NBC Transmitter (Jan-Dec 1939)

16 NBC TRANSMITTER YOUR ROVING REPORTER A chess tournament between NBCites in Chicago, New York and San Francisco has been going for several weeks via Uncle Sam’s mail bag. The players in New York are Manny Segal of Sound Effects and Clyde Lewis and Vincent O'Connell of Traffic. We asked Manny, who is playing Frank Smith on the West Coast, how his game is coming along and he replied: “Oh, it’s too soon to tell. We’ve been playing only four months.” •X * vS Word has been received from Cornell University that a former NBC guide, Robert Meachem, has been elected president of the Radio Guild, student group which produces programs for the university’s station. George Engles Jr., son of NBC’s vice president in charge of Artists Service, is also a member of the Guild. An accomplished musician, he is in charge of the Guild’s music division. Mr. Engles tells us that he also has another musical son in college — Robert, a junior at Brown, who sang two numbers in the recent Brown Brokers’ musical extravaganza. Their talents also include acting, in which Bob is especially interested. Papa Engles didn’t tell us, however, whether or not he already holds an option on his boy’s artistic abilities. * * * A girl, weighing eight pounds and seven ounces, was born to the Albert H. Williams’s on June 3rd. That makes Director and Playwright Williams the father of two . . . the other is a two-year-old boy . . . Helen Loucks, manager of the Traffic Department of KOA Denver, visited old friends at Radio City during her recent vacation . . . she dropped in to say “hello” to two of her former NBC bosses — Production Manager William S. Rainey and Blue Network Sales Manager A. E. Nelson. She was Mr. Nelson’s secretary when he was manager of KOA. Miss Loucks was accompanied by her mother. * * * Director Joseph Bell was definitely red in the face when he had to produce a recent Let’s Talk It Over broadcast from the ladies’ powder room of the Biltmore Hotel . . . though a veteran program director, he was admittedly a bit flustered during the entire proceeding in the midst of all that feminine intimacy — particularly when women who were not aware of the broadcast stared at him suspiciously as they went in and out of the lounge. * * * NBCites from the Radio City staff visiting the World’s Fair felt quite at home in many of the exhibits where former members of the Guest Relations staff are now working . . . now you know where you’d seen before that handsome young man in the uniform who smiled at you in the Westinghouse exhibit. * * * Romance of the month was the elopement of Murdock Pemberton of the Guest Relations staff and Miss PatriciaJean Clure of Scarsdale to Manassas, Virginia, where thev were married on June 10th. The Episcopal minister refused to perform the ceremonv without the customary three days notice so Pern and his fiancee went across the street to the United Brethren Church whose minister readily tied the knot right then and there. The newlyweds are now residing at 49 West 55th Street. NBC WASHINGTON by Marian P. Gale Footweary WRC and WMAL announcers, production men, and news editors are gradually getting back to normalcy since the departure of their majesties, King George and Queen Elizabeth. Never before had it been so difficult to find transportation back and forth to remote control broadcasts as during the recent visit of the British monarchs to the nation’s capital. While tin pan alley was straining to bring forth a musical greeting in connection with the historical event, two local NBCites were inspired to write a song entitled “Hello Your Majesties.” Jack Foy, Kentucky hillbilly, heard daily over WMAL composed the music, and News Editor Rex Lampman wrote the lyrics. The first transcription as sung by Foy went as a gift to President Roosevelt, inasmuch as the Roosevelts are in the song almost as prominently as King George and Queen Elizabeth. * *• * Athletic endeavor is keeping members of NBC’s Washington staff busy Sunday mornings. Following the annual National Press Club outing last month, NBCites in the nation’s capital organized their own softball team. At the outing a team composed of all network offices in Washington — with Walter Johnson, the Big Train, pitching — was defeated by one composed of newspapermen. So far the team has played five games, winning two and losing three. Those on the roster are Announcers Gunn, Crago, Rogers, Rash, Appleby, and Michael ; Sports Commentator Covie; Night Supervisor Barry; News Editor McAndrew; Tom Knode and Rex Lampman of the news room (the latter is scorekeeper. a very important position) ; Engineers Ullman. Stetson. Powlev. Hunter, and Godwin: Page Boy Jim Seiler; and George Huber, assistant to Coyle. Whenever the team needs a game, sports and news programs carry a note challenging anybody and everybody in the nearby vicinity. As a result there’s a waiting list. * * Commercial Manager John Dodge attended a convention of the American Bankers Association at Hot Springs, Virginia, June 10th. With a score of 78 in a golf match, Dodge came home with second prize, a fitted traveling case. * * * Lila Free, NBC telephone operator, is recuperating from an emergency appendectomy. She will be back on the job in a few weeks. * * * During; National Hot Dog Week, Gordon Hittenmark, WRC Timekeeper, offered to autograph hot dogs for his listeners . . . now his sponsor has a problem of filling requests that poured into the studios. * * * That NBC House of the Future mentioned in the last issue is drawing tremendous interest from national manufacturing companies. Officials of several out-of-town firms have flown to Washington to bid on heating, lighting, cooking. and refrigeration. The house is expected to be finished and open to the public by August 1st. An estimated 200.000 people will view it.