NBC Transmitter (Jan-Nov 1945)

2 NBC Transmitter FIRST “WELCOME HOME AUDITIONS" YEAR REVEALS IMPRESSIVE RECORD OF CAREER AID TD VETERANS VOL. 10 NOVEMBER, 1 945 No. 12 JVBC Transmitter Published Monthly by the Press Department of the National Broadcasting Company RCA Building, Radio City, N.Y. Samuel Kaufman Editor “THE NATIONAL HOUR" With the teriiiinatioii of “The Army Hour,” NBC has launched “The National Hour” on the identical Sunday network spot. Designed “to mirror the thinking in both government and private circles” on major national problems of the reconversion period, the new series is a logical successor to the wartime series that constantly scored as an NBC public service effort. According to William F. Brooks, NBC director of news and special events, it is NBC’s aim to make the program the outstanding news feature of the week. He declared: “We expect this program to be our chief contribution to reconversion and also to include such subjects as employment, postwar aviation, atomic power, educational technifjues, world government, railroads, automobiles, farms, taxes and lighter subjects such as science in the home of tomorrow, trends in styles, etc.” The top-flight roster of NBC commentators and newscasters will he drawn on for the series. Robert St. John and Robert McCormick act as regular narrators on the series. Among those to contribute frequently are H. V. Kaltenborn, Lowell Thomas, John W. Vander I cook, W. W. Chaplin, Richard Harkness, Merrill Mueller, Morgan Beatty, Edward Tomlinson and Henry Cassidy. Brooks’ full staff will be on call to aid in the series. THE IMAGE ORTHICON riie science of television advanced to new heights with the announcement of the Image Orthi j con tube at an NBC-RCA press demonstration reported in detail in th is issue. J he enthusiasm of | the audience at the press demonstration and ])uhlished comments indicate that John F. Royal, NBC vice-president in charge of television, hit an accurate jjhrase when he termed the invention the “Aladdin’s lamp of television.” NEW YORK.-“Welcome Home Auditions”—NBC’s oflicial “plush carpet welcome” to service men and women interested in a radio career— marked its first anniversary by breaking its own records. The plan, inaugurated by Clarence L. Menser, vice-j)resident in charge of programs, on October 9, 1944, has provided representatives from every branch of the service, from nine foreign countries and all theaters of battle in World War 11 with the opportunity to be interviewed and auditioned. Applicants have represented the acting, musical, announcing and technical phases of radio, as well as amateurs who had never seen a studio. On the first day, six veterans applied for interviews. On the last day of the first year, 58 veterans came in. “WHA,” as it is known around NBC studios, is supervised by Mrs. Kathryn Cole, wife of an army chaplain. Originally Mrs. Cole set aside one moriiing a week for studio auditions, but so great was the demand for studio “judgment” by expert production directors that now the audition sessions cover three mornings and one afternoon. So anxious are the uniformed men and women to get hack to civilian life that usually 250 a]jpointments are scheduled ahead. The number of applicants auditioned in the past year reached 1,890. Interviews totaled 4,756 in 12 months— an average of 18 each day— many of them requiring a half-hour or more. Mrs. Cole sounds out the applicants as to their ambitions, education and plans, and has served as advisor to many who could not qualify because of their lack of education, temperament or physical health. She has advised many who did not make the grade the first time to study, practice and then come hack prepared for another trial. Of the many applicants who had been auditioned in the first year, almost 500 have passed with flying colors. Of these, 290 are available, and 50 of the 290 have obtained acting, musical, clerical or script writing jobs. Soon 125 applicants who have passed already, and were awaiting release from military duty, will come to Mrs. Cole’s desk for recommendation for employment. Mrs. Cole declared: “I’ve acquired a big family, and every member of it is going to make good. Many of them will fit in radio and many will qualify for other jobs. I am glad that NBC’s ‘WHA’ was one of their first introductions to civilian life.” LOWELL THDMAS DBSERVES 15TH AIR ANNIVERSARY Left to right: Niles Trammell, NBC president; Lieutenant-General James Doolittle, Newscaster Thomas and J. Howard Pew, president of Sun Oil Company . Photo was taken at anniversary broadcast from II aldorjAstoria Hotel in New \ ork.