NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1942)

War Program Tips Uncle Sam needs nurses — and is going to need plenty more. The Army, the Navy, war factories, as well as communities throughout the country, are running short. The OFF has sent you information and background for spot announcements and programs on a campaign to be started by the Federal Security Agency to urge American girls to enter the career of nurses. The campaign is to start May 25 and will have an AA priority rating from the OFF. Give it your wholehearted support. President Roosevelt has designated June 14 as United Nations Day instead of just Flag Day as usual. There is none too much time to get ready for the special programs, salutes, musical num¬ bers to be included in musical shows, dramatizations, etc. The OCD is sending local stations an especially written IS-minute United Nations Day script which also can be used. Just who are the United Nations? The joint declaration of the 26 United Nations was signed in Washington on January 1, 1942. These are the United Nations: the US.'K, Great Britain. Russia, China, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Poland, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Dominican Republic, India, South Africa, and Yugoslavia. Stations with large communities from one or more of these United Nations might well consider special programs along that line. Here are several ideas which the OFF suggests broadcasters should keep in mind in presenting the case for the United Nations on that day. 1. .Ml the United Nations are fighting in a common cause: a. Against brutality, slavery and international gangsterism. b. For freedom and a better post-war world. 2. The United Nations idea is the only way we can win the war and win the peace — no country can do it alone. a. Enemy propaganda seeking to make us distrust our .-Mlies must be met by the truth about what each of the United Nations is doing in the common cause. 3. Victory is certain if we hold fast to the United Nations idea because: a. We have the manpower. b. We have the resources. c. We can fight. Sunday, June 2, is the anniversary of the death of the great Italian patriot, Garibaldi. The Mazzini Societies, the Democratic Italian American groups, will have special observances on that day. It is a splendid occasion to observe the fact that there are many freedom-loving Italians who are working for our victory, and who look for the overthrow of Fascism. Mr, George Burbach of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and Sta¬ tion KSD has made an interesting suggestion which has proven successful on his station. When important news announcements are received on press radio wires for release after a certain hour, the station makes spot announcements during the intervening period telling people to be sure and listen for an important news announcement at or after the release hour. In this way they build up a listening audience for important news. Naturally, they observe the release instruc¬ tions and do not give the news itself until the stated hour. A lady from Gallatin, Tennessee, in a very friendly letter, tells NBC that she doesn’t think radio as yet has done as good a job as it can to collect all the old scrap metal that's lying around back of the barn out on the farm. Here is what she said: “In view' of the fact that there is still a need for metals and other scrap, I believe the radio can do much to relieve this short¬ age. In the community where I live most of the farms are as yet untouched by the ‘drives’ for metal. The majority of the families take no daily paper. They are not mentally equipped to under¬ stand the references to metal shortages that they hear on the radio. Many gullies are filled with tin scrap on their farms. But I can reach only a very few. You can reach practically all of them. Make your campaign as intensive as the drive for buying defense stamps. Make it as simple as if you were dealing with children. In many cases it will be the children w'ho respond. F’armers are too busy. Urge the necessity of getting up scrap now. Farmers are inclined to do the most pressing job first. And keep at it! Farmers can listen to the radio only a small part of each day. F'armers’ wives go about their work while the radio runs, “The ‘drive’ must be so simple and plain that it catches their attention even while they clean up the children, wash dishes, etc. It must be simple enough for people wdth no education to under¬ stand, and tell to the neighbor w'ho has no radio. “If you can do this I truly believe you will get metal. I know there is still metal to be gotten from farms.” THE CONVENTION Broadcasting, Radio Daily, Variety, and other trade publications so completely and excellently reported the NAB’s Cleveland convention that no effort to duplicate this service will be made in the NAB Reports. In this issue will be found the names of the new Board of Directors, the text of the resolutions adopted, and other matters “for the record.” Also in this issue are the texts of the talks by Archibald MacLeish of the OFF, and Byron Price of the Office of Censorship. Other speeches will be printed later, either in the Reports or in pamphlet form. May 22, 1942 — 265