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

perhaps the most important single (•(liltribution of the fellowship plan. While the project includes a finan- cial ajji't'enient between the Congre- gational-Christian Churches a n il the National Broadcasting Com- l»any, there has been absolutelx' no stipulation placed Ijy the church group on the religious connection of the ministers selected. Much ci'edit is due foi- the fornni- lation of the plan to the Rev. Ever- ett C. Parker, Acting Assistant to I he ]Manager of the NBC Public Service Department, who collabo- rated with Dr. Max Jordan, dircc- toi' of religious broadcasts for NBC. The Reverend Mr. Parker is visiting NBC as Blatehford Fellow of the Chicago Theological Semi- nary and has had a great deal of experience in the field of religious radio. He was assistant chief of radio for the W.P.A. in 1936-li);]7 and has served as manager of W'JBW, New Orleans, and produc- lion and program manager of WHIP in Hammond-Chicago. In addition, he has experimented widely through transcriptions with many different types of relig-ious radio productions. There appear lo lie gi'ave deli- ciencies in the way today's religious broadcasting is conducted. Authori- tative polls of radio listening habits in the United States show that re- ligious progi'ams rank at or near (lie bottom in listener interest among the \arious program types. On a national scale, even the best iietwdi-k religious programs are rarely able to attract more than 15 per cent of their potential audience. I need hardly exiilain that in many instances, religious programs fail to gain popular attention be- cause of their program content. Many have argued that religious ])rograms lack iiitei'est because they have not adojited the tried and suc- cessful technicjues of radio, and also because large numbers of re- ligious broadcasters are not trained in I he writing, producing, and per- forming of radio programs. Perhaps this is so. In any event, those of us involved in the present liroject are striving to give (luali- fied members of the ministry an opportunity to study at first hand the intricacies of the broadcasting industry in the hope that they will then discover more effective means for presenting sjiiritual \aliies and viewpoints over the air. Religious broadcasting should be able to com- pete on a professiouid le\el with the bell e I- commercial non-religious programs. But this is only possible If the church has at its disposal men who have trained themselves professionally for such a task. We have established a connnitlce to administer the fellowships. I am acting as chairman. Representing NBC on the committee will be Dr. Jordan and Sterling Fish?r, Assist- ant Public Service Counselor and Director of the NBC Inter-Amer- ican University of the Air. Repre- senting the churches are: Dr. Tru- man Douglass, vice-president of the Board of the Home Missions of the Congregational-Christian Churches and member of the Congregational Christian Radio Committee; the Rev. Mr. Parker; and the Rev. James Flint, chairman of the Con- gregational - Christian Committee on Radio. In the award to the out- standing seminary graduate, Dr. Fred Eastman, professor of biog- raphy, literature and drama, of the Chicago Theological Seminary, rep- resented the Seminary. New Marine Console Designed especialbi for the ex- fanding Merchatit Marine, includ- inc/ Victorij sliips and tankers, a "package" type marine radio con- sole comprising three transmitters awrf three receivers has been devel- oped and put into production by the Radiomarine Corporation of America. In addition to the trans- mitting and receiving units, which for the first time in console equip- ment provide for high-frequency operation over extremely long dis- tances, the "package" includes an automatic radio alarm, an alarm signal keying device, a large oper- ating table u-ith built-in typewriter well, and facilities for charging all storage batteries associated u-ith the equipment. ••^!^ IX THIS .M.ARI.NE RADIO CO.NSOLE DEVELOPED BY R.ADIO.MARINE CORPORATION Of AMERICA, THE TRANSMITTERS CAN BE PUT ON THE AIR WITHI.N FIVE SECONDS [RADIO AGE 19]