the DCB is working on plans to link stations to local civilian defense centers for instantaneous receipt of local and regional warnings and announcements and a potential nationwide supernetwork to be available for transmission of messages national in scope. Studies by the DCB show that of the approximately 880 stations in operation, nearly 500 are already connected to the potential supernetwork by telephone lines. This apparently refers to a linking of the three major chains through a central point, as is already done in the case of some national broadcasts which all three are carrying. DCB says that an additional 132 stations have studios in cities now served by the "supernetwork", in which cases only a local wire connection is needed to tie them in. Only 12 stations in the entire country, according to these studies, are located away from regular program lines and these can be tied in through use of ordinary telephone lines for special announcements and warnings. The remaining 240 stations are located along lines of the supernetwork and could be connected with little trouble. Thus every station in the country can promptly be utilized for military or civilian defense messages. In addition, this network would be available for warnings to a particular station that its signal is in danger of becoming a direction finder for enemy planes. Program Interruptions Speaking of program interruption, the DCB report states : "Successful use of broadcasting for military or civilian defense under private ownership and operation, depends upon the reliability of transmission and its freedom from accidental or deliberate interruptions. Preliminary reports to the Board indicate that reliability varies from station to station, but that a high degree of freedom from program interruptions can be attained. Thus 20 selected stations were found to be losing an average of less than a minute-and-a-half per week from program interruptions of all kinds. Reliability of these stations was calculated at 99.982%. "Electric power failure, it was found, is the most frequent cause of interruptions, accounting for about 50% of all program breaks. BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising Since continuous operation of broadcast stations during power failures is essential, the Board has in progress means of continuing service while public power is cut off. At present an estimated 10% of all broadcast stations are equipped with emergency gasoline or steam-driven power generators which will enable them to continue operations under any conditions except actual demolition of the transmitters. A few other stations are served by two or more independent sources of public power. Studios are now under way to decrease the likelihood of broadcast failures from power shut-offs. "In addition to steps designed to protect particular stations which may be designated for special defense functions, the DCB has instituted reliability studies of the potential supernetwork which welds the stations into a nation-wide unit. Reports to the Board indicate that the 45,000 miles of program transmission circuits now in existence provide alternate routes to all but two of the 310 cities now served. Thus in the event that all network stations were mobilized for a nation-wide defense broadcast, any particular circuit interruption could be compensated by recruiting over alternate transmission lines. Alternative power supplies for these program transmissions are provided by adequate storage battery reserves in 4,000 relay centers." 'T^mm-oariNfALLmo^ ALL Sir AS wGH-scom m mi. NBC's Recorded Program TOUCHDOWN TIPS by SAM HAYES IN ITS FIRST SEASON as a "major contender," Touchdown Tips skyrocketed to outstanding heights of popularity. Again this Fall, this peak-popular program is already headed for top honors. It's the year's best bet in timely shows — recorded by NBC, rushed to you each week by Air Express — and at a cost that will surprise you. Gifted with rare showmanship, Sam Hayes packs each of these weekly quarter-hours with accurate predictions, competent analyses of 30 major college football games in all sections . . . spiced with football-facts and "Gridiron Grins" that are every football fan's meat. First of the thirteen programs scheduled for broadcasting Friday, September 12, will be shipped from Hollywood Monday, Septembers. Warning :"7'owc^doi/;?i Tips" is subject to prior sale and availability*— and there isn't much time left. Better wire today for details from your nearest NBC Radio-Recording Division office. *Not available in States of California. Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah (except Salt Lake City) and Arizona. Scores with Stations and Sponsors! FROM AKRON: ". . . the best transcribed quarter-lioiir this Fall . . . put us down again next year." FROM BUFFALO: . .Very pleased . . .want to have the first opportunity if a similar series will be available next year." (Same sponsor has bought 1941 series.) FROM BALTIMORE :"Very successful in selling men's topcoats to the retail trade ..." FROM NASHVILLE: "Highly pleased . . . glad to report that (our sponsors) feel the same way about it. . ." Jio-Recording Division NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY A Radio Corporation of America Service RCA BIdg., Radio City, New York > Merchandise Mart, Chicago Trans-Lux BIdg., Washington, D. C. • Sunset and Vine, Hollywood August 11, 1941 • Page 47 1^ ft