NBC Transmitter (Jan-Nov 1942)

JANUARY. 1942 5 NTERNATIONAL The 24 hour schedule of domestic radio became 30 hours a day for NBC’s International Division when America went to war, December 7th. Sending different language programs to widely separated corners of the world, simultaneously, accounts for this expansion of time. At 8 a m., on the historic Sunday of December 7, NBC International went on the air indefinitely. Its normal 17 hours vanished with peace; as long as it is deemed of public interest. International Broadcasting Schedules call for this 30 hour day. In the last weeks of peace, the Westinghouse Station, WBOS, of equal power to NBC’s two 50,000 watt transmitters, began carrying NBC programs. WBOS, WRCA and WNBI now form the strongest short-wave trio in the United States. “Until yesterday, we collaborated. Today, we offer you our allegiance.’’ This cryptic message arrived from Station CXI 4 of Montevideo, Uruguay. It was one of the many radiograms and telephone calls received shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor by NBC International from its Pan-American Network of more than 100 stations. The year 1941 witnessed the “coming of age” of short-wave broadcasting on an unprecedented scale. Today short-wave reaches to the remotest corners of the earth. On December 7, three languages were added to the famous “language pattern.” Swedish, Finnish and Turkish now augment the regular six: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. Since the outbreak of hostilities, John W. Elwood, manager of the Division, has enforced a rigidly International’s second boss, Eli “Buck” Canel, assistant to John W. Elwood, demonstrates another use for NBC Television. Seated at an International microphone, “Buck” Canel broadcasts a blowby-blow description of a prize fight, direct from the television screen, to Latin America. self-imposed censorship to assist, in everyway, the government’s war effort. No ad libbing is permitted. No news commentators are put on the air. All music must be submitted beforehand. Propaganda is out. News and press reviews must be based on objective and constructive material. The response proves clearly that a worldwide listening audience has come to depend on the reports from stations WRCA and WNBI. UNCLE SAM AND SHORT-WAVE The United States Armed Forces, beyond the boundaries of the nation, receive short-wave programs every day of the week. “News from Home” includes a daily summary of the news, a Washington round-up, a sports round-up and local news from the country’s major cities. The World’s Series was sent from the Panama Canal to Alaska in summarized form. The ArmyNavy Came at Philadelphia, Thanksgiving Day, went to Europe, Africa, Asia and, in the Western Hemisphere, from Alaska to the Straits of Magellan. Men at sea, on patrol or convoy duty, marines in the Far East and the armed forces at Honolulu and Manila, all heard Bill Stern’s play-by-play description. LINE-UP INCOME from time sales at present: $70,000 annually. PERSONNEL: 30 technical and engineering in a complete staff of 92 people SPANISH: 8 announcers, 4 secretaries. PORTUGUESE: 4 announcers, 1 secretary. ENGLISH: 8 announcers. FRENCH: 3 announcers, 1 secretary. ITALIAN: 2 announcers, 1 secretary. GERMAN: 2 announcers, 1 secretary. SWEDISH: 2 announcers. FINNISH: 1 announcer. TURKISH: 1 announcer. NEWS AND EDITORIAL: 1 editor, 1 news editor, 1 publicity editor. MUSIC: 3 clerks, 1 stenographer. TRAFFIC AND PROGRAM: 1 manager, 5 clerks. SALES: 4 representatives. ADMINISTRATIVE: 1 manager, 2 secretaries.