NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1942)

Programs for Victory FIRE PREVENTION WEEK BEGINS SUNDAY Bi’oadcast promotion of Fire Prevention Week, October 4-10, is lined up coast to coast. This year’s emphasis is placed, by OCD, upon damage done by the war effort through the destruction or injury by fire of materials, dwellings or other structures. BOOKLETS TO PASS 10,000,000 MARK The third print order for “What Can I Do” booklets, advertised gratis by broadcast stations and published by OCD, is soon to be placed. Within six days after news of the booklet reached sta¬ tions, the original five million order was upped four mil¬ lion. Marvin Beers says OCD is now on the verge of ordering again. The V-Home angle is being used by stations wherever local OCD councils are prepared. Stations are urged to continue the promotion of “What Can I Do” in order to insure maximum distribution of this booklet which is highly important to the war effort. Director Landis will authorize printing of additional booklets as long as demand persists. OK SPONSORSHIP OF NAVY ET Sponsorship of Navy’s weekly transcribed programs, “Man Your Battle Stations,” has been authorized by the Chief of Naval Personnel, by direction. The matter will be explained in detail in a memiorandum to all stations dated October 5, and attached to the weekly folio of Navy announcements. COL. MARRINER ON ARMY HOUR The Army Hour, broadcast over NBC stations, on Octo¬ ber 11, will feature Army Air Forces Communications. Colonel A. W. Marriner, Air Forces Director of Com¬ munications, will be among those appearing on the pro¬ gram. VARIED PROMOTIONS SELL BONDS AT WMAQ Everything from a thirty-piece brass band, playing on the drive overlooking the Chicago River to an effigy of Hitler has been used by WMAQ, NBC’s Chicago station, in helping to sell several hundred thousand dollars worth of war bonds to date. WMAQ recently completed a three-week contest among five of its top announcers — Bob Brown, Cleve Conway, Charlie Lyon, Fort Pearson and Louis Roen — in which each of the announcers had fifteen minutes on the air one day a week and a full-hour at the WMAQ Bond Booth in the main lobby of the Merchandise Mart one noon each week. In three weeks, the announcers sold some $50,000 worth of bonds over the counter during the noon periods alone, not counting direct sales by mail to radio listeners. Pur¬ chasers got to hit a dummy of Hitler, and Chicago radio artists entertained at the booth. Then Chicago members of AFRA, the Chicago Federa¬ tion of Musicians, and the Radio Writers’ Guild came for¬ ward with the offer to stage a big variety show of their own on WMAQ late one night. The program went on the 582 — October 2, 1942 night of September 19, and brought some $25,000 in pledges to buy bonds. On the night of September 28, WMAQ joined WBBM, WGN, WENR, WCFL, WIND, WJWC and other Chicago stations in broadcasting another big variety show for which Chicago radio, stage, night club and screen artists donated their talent. More than $360,000 worth of bond sales in Chicago alone were reported, and the 24 downstate stations which carried the program had not yet reported. In addition, the WMAQ-NBC Central Division, with 270 employees, is 100 per cent pledged to payroll deduc¬ tions for bond purchases, and now each of the employees is out to sell $100 worth of bonds to an outsider, which would net $27,000 more in sales. NEW PROGRAM HEAD AT KDKA New Program Manager for KDKA, Pittsburgh, is Robert E. White, formerly chief announcer of WBZ-WBZA. Ap¬ pointment was announced last week by James R. Rock, General manager, KDKA. Last year Mr. White won the H. P. Davis Memorial Award as the outstanding an¬ nouncer in the eastern time zone. WTAD GETS THE MONEY WTAD, Quincy, Ill., staged a war bond rally Thursday night, September 24, which produced sales and pledges of $358,400. C. Arthur Fifer, general manager, explained that the staff of WTAD raised $242,243 of this amount prior to the opening of the rally. The entertainment consisted of a name orchestra, Freddy Nagel, with a member of WTAD’s staff conducting and the picture. Wake Island, furnished by the Washington Theatre of Quincy. Admission to the theatre was the purchase of a $25 or $50 war bond. This netted $83,350; $32,807 was received from an auction conducted the night of the show. New Angle on Scrap The metal scrap heaps in Quincy are larger and heavier than they would have been without a special promotion by WTAD. WTAD is aggressively after such items as iron fences, statues, fountains, etc., which, though still in good con¬ dition, will perform a more useful function as scrap. Sta¬ tion is advocating the giving up of all metal items even though a real sacrifice to the owner is involved. First of the special scrap programs was broadcast Sep¬ tember 22 at 7:15 p.m. It was built around the example of two local residents with adjoining homes surrounded by 1,000 feet of heavy ornamental iron fence. Though a landmark for years and in perfect condition, Mr. and Mrs. L. P. Bonfoey and Mr. and Mrs. E. N. Monroe tossed the fence on the local scrap heap. Because of this example. Station Manager C. Arthur Fifer has received reports of many similar, if not as large, donations. “WAR SACRIFICE FUND’’ Jess Willard, general manager of WJSV, Washington, D. C., is sponsor of a personal “War Sacrifice Fund” plan to help win the war, by producing additional funds for investment in war savings bonds. It was devised as a means for patriotic individuals to go beyond the normal line of duty, voluntarily, to help win the war. Here’s how it operates: Each person establishes his own personal “War Sacrifice Fund” with sacrifice savings. Such savings are beyond