NBC Transmitter (Jan-Nov 1945)

November 1945 13 HOLLYWOOD’S RADIO CITY GETTING TWO NEW STUDIOS A SPADE IS TRUMPS— Sid nt'v N. Strotz, NBC vice-president in charge of the If estern division, breaks ground for NBC’s new Hollywood studios. Lending him a hand— or rather foot— is Comedian Bob Burns at right. The foursome of Western division executives at left includes: Lexvis S. Frost, program director and assistant to V.-P. Strotz; Harold J. Bock, director of public relations; Jennings Pierce, director of public service, station relations and guest relations, and Frank A. Berend, netivork sales manager. WWJ News Commentators Get Government Awards DETROIT. — Two WWJ-Detroit News commentators have been signally honored by the War Department. Russell Barnes, who left his radio and newspaper duties for the OWI as Chief of the Psychological Warfare Branch of the Allied Forces Headquarters in the Mediterranean, has been awarded the War Department’s Exceptional Civilian Service Emblem, highest military citation available to a civilian. John M. Carlisle, WWJDetroit News war correspondent with the 32nd Division in the Philippines and Tokyo, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his radio and newspaper reporting of the Northern Luzon campaign. He is the only war correspondent in the Pacific theater to receive this government award. In giving Russell Barnes his citation, the War Department said it was “for his outstanding work as chief of the PWB since January 1944.” In this capacity, he sat in on the highest military councils and commanded 2,000 American, British and French army men and civilians. This force carried on psychological warfare against the enemy in North Africa, Italy and the Balkans, and prepared the way for the Allied invasion of Southern France. Under Russell Barnes’ direction. Allied teams operated 12 radio stations, including those in Algiers, Tunis, Naples, Rome and Florence; dropped nearly 3 billion pamphlets and maintained five mobile units. Barnes is back home now to resume his post as commentator for WWJ and The Detroit News. In awarding the Bronze Star Medal to John M. Carlisle, the citation reads “he brought to Michigan men in the foxholes, many of them starting their fourth year overseas, direct word from home. He gave to parents, wives, sweethearts, brothers and sisters of the 32nd Division’s many Michigan men a great and comforting knowledge of their loved ones’ role in the great struggle.” Carlisle went to the Pacific after covering the 3rd Army’s push in Europe, which beat won him a personal letter of commendation from General George S. Patton, Jr. Carlisle was recently in San Francisco with the 3rd Fleet, covering the story for both WWJ and The Detroit News. HOLLYWOOD.— Plans for the immediate construction of a new wing containing two audience studios for NBC’s West Coast Radio City at Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street here were announced by Niles Trammell, NBC president — after conferences with Sidney Strotz, NBC Western division vice-president. Increase in the number of major NBC shows originating in Hollywood was given as the reason for the expansion of facilities. In addition, the West Coast offices of the NBC radio recording division will move into the concourse of the new building in a needed shift which will more than triple its current operating and production space. The new building will cost an estimated $630,000 and will bring to six the number of audience studios at NBC in Hollywood. Each studio will seat 350 and will be a complete unit, with dressing rooms, con ference room, clients’ booths and adequate storage space for equipment. The studios will be of the most modern design, including use of fluorescent lighting and polycylindrical wall treatment for acoustics. The building will he completed in from four to six months, providing additional floor space of 38,500 square feet. 0. B. Hanson. NBC vice-president and chief engineer, is supervising the construction. All of NBC’s Thursday stars — Dinah Shore. George Burns and Gracie Allen, Frank Morgan, Jack Haley, Abbott and Costello. Rudy Vallee and Boh Burns— were ])resent when Vice-President Strotz broke ground for the two new studios. “We’re sure goin’ to appreciate these new studios,” said Burns. “Thursdays around NBC are gettin’ to he as crowded as my family reunions back in Van Buren.”