NBC Transmitter (Jan-Nov 1945)

2 NBC Transmitter VOL. 1( MARCH, 1 945 No. 6 NBC Transmitter Published Monthly by the SijjGfe Motional Broadcasting Company RCA Building, Radio City, M. } . NEWS PREPAREDNESS “There will be no dearth of news from Europe or the Pacific for 10 years after the end of World War 11.” ith this statement, William F. Brooks, director of the 'NBC news and special events division, explained the network’s action in expanding its overseas coverage now. Brooks returned recently from a five-week trip to Europe where he set up an NBC office in Paris and conferred with his news staff. He also visited the front lines during which he discussed news coverage of the war with many army leaders. Since Brooks visited Navy officials in the Pacific shortly before embarking on his Euroj)ean journey, he now' is familiar at first hand with news conditions on both sides of the globe. Brooks returned from his latest journey well pleased with the coverage that radio is able to give the war now. However, he believes that it will increase in importance and volume at the end of hostilities rather than taper off. The NBC news head left an enlarged staff behind him in Europe. The network’s London office remains under Stanley Richardson with Chester Morrison reporting the news from there. The new' Paris head(juarters is headed by Paul Archinard who was replaced in Berne by Tom Hawkins, an experienced correspondent. Roy Porter, who covered Chungking for NBC, is now in France added to the Paris stall’. David Anderson, . \\ . Chaplin, John Mac\ ane and Ed Haaker are with the First. Third and Ninth Armies and Sixth Army Group respectively, with Sven Norberg taking over in Stockholm so that Bjorn Bjornson can move up to the front. With this step-up in foreign facilities, NBC is prepared to offer listeners first-hand accounts of history-in-the-making in wartime and postwar Europe. NBC “Words at War” Wins Record War Board Awards NEW YORK.— “Words at ar” is the only dramatic program picked for citation more than once in the Writers ar Board “Best Script of the Month” selections. In the War Board’s roll of honor, NBC programs in general make up more than 33 per cent of the selections. The War Board undertook this project in July of 1942 and of the 4.5 programs selected since then, 15 were heard on NBC, five of which were aired on the “Words at War” series. They are Richard McDonagh’s adaptation of Selden ]\Ienefee’s book, “Assignment U.S.A.” and of George Creel’s “War Criminals and Punishment”; Ben Kagan’s “Scapegoats in History” and “The Veteran Comes Back.” and Max Ehrlich’s script based on Konrad Heiden’s “Der Fuehrer.” Other NBC programs which were chosen by the Board are: “The Girl in the Red, White and Blue.” “Torpedo Lane,” “Ellen Comes Through,” “Eighters in Dungarees,” “Voice in the Wind,” “Battle of the Warsaw Ghetto,” “Good Neighbor,” “Latch-Key Children’ and “Golden Calf.” NBC AUTHOR Albert R. Creus, \BC Central division production director, and Miss Judith IT aller. director of public service of the same division, look over a copy of Crews' new book, “Radio Production Directing," the first in a series of volumes compiled on the basis of studies at the \BC-\orthwestern University Summer Radio Institute. Books on radio writing and announcing by Crews and a general radio survey, “Radio, the Fifth Estate" by Miss W aller, are scheduled for publication during the coming year. Trammell Announces End of Middle News Commercials ! NEW N ORK.— Elimination of middle j commercial announcements from all news i broadcasts originated by the National Broadcasting Company and its owned and i operated stations in order to render a i greater public service by more rapid presentation of vital news, was announced March 15 by Niles Trammell, president of the network. The company has asked all its sponsors ■ to cooperate, as they have in the past, to make this revision effective immediately as a part of NBC’s policy of constantly improving its news presentation. All sponsors of news programs have been requested to include their commercial announcements within the first two minutes and the last three minutes of all 1.5-minute news periods. In making the announcement, Mr. Trammell pointed out that the move is in line with a policy already in force, under which NBC sponsors cooperate with the company in eliminating middle commercials. or, upon occasion, commercials of any kind, from news broadcasts during events of supreme interest. “The new policv,” he said, “which w'ill continue until further notice, will eliminate middle commercials at all times on all news programs originated by the National Broadcasting Company, network as well as local. “During the past three years, great care has been exercised in both the wording and placing of commercial announcements which occur during news broadcasts so that there might be no interference with the main portion of news, with proper emphasis always given to the principal news events. “NBC sponsors, whose advertising support has made a greater and greater volume of worldwide news coverage possible, invariably have cooperated in the paramount interest of the listening public,” Mr. Trammell continued. “This further step now being taken to eliminate middle commercials in all news broadcasts during the vital days to come. I am certain will receive the same wholehearted cooperation. The National Broadcasting Companv is taking this action because news today is our Number One public service obligation and commands the eager interest of all ages and all classes.”