NBC Transmitter (Jan-Nov 1945)

2 ISBC T ransm liter VOL. 10 FEBRUARY, 1945 No. 5 NBC Transmitter I'uMished Monthly by the National Broadcasting Company RCA Building, Radio City, N . Y. “IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST” Niles Traiimiell, president of the National Broadcasting Company, announced on February 21 a revision of several of the network’s policies on commercial pragramming further to improve its service in the public interest. “Broadcasting is fast moving and constantly changing,” Mr. Trammell pointed out. “To stand still in broadcasting is to go backward. Programs that were spectacular only a few years ago may become commonplace or out of date. Such rapid changes are usually the result, not of deterioration of the program, but of changing public tastes and more exacting standards of entertainment. The public’s reaction to obsolescence and its insistence uj)on continually higher cpiality in radio programs are just as compelling as its demands for improvements in automobiles, refrigerators, radio receivers or motion pictures. “Programs must be kept fresh and up to date. No radio program can afford to coast on its past reputation. Neither can it successfully maintain a mediocre franiewoik and depend on the prest ige of the network and neighboring jnograms to deliver a large, unearned audience. Every radio program should stand on its own feet. It should he the last word in its own tyj)e of show, and of such (piality that in its own right it will accpiire and hold the highest possible percentage of radio listeners. By fulfilling the public demand for creative entertainment of the highest ([uality, each jnogram will do its share to maintain and increase the over-all listening to the network, and enhance the network’s value to all listeners and conse([uently to all advertisers. “As broadcasters operating in the ])nhlic interest, it is our resj)onsil)ility to try to make every program sent out over onr network meet the standards we have mentioned.” WILLIAM F. BROOKS NBC Manager of News and Special Events W. F. Brooks, NBC News Head, Returns from War Tour NEW YORK.— William F. Brooks, director of the NBC news and special events division, made a round trip to Europe in February and early March as part of his extensive tours of battlefronts and war ca})itals to lay groundwork for the network’s post-war news coverage in Europe. While abroad, Brooks conferred with NBC correspondents. Originally, Brooks had planned this trip late last year. Instead, accelerated events in the Pacific sent him to the West Coast and on to Honolulu for conferences with Navy officials for news coverage [)lans in that theater. New Technical Post NEW YORK.— Whitney M. Baston. formerlv NBC transmission engineer, has been a])pointed to the newly created |)osition of technical training director. O. B. Hanson. NBC vicc-})resident and chief engineer. announced on januar\ 22. In his new assignment Baston will guide technical training in all offices of the net\\ork’s engineering department, rej)orting dircclK to E. A. Wankel. Eastern division engineer. Music Clubs to Offer NBC Spot to Audition Winners I NEW YORK.— The three 1945 winners in the young artists auditions of the Na ^ tional Federation of Music Clubs will i have the privilege of appearing as soloists with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in its i summer series of broadcasts, under the j baton of Dr. Frank Black. Miss Ruth M. I I: Ferry of New Haven, national chairman of these events, recently announced. j This additional award, which supplements the $1,000 traditional cash award 1 for winners in violin, piano and voicelong identified with the federation’s biennial competitions — w as offered to the organization by Samuel Chotzinoff, man i ager of the NBC music division, and is contingetit, as awards of this character I invariably are, upon the discovery of talent that justifies a solo appearance with j one of the country’s major symphony ( orchestras. Ernest La Prade, NBC director of music research, will represent NBC at the finals, which will he held on May 24, at an auditorium yet to he selected. Semi-finals on i the two preceding days will take place at the auditorium of the Manhattan School of Music, in this city. In making known the NBC offer, Miss Ferry expressed great gratification on the | part of America’s music clubs. “The ’ prestige of appearing with an orchestra as outstanding as the NBC Symphony will mean almost as much to our young artist winners as the cash award, which enables them to take advanced study or finance a dehut recital.” she said. “For some years, at least one of our instrumental winners has been guaranteed an appearance with a major symphony orchestra as an additional award from the Schubert Memorial, hut we have never before been able to offer such an award as an incentive to all our winners, and we deeply appreciate the National Broadcasting Company's giving our young people this S])lendid opportunity.’’ M iss Ferry added that, from present indications. the enrollment for the competitions yvill be very large. Most recent competition sponsored jointly hv the network and the National Federation o f M usic Clubs was a patriotic song contest.