Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1946)

contributed by the ministers from members of their organization. Out of the six-week course in Minneapolis developed a Radio Club composed mainly of teen-agers who meet with the coordinator at one of the Twin City stations once every two weeks. The Radio Club not only tries its hand at dramatic productions, but also judges religious transcriptions. For example. The Radio Edition of the Bible, a series of 13 transcriptions made under the direction of Everett Parker for the Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches was aired this summer on KSTP. And now comes other national denominations series, All Aboard for Adventure and Building for Peace. Victorious Living is presently being aired on WTCN. This is a 39-week series of daily five-minute broadcasts dealing with everyday problems. The Radio Club, under the direction of the coordinator, listens to these programs and makes suggestions relative to when and where they should be aired. Some outstanding programs have been produced by the churches under this set-up. One example is the Sunday School of the Air, Bible quiz program between two different Sunday Schools, followed by a discussion. Another, Let's Go to Church Sunday, was a series of one-minute transcriptions dramatically depicting problems that found their solution in church going. On the Way, now on WLOL, deals with the rhurrh and community problems; it was developed and is put on by a member of the Church Radio Committee, the Rev. William Law. Rather than each separate church calling a station when there is a visiting minister or personality to be interviewed, the coordinator clears the time and makes all arrangements. Such events as World Community Day, National Youth Week, Family Week, World Day of Prayer and National Religious Education Week also furnish an opportunity for public service broadcasts. For example, the coordinator and a committee member for National Religious Education Week worked out a series of ten 20-second transcribed spot announcements which were played on five local stations several times daily that week. The announcer was a professional radio personality who is on the radio committee. On occasion it works the other way. On the death of President Roosevelt the stations wanted a minister and a choir in a hurry. All they had to do was to call the Church Radio Coordinator and the program was arranged for them. What started out as an adventure in religious broadcasting has now been proved a successful method for handling church radio programs. ALL ABOARD Evansville, Ind., youngsters in school grades four to eight were given a chance to help Uncle Sam, also win trips to Chicago, 111., thanks to WGBF-WEOA. To the 45 youngsters selling the greatest amount of Victory |l Bonds went a three-day trip to the Windy City, expenses paid by the management of Evansville's radio stations. For highest sellers in the high schools: four-year scholarships to Evansville College. Stations stood the ? 1,000 cost of the expense of taking the 45 children to Chicago. Cost of the five scholarships, ^6,000, was donated one-half by Evansville College, one-half by J. Giltner Igleheart. LAND OF OPPORTUNITY For the returning service man at loose ends, it's hard to settle down to the routine of civilian life. For many of the boys it seems a good time to pull stakes, strike out for a new life in parts unknown. To reach the footloose, fancy-free, WMT, Cedar Rapids-Waterloo, la., launched a series of national advertisements oveWMT's signature, inviting returning service men to make the State of Iowa their future home. Scheduled to appear in the Army Times, the series points out Iowa's many assets, sells the state as "Iowa . . . Your Land of Opportunity." Featured in the ad is a ten-point check list giving the reasons why the veteran should make his post-war home in Iowa. A photographic map of the state pictures rolling farm land, bustling metropolitan life, half-and-half. BLAZING TRIUMPH Scoop score in New Haven, Conn., went to raclio station WELI when it broadcast an eye-witness description of a ^300,000 fire at CHAMBERLAIN'S, America's oldest furniture store. CHAMBERLAIN'S, located in the center of New Haven's business district, was discovered to be on fire during the home-for-dinner rush. A block and a half away from WELI, the fire was covered from the roof of the radio station. Two descriptive broadcasts were made and all network programs were interrupted for bulletins on the progress of the blaze. On the spot within a few minutes after the discovery of the fire, WELI aided in keeping people away as well as reporting the scene. HAYWIRE HOOK-UP Out in Seattle one of the shortest-lived networks came on the air in January. Referred to by harried technicians as the "haywire hook-up" the six-station network was used during the city-owned transit strike. With the town already hampered by a long newspaper strike, radio stepped in to carry the report of Mayor Devin regarding the strikes to the Seattle citizens. Clearing simultaneous time, the stations carried the appeal to both factions in the transit strike on a Thursday and was ready to relay the answers the following evening, but the meeting which settled the strike was in progress at the time. In order not to interrupt the arbitrators, the second broadcast was cancelled. Off the network, but on the air, the following day the stations broadcast individually-handled coverage of the strike's end and resumption of transit service. Commendations on the cooperation were received from Mayor Devin and Lloyd Graber, transit commission manager. V M A RC H , 1946 • 101 •