NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1942)

What Do You Think of This? NAT 1,0 1626 K St, N. W. WASH NGTON Phene NAtional 2080 Neville Miller, President C. E. Arney, Jr., Assistant to President Joseph L. Miller, Director of Labor Relations ; Paul F. Peter, Director of Research ; Russell P. Place, Counsel: Howard Frazier, Director of Engineering : Arthur C. Stringer, Director of Promotion WBIG PRODUCES MORALE PROGRAM (Continued from page 569) “And this test applies to you, Donald Nelson, the big man with a bigger job. Here’s a motto for you: ‘Get sore and stay sore.’ “It applies to you, Phil Murray of the CIO, and you, Messrs. Thomas and Reuther of the Automobile Workers. Tell your men what is at stake, that they must meet Lincoln’s test. "It applies to you, Ed O’Neal of the Farm Bureau, and you, Senator Russell of the farm bloc. Have more faith in your people. “It applies to you, Franklin Roosevelt, man of many burdens. Be honest with us. Dump our share of this war on our shoulders. “It applies to you, the Polish worker, and you, the Negro worker, and you. Farmer Jones, and you, the obscure writer of this page. You are only halfway mobilized for war. Nothing any of you can do will ever be enough. “It applies to all of us, Americans: all who have ever stood upon a porch to watch the long wind stroking the borderless .\merican plains, or seen a white road winding among dusty American apple trees and oaks, or heard the deep surf beating on an American shore; all who have learned freedom in the scuffle of the people’s schools, or heard it spoken at the crossroads on lazy afternoons, or felt its electric power in the voting booth. It is we — each of us — who must prove whether a nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.” . . . WJR Larry Payne, Fund Raiser WJR’s announcer, Larry Payne, has demonstrated his ability as a fund raiser. Benefactor was the Selfridge Field Band and Recreation Center, Michigan. While producing a weekly half hour show, “Selfridge Salute,” he learned of the need for funds to expand services and con¬ ceived the money raising plan. Mr. Payne’s co-workers were: L. P. Wagner, general manager of Jefferson Beach Park, and members of American Women’s Volunteer Services. The Plan This is the plan he presented: 1. Designate Friday night, August 28, at Jefferson Beach Park as “Selfridge Field Nite.” 2. Sell tickets at SOc each, entitling the bearer to $1.70 in amusement tickets at the park, 3. Give all the proceeds of the advance sale to Selfridge Field Recreation and Band funds. Plan was accepted and Mr. Payne went to work, receiving the backing of the following broadcast stations in Metropolitan Detroit, in addition to his own, WJR: WWJ, W45D, CKLW, WJLB, W49D, WEXL, WJBK, WCAR. The Detroit News, Free Press and Times also extended co¬ operation. Results Three thousand nine hundred dollars ($3,900) was presented to Colonel William T. Colman, commanding officer, through Major William C. Ingram, base executive, on August 28. Mr. Payne said that more money would be forthcoming ns settlements with the ticket salesmen were completed. He pre¬ dicted that the total could run to $5,000. 570 — September 25, 1942 The following letter was received by OWL We’re printing it to test your reactions on the writer’s proposal. It is suggested you send comments to Douglas Meservy, Deputy Chief, OWI Radio Bureau, Washington, D. C. “To you, OWI, as the ‘Coordinator’ of news,” wrote Mr. Black, “I am taking the liberty of offering one suggestion that I believe will be of a National benefit. At present our news commentators and reporters use a great many synonyms for the warring powers that are confusing to the average country listener — as an example Axis Nazis German Italian Japanese Niponese etc. Allied Nations British English all equal Russians our enemy Soviets Reds Chinese American Yanks, etc. all equal our army “In a radio comment or a newspaper article the same country may be referred to by three different names in as many sentences. “I have tenants on the farm of average intelligence, who get confused over these multiple terms and fail to learn who is fighting who. The Suggestion “So my suggestion is that all radio commentators and news reporters be instructed to use the words ‘The Enemy’ when referring to our enemies and the words ‘Our Army’ when re¬ ferring to any forces on our side. “The word ‘Our’ is in the possessive case, and that will help cement all the people in the war, and stop so much reference to ‘They’ when actually referring to the Allied Nations. Since our boys are on practically all fronts, it is our war and our army and not the war and the British, Chinese, etc. “If you mingled with the common herd as I do, you would readily see the need for and good that could be accomplished by a unified name covering all the Allied Nations and one covering all our enemies.” ONE FOR THE BOOK Kern Tips, KPRC, Houston, Tex., reports that one of his station’s bond customers ($262) was George Lee Taylor, 28-yearold negro, who is serving a stretch of 20 years for the murder of his wife. “I like the programs KPRC sponsors in the sale of bonds,” Taylor told the warden. The negro came into the $262 by a real estate sale. wese TALKS TO SHIPBUILDERS Station WCSC, Charleston, S. C., is putting on some down-toearth bond programs for the boys in nearby shipyards who aren’t doing so badly on payday. Here’s a typical script: A little over nine months ago . . . our country . . . went to war! Ever think of it that way? “Went . . . to . . . war” — cold, hard, ugly words ! Maybe you don’t think that means anything — just words, like . . . “Remember Pearl Flarbor!” and "Slap a Jap!” and “Join the Scrap!” and “Wartime Is Ten Per¬ cent Club Time!” But, did you ever stop to think exactly what those words mean to ... a shoe salesman in a stinking fox-hole in the Philippines — or to a young garage mechanic, taking off for his first flight over Rommel’s lines in Egypt? No, I’ll betcha’ ! .And if you want to spend an unpleasant half-hour sometime, get off in a corner by yourself and let your imagination run . . . put yourself with any one of our boys ... on any one of the front lines! If you’ve got any imagination at all . . . you won’t wait for the end of that little day-dream . . . there’s something else, like that, that I’m going to say that’s going to give you the same kind of unpleasant half-hour — if you’ve got the guts to face it! Let’s take it this way! You, out there . . . and you . . . you’re in “War Production!” You’re doing a vital job — a job, just as important as the guy with the gun . . . maybe without quite all the risks . . , but just as important. . . . Well, answer this question for yourselves . . . nobody listening . . . and no