NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1940)

Radio Festival to their bosom with joint and individual partici¬ pations. Group effort highlight was a special “Radio Week Info Please” program, a take-off on Canada Dry’s classic, with Mayor Langlie, of Seattle, doing the Clifton Fadiman. Representatives of the six stations constituted the board of experts. Unlike the original, this program was written and rehearsed, then transcribed to be used on each participating station one night during the week. The joint schedule included a series of short call letter spots and thirty to fifty word spots. Some of the sponsored local programs as well as sustaining and participation shows carry mention of Radio Festival Week. In addition to this group effort, each station produced at least one promotional program on its own facilities and its own place in the general plan of the American broadcasting system. At KOMO and KJR, according to Peter Lyman, public rela¬ tions director, W'as produced a “Washington (state, not D. C.) at Work” program featuring KOMO and KJR at work. This pro¬ gram was one of a w'eekly series spotlighting leading Washington industries. “KOMO-KJR at Work” ended with a message from Birt F. Fisher, manager. Rochester — WHEC Residents of Rochester heard of Radio Festival over WHEC and read about it in both of the Rochester dailv papers. Gunnar Wiig, general manager, OK’d a column of copy for insertion in both papers which reads: “RADIO FESTIVAL May 26 to 31 A Salute To YOUTH” “WHEC will devote a large part of its broadcasting schedule next w’eek to the school children of the Rochester territory. The purpose of this “Radio Festival” is to instruct and educate these future citizens regarding the American System of Broadcasting, and to instill in them an appreciation of the American Program Service. “Adult listeners need have no fear that they will be slighted as our special programs wall have plenty of ‘all-age’ appeal. “There will be a proclamation by the Mayor, special musical programs, special ‘man-in-the-street’ programs, a complete broad¬ cast of assembly at Benjamin Franklin High School, P.T.A. pro¬ grams, Chamber of Commerce programs, ‘job-hunt’ programs, discussions of freedom of radio and the press. “Boys and girls will participate in a number of these broadcasts.” Roanoke — ^WDBJ The Roanoke Times, Sunday morning, June 2, devoted most of its radio page to the Festival with an eight-column banner, “Station WDBJ to Hold Open House in Celebration of Radio Festival Week.” In addition to news stories there was a 4S0-line ad with the main display reading: WDBJ, RADIO FESTIVAL WEEK, June 3 to 8. Richmond— WMBG, WRNL, WRTD, WRVA Down in the other part of the “Old Dominion” the Richmond stations W’ere likewise busy. The Hon. James H. Price, Governor of Virginia, proclaimed National Radio Festival Week. The NAB essay contest was a part of the festivities. All week WMBG conducted interviews with high school students in the studio lobby, decorated for the occasion. Walter Bishop, promotion manager, WRVA, was also a busy man during the week as was D. S. Freeman, vice president, WRNL. A note from Bernard M. Dabney. Jr., director of sales promo¬ tion, WRTD, said that WRTD got under way with Radio Festival Friday night, June 1, with a half-hour broadcast from the final ball of the Thomas Jefferson High School. . . . For the entire week seven to nine news broadcasts per day were handled by students from the staffs of the publications of the Richmond high schools. This included commercial news programs as well as sustaining shows. Of the several dramatic shows which were scheduled one depicted the “differences between radio in 1921 and radio today.” NBC — Red and Blue Clay Morgan, NBC director of public relations, sent down a batch of scripts showing how Radio Festival had been incorporated into various programs over WEAF and the Red and WJZ and the Blue. They contributed to an understanding of the fact that National Radio Festival was a grass roots promotion, with ac¬ tivity built around stations. Thank you, Mr. Morgan. Jamestown — WJTN During Radio Festival Week, June 3-8, WJTN performed a notable feat in interpreting the City of Jamestown to its citizens. Result, in the words of Si Goldman, acting manager, “we have obtained the enthusiastic support of the entire city. Already the broadcasts have tied us in solidly with every civic group.” National Radio Festival was announced in a 600 line ad in both Jamestown papers. Because the Jamestown Radio Festival was pointed to civic-mindedness: the program, copied from an advertisement, appears below: “Monday, June 3 — 7:00 to 7:30 p. m. — Opening Broadcast Place — New Jamestown High School Auditorium. Music — Jamestown High School Band, New York State Champions. Speakers — Mayor Leon F. Roberts ; Fire Chief Rudolph Swanson; City Legal Consultant Anthony Saeli; Superin¬ tendent of Schools Clinton Bush; Police Chief Harry Nelson ; Rev, Dr. A. E. Randell, formerly of City Hospital Board; Charles Laycock, Secretary of Chamber of Com¬ merce; Julius King, Publicity Director of Chautauqua. Jamestown Telephone Broadcast — 9:30 to 10:00 p. m. Place — Jamestown Telephone Exchange Building. “Tuesday — Fire Department Broadcast — 8:00 to 8:30 p. m. Place — City Hall Engine House, and Wellman Building, to which there will be a demonstration call. 9:15 to 9:30 p. m. — Jamestown Division Alfred Univer¬ sity Extension. “Wednesday — 3:00 to 3:30 p. m. — Newspaper Broadcast. Place — Jamestown Evening Journal. Participants — Dept. Heads and Newspaper Workers. 8:30 to 9:00 p. m. — City Administration Broadcast. Place — Council Chamber of Jamestown City Hall. Participants — Mayor Roberts and City Department Heads. “Thursday — 8:30 to 9:00 p. m. — Jamestown Public School System Broadcast. Place— WJTN Studios. Music — Jamestown High School A Cappella Choir. Participants — Superintendent of Schools Clinton Bush, and Department Heads. 9:30 to 10:00 p. m. — Police Department Broadcast. Place — Demonstration call between police transmitter and prowl car, to be picked up and rebroadcast by WJTN’s transmitter ; and round-table police discussion in WJTN Studios. “Friday — 8:30 to 9:00 p. m. — City Hospital Broadcast. Place — Jamestown General Hospital. Participants — Ward and Department Heads. “S.aturday — 8:30 to 9:00 p. m. — Chamber of Commerce Broad CAST. Place — WJTN Studios. Music by the Trumpeteers. Participants — Charles Laycock, Secretary of Chamber of Commerce; and Julius King, Publicity Director of Chau¬ tauqua Institution ; Charles Brown, Chautauqua Regions.” Durham — WDN C “Super crook” Bob Stratton, program director, WDNC, Dur¬ ham, N. C., matched wits with local police during National Radio Festival and won by two minutes. It happened during the stolen car demonstration broadcast. The public listened in on the complicated chase as reported via 2-way police radio and WDNC. “The police were very cooperative,” said Mr. Stratton, “and the resulting program was very interesting.” On Friday evening WDNC broadcast an amateur radio demon¬ stration. During the week all types of radio sets were displayed in the large studio. Des Moines — KSO-KRNT Twenty-three thousand three hundred (23,300) people attended KSO-KRNT, Des Moines, Radio Festival picnic, Sunday, June 2. 23,300 folks said it was a big success! The event was publicized for two weeks over the air. In addi¬ tion, Mary Little’s column in the Register and Tribune carried notes and there were regular KSO-KRNT posters on the backs of all street cars. 4313 June 7, 1940