NBC Transmitter (Jan-Nov 1945)

June 1945 3 V-E DAY FOUND NBC READY Network Broadcast Swift Succession of News and Special Event Programs on Historic Day NEW YORK.— The end of the European war, fought more than five years and terminated in formalities covering four minutes, was broadcast to the nation and the world by NBC on May 9. While leaders from many countries. President Truman and military men who made V-E Day possible, took to the air in observance of victory, all sj)oke with eyes focused on Japan and with pleas to remember that final peace is yet to come. NBC opened its V-E Day coverage with President Truman speaking at 9 a.m. (EWT). From that period and until 6 p.m. there were no commercial programs, all having been cancelled to make way for the special broadcasts and pickups from the four corners of the world. The cancellation of commercial programs w'as on order of Niles Trammell. NBC president, who was in the NBC newsroom most of the day. Clarence L. Menser, NBC vice-president in charge of programs, and William F. Brooks, NBC director of news and special events, were in charge of V-E Day coverage. At 6 p.m., commercial programming was resumed, but only with brief sponsor identification, there being no commercial copy read at any time. From 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. two half-bour shows were cancelled, “A Date With Judy,” and “Molle Mystery Theater.” In their places were the NBC Symphony playing Beethoven's “Fifth Symphony” under the direction of Arturo Toscanini, musical and vocal selections by Lauritz Melchior and Helen Traubel, a violin solo by Fritz Kreisler and a piano selection by Artur Rubinstein. The second portion of the program also included the NBC Symphony, this time under the baton of Dr. Frank Black. Although NBC began its V-E Day program with President Truman, there was a special broadcast at 8:30 a.m.. in which the first radio message was heard from Oslo, Norway, since the Nazis overran that country. It included a news broadcast from Gunnar Haarberg. Immediately following the Truman announcement Prime Minister Winston Churchill w^as heard from London. Then, W. W. Chaplin, broadcasting from SHAEF in Paris, gave an eye-witness account of the German capitulation. His broadcast FORMER FIRST LADY ON AIR -Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt participated in NBC’s V-E Day coverage from the Radio City studios in Netv York. was one of tbe most dramatic of the entire day as he gave every single detail on the four-minute ceremony, even describing how each signature was written on the document. NBC carried many exclusive broadcasts in its day long coverage of the momentous story. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the late President, was heard in an inspirational address, as was Eve Curie. Major William C. Bullitt, former United States Ambassador to France, spoke, as did Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, who read a special V-E Day poem written b> Private Harry Brown. NBC completed its special coverage of V-E Day with an hourlong dramatization from 11 :30-12:30 p.m. It was titled “Milestones to Peace.” and traced the history of the war from Japan’s attack on China to President Truman's enunciation of the European peace. Leaders, both political and military, and GI’s were heard on NBC microphones the world over in V-E Day tributes. The voices of the military included General George C. Marshall, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Douglas MacArthur, Admiral Ernest J. King. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur William Tedder, General Omar N. Bradley, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, General Jacob L. Devers, Admiral Harold R. Stark, Admiral Sir Harold M. Burrough, and others. Heads of foreign governments and representatives of Allied nations heard on NB(i, other than (ihurchill, were His •Majesty King (ieorge VI of England; Henri Bonnet, Ambassaflor to the I nited .States from France; Baron R(djert Silvercruys. Ambassador to the United States from Belgium; Dr. We Jao-Mitig, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from China to Utiited States; Dr. Wilhelm de Morgenstierne, Norwegian And)assador to Ihiited States; Vladimir Hurbon, And)assador from Czechoslovakia; Hugues Le (iallais. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary from Luxemburg; Dr. Wellington Koo, Chief of Chinese Delegation to Dumbarton (Jaks; Anthony Eden, Foreign Secretary of England; and (Jeorges Bidault, Foreign Affairs Minister of France. NBC’s coverage of V-E Day was among the most exciting and complete in the history of radio. There were 39 studio broadcasts which originated in New York alone, 16 from Washington, 8 from San Francisco, 3 from Hollywood, in addition to numerous mobile unit pickups in this country. From points outside of the country there were 10 broadcasts from Paris, 5 from London, 3 from Guam, 3 from Manila, 2 from Okinawa, 1 from Pearl Harbor, 1 from Ivvo Jima and 1 from Rome. Breaking down a grand total there were 101 domestic and 28 foreign pickups for a total of 129. Among the wives of militarv leaders heard were Mrs. Alan G. Kirk, Mrs. James D( )olittle, Mrs. Jacob Devers. M rs. Carl Sj)aatz, Mrs. Courtney Hodges, Mrs. Omar Bradley and Mrs. Harold Stark. Persons from all walks of life were represented in the broadcast storv of V-E Day. They spoke for religious life, for women's service organizations, for the GI's and from numerous hospitals from coast to coast and from the assemblv lines. NBC’s coverage included a total of 16 hours and LS minutes. There were 13 hours of sustaining time and but 3 hours and 1,3 minutes of sponsored time. Every part of the NBC set-up joined in bringing this long-awaited storv to a war weary world. And the next dav all returned to the big task of defeating Japan.