Broadcasting (Jan - Jun 1944)

FEMININE and expert touch is given news copy when manpower shortage is recognized at NBC central division news and special events departments by recent acquisition of pulchritudinous pair. William Ray, head of the department, feeds copy from the printers to (1), Margaret L. Whitehead, former news writer at WLW Cincinnati, and (r), Myrtle Robison, Northwestern U. graduate and former student of NBC-Northwestern U. Summer Radio Institute. that are exercised by the Commander-in-Chief. In other words," he declared, "I doubt if the committee would want to take the responsibility of saying that the Commander-in-Chief is wrong and that these activities ought to be transferred to the Army and Navy and thus, by process of indirection, accomplish that result." Fly Lists Espionage "Your position is we have the constitutional power to cut off the entire appropriation, if we desire, , but we have no business and no right to inquire as to what this money is to be used for, or how it is to be expended?" demanded Rep. Starnes. Mr. Fly said the "vast quantity" of the work by RID is "done for i departments other than the Army and the Navy, a great deal for ■ the FBI. Work in regard to espionage stations has been done both in this country and in South America on an extensive scale, in cooperation with the State Dept., and we have extensive work to do for the Office of Foreign Economic Administration," he added. He introduced several letters Y*Dow*i Souths Jt&L? UILOC NASHVILLE. TENN. 50.000WATTS THE INDUSTRIAL GATEWAY TO THE RICH TENNESSEE VALLEY NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES PAUL H. RAYMER Mother Radio MIDWEST MOTHERS en masse answered an appeal over WTCN Minneapolis recently when Ann Ginn's program asked for homes to care for orphaned children and those whose parents could not care for them. Fred D. Thomas, executive secretary of the children's agency, reported that 545 mothers had volunteered to take children into their homes. from various Government agencies praising the RID and FBIS, but when letters of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretaries Knox and Stimson, urging the President to transfer radio intelligence to the armed services, were read he asked that they be "off the record" since they were still classified as "secret". When they were made part of the record, however, Mr. Fly asked that the President's letter of Sept. 7, 1943 ,to Secretary Knox, in which he decided to leave radio intelligence with the FCC, also be included. Of the total budget request for $8,524,122,309 for independent offices, the Committee recommended a reduction of $23,531,957. Only two other .agencies were given reductions higher than that recommended for the FCC. From the Federal Works Administration the Committee stripped $10,025,248 and from the U. S. Maritime Commission $10,000,000. Both were for proposed construction. The Bureau of the Budget was reduced $604,860. The House is expected to take final action on the Independent Offices Appropriations Bill today (Jan. 31) after two days' debate. NOW THEY KNOW WCLO Shows Ration Board Why Gas Is Needed TO CONVINCE the Janesville, Wis., ration board that gasoline is a vital necessity in the business of broadcasting if a station is to function in the "public interest, convenience and necessity", WCLO invited members of the board to sit in on a special presentation. With Sidney Bliss, station president, flanked by Announcer Art Ohlsson and Dorothy Alan, continuity chief who doubles in air duties, a local interpretation of Dr. I.Q. was presented, Mr. Bliss acting as m.c. Pat Alan, singer, did some solos and led the ration board members in group singing. The program was recorded and played back. It demonstrated that broadcasting involves a lot more than pushing a button and that if WCLO is to provide Janesville with remote pickups of general interest and otherwise serve its community properly, gasoline is necessary for the autos which transport engineers, announcers, producers, and remote and recording equipment. New Radio Legislation Supported by 'Colliers' CURRENT issue of Collier's devotes its lead editorial, entitled "Take the Chains off Radio," to an endorsement of the program of Niles Trammell, NBC president "for the bringing of radio in the United States within the Bill of Rights' guarantee of freedom of speech". Itemizing Mr. Trammell's proposals for changes in the Communications Act to halt further Government encroachments on the rights of the broadcaster and listener [Broadcasting, Dec. 13], Collier's states: "We think all the Trammell recommendations ought to be written into this (the White Morton Salt Plans MORTON SALT Co., Chicago, in February will start a related item advertising and sales promotion campaign in which radio will be used, C. L. Ostrom, advertising manager of the company announced last week. Spot announcements and chain breaks will be scheduled on approximately 148 stations in the Morton territory, he stated. Agency is Kenyon & Eckhardt, Chicago. Wheeler) bill. It is time to knock the bureaucratic chains off the American radio industry, for the benefit of the listening public and the industry, and out of a decent respect for the Constitution of the United States." Maybe you think we're joking. But it is true that o people out here really feel close to their favorite radio station. We enter so closely into their daily (and nightly) lives that, sloppy as it sounds, we're almost "a member of the family". That's one reason we sell so darned much merchandise out here. We've got the local touch. Want the proof? WDAY FARGO, N. D. . . . 5000 WATTS N. B. C. AFFILIATED WITH THE FARGO FORUM FREE 6 PETERS, NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising