Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

ENGINEB21 MURIEL KENNEDY, OF NBC, GETS FIRST CHANCE AT THE CON- TROL BOARD FOR PRESENTATION OF ALL-WOMAN SHOW "'NOW IS THE time", men IX NETWORK OBSERVE STRICTLY "HANDS-OFF" POLICY'. WOMEN PRESENT NBC SERIES Netivork Achieues Another "First" with Four Liuely Feminine Dramatizations as a Tribute to Sisters-at-arms in Services UNPRECEDENTED in the an- nals of NBC's numerous "firsts" is the all-woman production of "Now Is the Time." This series of four dramatizations, prepared entirely by the distaff side, is a tribute to their sisters-at-arms in the WAC. WAVES, SPARS and Women Marines and is heard on four Saturdays from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m., EWT, March 25 through April 15. Impetus for this exclusively fem- inine treatment came when William Burke Miller, NBC's war program manager and manager of the public service department, turned the project over to Jane Tiffany Wag- ner, NBC's director of war activi- ties for women, with a hands-off- for-the-men, God-bless-the-women- directive. Miss Wagner, who is also the current chairman of the Women's Activities Division of the Women Directors of the network, promptly assembled women representatives of every department at NBC and the designated feminine represen- tatives of the Armed Forces. When plans had been coordinated, per- sonnel of the network stations and representatives from the Armed Forces assembled in station studios throughout the country for a closed circuit talk given from Washing- ton by Captain Mildred McAfee, di- rector of the Women's Reserve of the U. S. Navy; Major Catherine R. Goodwin, WAC .staff director for Army Service Forces: Miss Wag- ner and Mrs. Irene Kuhn, assistant director of information at NBC. Plans went apace from then on, with women representatives of sta- tions of the networks indicating their enthusiastic approval and co- operation. From the engineering staff came Muriel Kennedy as control-room en- gineer, and from sound effects came Marjorie Ochs. Nancy Osgood, who directs "Consumer Time" from NBC—Washington, came on to New York for the directorial as- signment. An all-girl orchestra is I)roviding the musical backgrounds for the dramas and for service songs. The 300 guests at each broadcast are ushered into Studio 3B by girl members of the guest relations staff. Assistants Are Named Assisting Miss Wagner in the undertaking are: Margaret Cuth- bert, Doris Corwith and Marjorie Loeber, public service; Peggy Myles, Jean Harstone, Janet Lane, Claire Hyland, Lucy Towle, Anita Cleary, promotion and advertising; Irene Kuhn, public relations; Anita Barnard, public information and NBC speakers bureau; Phyllis Oakley, station relations; Angela Caramore, traffic; Ruth Ann Brooks and Ruth Manley, script coordina- tors; Alberta Hackett, production; Bertha Brainard and Helen Sher- vey, program; Sylva Fardel, music; Helen Bernard, recording; Sue Cretinon, news and special events; Jane Waring and Priscilla Camp- bell, press. Priscilla Kent's scripts, which are narrated by Ernesta Barlow (NBC's "Commando Mary"), use the fact-in-fiction method of drama- tized presentation in the hope of clarifying in the public mind many misconceptions about the work done by women of the services. Emphasis is placed on the over- .ill picture of what all four services accomplish jointly rather than on singling out differentiations be- tween one branch and another. NBC hopes, by this dramatized ap- [iroach, to make recruitment attrac- tive to potential members not only on the basis of patriotism alone, but also because enlistment offers them a change of scene, contact with stimulating new personalities and training in skills which will improve their economic status in the post-war world. [RADIO AGE 29