NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1944)

“We cannot urge too strongly that this matter be given your prompt and careful attention in order that overall industry requirements can be tabulated.” The information outlining the present and proposed use of the supplementary frequencies by broadcasters will be tabulated by NAB and made available to the various RTPB panels dealing with allocation problems. INCREASED TUBE PRODUCTION IS UNDER WAY Actual production of radio tubes for civilian home radio sets at a sharply increased rate is under way in the na¬ tion’s tube plants. Arthur Stringer, NAB director of circulation, estimates that at least 100 per cent and possibly 200 per cent more civilian radio tubes will be delivered in the last half of 1944 than in the first half. Between 35 and 40 per cent of the increased production is expected to be shipped in July, August and September. BE SURE TO REPLY TO THE RADIO NEWSROOM MANPOWER SURVEY Radio Journalism Courses Involved Calculation of the needs of radio news rooms for students trained in radio journalism is being undertaken by the American Association of Schools and Departments of Journalism, with the assistance of the National Associa¬ tion of Broadcasters. This week a radio newsroom manpower survey, prepared by AASDJ, was mailed from NAB headquarters. Replies are to go to Professor Richard W. Beckman, Journalism Department, Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. The ques¬ tionnaire is in streamlined wartime form, being only a return post card containing six pertinent inquiries, an¬ swerable in brief space. Beckman will compute the returns for his Association, working in cooperation with the NAB Radio News Committee, whose Chairman is Karl Koerper, Vice-President and Managing Director of KMBC, Kansas City. Information procured will have a significant bear¬ ing on the number and type of courses in radio journalism recommended to the schools and colleges of America. Beckman’s note to station managers and his six post card questions follow: “American teachers of Journalism want to help you solve the manpower problems in your newsroom. To do so, we need to have the answers to several questions — how many news processors you employ, how many you expect to employ, how many are women and so on. Only with this information in hand can we turn out young men and women qualified to meet your necessarily exacting demands. “The questionnaire on the attached card is short and sweet. Filling it out will take only a few minutes. We should be grateful if you would detach the card, fill in the answers and drop it in the mail as soon as possible. We believe it will help both you and us.” 1. How many persons does your newsroom employ to write and/or edit news for broadcast (in terms of full-time employees) ? 2. How many of these persons actually broadcast news? 3. Would you employ qualified women for news editing and/or writing? 4. Would you employ qualified women for news broad¬ casting? 5. How many new employees are you likely to need in the next year for news writing and editing only? 6. How many new employees for news writing and editing plus broadcasting? FM EDUCATIONAL BROADCASTING The FCC has received information from the U. S. Office of Education concerning proposed state-wide plans for the allocation of the five frequencies reserved for non-com¬ mercial educational FM broadcasting stations. It appears that such plans, if carefully prepared with a view to fair treatment of public and private educational institutions, both urban and rural, at the primary, secondary, higher, and adult education levels alike, may provide a sound means for securing the maximum possible utilization of educational frequencies. Accordingly, while the Commis¬ sion must dispose of each application on its merits, it will give careful consideration in connection with educational applications to any state-wide plan filed with it. The Commission’s rules define a “non-commercial edu¬ cational broadcasting station” to mean “a station licensed to an organized non-profit educational agency for the advancement of its educational work and for the trans¬ mission of educational and entertainment programs to the general public.” PIONEERS EDUCATION BY RADIO IN N. C. A program of cooperation between FM station WMIT and the high schools of Winston-Salem is expected to blaze new educational trails in North Carolina beginning this autumn. A group of city educators will work with Harold Essex, managing director WSJS-WMIT, and the station staff. As now conceived the program is to include both dramatic and musical presentations and news broadcasts especially adapted for school listening. WMIT is an NAB member station as is WSJS. WMAZ CANCELS SPONSORED RELIGIOUS PROGRAMS Religious programs will be unacceptable for sponsorship on WMAZ, Macon, Ga., beginning September 1, 1944, ac¬ cording to announcement by Manager Wilton E. Cobb. The move will involve cancellation of $8,160 in business. Since the first of the year the station has refused an ad¬ ditional $30,836 in religious broadcasting. In lieu of the present religious programs WMAZ will schedule The Church of the Air at 9:00 a. m. and 12:00 noon on Sundays. Next year, when present contracts expire, the station will add a daily morning devotional program along non-denominational lines. By way of explanation to present religious broadcasters, Mr. Cobb said in part: “For several years we have felt that we were failing in our administration of our radio franchise, granted by the government, to the end that we best serve the public interest in religious as in other matters. “Our failure, in the religious field, in our minds, has been created by our inability to serve each and every group which has desired radio programs, because of the limita¬ tion of actual available time and the limitation imposed by the financial ablity of religious groups to pay for such services. “Since we could not begin to serve the needs of every religious group, we found it necessary to make limited charges for religious services. This, too, has proven unfair, since only those with adequate financial support could use the facilities of radio.” RADIO REDUCES ABSENTEEISM Radio is credited with a big part in the reduction of absenteeism in Greensboro, N. C., according to the Mayor’s War Production Committee of that city. July 21, 1944 — 241