NBC Transmitter (Jan-Nov 1942)

10 NBC TRANSMITTER sa,®®®as3i‘ # Making records while breaking them is an apt description of the job being done by NBC’s Radio Recording Division, now celebrating its seventh anniversary as literally ( and laterally I a ‘'broadcasting system within a broadcasting system.” Amazing things pop out of the maze of offices on Radio City’s second floor where Vice-President C. Lloyd Egner and his half-hundred aides of the Recording Division hold forth in their daily task of recapping the turntables of hundreds of radio stations with topnotch entertainment. Roget may have had a word for it when he called his hook a thesaurus, but it took the NBC Recording Division to put his word to music in the now-famous NBC Thesaurus service— “a treasure house of recorded programs.” Today, this disk-andscript program service is employed by more than 200 prominent stations, thus making possible the use of network talent and network production by transmitters everywhere. Even though the idea of a radio thesaurus took more ribbing than the torso of a brontosaurus, it has grown to such mammoth proportions that it is accepted as the backbone of sponsored and sustaining local program services by more stations than are in any single network. Yet the Thesaurus is only a part of the Recording Division’s activities. This unit also produces and syndicates individual programs. Then there is its active participation in the business of transcribing broadcasts off-the-air or off-the-line for advertisers and agencies. Audition records for use in the selling of “live” shows are also made here. In all, the business that goes on is sound business, indeed. While it is based on the technical tempo of 33 revolutions per minute, there’s nothing revolutionary about it except the sales gains constantly scored by Mr. Egner and his lads who can’t help but make an impression whenever they make a record. Activity in the recording division proceeds with the same pace and precision maintained in the netw ork’s “live” program division. Sales, script writing, casting, production and engineering are all done within the Recording Division on the identical scale of quality demanded by network shows. Continuity acceptance, copyright clearance and other technicalities are also handled in this self-contained division before the programs hit the groove. Production routine is identical to actual broadcasting; the only diflerence is that the sound w ave is etched on the record instead of being transmitted. More than 1,000 16-inch Thesaurus master disks have rolled out of NBC studios since the service was launched seven years ago. These platters contained a total of more than 8,000 musical numbers. At the risk of sounding egotistical as well as statistical, we’ll add that, when utilized with the Thesaurus weekly script service, the disks constantly build audiences for stations and sales for local sponsors. NBC Recording led its field in producing “name” programs. It proudly came forth with such names as Allen Roth, Sammy Kaye, Vincent Lopez, Edwin Eranko Goldman, Norman Cloutier, Harry Horlick and scores of others— not only of network caliber, but actually of network status. Thus stations everywhere, regardless of size and without the cost of landlines, were able to utilize this array of talent Out to Launch • Broadcasting a ship launching is not an unusual event these days. But when a mikeman covers a ship launching in the Rocky Mountains, it is a brow -raising occasion. KOA, NBC-RED Denver outlet, was on deck with Gil Verba, announcer supervisor, and Yeoman Starr Yelland, a former KOA announcer, for the launching in the form of the departure by train of prefabricated parts for steel hulls of Navy escort ships. Mayor Stapleton of Denver, Governor Carr of California and representatives of the W PB took part in the event. The traditional bottle (this one filled with Pike’s Peak snow water I was broken as the assemblage wished the “ships” smooth sailing to Tokyo ! NBC Playwright Arch Oholer goes to the bridge of a training ship for authentic maritime data for “Plays for Americans.” —technically enhanced by the life-like qualities of NBC’s exclusive Orthacoustic method of recording (a wide-range, highfidelity process)— in compositely arranged presentations that rate shoulder-to-shoulder in casting and production quality with network “live” shows. The motif of a “network within a network” is suggested in personnel as well as operations. Egner, chief of the division, has been in the recording business so long that he probably remembers when Nipper, the world-renowned RCA \ ictor dog, started his leash on life. Actually, he was identified with the famous trade mark as far back as 1917 while it was used by the old Victor Talking Machine Company. After time out for service in Uncle Sam’s forces in World War I, he returned to Victor where he remained until 1929 in various executive sales capacities leading up to the post of assistant general sales manager. After two years as president of the Chicago Talking Machine Company he joined recording sales for RCA, remaining until 1934 when he became affiliated with NBC. Vice-versa, Bob Morris, business manager of the division, hails from NBC’s engineering department where he was associated with outstanding broadcasting developments including the development of the Orthacoustic Record. Bob Friedheim, Eastern sales manager, came from W MBH, Joplin, Missouri, and Reginald Thomas, program chief, from the agency field. Division managers Frank E. Chizzini (Chicago), Bob Schuetz (Hollywood) and Bill Young (Washington ) are recording executives of long standing. Incidentally, Schuetz was a radio amateur at ten.