Broadcasting Telecasting (Jul-Sep 1955)

areas. Show, 8-9 p.m., featured Arlene Francis, and told the story of the flood and the damage \ it had caused in areas which it struck. Through'< out the previous week flood news was carried on ABC-TV's regularly scheduled newscasts. ABC Radio was set to carry a special docu' mentary yesterday entitled Disaster. In addition to coverage on regular news programs through: out the week the network also broadcast inter1 views with persons in the flood areas who could be reached by telephone. WINS New York launched a campaign for funds in conjunction with WGTH Hartford and WVPO Stroudsburg, which cooperated with 1 WINS in broadcasting flood reports from the scene of the disaster. By late Thursday night 1 WINS reported that it had collected more than v$4,000 which it will divide equally between WVPO and WGTH. WINS also plans to con' tinue the campaign and arrange an entertain: ment benefit performance in Hartford. WINS arranged for coverage of the flood starting last Friday afternoon by setting up a ' twelve station "Hurricane Network" which at one point was said to be the only means of information on disaster areas for all official agencies in New York. WINS General Manager Robert J. Leder made arrangements for the following stations to telephone the latest information: WBZ Boston, WAAL Middletown, WGTH Hartford, WGNY Newburgh, WVOS Liberty, WTNJ Trenton, WBUX Doylestown, WALD Danbury, WNNJ Newton, WLNA Peekskill, WVPO Stroudsburg and WATR Waterbury. From Aug. 19 through the end of last week, city-owned WNYC New York carried a continuous flow of information on flood, road, and rail conditions as a public service effort, beamed primarily at the families of summer campers. Rescue Victims WEJL Scranton, in the heart of a flooded area, sent men to various disaster areas, where instructions on evacuation were broadcast to residents. Crews in the mobile unit assisted in the rescue of several victims. At 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 19 WEJL broadcast a 70-minute news program, providing a wrap-up of the flood situation to date, and giving information concerning road conditions, restricted areas and the rescue of further flood victims. Starting last Tuesday, WPIX (TV) New York launched an effort to raise funds for flood relief, saturating its entire programming structure with public service announcements. The station intends to continue this project for at least two weeks, during which time viewers will be urged to make contributions to the local chapter of the Red Cross. While Hartford was fortunately situated between two floods and escaped major suffering, its radio and tv stations were kept busy over the weekend, and all last week, servicing nearby communities and providing emergency service. WDRC maintained hurricane advisories during Connie and Diane, and really went to work when the floods came. Russ McNaughten, chief announcer, directed the coverage. CBS was given six feeds in three days. Paul W. Morency, WTIC Hartford, told B«T Thursday afternoon that the station's "Flood Bank" fund had reached a total of $131,850. The three-day campaign started Tuesday night and had a Friday night target of $200,000. Red Cross and WTIC personnel worked around the clock. WTIC gave WATR Waterbury and other stations permission to pick up its newcasts and weather reports. The station was mouthpiece for emergency messages. In Providence, R. I., emergency service started at daylight Aug. 19 and continued for several days. WJAR-AM-TV sent newsmen and photographers to Woonsocket and Putnam, where damage was heavy. WJAR-TV showed exclusive films of President Eisenhower's Tuesday conference with governors of six eastern states. WPRO-AM-FM Providence had news and camera crews in the flooded areas. A special plane was chartered, with Morton Blender, newscaster, and a camera crew covering the critical spots. Staff newsmen flew with Gov. Roberts, of Rhode Island. WTAG Worcester, Mass., and WESO Southbridge picked up each others' emergency programs. Staff members of WWLP (TV) Springfield, Mass., had to wade to work but managed to reach areas where water had caused damage. One washout stopped communication between the office and the Provin Mountain transmitter, 10 miles away. Films and mail were carried to the edge of the washout and a mile of relaying through mud and water was necessary. WACE Chicopee, adjoining Springfield, set up a control center. Ralph J. Robinson, station manager, is radio officer for the Western Massachusetts amateur's emergency system (RACES) and directed civil defense communications throughout