NBC Transmitter (Jan-Dec 1938)

NBC TRANSMITTER VOL. 4 FERRUARY, 1 9 3 « NO. 2 New NBC Radio Center For Hollywood Ground for the new Hollywood building was broken on January 20 with Vice-President Don E. Gilman wielding the spade that turned the first bit of ground. The new building, to rise at the intersection of Vine Street and Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood, is on the same site that not many years ago cradled the motion picture industry. There many silent picture stars produced films for the Famous-PlayersLasky Corporation. The rapid and growing migration of radio programs from other radio centers to Hollywood has made it necessary Ground-breaking ceremonies attended by Hollywood civic leaders and representatives of the radio industry heralded the beginning of construction of the new NBC studios in the heart of the film city. Don E. Gilman, vice-president in charge of the Western Division of NBC, turned the first shovelful of earth. Photo Shows: Harlan G. Palmer, Hollywood publisher, Otto K. Olesen, president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and Don E. Gilman. to build the RAY KELLY HEADS NEW SOUND EFFECTS DIVISION Presaging national standardization and further development of sound effects equipment, the National Broadcasting Company has created a Sound Effects Development and Mainte N. Ray Kelly nance Division, according to a recent announcement by C. W. Fitch, business manager of the Program Department. N. Ray Kelly, former head of the New York Sound Effects Division, has been appointed manager of the new department which will serve all NBC managed and operated stations. Zale Dillon, former assistant to Mr. Kelly, has been appointed supervisor of the New York Sound Effects Division to replace the new national head. Major Dillon will be responsible for the management and operation of personnel and equipment used in the Radio City studios, reporting to William S. Rainey, manager of the Production Division. Mr. Kelly recently concluded an “analysis tour” of various NBC managed or operated stations in Boston, Washington and Pittsburgh. Soon he will leave for further discussions with NBC officials in Chicago, Denver and on the West Coast. “Many stations are not equipped physically, at the present time,” Soundman Kelly said, “to produce network programs. Under the new setup, all managed and operated stations will be supplied eventually with equipment comparable to that now in use in Radio City studios. W e also plan to con Zale Dillon tinue our present information service on sound effects problems to all stations affiliated with NBC.” Another of Mr. Kelly’s duties will be the supervision of the sound effects shop in New York. The shop will be used entirely for the building of new equipment, research work, and the supplying of ap( Continued on Page 15) new and larger building to replace the present NBC building which has been outgrown in two years. In addition to several radio stars who were present, Lew Frost, assistant to Mr. Gilman; John Swallow, program manager; A. H. Saxton, division engineer, NEW DIRECTORS NAMED TO RCA AND NBC BOARDS General Charles G. Dawes, former vice president of the United States, author of the Dawes Plan, and subsequently ambassador to the Court of Saint James; and Gano Dunn, noted scientist, engineer, administrator and president of The J. G. White Engineering Corporation, were elected to the Board of Directors of the Radio Corporation of America at the regular meeting of the Board held last month, it was announced by David Sarnoff, the president. They fill the vacancies due to the recent deaths of Frederick Strauss, banker, and Newton D. Baker, former Secretary of War. Mr. Sarnoff further announced that at the meeting of the National Broadcasting Company Board, held the same day, Dr. James Rowland Angell, former president of Yale University, and now in charge of educational program development for and others assisted in the ground-breaking. The NBC radio center will follow a design new to radio construction. Instead of a single building housing a number of studios, the plant will consist of four individual sound stages not unlike motion picture studios. The architecture will be modern-classical. 144th STATION ADDED TO NBC NETWORKS The rich Pennsylvania trading zone surrounding Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Nanticoke, Pittston and Scranton became a part of the listening territory of the National Broadcasting Company, January 30, 1938, when WBRE, Wilkes-Barre, became an NBC outlet supplementary to both the Blue and Red Networks. The addition brings the total number of NBC stations to 144. WBRE is owned and operated by Louis G. Baltimore. It has a frequency of 1310 kilocycles and at present utilizes 100 watts, with the expectation that the daytime power will be raised to 250 watts this Spring. NBC, wTas elected a director of that Company. General Dawes and Gano Dunn were also elected directors of NBC.