NBC Transmitter (Jan 1943-Sept 1944)

2 NBC TRANSMITTER NBC WAR CLINICS IN 7 CITIES Executive Network Group Starts U. S. Tour January 28 NBC TRANSMITTER VOL. 8 JANUARY 1943 NO. 8 Published Monthly by the National Broadcasting Company RCA Building, Radio City, New York UNIVERSALITY OF MUSIC • Recently Maestro Toscanini received a letter from a Welsh coal miner, reading, in part — “This evening I listened with pleasure to the relay of your opening concert of the season. It augurs well for the winter entertainment of our American friends. I want you to tell Benny Goodman and Earl Wild that if ever they should come to the old country and find themselves in the West Midlands to call at the above address. I would like to meet them and so would my friends, practically all coal miners. We take pride in digging for coal but we also enjoy good music, and how." This letter is typical of the thousands received each year by NBC. They come from all parts of the earth, from folks in all walks of life. They show the universality of music hut, more important, they show how in a troubled world people have a longing for the works of the master composers. Nothing can take its place, he the world at peace or war. To Niles Trammell, NBC president. belongs an accolade for the emphasis he has placed on serious music in the network’s program structure. To his credit he turned a deaf ear to those who pointed to the Crosslevs of serious music programs. They meant nothing, he insisted. Mass appeal would inevitably follow as the appreciation of fine music increased. Mr. Trammell is no visionary; he is a veteran in radio and knows whereof he speaks. Today. the audiences that listen to the great NBC concerts extend from Johannesburg to Archangel, from Rio to \ ladivostok. The year 1943 holds much in store for NBC listeners. Important program plans are in the making. There’s a reason why NBC is the network most people listen to most. © The Second Annual NBC War Clinics which will afford affiliated stations and network officials an opportunity to discuss broadcasting problems brought about by the war will begin on January 28 with a two-day meeting at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. Subsequent meetings will be held on February 1 and 2 at the Hotel John Marshall in Richmond, Virginia; February 3 and 4 at the Netherland Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati; February 5 and 6 at the Drake Hotel in Chicago; February 9 and 10 at the Hotel Roosevelt in New Orleans: February 11 and 12 at the Hotel Rice in Houston, Texas, and February 16 and 17 at the Hotel Ambassador in Los Angeles. The party of NBC officials making the trip will be headed by President Niles Trammell and will be comprised of William S. Hedges, vice-president in charge of stations departments: Roy C. Witmer, vice-president in charge of sales; Clarence L. Menser, vice-president in charge of programs; Dr. James Rowland Angell, public service counselor; Frank M. Russell, vicepresident in charge of Washington office; 0. B. Hanson, vice-president and chief engineer; John F. Royal, vice-president in charge of international broadcasting; Charles B. Brown, promotion and advertising director; John McKay, manager of press department; Sheldon B. Hickox. Jr.. manager of station relations department : Noran E. Kersta. director of television, and James M. Gaines, of station relations. While the Second Annual NBC War Clinics have been sanctioned by the Office of Defense Transportation, affiliated station officials are urged to attend the clinic being held nearest to their city to keep traveling at a minimum. Discussions w ill center around increasing radio’s usefulness in the war effort. Technical developments in the broadcasting field, including television and FM, will be highlighted along with planning radio's place in the new industrial and economic post-war world. In announcing the meetings, W illiam S. Hedges, vice-president in charge of stations departments, said: “Last year’s meetings throughout the country were highly successful in producing a better understanding by network officials of the daily problems of affiliated stations comprising the network. In renewing the war clinics again this year in the face of diminishing civilian transportation facilities, it is our feeling that the stations and the network will be able to better serve the war effort, our communities and our nation as a result. We are happy that in this decision we have the sanction of the ODT. "We hope that each station will be represented by its owner, manager, program director and promotion manager. Discussion periods have been planned for each group with related interests. Even station should make plans to attend one of these meetings and it is emphatically not too early to make train and hotel reservations right now. " U. S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY BAND ON NBC The noted musical organization, conducted by Bandmaster Charles W. Messer, is a regular Saturday feature from the academy gymnasium at New London, Connecticut, and is a worthy addition to l ncle Sam's service bands entertaining the nation via the kilocycle medium. The pickup is made through the facilities of WT1C, Hartford.