NBC Transmitter (Dec 1945-Jan 1947)

10 NBC Transmitter WTMI Launches Campaign To Educate Public on FM BOOSTING NBC ST ARS—In keeping with the NBC Parade of Stars campaign. W BRC (Birmingham. Ala.) worked out a promotional idea for participation of drum majorettes. Permission teas granted by the superintendent of schools to use a majorette from each of the high schools in the Birmingham area. There were six of them working in three groups of two. In addition to the story carried on the banner they gave out about 7,000 brochures containing pictures and facts about NBC and If BRC. WIS ENCOURAGES FREE AND OPEN DISCUSSION ON DEBATE SERIES DEALING WITH PUBLIC ISSUES COLUMBIA. S. C.— South Carolina has its local problems and issues. It is to provide a statewide rostrum from which to talk about those problems and issues that the “WIS Public Forum” exists. Forum topics are chosen because of their special South Carolina interest. Four persons participate in each forum —the regular chairman and three guests. The three guests are chosen because of their particular interest in the topic of the day and because of their general interest in helping to bring about a better informed public opinion in South Carolina on matters that concern public welfare. One of the three is. as often as possible. a member of the faculty of the University of South Carolina. Forum participants are chosen at least two weeks before they go on the air. Each participant gets an outline of the topic, as it is to be developed. At least one week before the discussion is scheduled, lie gets a list of questions that may be asked. There are no scripts on a “WIS Public Forum. " though each person taking part may bring full notes on any point he wishes to make. A participant talks only when he wants to. He may offer an opinion, make an observation, ask or answer a question at any time his interest moves him to do so. It is the responsibility of the forum chairman to steer the discussion along the road outlined for it. The forum seeks to inform, not persuade, its listeners. It attempts to present important differences of opinion, without trying to weigh them for a decision. The series urges listeners to suggest topics and participants. It wants opinions lor later digest, and invites civic clubs, women’s organizations, and student classes to use its topics locally and to correlate their own studies with forum discussions. MILWAUKEE, WIS.— Frequenc) modulation is some new-fangled contraption that has something to do with radio but, of course, it’s too involved technically for one layman to explain to another layman. That, in a nutshell, seemed to be the prevalent hazy conception of FM as explained to w'ould-be buyers of sets in various retail outlets according to a survey conducted by WTMJ-FM, The Milwaukee Journal FM station. To remedy the situation WTMJ-FM, the first FM station west of the Alleghanies. is pioneering a series of educational dinner meetings which stress a better understanding of frequency modulation. All department store and leading retail outlets for frequency modulation sets —everyone from the radio salesmen and girls at the record counter to the sendee men who adjust radio sets— are invited to participate in the meetings. Each session concludes with a question-answ7er period during which salespeople may ask WTMJFM engineers the queries put to them by John Q. Public who wants to know7: “What's FM got that my regular radio hasn't, and how does it work?” They are told simply that frequency modu lat ion is a new7 system of radio operating on a new high-frequency band designed to remove all interference, or static, from radio reception, and to give high-fidelity reproduction. Pamphlets incorporating FM information will be supplied to the dealers in the Mil waukee area for distribution with every FM set sold. The pamphlet explains to the new FM set owner that WTMJ-FM is in the process of erecting a 50-kilowatt transmitter which, within a year, will serve FM sets tuned to 92.3 in Wisconsin 90 miles in anv direction from the transmitter, situated 21 miles northwest of Milwaukee. That will include the city of Green Bay. This will he accomplished with a new 550-foot tower with an 80-foot antenna atop it. The hill on which it is located is approximately 1 .040 feet above sea level so that, when comnleted. the transmitter will tower 1.000 feet over Lake Michigan. FM dealer reception of these WTMJFM meetings has indicated widespread enthusiasm for the plan.