NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1942)

New Haven Plan In New Haven, Conn., the metropolitan area was divided into six zones. Each day requests for “What Can I Do” booklets, received from, listeners, are distributed to the proper zone. Wardens make the delivery in person. They do this in New Haven because booklet delivery enables the wardens to make an additional con¬ tact with residents in their immediate communities. The booklets are mailed to all people living outside of the six zone area. This is all according to information received from James T. Milne, manager, WELI, who is also local OCD radio chairman. Though only 12,000 booklets were on hand at the beginning of the campaign. Sept, 8, Mr. Milne was assured that he would re¬ ceive as many booklets as he could give away in the metropolitan New Haven area with its 165,000 population. Out in Logan, Utah, where the Cache County Defense Council is temporarily short of funds, the Council and Reed Bullen, man¬ ager, KVNU, decided on using the manpower of the public schools for delivery purposes. Schools Help Booklets were placed in the hands of principals of every school in the county. Each child takes one home to his parents and delivers as many others as are needed to cover any families, in their vicinity, without children in school. Teachers are told to impress upon the children the importance of everyone receiving one of the booklets and of reading it from cover to cover. In order that this might be impressed further upon the minds of all of the people in the station’s service area, KVNU is running a heavy campaign, advising parents to get this booklet from their children, etc., and telling why it is important that it be read. Counties other than Cache, covered by KVNU, are being con¬ tacted and arrangements made to assist in this promotion. A large number of letters have been received from stations which reflect the appreciation of local OCD Councils for the information that as many copies of “What Can I Do” would be available as could be used without waste. This information reached the councils in cities having broadcast stations w'ithout having to be fanned down from the state organi¬ zation w'hich takes considerable time. Consequently, the industry w'as able to contribute in another w'ay to the speed-up of dis¬ tribution. In only one or tw'o instances has it been reported that local councils are wdthout means for mailing the booklets. If any other stations encounter similar situations notify Arthur Stringer at NAB headquarters. NEW HIGH IN NAVY RECRUITING During August, 1942, Navy made a new high in recruiting. The exact figure for the month is confidential but informed broadcast¬ ers w'ill get an idea of the number from a statement of .Vdmiral Randall Jacobs, Chief of Naval Personnel. He said that the Navy is now' enlisting the equivalent of a peacetime Navy a month, Lt. Comdr. Dudley A. White, Bureau of Naval Personnel, said that the aggressive part played by the broadcast industry played a prominent part in making the record possible. COAST GUARD HAS STIFF QUOTA .A folio of Coast Guard announcements for suggested use during September and October w’ill be mailed all stations this week. This fighting force h.as a stiff quota to meet which it is con¬ fidently expected will be met with the usual assistance given by the industry. BUY A BOND— $18.75 UP Charlie Zurhorst, promotion manager, WOL, Washington, w'onders whether it w'ouldn't be a good idea to intersperse announce¬ ments on bonds with an announcement on a single bond. Most everybody has to start with one bond, says Charlie, so w'hy not say, “Buy a bond tomorrow (today) — $18.75 up.” 542 — September 11, 1942 NEW WBZ PUBLICITY MANAGER George W. Slade is the new publicity manager of WBZ-WBZA, Boston and Springfield, according to Cy Young, general manager. He replaces Eugene Stafford w'ho has entered the armed forces. PACE IS NEW CHIEF ENGINEER AT WFBC New Chief Engineer at WFBC, Greenville, S. C., is Wilson Pace. He replaces Hubert Brown who has joined the technical staff of WKRC, Cincinnati. LEE DE FOREST REPLIES Responding to a telegram of congratulations sent by President Neville Miller (NAB Reports, page 520), Lee de Forest has written the following letter: “I very much appreciate the warm telegram of birthday greet¬ ings which you were so thoughtful as to send me. “I W'as never in better health and strength than I am now', and judging from the w’ay I feel and w'ork at the present time I may hope to live to see the ‘69’ reverse itself ! “Rest assured that one reason for my present condition is the deep and unending satisfaction w'hich comes to me daily as I realize what radio broadcasting has clone, and is continually accomplishing, in the w'ay of aid to the war effort of the Llnited Nations, confident that in the years to come it will prove a most powerful factor in the maintenance of World Peace.” OWI CAMPAIGN A campaign announced by the Office of War Information de¬ signed to inform the American people of the facts of the war effort of the United Nations, originally announced in NAB Reports, page 519, has been revised. As a result of the ex¬ cellent advice given by stations and because of the fact that other campaigns of an important nature are coming up, the number of daily announcements has been cut from 10 to 6. Some misgivings were had on the part of station managements in cities in which several stations are located, over the effect of 10-a-day announcements on every station. OWI has cut the number of announcements to 6 but urgently requests that every station schedule these 6 announcements daily. The subject w'as given careful consideration at a conference held in Washington on Tuesday and it was the consensus that the best results can be obtained if all stations will cooperate fully. This they are urged to do. PER-INQUIRY REQUESTS The Radio Book Club, 80 Arden St., New York City, Emanuel Dembc’, Radio Director, is soliciting stations on a P-1 deal. Al¬ though the publicity states that this is not a pre-inquiry deal in the full sense of the w'ord, it is just that in every sense of the word. It is exactly this kind of deal that the Broadcast Advertis¬ ing Department has sought to eliminate from radio stations. A letter has been written to Mr. Demby. The Linited Advertising Co. is at it again, this time in behalf of the Skrudland Photo Service. In their letter they state that “over 28 radio stations of varying pow'er” are carrying these per-inquiry deals. This is rather disappointing considering the efforts that have been made to eliminate this method of using radio. RADIO ARTISTS VOLUNTEER The Office of War Information Wednesday announced that top¬ flight radio artists of the country had offered their services to the Government in war w'ork under the direction of the OWL three-way plan, under which the talent of these stars will be utilized, w'as submitted to OWI by Kay Kyser who is forming a “Committee of 25” leading radio performers. At noon Wednesday acceptances had been received by OWI from Jack Bennc-, Edgar Bergen, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Nelson Eddy, Clifton Fadiman, Jean Hersholdt, Frank Morgan,