Broadcasting (July - Dec 1941)

NBC's Latin American Hookup Completed With 92 Stations Royal Returns From Tour of Nations to South; Many Affiliates Sign Gentlemen's Agreements COMPLETION of arrangements for a 92-station Pan American Network to rebroadcast programs shortwaved from the United States by NBC's international stations WRCA and WNBI was announced last Tuesday by John F. Royal, NBC vice-president in charge of international relations, who the day before had returned from a six-week, 20,000-mile air tour of Latin America. These new affiliates, many of which are linked into national networks in their own countries, include about 75 longwave and 15 to 20 shortwave stations, Mr. Royal said, explaining that NBC had dealt with the key station owners and had let them handle negotiations with the other broadcasters in their countries. Gentlemen's Agreements The network, when completed, will include at least one outlet in every country in Central and South America, he said. Some of the stations are still in the construction stage, but all have permission to build transmitters and all will be completed within eight or ten months. Arrangements with the Latin American broadcasters are more in the nature of gentlemen's agreements than formal contracts, he explained, and contain no option time or similar restrictive clauses. They all run for one year and in effect give the stations the right to rebroadcast whatever they desire of NBC's shortwave sustaining programs while NBC is given the right to sell to American advertisers time on these affiliate stations at their regular rates, subject to their ability to clear time. When such a sale is made, the station is to receive 70% of its card rate, 15% going to the advertising agency placing the business and another 15% going to NBC for its sales commission. For the present at least, Mr. Royal said, there are no minimum network requirements and an advertiser may buy any number of NBC's Pan American stations, from 1 to 92. A few of the stations which NBC , has signed up also are included in the CBS Latin American network, Mr. Royal said, adding that in these times of unsettled world af BLANKETS 84% OF WASHINGTON'S POPULATION (Largest audience of any Pacific Northwest station) Don"t miss this radio buy! KIRO's new directional antenna, operating on 710 kilocycles and 50,000 watts watls over salt water towards the major population centers— adding thousands of new listeners. See for yourself why KIRO is the most economical buy . . . the outstanding station of the Pacific Northwest! actually sends approximately 112.000 KIRO 50,000 WANS •SEATTLE A FANCY PLANT is that of KYOS, Merced, Cal., with two of its three sound wagons parked out front. The station wagons carry the latest RCA portable recording equipment, the KYOS portable transmitter, KRME, frequency monitoring equipment, and about $3,000 worth of testing appartus. The ears are in active use daily by KYOS, KHSL, Chico, and KVCV, Redding — all McClung broadcasting stations. The back of the KYOS sign is silhouette illuminated by fluorescent lights shining against the top structure of the building. fairs when both the United States and the European powers are competing for the goodwill of Central and South America it is more important to get United States news and entertainment into Latin America than to worry about whether the programs originate in the studios of NBC or CBS. He expressed particular concern over the news situation, stating that news broadcasts from England and from the Axis countries are rebroadcast by South American stations on paid time and that these programs are also announced in paid space in the local newspapers. When a station receives its news on a paid basis, it can scarcely be expected to take news from another source and broadcast it as sustaining material, he said, declaring that the United States, either through business companies or government agencies, should do the same thing. "We are still trying to sell our shortwaved news periods," he said, stressing the word "trying," but adding that the important thing is to get the "objective news" of the United States news agencies on the air over local Latin American stations, regardless of whether it is paid for by Government or private funds or whether it is shortwaved and rebroadcast or ori Represented Nationally by FREE & PETERS, inc. Don Martin, KOA, Denver, writes: "Happy to inform you that this weel< we have added three more commercial newscasts to our schedule, using INS reports exclusively." INTERNATIONAL NEWS SERVICE Now They're Easy! PRESS ASSN., the Associated Press radio subsidiary, has published a new book containing a guide to the pronunciation of tonguetwisting foreign names. Designed especially for announcers and commentators, the 58-page book is called the PA Pronouncer. Material was compiled by Jules Van Item, noted Dutch philologist and chief of the NBC listening post, who says his system consists of strictly phonetic spelling, doing away with all pronunciation symbols. Supplemental guides will be carried on PA as the need arises. ginated locally. There are a number of programs of UP and AP news already being broadcast on individual stations for American sponsors, he said, but he declared that such broadcasts are all too few to compete with the flood of European "propaganda news". How They Feel Despite this overbalance of news from abroad, Mr. Royal stated that with certain isolated exceptions the people in most of the cities he visited seemed to be inclined to favor the democracies rather than the Axis nations and that while there are still some newspapers and radio stations with completely Axis editorial policies, they seemed smaller in number and influence than before. President Roosevelt is the most popular figure in Latin America, he said, stating that 110 stations below the border picked up and rebroadcast NBC's shortwave transmission of the President's Labor Day address. Such programs NBC will continue to offer all Latin American stations, whether or not they are affiliates of the NBC Pan Amei'ican network. The network itself, will be inaugurated with a special program Oct. 12, Columbus Day. The Brazilian Network will be saluted Sept. 7 and the Mexican , Network Sept. 18. Page 26 • September 8, 1941 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising