NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1942)

body’s going to snoop, but, a couple of years ago, say, you were making . . . how much? Twenty-five dollars a week? Yeah, something like that! And how much are you making now? Go on ! Answer yourself — nobody wants to know — nobody’s snooping. ... Just a little problem in mental arithmetic coming up . . . something you can figure out in your own little corner all by yourself. Any one of you out there who hasn’t had about a 300 percent boost in the paycheck in the last couple of years . . .? Mind now, I didn’t say 10 percent or IS percent . . . I’m figuring 2S dollars against, say, about 7S dollars a week since two years ago . , . and the cold, hard arithmetic of that is 300 per¬ cent pay increase I Well, with 300 percent more dollars in your kick . . . what are you doing with it ? Is ... as much as ten percent of it going into war bonds? Answer yourself . . . nobody wants to know! Is it? Now, just hold that little day-dream right there and put this one with it ! After this war is over . . . what’s going to happen to that 300 percent? Maybe, even, how about that job? (Use your imagination — it’s good.) All right then, let’s stop being grim and look at the common horse sense of the matter. Ten or IS or 20 percent of that 300 percent larger paycheck, invested in war bonds — I said “invested” — you’re not giving, remember, you’re getting — getting four dollars for every three in ten years . . . and that little return from Uncle Sam . . . that’ll go a long way toward beginning a home, say, ... or just keeping your family . . . with you out of a job, or, in case . . . well, just in case . . . (pause) and look. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know . . . maybe it’s just . . . you hadn’t thought about it . . . didn’t have time to get off in a corner and let your imagination run ! Well . . . you do it? Start with that part about our country “being at war” . . . and go on from there — it’ll be unpleasant . . . but it’ll be profitable ! NEWS OF AIRPLANE CRASHES Unconsciously many newspapers and some radio stations are undermining morale of the people by publishing or broadcasting in series news items concerning crashes of civilian and military airplanes. While it is true that the number of accidents to air¬ craft, both military and civilian, has increased, it is likewise true that there are many more planes in the air today than ever before. The percentage of accidents to the number of planes flying is probably not materially more than it was in normal times. There is no suggestion that news regarding airplane crashes be suppressed but some care should be taken in printing news of them or making radio announcements in news broadcasts. They should not be linked in a series. It is just like broadcasting news of casualty lists. They don’t do public morale any good. Here’s a suggestion that the news departments of broadcasting stations may well consider. PER-INQUIRY OFFERS The Gospel Sales Co., 1103 Emerson Tower Bldg., Baltimore, Md., is seeking per-inquiry deals in the interests of selling Bibles. D. S. Manson & Associates, Minneapolis, Minn., is on the P-I market again, this time bartering for “Red Devil Soot & Carbon Remover,” a furnace cleaner. Both of these companies have been advised of the radio indus¬ try’s attitude towards attempts of this nature and have been invited to use radio at established rates. The NAB Department of Broadcast Advertising is very grateful for the continued cooperation of the stations in reporting all free time and per-inquiry solicitations. MANPOWER QUESTIONNAIRE Returns of the Manpower Questionnaire mailed to all stations September 16th indicate that stations recognize the importance of the problem. Their prompt attention and the care with which they are filling out the questionnaire will help headquarters to prepare the data required for action on behalf of the industry. Those stations which have not yet returned the questionnaire are urged to complete the information required and mail their return promptly. Speed is of the essence in meeting the problem. Today Selective Service officials are accepting an NAB invita¬ tion to visit the studios and transmitters of four Washington stations so that they may see at first-hand the complexity of broadcasting operations and the personnel requirements to keep the stations on the air. Russell Place and Howard Frazier are accompanying the group. PROGRAMS FOR ALASKA In an effort to provide American troops in remote stations with the kind of contact they want with home, the Office of War Information announced today that it would purchase a minimum of eight hours radio time daily beginning about October 1 to pipe news and special programs to service men in Alaska. Commercial shows taken from the three major radio net¬ works also will be transmitted. The programs will be piped from San Francisco to four Alaskan stations at Fairbanks (KFAR), Juneau (KINY), Ketchikan (KTKN) and Anchorage (KFQD) and rebroadcast over medium wave transmitters. As equipment becomes available, the OWI, in conjunction with the Army Signal Corps, will install low-powered transmitters at Nome, Dutch Harbor and Kodiak. The OWI already is broadcasting news and variety programs for the information and entertainment of American troops on over¬ seas duty. The schedule of Alaskan broadcasts was arranged by Murry Brophy, chief of the Bureau of Communications Facilities of the OWI’s Overseas Branch. PRIORITY FOR SET REPAIR Priority assistance in the purchase of repair-shop material for the maintenance of home radios may be applied for on Form PD-lX by distributors and dealers who buy directly from manu¬ facturers, it was explained today by Linford C. White, chief of the War Production Board’s Distributors’ Branch. This procedure does not impose any requirements upon the consumer or the repair-shop operator, but by making it easier for the large distributor to obtain parts it maintains established links between producer and home set owner. Mr. White pointed out, however, that preference ratings would be assigned by his branch only to items necessary to the func¬ tioning of receiving sets. No fancy, non-essential radio gadgets and no phonograph parts will be rated on Form PD-IX, nor will repair parts for Army, Navy and other Government-owned radios. Assistance in acquiring the latter is available through other established procedures. LIEUT. LEVY IN NEW POST Navy Lieutenant Leon Levy now has the post of consultant to OWI Radio Bureau. He was relieved from duty in the Phila¬ delphia area at the request of William B. Lewis, Bureau Chief. In endorsing the transfer, Rear Admiral A. E. Watson stated that the change was approved with reluctance but granted because new duties were of such importance. Lieut. Levy represents the new Liaison Division of the Radio Bureau in the Philadelphia district. He is president of WCAU Broadcasting Co., Philadelphia. HUB TAFT TO ARMY Hulbert Taft, Jr., general manager of WKRC, Cincinnati, and president of the Ohio Association of Broadcasters, has been com¬ missioned a first lieutenant in the Army Air Forces, and is slated to report at Miami October 1. Ken Church, director of national sales and promotion for WKRC, succeeds him as general manager of the station. Mr. Taft has appointed John Patt, WG.4R, Cleve¬ land, to head the Ohio Association of Broadcasters. September 25, 1942 — 571