NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1945)

THIRD YEAR OF STUDENT-TEACHER TRAINING COURSE IN RADIO NOW UNDER WAY AT KYW Philadelphia, Pa.— For the third successive year, KYW opened its doors and loaned its facilities to the education of teachers and high school pupils in all phases of broad¬ casting beginning Wednesday (27). At that time, Radio Workshop, a co-operative project pioneered by Philadel¬ phia’s Board of Education and the Westinghouse station, started classes with lectures and laboratory work that will extend throughout July on a daily basis. The first fifteen minutes of the opening session went on the air from 9:15 to 9:30 A. M. over KYW. Heard on the broadcast were Lee B. Wailes, Manager of West¬ inghouse Radio Stations, Inc.; Dr. T. E. McMullin, of the University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Merrill E. Bush, Temple University; Dr. Robert MacMillan, Associate Superintendent of Public Schools, and Miss Gertrude A. Golden, Superintendent of the Third District Public Schools and Chairman of Public Relations for the Board of Education. They engaged in a round-table preview of the Summer Workshop. The original idea of bringing student-teachers into actual contact with professionals, radio equipment and broadcasting procedure is still adhered to by the Work¬ shop. The lectures and laboratory work stress the four basic subjects which two years’ previous experience has been shown to be most valuable to the purpose of educa¬ tion by radio. These subjects are script-writing, produc¬ tion and acting, utilization and evaluation. In addition to KYW personnel and facilities, the Work¬ shop draws guest speakers from Westinghouse stations conducting similar courses. Speakers from other promi¬ nent educational and radio sources are also scheduled at frequent intervals. Robert L. Hudson of Denver, Chairman of the Rocky Mountain Radio Council, will give the benefit of his experience to the Workshop members over a two-week period. The popular teaching plan was conceived by Gordon Hawkins, Program and Educational Director of Westing¬ house Radio Stations, Inc., in collaboration with Miss Gertrude Golden, District Superintendent of the Phila¬ delphia Public School system. Simi’ar workshops have been instigated by Mr. Hawkins at KDKA, Pittsburgh; WBZ, Boston, and WOWO, Fort Wayne. He presides over the annual Philadelphia activity ably assisted by William C. (Colonel Bill) Galleher, KYW Educational Director. ABSSE ENGINEERING GROUP FORMED In a letter to NAB from one of its members, news was brought of the organization of a club known as “ABSIE Engineering Group,” composed of engineers of the “Amer¬ ican Broadcasting Station in Europe.” “The Broadcast Stations of America have contributed personnel and air time to aid the war effort. Broadcast men have enlisted "in the various armed services of their country; other men volunteered to go abroad for Govern¬ ment Agencies who had great need for technical personnel. This letter concerns those personnel who went abroad for the Office of War Information to build and operate a radio station known as the ‘American Broadcasting Station in Europe.’ “Throughout 1944 and during the first 5 months of 1945, despite enemy action by robot bombs and rockets, members of the Engineering Staff stood by their jobs so that the people of the occupied countries would receive the news devoid of enemy propaganda, receive operational messages and instructions and finally prepare them for the ultimate liberation of their respective countries. The American Broadcasting Station in Europe did just that. “The Engineers of ABSIE have formed a club called ‘ABSIE Engineering Group,’ whose purpose is to foster the friendship and comradeship started in the European Theater of Operations and pledge mutual aid to each other following the cessation of hostilities and the return to normal life. The Group met and elected Ely I. Bergmann of the WOR-Mutual, Chairman, and Fred G. Edwards of WTIC, Secretary-Treasurer.” DURR AIRS RADIO VIEWS FCC Commissioner Clifford J. Durr, speaking at the Conference of the Independent Citizens’ Committee of the Arts, Sciences and Professions, Inc., in New York City on last Saturday (23), made some interesting observations on broadcasting which, we believe, will be of interest to all in the industry. His remarks follow in full: “The title assigned to me is ‘FM — New Market for Radio Talent.’ 1 hope you will forgive me if I stray beyond the narrow limits set by the language of the title, for FM or frequency modulation broadcasting is merely a newer and, we hope, a better method of broadcasting which will open new spaces in the radio spectrum for additional broadcast stations. “In considering the employment of radio talent, we can¬ not separate FM from broadcasting generally — from standard broadcasting and television. And we cannot consider the employment problems and opportunities of the new FM except in the light of our experience with the old standard broadcasting system. “The employment opportunities ahead in the field of broadcasting will depend, it seems to me, upon which of two basic philosophies we adopt with respect to this in¬ strumentality. I should like first to outline these two philosophies and then to point out their consequences in terms of the employment of artists, scientists and profes¬ sional people generally. “The first of these philosophies has been expressed as follows: “ ‘The ether is a public medium, and its use must be for public benefit. The use of radio channels is justified only if there is public benefit. The dominant element for consideration in the radio field is, and always will be, the great body of the listening public, millions in num¬ ber, country-wide in distribution.’ “This, the ‘public medium’ philosophy, was laid down by Herbert Hoover in 1925, when he was Secretary of Com¬ merce, and I believe it embodied the best thinking of that time on the subject. “I believe it was the intention of Congress to incorporate this philosophy into law when it expressly reserved to the people title to all radio channels; when it directed that licenses be granted only to applicants who demonstrate their qualifications and their intention of using the pub¬ licly-owned channels in the ‘public interest, convenience and necessity’; when it provided that no broadcasting license should ever be granted for a period longer than three years, and that every application for renewal of license ‘shall be limited to and governed by the same con¬ siderations and practices which affect the granting of original applications’; and when it provided that every applicant for a license must sign a waiver of any claim to the use of the ether ‘as against the regulatory power of the United States.’ “However, as radio demonstrated its possibilities, a second philosophy began to arise, which has in recent years been asserted with increasing frankness and vigor. This second philosophy is exemplified in the New Year’s statement of the president of the National Association of Broadcasters, an association which represents some twothirds of the broadcasting stations of this country: “ ‘This has been a great year for radio and 1945 will be a better one, judging by the prospects. One must consider balance sheets to measure the progress of radio. For balance sheets represent an index to the medium’s effectiveness.’ “I am sure this ‘balance sheet’ philosophy is not the philoso¬ phy of all broadcasters or even of all members of the National Association of Broadcasters, but to date it has (Continued on next -page) June 29, 1945-262