NBC transmitter (Jan-Dec 1935)

Features RECEPTION STAFF REVIEW 3 Spotl ight now turns to three guides, lately promoted to higher positions Dwight Herrick now representing Guest Tours in evening operations. This former guide-lieutenant came to NBC with an A.B. from Colgate University and after being on the page staff only a short time he became a guide and finally a guide officer. His experience proves that it always pays to do a little more than one's regular share of work. Walt Davison acts now as Guest Tours' day ticket supervisor. "Dave" at present is taking NYU's advertising course although he has already attended Peddie Prep and Pratt Institute. We shall miss his fine bass voice at our next "Brass Buttons Revue" . Bill Callander's next step up from a guide lieutenant's position has been a promotion to the Statistical Department. We all know from a previous column in the REVIEW of his splendid record at the Kemper Military Academy and also at West Point; we're sure he'll have another one just as fine in his future oor A or ^ nAfL BOX gS£3 _ tor's Rote: John R. Latng uas formerly a guide at RBC and is noui uith Station VRC in Washing ton as announcer. This letter comes to us after Laing's absence from RBC since July 15, i9S4‘ These excerpts from the letter are quite significant of someone who was once one of us. • • * * * In reading the neatly printed and well-written pages of the REVIEW I found my memory pleasantly Jarred by a familiar name or incident recalling seven very happy months of my life.... All I can say is that having reaped the benefits of those months, I would not part with them for anything that I might have imagined more desirable at the time." "This letter is an attempt to present one example in the form of a "confession" of a former page and guide whose servicewas marred by the belief that he 'was not getting anywhere' but who now recognizes the incalculable rewards that can be reaped from the high standard of the discipl ine maintained by the uni formed men of NBC. .Since I am so To hear the latest news of the staff and its work, I should like to have you consider this to be an order for a subscription to the RECEPTIOR STAFF REVIEW..... ,P] ease give my regards to the fellows who might happen to remember me. Believe me to be" Most sincerely, John R, Laing LET’S GET ACQUAINTED QJ GEORGIA PPlCE— GEORGIA PRICE -because at the age of fourteen she played first violin with an orchestra, the onlyt^woman and the youngest member of the unit. While she was finishing her violin studies at the School of Music of the University of Michigan, she decided to take up the harp. She immediately started studying in New York City under noted teachers, and in Paris, for one season, under the great French artist, Renie. -because during these years of study she had a home in North East, Penn., where she owned and found time to operate a large vineyard not only the more executive duties in this connection, but participating in the actual management: picking, packing, shipping, etc. Although the greater part of her life has been taken up with the study of music. Miss Price considers the time she spent in the vineyard the most interesting of her career. -because her next step was to Boston, where within three days she was under contract, with a manager, for a series of concerts. Concert tours on the east coast kept her busy for nine years. Then in the January of 1927 Mr Sam Ross of the NBC Artists Bureau engaged her as field representative, a job she held until November, when she became a hostess. -because as a harpist she was one of the most sought-after in this country, as a hostess she is one of the most charming "grande dames" in NBC, and as a person, she is one of the swellest in the world. DAVIS’ "SHORT ” WAVE Guide Caldwell Davis has become very interested in Page Charlie Young's short wave station in New Jersey. He's found out that these "amateurs" of radio band together to relay messages via short wave all over the world, the last one sending a post card to the actual descent tnued on Page 4 Ted Thompson: Eastern Intercollegiate Outboard Motorboat Champion in 1930 and '31 while at Dartmouth College. He was also holder of the world's speed record Class D, with a speed of 47 MW (that's travel in' pals) on a straightaway course at Worcester, Massachusetts. "0 K" Paul Rittenhouse was State of Main Junior singles and mixed doubles champion on clay courts in 1932. Raymond Sullivan played baseball and basketball at Xavier Military School for 3 years. Jack Wahlstrom played baseball at Evander Childs High School for two years and was named on the 1928 "All Scholastic" picked by all the coaches of the PSAL. Adam Gayeck played baseball and basketball at Dickinson High for*3 years and in 1 year batted over 570 which is almost as good as the average compiled by "Pistol Pete" Bonardi so far this year. "Pistol Pete" Bonardi, played football and baseball at Flushing High for two years and played one year for Stuyvesant High before being traded to Flushing High for two bottle tops and a broken pencil. Pistol was elected to the N Y American "All Scholastic" team in 1932. Jerry Daly who plays guard in the Main Hall played forward on the Bishop Toughlin Quintet for 3 years. Jerry captained the teams that captured the c i ty t itle 2 years in a row(1929 and 1930) and also played baseball for 3 years before he matriculated at Villanova where he played Freshman and Varsity basketball. "Silent Vin" Kommer played basketball at Newtown High for 2 years and boxed up at Trinity. Pete "Harp" Finnerty a guide, guided the destinies of Bryant High's Pitchers for 2 years and just missed "A1 1 Queens" when he fractured his ankle playing semi-pro baseball on Sunday. Pete keeps in trim doing the Lindy Hop at the leading dance emporiums. George "Brother" Flood, NBEs illustrious third sacker captained the Power Memorial baseball and basketball aggregations, and had the singular honor of being elected class President in 1935. Ad ios Jack McCarthy • FACTS AND FIGURES Through the courtesy and cooperation of Mr. Wm. Fairbanks of the RBC Statistical Dept., ue are able to bring to light some interest ing facts concerning the Major Bouies Amateur Hour heretofore unknown — There were 11 winning male acts, against 2 winning female acts — In all, pages, operators and tabulating clerks worked 4,095 man hours during the first 13 broadcasts — In the New York Studios ,alone, the pages who collected the ballot-sheets and ran telegrams, walked approximately 60 miles in the line of duty — Toronto leads all outside cities with a total vote for one broadcast of 17,887 votes, Montreal 2nd with 14,064, and Milwaukee 3hd with 11,273 — Tne greatest number of votes were registered when Toronto and New York 1 isteners telephoned in a total vote of 24,787 — If all the ballot ano tabulating forms used during this tiiTie, were laid end to end they would reach the entire length of Broadway, a distance of nine (9) miles — In a summary of the types of winning acts, male singers hold a 6 to 1 lead in popularity over women singers — 40 percent of them singing popular songs — FOUR NBC GUIDES COMPETE FOR POST On Saturday afternoon, July 27, at 2 PM Mr Pat Kelly, NBC Head of Announcers, held announcing auditions for four guides, Leon Sydney Leak, Bud Fail lace, David Roberts and Gordon Richardson in Studio 8F, to determine each one's possibilities in this capacity. The test covered the reading of the names of foreign composers, commercial announcements, new's flashes, giving a descriprtion of the studio, and a description of a parade, any parade, from ad lib angle. The trick in the latter was to suppose oneself seated at a vantage point at 2 PM awaiting the arrival of the parade. The announcer was to ad lib enough to hold the attention of the listening audience until the vanguard arrived. The requirements set for a person interested in this field of radio consist of certain qualifications as established by NBC's standards. They are: Good Diction, Versatility, Selling Force, and ability to speak extemporaneously. After preliminary try-outs Roberts and Leak were asked to repeat certain phases of the test. This may be significant. However, the choice of the winner has not yet been made public. New classes in announcing will be formed in the early fall under the supervision of Dan Russell, linguist and announcer. Keep your eyes open for the announcement if you am interested.