NBC Transmitter (Mar-Oct 1941)

MARCH, 1941 CLEVELAND Bob Dailey STATIC ALAN KENT and STEVE DE BAUN THE FIRST IN THE SERIES The new NBC series, “America In Defense”, got off to a vigorous start in late February, with the first program coming from Cleveland, a center of the machine tool industry. Production Man Paul Dumont and Announcer Milo Bolton came out from Radio City to work with WTAM staff members and Larry Hammond of the National Association of Manufacturers for the initial broadcast. Hal Metzger, WTAM Program Director, and S. E. Leonard, Engineer-inCharge, worked out the details of the complex show. When it was over, some simple logarithm disclosed that the following members of the WTAM staff had taken part: Announcers Tom Manning, Wade Barnes, and John Hicks; Production Men Fred Wilson and Waldo Pooler; and Engineers John Disbrow, Jesse Francis, Thomas Cox, Grant Makinson, and Frank Whittam. George Milne, NBG division engineer from New York, was on hand to make observations. SPOT NEWS WTAM announcer Harry Burge is the man behind the cheery matutinal greetings heard daily on the program called “Ghanticleers”. This feature of the Red Network is produced at WTAM and spotlights the orchestra of WTAM’s Music Director, Lee Gordon. Manager Vernon H. Pribble and Announcer Tom Manning headed into downstate Ohio several weeks ago. Pribble addressed an educational forum in Columbus on “Radio and the Press in Defense”. Manning’s mission was more extracurricular. He spoke at a testimonial dinner in Massilon for Paul Brown, the new football coach at Ohio State University. Five members of the VvTAM staff orchestra journeyed to New York recently to play at Carnegie Hall with The Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. They are Ben Silverberg, Paul Cershman, Sam Willis, Bob Morris, and John Coffey. Announcer Wade Barnes had a somewhat disturbing experience when he invited a nine-year-old HARRY BURGE prodigy to appear on his musical quiz show, “Know Your Notes”. Young Kenneth Wolfe (9-years-9) not only knew the answers to all the questions, but he also piped up before any of the adult “experts” could collect their thoughts. RIBBON VELOCITY Production Director Fred Wilson going around the studios with his left hand in a sling. A gas heater blew up in the basement of his home, thoughtlessly. . . . News Reporters Harry Burge and Tom Fields both getting new automobiles on the same day. . . . Marian Hercik, head of the Steno department, wearing a pearl engagement ring, on the right finger. . . . Kathryn O’Connell, of the Audience Mail department, and Emily Brickson, of the News Room, making frequent trips to Toledo and Youngstown to see friends. . . . Mildred Funnell, secretary to Manager Pribble, having “before-andafter” pictures taken while working out in a downtown women’s gym. . . . Announcers Tom Manning and Wade Barnes screening newsreels for the opening of a new Telenews Theatre. The opening show also had some good shots of Manager Pribble, in depicting the Cleveland radio stations and newspapers. PACE: Wears blue citation cord on left shoulder, chip on right shoulder. Can dial ext. 780 blindfolded with both hands tied behind him. Is the only human extant capable of decoding a rehearsal sheet. QUIZ PROGRAM: ‘The Passing of the Third Floor Buck’. AIR CONDITIONING: Once upon a time someone dropped one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) on the tenth (10) floor; the result was an air-conditioning plant for delivering seventy-two (72) degrees of controlled air. It seems to us that one million ($1,000,000) is a lot of money to spend for a draft, especially today, when so many of us are getting it free. If all that was wanted was a draft, why didn’t someone wave fifty dollars ($50.00), disguised as a fee, around the Announcer’s Room? The resultant bare-fanged rush for the scratch would have created a draft that would have undoubtedly circulated for years. And when that had died out Concert Service would still be creating a mild typhoon trying to put the bite on their proteges for their customary ten per cent. VICE PRESIDENT; One ear to the ground, one eye on the budget, a nose to the grindstone, one shoulder to the wheel, one hand on the pulse, one finger in the pie. Mix well with one upper lip until stiff. Sweeten to taste, garnish with chopped memos. Excellent as an entree. BOARD MEETING; Censored. DIRECTORY: Wherein can be found all telephone numbers (except correct ones) , all departments (except important ones), lunch services, blind dates, and Hurley’s. MUSIC LIBRARY: The only library in the world where they don’t cram ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ down your throat. OFFICE; Can usually be identified as belonging to any one individual by the constant absence from its confines of that one individual. Has, as equipment, one large filing cabinet and one small filing cabinet (which are interchangeable) ; one large wastebasket and one small secretary (not interchangeable) .