Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1946)

STATION SERVICE Radio activities in behalf of public interest. bert Lea was lost in the north woods on a camping trip, KATE and its listeners raised the money for a resctie party. Spot announcements appealing for money to help feed and equip the organizations and state guard in the searching party were aired over KATE, and within eight hours $600 had been raised, $200 of it in the first hour and a half. HOUSE FOR JOE As is generally true, the housing situation in Fort Dodge, la., is acute. Many veterans are unable to secure suitable living quarters for their families, but KVFD is doing something about that. Edward Breen, station manager, annotuiced that KVFD is building a lowcost house and when completed, it will be sold to a veteran at cost. All details involved in the project (which estimates indicate will cost around $3,000 including lot) are being broadcast over KVFD. To serve as a guide to veterans when they are able to build their own houses, KVFD will publish a booklet giving the details of the House For Joe project. OL' MAN WINTER Because winter weather in a farming district means uncertainty in roads, schools and activities, KATE, Albert Lea-Austin, Minn., has become a traffic control for students in Southern Minnesota. ^\^hcn bad weather sets in, the station becomes a madhouse of telephones, telegrams and people. Announcements of which schools will be open, which will not and which buses will and which will not run, are broadcast from the time the station goes on the air. The public service announcements are spotted both between and on programs. For example, the early morning news is a sponsored program, but part of it is devoted to the public service announcements. Austin has its own system of gathering public service spots, entirely separate from Albert Lea. Bus lines and school superintendents call the station to report weather schedules. Pubhc service doesn't slop wilh weather reports. When a small boy from Al PUBLIC SERVICE PAYS Dividends in the way of increased patronage and listener audience have been obtained by KLO, Ogden, Utah, by going all-out for community leadership, according to George B. Morgan, general manager. With the most elaborate line-up of unsponsored public service progiams in the Intermountain region, the new public service programs are heralded by display ads in the local newspaper. Typical banner headline: "The Community Comes First at KLO." Offerings include an employment service for veterans, in co-operation with the USES. Home Folks pays tribute to Ogdenites who have made outstanding civic contributions during the week. To stimulate interest in reading, a weekly book review is presented in co-operation with the Carnegie Free library. Your Church and You is open to all faiths. In Know Your Government city and county officials make a friendly report to the people. New business men are introduced on This is Ogden. STUDENT FORUM Take any Senior High School or Junior or Senior College, interest the Social Science, English, or History Department in organizing an open forum among the students, witli a member of the faculty acting as moderator. Give the group air time and you have a round table program which will outshine many an adult forum group. At least, that's the experience of WSAV, Savannah, Ga. The student group comes from Armstrong Junior College. The forum discussions are lively, intelligent and thought provoking. The Student Forum is aired Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. 394 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP