NBC chimes (Jan 1947-Dec 1948)

4 NBC CHIMES It happens at NBC Don Meissner, telephone expert in General Service, member of the Collegiate Chorale and NBC Chorus, was recently heard asking if anyone had heard his new Concerto for Two Fingernails and Upper Lip — Diminished. The composition has no key — it keeps changing, particularly when the wind is blowing . . . Songs composed extra-curricularly by members of the Music staff have found that which is longed for by all songwriters: a publisher. Bill Young's "Amber Eyes" is being put out by BMI; Bill Paisley's "Do Ya S'Pose" by John Church; and Brown Furlow's "Love's a Lovely Thing" (featured recently by Gordon MacCrae on Teentimers) by Dial Music. SECRET HEART — Win Mullen, Marion McDonald, Pinky Green and Gloria Fuchs, all Engineering secretaries, are still puzzling over the valentines they got from one Charles Klurber. They don't know anyone by that name. Spelled backwards he's Selrach Rebrulk. No clue there. But judging from the look on the faces of the engineers who walk in and out of the Wankel-GallantClark offices, the gals are the only ones who don't know Mr. Klurber. They intend to find out, though, even if they have to enlist the services of George Monahan, chief of the Protection office across the hall. PUBLICATION-WISE — Irene Kuhn, Assistant Director of Information, provides some interesting news. March 4th witnessed the presentation of a new book entitled "Deadline Delayed" at the Overseas Press Club annual dinner. The book, published by Dutton, is made up of chapters by several overseas correspondents. Mrs. Kuhn (one of the founding members of the club) tells the hitherto unpublished story of her trip from Shanghai to Kiangwan during which she visited the jail cells and courtsmartial room and execution grounds of captured members of the Doolittle raid. At tea, the Japs set a box in front of Mrs. Kuhn containing the ashes of one of the executed fliers. The chapter is eloquently titled "Tea and Ashes." The book has been selected by the NonFiction Book of the Month Club. Royalties are to go to the Correspondents Fund of the Overseas Press Club maintained for needy correspondents or their families . . . Bill Reynolds, member of Research, had an article published in the Psychometrika, a journal of psychology statistics. The article was an involved technique of using IBM equipment to solve highly complex statistical problems . . . Three members of Press have contributed articles on radio to the Book of Knowledge— Jim Miller on the News and Special Events Department, Arthur Oppenheim on the daytime serial and Al Kastner on sportscasting. IN THE KNOW— Mauritius Kahn, International writer-announcer broadcasting in German from 4K (the Fish Bowl), baffled a couple who had stayed in the hall while the rest of their tour party huddled inside the News Room. The pair could hear Kahn speaking, but the German puzzled them. They eyed him curiously, first from the left, then from the right, until finally the woman said, "Who is he, anyhow?" But the man just kept on studying Kahn, from the left, the right, the left, the right, while the German words kept rolling merrily onward. Finally his face broke out in a great smile of satisfaction. "Why, of course," he beamed, "I know who that is. That's Kaltenborn — warming up." PERAMBULATING PROMOTION — Judge A. L. Ashby, Legal head and newly re-elected chairman of the Radio Broadcasting Division for the New York Legal Aid Society's 1947 fund-raising campaign, gets a kick out of seeing the Parade of Stars in Bronxville. This particular pageant consists of the MorningSTARS — his daughter Marjorie wheeling the new twins, Barry and Doug, with their daddy, Joe, bringing up the rear wheeling 15-monthold Bruce. I LOVE THE JAVA— Mildred Kalbac, Publication File Clerk in Press, had her first cup of coffee at lunchtime on February 3rd. Up to that time, tea placed first on Mildred's list. Now, coffee runs a close second. WHAT'S IN A WORD— Suzanne Perrin, Bob White's blonde secretary in Network Sales, spends a lot of time with her dictionary and encyclopedia. Reason: She creates crossword puzzles. She has already sold two to the Herald-Tribune — one for the daily ($5) and the other a Sunday diagramless ($7.50). Four others are waiting to be accepted. Sue says she's satisfied to confine her efforts to the small puzzles, however. Making all the across and down words fit in a big Sunday puzzle just isn't worth the $15. YO HEAVE HO— And pass the onion skin. Not only can they pound a mean typewriter, but WNBC's Mary Burns, Peggy Breese, Fran Carlson, Flo Lurie, Wini Schaeffer and Elenor Tarshis can now give you any information you need on radar, flight decks, deactivation and aircraft carriers in general. The six were luncheon guests of the Commanding Officer of the USS Wasp, Bayonne Naval Depot, on two Saturdays (February 1st and 16th) before the ship, scene of several WNBC remotes, was deactivated. THE TIE THAT BLINDS— We're not exaggerating when we say we've seen the flashiest tie this side of Broadway. It's worn with great pride by Ken Arber, Studio Engineer. Made by Ken's bride, it is midnight blue wtih his initials sewn on in multi-colored sequins. In spite of the furor the tie has caused among his colleagues, Ken insists he wants more of the same in an assortment of colors. ODDS AND ENDS— Public Service's Margaret Cuthbert was the picture of dejection. Only a few hours before she was to fly to C^ptiva Island in the Gulf of Mexico for a mid-winter respite, she was notified that all trips had been cancelled. For a reason yet undetermined thousands of fish in the island waters had died and washed ashore. 'Nuff said . . . Betty Michaelis of Purchasing dabbles in oil paints for fun. She's done some still-lifes and landscapes, but the masterpiece of which she is most fond is a horse everyone mistakes for a mule. She framed it, anyway . . . Jeanette Kriendler, the News Room's business manager and a native NewYorker, says the trouble with California is that there's nothing to worry about . . . Helen Clarkson, Alice Kennell, Rosemary Frasier, Joyce Lester and Muriel Morgan, who comprise GR's Ticket Division, took their mothers to see the current Broadway hit Lady Windermere's Fan. They all had dinner together after the matinee. The girls and mothers got along famously — so much so that a similar outing is being planned with their dads as escorts ... On the first real stormy February day, amid the hustle and bustle of the daily routine in Purchasing, you could hear Edna Kane telephoning instructions to her dad to meet her at the bus stop with an umbrella. Special precautions were in order as Edna was wearing her beautiful new beaver coat . . . No, the girls in Steno haven't had a convention in Florida. Neither have they acquired a sun lamp. The truth of the matter is that the department is taking part in the testing of a new pancake makeup. Most of the girls received the product before noon and came back after lunch wearing a glow of health and beauty. DOG DAYS — If you've ever wondered how elated a new father can get, you should have looked into Spot Sales the day Jack deRussy's pedigreed bird dog, Gypsy, gave birth to twelve little gypsies. The long-awaited event took place — or started — about (5 in the morning. Jack called in breathlessly about 9 to say he'd be a little late 'cause Gypsy had already delivered three pups but there were more to come. Spot immediately dispatched a telegram to the deRussy menage, which read: "We leap with glee, and whelp with joy — whom do you suspect? (Signed) Kilroy." Jack showed up later in the day exhausted but happy, and proud as Papa Dionne. Only ten of the offspring survived the ordeal but they wore in fine shape — and two of them needed a foster mother; Gypsy had Tex "How are Things in Glocca Pressa" Moore with friends (Hex and Vex). The magic cigar they have just presented controls the quality of his press releases (NBC, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., EST).