the valley. Six Forestry Service stations operated out of WACE. Trailers of dry ice from New Haven and Boston were shipped to the station and delivered to stricken spots by plane. Red Cross Funds Sought In Ware, Mass., Bill Sweeney, WARE general manager, and Dave Pryce, chief engineer, lugged broadcast gear up to the transmitter, wading through neck-high water. The watery hike took nearly five hours. On arrival they put WARE on the air, serving a score of isolated communities. Warnings about collapsed water supplies were given primary credit with averting a possible epidemic. WARE messages directed highway repair crews. Five staff members worked 56 continuous hours. WFIL-AM-TV Philadelphia maintained continuous service. Roger W. Clipp, general manager, wired E. Roland Harriman, Red Cross president, informing him "effective immediately in cooperation with local Red Cross authorities every locally originated program and program personality is calling for immediate financial support flood relief." WAVZ New Haven broadcast from Waterbury, Ansonia, Derby and Seymour, Conn., and covered the Hartford visit of President Eisenhower. WNHC-TV New Haven was scheduled to present an hour-long fund-appeal program yesterday from 8-9 p.m. EDT. Titled Suddenly Disaster Struck, the program included on-the-spot film reports of the destruction in the New England area. Television and motion picture personalities residing in Connecticut arranged to participate in the telecast. WNHC-TV cameramen shot more than 3,000 feet of sound and silent film since Aug. 19. The name of "Operation Washout" was coined by WHYN-AM-TV Springfield for its overall plans of news coverage, public assistance and emergency information. Starting on Aug. 19 and continuing through last week, both stations served as channels of news and public service information. WRCA-AM-TV New York last week sent telegrams to 50 radio and tv stations in the devestated areas, offering to broadcast help BOWMAN DAIRY Co. of Chicago takes three-day co-sponsorship of Man on the Street program on WROK Rockford, III., as Robert N. Wilford (r), advertising director of the dairy, and John J. Dixon, WROK general manager, sign the contract. The program, broadcast continuously on WROK for 21 years, is sponsored the remaining three days by Olsen & Ebann Jewelers, now marking its 15th year with the program. wanted notices for flood victims. The telegrams stressed that the stations' appeals would not be for money but for surplus equipment, furnishings or clothing, blankets, beddings and other needed items. Though WKNB-AM Hartford managed to stay on the air Aug. 19, WKNB-TV went off the air that morning when the Farmington River flooded the Connecticut Power Co. stations which supply the tv transmitter in Farmington. At 4:30 p.m. an emergency generator had been placed atop Rattlesnake Mountain and WKNBTV returned to the air. Throughout that day and weekend, both stations continued to broadcast a continuous stream of flood information. WICC Bridgeport, outside the disaster area, kept listeners alerted to the possibility of the flood on Aug. 19, but later concentrated on the state and area picture. On Aug. 21 the station broadcast news and appeals for help to flood victims, and some 2Vi hours broadcasting a plea on behalf of the red cross. Eight truckloads of canned food were collected in the Bridgeport area. The station continued to air appeals for contributions throughout the week. Last Monday General Manager Philip Merryman interviewed Gov. Abraham Ribicoff of Connecticut in what was claimed by the station to have been an exclusive. Rev. Percy Crawford, radio-tv evangelist, couldn't broadcast his daily program on WIBG Philadelphia from his Pinebrook camp near East Stroudsburg, Pa., so he used his tape recorder for on-the-spot accounts of Delaware Valley's disaster. The ad lib broadcast was described by WIBG as "completey and professionally done." Taylor Grant, WPTZ (TV) Philadelphia, directed a 12-man staff that worked the night through to alert areas to possible danger as the rains came. Alan Scott {Let Scott Do It, Mon.-Fri., 9-10 a.m. on WPTZ) went to the Poconos as the rains were starting Aug. 18. He loaded his vacationing family into a car and headed for Philadelphia only to be stopped when his brakes went out. He reached Philadelphia Sunday night, with the station having used three private planes three days in an effort to locate the family. Rob MacLeish went to Connecticut for WBZWBZA Boston-Springfield. He covered the arrival of President Eisenhower at Hartford and Broadcasting Telecasting August 29, 1955 • Page 43