NBC Transmitter (Jan-Dec 1938)

6 NBC TRANSMITTER KDK A PITTSBURGH by Kay Barr KDKA Program Board In order to maintain a uniformly high standard of quality in all KDKA programs, General Manager Sherman Gregory has set up a Program Board for the purpose of giving critical clinical consideration to existing as well as proposed broadcasts. Working with Mr. Gregory on the new Board are Program Manager Derby Sproul, Public Relations Director Clarence Pettit, Sales Manager Bill Jackson, W. B. McGill, head of Sales Promotion, Musical Director Maurice Spitalny and Chief Engineer Joe Baudino. Their first assignment was to analyze existing programs and see that they measure up to KDKA standards of service and interest. If not, they will be improved or replaced with others that meet the requirements. The group also will consider new program ideas from all possible viewpoints with the idea of presenting programs that will be of the greatest possible interest and value to the City of Pittsburgh. On a recent visit to Pittsburgh, A. H. Morton, general manager of all NBC operated stations, gave his warm endorsement to the plan and pledged the support and assistance of the NBC facilities to KDKA whenever desired, particularly in the matter of constructing educational and other programs for which NBC is so well equipped. Mr. Gregory believes the KDKA Program Board will give the station’s listening audience the finest of radio broadcasts. Engagement Announcer Bill Hinds is justifying his old nickname, “Sunbeam Billy,” these days. His engagement to Dolores Dollhopf has just been announced. Both popular youngsters live on the Northside and their romance has thrived since schooldays. A grand young couple and they have the sincerest congratulations and good wishes of their host of friends. Announcer Bill Hinds and Miss Dolores Dollhoff of Pittsburgh whose engagement was announced last month. The Staff Has A Picnic KDKA folks were all boys and girls again September 10 when they had the annual staff picnic at the home of Roy Hasenbalg, national representative of NBC with offices at KDKA. Sales Manager Bill Jackson was a sort of general chairman of the affair and through his planning and the work of his several committees, the affair was entirely successful, regardless of your viewpoint. There were games and races, unique stunts and contests, some for the girls, some for the boys, some mixed. Auditions For New Talent KDKA has resumed its policy of auditioning all comers. Each Monday night the candidates start the microphone KDKA’s new studio guide for visitors, Lloyd George Chapman, demonstrates how the sound effect of marching feet is done on the radio. parade at 8 p.m. and 75 singles, teams, acts, etc., are scheduled weekly. Charley Urquhart, production chief, is the sifter. One or two survive these preliminary auditions and are recalled for further hearings. Just to see how many of what asked for auditions, Urquhart tabulated 400 of those heard last spring at KDKA. He found 73 were sopranos, 39 tenors, 30 baritones, 5 contraltos, 21 hillbillies, 7 blues singers, 9 quartets, 18 pianists, 65 actors, 69 actresses and 49 announcers. There were two each of accordionists, harmonica players, philosophers and sound effects imitators, and one each of poets, musical saws, globe trotters, organists, trick violinists, ventriloquists and psycho analysts. Personnel Shifts Staff changes at KDKA since the last issue: Derby Sproul has been made program manager; Clarence Pettit is director of public relations ; W. B. McGill has been added to the staff to have charge of sales and station promotion and Lloyd Chapman has been made a permanent member of the outfit as guide, succeeding Don Fitzpatrick who left to enter Franklin and Marshall College. Fred Saviers, head of the mail room, has swung over to the night guide job so he can attend the University of Pittsburgh daytimes. Carl Stasko is handling the mail job. Four In The Bleachers? Whether the Pittsburgh Pirates will (or did) participate in the World Series, their neck-and-neck race down the home stretch of the season sent a flood of requests for tickets from potential “visiting firemen” to KDKA. Roy Hasenbalg, NBC’s national representative, and Bill Jackson, sales manager, scratched their heads, w alked in circles and muttered for many hours in their perplexity. What to do and how to do it! Then the Pirate business office said orders would be received if accompanied by bank drafts or cashier’s checks or other non-bouncing security. BUT only four tickets would be sold to any one person. And Roy and Bill knew they would need ten times that number. So ten different members of the KDKA staff each ordered four tickets for the first, second and (if necessary) the sixth game. KDKA Pageant One of the most spectacular items on the long list of entertainment and celebration in connection with Allegheny County’s Sesqui-Centennial was a huge pageant staged on a huge revolving stage at South Park. The history of KDKA was depicted dramatically by sets, projected pictures and other theatrical devices while a narrator told the story to the visiting hundreds of thousands for five consecutive nights. And the history of KDKA was made the symbol of the History of Radio. One of the most effective bits was the presentation of an orchestra number as it was done over old microphones nearly 18 years ago and the same number as done by a modern symphony orchestra today. It really showed some progress. W. B. McGill