NBC Transmitter (Jan-Dec 1939)

2 NBC TRANSMITTER TRAINING TO RESUME The Personnel Division is planning to renew and enlarge the training program which proved so successful last year. In addition to the Orientation Course designed to acquaint new employes of the New York office with the background of the Company and its departments, the Discussion Groups will again be formed about October 1st. Although there have been so many requests by employes of the Company to be permitted to attend these meetings at which executives explain the intricacies of their divisions, enrollment will be held to approximately fifty because of limited facilities. Recently Mr. Engles announced that he planned to conduct a course designed to train a carefully selected group of ten employes from the New York Office so they may qualify for positions in the Artists Service Department. Meetings are to be held at which men and women leaders in their field will discuss the sale and management of talent. Applications for enrollment in any of these courses should be made to Ashton Dunn in Personnel. REGINALD HAMMERSTEIN JOINS NBC TELEVISION Again the NBC Television Production staff has drawn from Broadway experience with the addition of Reginald Hammerstein. A member of the third generation of the famous Broadway dynasty founded by Oscar Hammerstein, the new television producer is expected to give the legendary Hammerstein style to some musical pieces to be telecast this Fall over W2XBS. Educated at Hamilton Institute and New York University, his theatrical career began when he became a sort of “third assistant stage manager.” Since then he has strung up a long list of production successes on the road, in London, and on Broadway. NBC AA OUTING NEWS (Continued from page 1 ) for golf events, winners of which are listed elsewhere. Marion Ayer won the door prize for ladies; Don Meissner for men. The Engineering softball team, captained by Ed Prince, won the consolation softball prize. Joe Merkle was given a statuette for winning the tennis championship, as was Paul Rittenhouse for being runner-up. It is to be noted that, except for tennis, all the prizes that Mr. Jones selected were practical, usable objects. Upon completion of prize distribution, an NBC dance orchestra headed by Irving Miller swung out with a popular tune, and the dance was on. So, as the time ticked by, gaiety was the order, and it was not until a soft rain began in the small hours that the party broke up. President Lohr joined the party in the early part of the evening before leaving on a trip to Chicago. Among others who were able to spend most of the day at Briarcliff were John F. Royal, Judge A. L. Ashby, Clay Morgan, William Burke Miller, Vincent Gilcher, I. E. Showerman, B. F. McClancy, Martha McGrew, C. W. Farrier, Mark Woods, 0. B. Hanson, and R. J. Teichner. Several executives from other stations also attended. Chairman A1 Protzman and Committee Members Marian Ayer, Mary Coyne, Henry Hayes, Frank Lepore, and A1 Walker are directly responsible for the exceptional success of the Outing and cannot be commended too highly. Departmental ticket representatives also come in for a good measure of praise for their efficient cooperation with the committee. Same is to be said for those who supervised the various sports. Thus another outing passes into history, but its memories shall long remain; and those unfortunates who were unable to attend this outing may look expectantly forward to the next. Chosen because it shows so many faces, here is a table photo taken at the AA Outing. NBC’S WAR COVERAGE ( Continued from page 1 ) and typewriters clicking an exciting tattoo in the background, the announcer would read his flash, many times bending over the machine as it was coming in. NBC scored many scoops, including the first airing of Hitler’s rejection of England’s ultimatum, the torpedoing of the Athenia, and Hitler’s arrival at the Polish border. Much of the descriptive news was made available by the many special broadcasts direct from the capitals of Europe where over two score famous correspondents, headed by Fred Bate, Max Jordan, and Paul Archinard, stood by twentyfour hours a day to bring NBC listeners the latest word. Correspondents from the three press associations, AP, UP, and INS, and from leading newspapers were also engaged. As to personal credits — well, we started to compile a list of names, got half way through the News and Special Events roster, and then realized that such a list would run on for columns. Not much thought is needed to realize how many departments felt the strain. For instance, time on the point-topoint short-wave channels had to be constantly arranged for in order to bring in speakers from Europe. Likewise, network lines had to be continuously changed. Thus the Traffic Department was kept rushing twenty-four hours a day. The Press Division inaugurated its first regular “lobster shift.” The extra work of the engineers and announcers is obvious. Sudden arrangements for European broadcasts tied up studios and ruined directors’ schedules, necessitating the revamping of everybody’s work. And so it went. Certainly there was perfect response to the historic letter which President Lohr sent to the entire staff, and from which we herewith quote in part: “The staff of the National Broadcasting Company has a fine opportunity to render exceptional patriotic service in the way we perform our daily tasks, following the developments in Europe of the last few hours. “It is expected that each member of the staff make himself available for such extra duty as may be required from time to time. “At all times, let each of us complete our assignments quietly, efficiently, and with as little disturbance to the normal routine as possible. Hysteria has no place in NBC traditions.”