NBC Transmitter (Jan-Dec 1938)

OCTOBER, 1938 7 KDKA PITTSBURGH The “Dog House” or wiener table at the KDKA outing. Left to right: Jimtny Spitalny, Mrs. Ed Schaughency and guest. Announcer Schaughency, Walter Horn, Sales, and Clarence Pettit, director of public relations. Auto Show On KDKA KDKA has been made the official broadcasting station for the Pittsburgh Automobile Show, November 11-19, and Maurice Spitalny and the station orchestra have been engaged for the entire period of the exposition. In addition to numerous special programs that will originate at Motor Square Garden, many of the regular broadcasts will also be presented from the special stage at the Garden. Remedy For Burns On one of her KDKA Home Forum programs some days ago Evelyn Gardiner read a letter from a listener giving a remedy for burns which had been handed down from her French grandmother. Evelyn figured it was a joke someone was trying to play on her and treated it as such. The remedy? When you burn your finger just hold to the lobe of your ear with the burned part and press hard. All the burn will disappear. Well some of the listeners took it seriously, tried it and now they’re writing to Evelyn that “It worked!” Paging Mr. Ripley. Marshalls Meet June Marshall, evening switchboard girl at KDKA, received a call the other evening from a man who said his name was Marshall. He just wanted some routine information and got his answer. “Thanks.” “You’re very welcome. My name’s Marshall too.” And that led to a chat in which they discovered they were distant cousins. Riggs Family Moves Betty (Mrs. Glenn) Riggs and the children, Glenn, Junior, and “Cookie,” left Pittsburgh for New York late in September to join Papa in their new home. Glenn was chief announcer at KDKA until he was transferred to the NBC staff some weeks ago. They are living at 38 Bayview Terrace, Manhasset, Long Island. Narrator Beal Being one of the best ad-libbers in the business. Bill Beal, who was moved from the KDKA announcing staff to the Continuity Department a few weeks ago. was chosen by the Allegheny County Commissioners to be the narrator for the Aqua Ballet, one of the big features of the County’s 150th birthday celebration, September 2-24. FOURMICHIGAN STATIONS ADDED TO NBC NETWORKS The number of stations affiliated with the National Broadcasting Company was increased to 158 on September 25 when the Michigan Radio Network, comprised of four stations, was linked with the NBC Blue Network. These additions will increase NBC’s program service to large industrial and farming areas of Michigan which have a total population of 600,000. The new NBC outlets in Michigan are: WFDE in Flint; WJIM, Lansing; WELL, Battle Creek; and WIBM, Jackson. Each of the cities is prominently identified with the automotive and other manufacturing industries, and in each case the new NBC affiliate is the only station in its city. WGY SCHENECTADY ( Continued from page 3) New Announcers Two new announcing voices are going out daily on WGY’s 790 kilocycles wavelength. They belong to Wilbur Morrison and Robert Mahaney who are especially delegated to read the Esso news reports. Morrison’s previous experience included microphone work at Plattsburg and Albany stations, and Mahaney worked at stations in Buffalo, Syracuse and Utica. Goodwill Newscast WGY’s News Department staged a five-minute news period at a Schenectady gathering of district distributors of Colonial Beacon products. The broadcast originated at the ball-room of the Hotel Van Curler which was directly connected by open wire with WGY’s News Room enabling the newsmen to include bulletins received up to the final minute of the broadcast. Kolin Hager, manager of WGY, and W. T. Meenam, of Press, addressed the assembly of dealers. Announcer Ed Schaughency (in white clothes, back turned) starts the girls’ cracker and balloon race at the KDKA picnic. Each girl has a cracker and a toy balloon. The race was to see who could eat the cracker and then blow up the balloon in the shortest time. l-*T«no