NBC Transmitter (Jan-Dec 1939)

2 NBC TRANSMITTER WHO’S WHO IN THE NBC NETWORKS Charles W. Horn Although Director of Research and Development Charles W. Horn completes his tenth year with the National Broadca sting Company this month, his actual association with NBC can be traced to an even earlier date. Representing the Westingh ouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, he took an Charles w. Horn active part in the negotiations between that company, General Electric, and RCA that were to culminate in the formation of NBC in the fall of 1926. Always a far-seeing pioneer, ten years ago, when he was general engineer of NBC, Mr. Horn said: “. . . I foresee that we shall gradually improve and increase in the number of transmissions (international) until without any definite announcement or warning we shall be arranging for programs for international consumption without giving much thought to the question as to whether or not conditions will be suitable to radio waves.” Today, you merely have to twist the dial of your radio to confirm the realization of Mr. Horn’s prediction — programs from all corners of the earth, originating from land, sea or sky. In the early part of 1929, after three years of experimentation with short waves, Mr. Horn arranged for an exchange of programs between the United States, Germany, Great Britain, and other European countries. Soon NBC was rebroadcasting programs from Europe and transmitting programs to European countries with the cooperation, on this side, of RCA Communications, Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, and General Electric Company. In this development of international programs, Mr. Horn has made a number of trips to Europe, in addition to visiting many of the countries of the Western Hemisphere. He knows personally and by correspondence the technical executives of broadcasting organizations all over the world. As general engineer of NBC, he supervised and assisted in the develop ment of directional transmission and the improvement of shortwave receiving equipment to overcome fading and atmospheric disturbances. Charles W. Horn’s first association with radio dates back to his early ’teens, when he built what was then considered a feat, a crudely modeled arc transmitter. Since he was a boy in high school, Mr. Horn’s hobby has been radio. In 1908, before radio’s crystal-set days, he was using the crude equipment available at that time at his home on Long Island and was picking up wireless messages from the ether. His first big thrill, he confesses, was detecting with his crude set the distress signal ot the Republic, a vessel which had been rammed by the freighter Florida off Nantucket. Mr. Horn was graduated from high school at the age of 15. Too young to go to college, yet determined to study electrical engineering, he took numerous courses in electricity, always with an eye on radio. Often he studied under private tutors, as there were no radio courses in those days. In 1909, at the age of 16, Horn got his first job as a wireless operator on an oil tanker plying along the Atlantic Coast. For a period of several years thereafter, he alternately studied “ashore” and then went to sea, thus putting to practical application the theoretical knowledge he had acquired. Later he became connected with the United Fruit Company, whose main activities took him to Central and South America, where he was active in communications work. During the war, Mr. Horn served as a lieutenant in the Navy, part of the time acting as assistant to the District Communications Superintendent, Third Naval District, with headquarters in New York. In addition, he was an Inspection Officer of radio plants, a member of the Examining Board for Officers, and a member of the Survey Board. While in the Navy he was also active in work with radio compasses. He had much to do with the operation and refinement of the radio compass. He built and installed the first one along the Atlantic Coast. After the war Mr. Horn resigned from the Navy to join the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company as manager of radio operations. Although he participated in every development, he was particularly EXECUTIVE ADDITIONS TO GUEST RELATIONS Clarence M. Pettit, former director of public relations of KDKA Pittsburgh, and O. V. Richards, formerly of the Program Department in New York, have been transferred to the Guest Relations Division in New York where they will act as assistants to Charles Thurman, manager. A former prominent business executive of Denver, Colorado, Mr. Pettit joined the NBC staff at KDKA a year ago as manager of sustaining programs and special events broadcasts. A few months later, A. E. Nelson, now salesmanager of the NBC-Blue Network, who, at that time, was manager of KDKA, appointed him director of public relations of the station. During the year he was in Pittsburgh, Mr. Pettit conceived and developed a number of outstanding sustaining programs and arranged for the broadcasts of several important special events. 0. V. Richards has been in radio since 1929 and has been with NBC since 1931. He has been in charge of the studio schedules for rehearsals, auditions, transcriptions and broadcasts during the past few years. This work is closely related to the studio activities of Guest Relations and, for that reason, he is acquainted with the organization of the division. Before coming to NBC Mr. Richards was associated with the American Tobacco Company for a number of years as sales manager of various divisions of the company throughout the country. As a representative of the advertising manager of the American Tobacco Company, he was in charge of the Lucky Strike radio program, from 1929 until 1931 when he joined NBC. active in short wave work. One of his many achievements was the first radio communication with the other side of the world. He transmitted his radio greetings to Australia from Pittsburgh. After assisting in NBC’s formation and acting in an advisory capacity, Mr. Horn changed from Westinghouse ten years ago to come to NBC as general engineer. Mr. Horn is a bachelor and lives in New York, where he was born. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Radio Engineers, a Fellow and Past President of the Radio Club of America and a member of numerous other organizations. In 1939 he was elected president of the New York Electrical Society.