Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1946)

Record Details:

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\(\'ft) . . . Sparks flew when noted »iJc;imentators discussed current world fip blems on the United Nations Forum vs nsored by the RAINIER BREW01 G COMPANY. (Right) . . . Murder Will Out! WilHam Gargan (Inspector Burke), Lew W. Lansworth, writer-director and Eddie Marr (Detective Nolan) talk over a new script for the spine-tingling murder mystery series. ► That something else was the stickler. |We didn't see Gale around the office for several days. \Vhen he finally came back, [tired but triumphant, he had the nucleus )f a sparkling new show. l\o\v, here's one important angle we haven't mentioned: the programs of soap companies and food manufacturers ap[xal primarily to women. But a program selling beer must be slanted for men, and \et entertain the women too. Rainier's Club Good Cheer was first lired over the California network of the American Broadcasting Company on February 2, 1944. The weekly half-hour ^how featured Opie Cates' clarinet and orchestra, with vocals by Eileen Wilson. Story-teller Tobe Reed took over the middle part of the program to spin rare varus of adventure and romance. Larry Keating m.c.'d Club Good Cheer. To build good will for Rainier, we >oft-pedaled on the commercials; devoted i large portion of them to war-bond Irives, civilian defense, home-front moale. Club Good Cheer did its job. It blanketed California with public-service nessagcs, built good will, reminded liscners that Rainier beer and ale, though lard to get, were still being brewed to he same high standards of quality. KEEP IN STEP Out, toward fall, we decided it was time to change the program. American troops had broken through Germany's Siegfried Line. The Russians were driving into East Prussia. Here at home, the presidential campaign was at its lieight. People knew that the end of the war was near. Big question in their minds was "What are we going to do about the Peace?" We discussed the soaring popularity of news analysts. How could we give Rainier such a program, and yet be different? Someone pointed out that the air was already clogged with experts, all of them giving different opinions and predictions. Net result: listeners were more often confused than enlightened. 1 HEN Jack Gale came up with this idea. Why not have several experts on one program; let them thresh out current international problems? We batted that suggestion back and forth, finally decided to have a well-known commentator represent each of the principal Allies. We developed the idea into a half-hour program and presented it to the client. It went on the California Network November 11, 1944, as the United Nations Forum. The name was timely, for the San Francisco conference later chose United Nations as the name of the world organization. John B. Hughes, prominent news commentator, spoke for the United States; Carveth Wells, world traveler, author, and lecturer, for Great Britain; Dr. H. H. Chang, former Chinese minister to Pol UGUST, 1946 • 259 •