NBC chimes (Jan 1947-Dec 1948)

NEWS AND VIEWS OF NBC PERSONNEL IN NEW YORK JANUARY • 1947 VOL. 4 NUMBER 11 SUPPER MONEY INCREASED Effective January 1, 1947 the amount of dinner money payments to employees was increased from $1.25 to $1.50, it was announced by John H. MacDonald, Vice-President in Charge of Finance. Dinner money is paid, on advance approval from a Department Head, to those employees who work two hours or more beyond their normal full time schedule on any day. This payment of dinner money is made by the Company to cover eating expense and is in addition to the overtime pay earned. NBC CHORUS TO BE PERMANENT The NBC Chorus, over its initial growing pains after giving its first recital at the Christmas Open House, is now ready to settle down to some serious work. Under the direction of Jim Kovach, music director in Production, the group of fifty-odd men and women have prospects of doing guest appearances via radio or television. Weekly Wednesday night rehearsals are planned and the singers are determined to make the NBC Chorus worthy of the Company that sponsors it. Only draw-back at present is a scarcity of tenors, which has compelled the director to swell the tenor ranks with second altos. Company tenors who have not made themselves known are invited to contact Jim Kovach for an audition. RECORD FOOD SALE With the food crisis passed and meat fairly plentiful again Employee Services is winding up its grocery business. Between October and December, 1908 cans of chicken and turkey were sold! Curried, creamed or plain, it was a real lifesaver during those meat-scarce days. Thanks are definitely due to an NBC Good Samaritan, Tommy Tart of the Mail Room, who made the sale possible. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE SET UP Knowing that most misunderstandings can be satisfactorily resolved by talking them over, the Company has provided a step-bystep method for handling grievances. The procedure, which will appear in the employee manual, NBC and You, is intended for those employees whose working conditions are not governed by contract. Misunderstandings or grievances, in the majority of cases, can be settled by discussion with the immediate supervisor, since he is the person most familiar with the employee, his job and his associates. However, the employee may present his case to other levels of management right up to the top. If the problem is not resolved with the supervisor, it may then be presented in succession to the Personnel Coordinator or Department Head, a member of the Personnel Department, the Personnel Director, the Vice-President in Charge of Finance, the Executive Vice-President, and, finally, the President. This new procedure emphasizes the present policy of encouraging employees to discuss freely any and all problems. YEAR END REPORT AVABLABLE IN GENERAL LIBRARY The Year End Report of the National Broadcasting Company, its Departments and Stations, is available for reading in the General Library. The massive document contains statements from Niles Trammell and Frank E. Mullen, as well as meaty recapitulations of the activities of each department throughout the year. The Year End Report is a fascinating document which employees will find most informative. The General Library, Room 274, is now open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the convenience of those who cannot use its facilities during working hours. A quiet reading room is also available for special study. BLUE CROSS ENROLLMENT PERIOD OPENS WITH ADDITIONAL SURGICAL BENEFITS The Associated Hospital (or "Blue Cross") Plan has assigned the period between January 6 and January 17 for new and changed enrollments, effective February 1. The Blue Cross has also announced that beginning January 1, all those enrolled in the NBC Plan will be entitled to increased surgical benefits at no extra cost. The new dividend has two important features. First, payments of benefits granted under the surgical plan will be raised on an average of 22%. The second relates to members with a family income of $2500 or less. For persons in this category, more than 11,000 doctors in this area have agreed to accept payments under this revised schedule as their complete payment for services rendered. The new allowances will pay a participating physician's bill in full for surgery, fractures and dislocations and provide for periods of after-care, if you are single and your total annual income does not exceed $1800 — or if you are married and your total annual family income does not exceed $2500. If your income exceeds these amounts he may ask you to pay the difference, if any, between the United Medical Service allowance and his usual fee. These provisions are in accordance with present arrangements with 17 county medical societies in the New York area. It is important for those who are at present enrolled and who wish to change their type of coverage (i.e. Individual to Husband and Wife or Husband and Wife to Family plan) to note that the "waiver of waiting periods" does not apply to a spouse or other person who becomes a new subscriber to the plan as a result of a change of contract. Also, the waiver of the waiting period for Maternity benefits does not apply in instances where Individual subscribers or Husband and Wife subscribers change to the Family plan. The waiver of all waiting periods applies only to the contracts issued to new employees during the first month of employment or to those contracts in effect as of February 1, 1946. Anyone wishing more complete information on hospitalization should contact Employee Services, Room 508, Extension 446. EMPLOYEES INVITED TO ANALYZE TELECASTS NBC's Television Program Clinic recently conducted audience reaction tests of two football telecasts sponsored by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio. Participants in the test, who were invited via Guest Relations, viewed the Army-West Virginia game of November 2 and the Army-Pennsylvania game of November 16. Viewers were seated in front of two television receivers and, after introductory remarks by the test director, were afforded the opportunity of watching the game in question. At the conclusion of the viewing period, respondents indicated their reactions to the telecasts byr filling in questionnaires and participating in discussions of the programs. The Television Program Clinic, conducted by Ed England, continues as one of the projects of the Television Section of the Research Department and invites NBC personnel to its sessions. Staff members wishing to participate in one of these sessions are advised to contact Ed England or Mildred Schmidt on Extension 207. PERSONNEL DEPT. LOOKS FOR APPLICANTS With mid-year graduations taking place in schools and colleges throughout the New York area, the Placement Division of the Personnel Department is hoping to recruit applicants for junior clerical and secretarial jobs. Employees knowing eligible graduates who are interested in starting careers in radio, should call Extension 363 for appointments.