NBC Transmitter (Jan-Dec 1938)

16 NBC TRANSMITTER KDKA PITTSBURGH by Kay Barr Morrow to Sales Lynden Morrow was transferred from Sales Promotion to the Sales Department, on February 9. Following several years of newspaper experience, Morrow joined the KDKA staff to handle publicity in 1933. Later Lynden Morrow his activities expanded to include sales and station promotion and for the past two years he has devoted all of his time to those phases of station activity. In announcing the transfer. Manager A. E. Nelson said, “I feel that a man with such a comprehensive background has ideal equipment as a radio salesman. Mr. Morrow has a thorough knowledge of Pittsburgh, its business and its problems. He is equally well grounded in radio work from the broadcasting of programs to the planning of advertising campaigns.” In addition to his regular work in exploiting KDKA and its various programs. Morrow has had much actual microphone experience on news broadcasts and in the minute interviews which were a popular feature of KDKA’s programs last year. He also has conceived and planned a number of outstanding special events broadcasts for the station. In Charge of Sustainings Clarence M. Pettit, a business man with years of successful experience to his credit, joined the KDKA staff February 15. In his new position, Mr. Pettit will have charge of the programming of sustaining presentations. He will emphasize programs having a maximum of local interest and he will devote much of his time to special events programs. Derby Sproul will continue to have charge of commercial programs, this division of duties being one of the important objectives in Mr. Nelson’s reorganization of station functions. Before coming to KDKA, Mr. Pettit was with the Baldwin Piano Company in Denver, Colorado, for fourteen and one-half years as general manager of a territory including five states for most of that time. While he has not been actively identified with radio, Mr. Pettit has been closely identified with numerous entertainment projects and has worked closely with radio stations in the presentation of programs. Many of these were in cooperation with Mr. Nelson while the latter was manager of KOA Denver. Mr. Pettit has arranged and managed concert programs for various Denver organizations. He has helped the University of Colorado with many of their productions. Driving East from Denver, Mr. and Mrs. Pettit arrived in Pittsburgh early last month accompanied by their Siamese cat and German Police dog. The "Bookworm" Returns There is an interesting story behind the weekly KDKA Bookworm, broadcasts which started March 2nd. In 1927, G. Dare Fleck, now traffic manager, went on the air anonymously as the “Bookworm,” and from then until 1931, when the program was discontinued, he reviewed more than a thousand books. A short while ago, Charles Urquhart of Production heard of the old broadcasts, read some of the scripts, and recommended a resumption of the series. Manager Nelson approved the idea but Fleck bad to go through the regular audition ordeal just like any ambitious unknown before he could get back the program he had once conducted so successfully. Boy Scouts Run KDKA KDKA tossed a challenge to the Boy Scouts and did they accept! It was a stunt in connection with National Boy Scout Week. For days in advance the Pittsburgh Troops had kept some of their camp equipment on display in KDKA’s lobby. Then KDKA said, “Boys, if you run the station for a day we’ll let you put on half a dozen programs.” The challenge was accepted. They took over Manager A. E. Nelson’s office, although three boys were required to swing that job. Others invaded the news room and press desk. And so on all around the place. Six programs were presented during the afternoon and evening by Scouts and Bubs and the broadcasts, together with the lobby display, attracted many visitors to the KDKA studios. Hat Designer KDKA proudly hails its new creative genius in the field of millinery, Engineer Charley Bickerton, whose remarkable talents for hat designing were undiscovered until he came forth recently with his latest creation, a tin topper for Janet Ross of the KDKA Shopping Circle program. This is how it happened: During a creative moment, Engineer Bickerton thought it would be fun to present Janet with a tin hat so he went to work in the shop. He emerged with a hat made of tin and shaped like a bird. Amused and touched by the gift, Janet paid suitable tribute to her new hat stylist in her next broadcast. Since that time much of her fan mail, many telephone calls and scores of visitors to her programs and the studios have mentioned the remarkable head-dress and asked to see Bickey’s creation. 1 i i Want to buy. sell or trade something? Advertise in the Exchange Corner, page IS. Pittsburgh Boy Scouts had a camping exhibit in the KDKA studios as a feature of the National Boy Scout Week. The Scouts presented six programs on February 8 when the station was turned over to them by Manager A. E. Nelson.