NBC Transmitter (Jan-Dec 1939)

6 NBC TRANSMITTER WCY SCHENECTADY by W. T. Meenam EXECUTIVE CHANCES IN CENTRAL DIVISION The appointment of C. L. Menser as program manager of the NBC Central Division, effective immediately, was announced last month by Sidney N. Strotz, acting manager Sidney N. Strotz Qf the Central Division. Mr. Menser succeeds Mr. Strotz in the post of program manager. Jules Herbuveaux, formerly assistant production manager, succeeds Mr. Menser as production manager, and Wynn Wright, formerly a member of the production staff, becomes assistant production manager. Mr. Strotz, who became acting manager of the Central Division with the departure of Niles Trammell for New York to assume his new post of executive vice president of NBC, has been Program and Artists Service manager of the Central Division since 1933, when he joined the Company. A native of Chicago, Mr. Strotz attended St. John’s Military Academy and Cornell Uni c. l. Menser versity, leaving college to serve in the 326th Battalion Tank Corps during the World War. After the war, he was employed by the Automobile Supply Company, first as “order taker” and successively in higher positions until he became vice president. He later became vice president of the Wrap-Rite Corporation. In 1928, he organized the Chicago Stadium Corporation and became secretary and treasurer of the company, which built and operated the largest indoor arena in the country. He became president of the Corporation in 1930. As president of the Stadium, he promoted almost every form of entertainment from championship Jules Herbuveaux fights to circuses, (Cont. on p. 1) WCY Conquers Lightning WGY’s 625-foot vertical antenna, which successfully withstood lightning flashes throughout the summer of 1938 was caught napping last Sunday, during a freak blizzard. At 11:40 in the morning, darkness settled down on the countryside. There was a single flash of lightning and a terrific clash of thunder — one flash and one clash — and then came the snow pushed by a 60mile-an-hour gale. That single lightning flash made a direct hit on the antenna. Bob Millham of our South Schenectady engineering staff was on duty. He heard a crash back of the 500,000-watt transmitter and immediately pushed the button that brought the emergency unit into service. Millham discovered that the current meter was on fire, but strangely enough the broadcast service continued, though at noticeably reduced volume, because the flame acted as a conductor. In eleven seconds the main transmitter was off the air and the emergency equipment in service. Not a word or a note of music was lost. In seven minutes the main transmitter was back in service. Hager On Round Table Kolin Hager, WGY’s manager, met with leading educators of New York State recently to discuss the Empire State Round Table of the Air, a weekly half-hour educational broadcast carried by WGY. At the meeting were the presidents of five colleges, a member of the Board of Regents, the Commissioner of Education of the State, the president of the New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers and supervisors of adult education of the State Education Department. Each week, during the half-hour broadcasts international, national, and state problems are discussed pro and con by competent authorities. At the conclusion of the formal discussion questions are invited from the audience in the Union College Chapel where the broadcast originates. Ice Fishing While some of WGY’s staff are devoting their spare time to such winter activities as skiing, skating and bowling, a little group of technical men has become devotees of ice fishing. Howard Wheeler, Peter Narkon, Horton Mosher and Ray Strong of the control staff and Announcer Philip Brook have all become ice cutters in their quest for fresh fish. Most of their fishing has been on Willis Lake, Lake Cossayuna and Lake Champlain. Their “tip-ups” have snared Northern and Wall-eye pike, pickerel and perch. Not many, they admit, but enough to reward them for their efforts. Skiing Partners Bill Purcell, chief engineer, and Lowell Thomas have been skiing again. Incidentally, Mr. Thomas broadcast a Sunoco program from Cannon Mountain up near Franconia, New Hampshire. The skiing partnership of engineer and commentator began a few weeks ago when Bill was assigned to handle engineering details in a Thomas pick-up at Lake Placid. Now it appears that Bill has become the winterremote-engineer for Sunoco programs. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, there was little snow on Cannon Mountain and all the skiing was confined to a forty-acre pasture. A week before, Purcell, who is trying to get himself out of the novice class, undertook to come down an Adirondack peak at Speculator. He was making pretty good time on an icy surface when he came to an area uncovered by snow. The forward progress of the skiis ended but Bill continued for a couple of hundred feet, face down and feet up. His face still shows a few minor scratches from his inverted slide. Personalities A daughter, Joyce Dana, was born January 24 to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Sayre. Mr. Sayre is station engineer of WGY. AAA The Whistles, captained by John Howe of Sales, are leading in WGY’s bowling league, as of January 21. It’s a one game lead with the Faders and Ripples tied for second. Howard Tupper, of the announcing staff is displaying great improvement. Starting last season as an inexperienced bowler he has now 151 average for the season. AAA Betty King Donahue, Sales, has become a skiing addict and spends every Saturday and Sunday, weather willing, on the Adirondack slopes. AAA Wilbur Morrison, of the News Department, finding Plattsburg too far away for week-end visits, has induced his father and mother to take up their home in Schenectady for the winter.