U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1959)

HOMETOWN U.S. A. station log ► News: Huiiicane Gracie atlordcd two stations—based on reports from WBT Charlotte, N. C, and WTMA Charleston, S. C. — with an opportunity lo provide both local communities and the nation with news coverage. WBT states that during the hurricane it served as an intormation relay point between coastal areas which were struck and the rest of the country. Virgil Evans Jr., WBT managing director, says that "WBT fed the entire Southwestern 'log' of the CBS Radio network day and night via KISA San Antonio, along with occasional transmissions to the New England states via WEEI Boston." Up-to-the-minute reports by the station's complete task force of reporters were sent to the station's engineering control area regularly through the day of the hurricane. WTMA states that it remained on the air throughout the hurricane, and that it was the only means of mass communication in the Charleston area. David Jefferies, WTMA chief engineer, kept WTMA on the air by moving all the broadcast operations to a transmitter out of the danger area. The station declares that it was the clearing house for all information from the weather bureau, Civil Defense, National Guard, Red Cross and other disaster units. ► Public Service: Over 150 candidates for political offices in a 10-county area of Virginia were individually invited by WSVA Harrisonburg to take part in a series of programs titled Meet Your Candidate. The programs were heard at six scheduled times each Monday through Friday, and each five-minute program presented one candidate. WSB Atlanta staged its First Annual News Broadcasting Conference on November 5 in association with the Henry W. Grady School of journalism of the University of Georgia. The station says that the annual conference is being initiated to give high school journalists and those teaching high school journalism or supervising school newspapers a "close-up view of how news is handled by broadcasting stations, both radio and tv." ► Programming: KDAL Duluth has revamped its community service programming to ulili/c ihc one iiiiiiiilc format entirely, atiording to the station. Replacing its former five to 15-minute service, KDAL now uses a schedule of sjKJts (ailed: Town Crier, community news feature; VIP Time, featuring interviews with visiting dignitaries; Road Reports of traffic conditions; KDAL Scoreboard, giving the latest sports; KDAL Salutes the outstanding achievement on the iocal scene, and the Work Sheet, which gives employment opportunities as secured from the Minnesota Employment Office. WZIP Cincinnati has launched a series of music and drama spectaculars which will be heard every other Sunday. The shows, varying in length from one to two hours, will include such features as "60 Years of Music America Loves" and "Peter Pan." Don Tuttle, WGY Schenectady, N. Y., farm director, spent two weeks in the British Isles last month as a guest of the British Broadcasting Corp. He taped interviews with leading British agriculturists which were broadcast by the BBC in London to their New York offices for re-taping. These tapes were then used bv WGY. • • • Executives from ABC o&o stations meeting in Detroit are (seated, I. to r.) WXYZ Manager Harold Neal; James Riddell, West Coast v.p.; Stephen Riddleberger, v. p. for o&o's; Manager John Mitchell, KGO San Francisco; (standing) Manager John Pace, KABC Los Angeles; Manager Ralph Beudin, KQV Pittsburgh; Sales Manager Jack Stahle, KGO; Charles De Bare, ABC Legal Dept.; Manager Ben Hoberman, WABC New York. Business highlighted meeting. Cincinnati Mayor Donald Clancy (seated) proclaims "Helicopter Traffic Control Safety Day" on first anniversary of WLW traffic service. Observers are (I. to r.) William Geoghan, president, Ohio Valley Airways Inc.; Police Chief Stanley R. Schrotel; R. E. Dunville, president, Crosley Broadcasting Corp.; Police Lt. Arthur H. Mehring, traffic reporter from aloft; Jack DeVise, helicopter pilot for WLW flights. Helicopter is fast becoming a radio tool. U. S. RADIO m November 1959 49