U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1960)

San Francisco, decided lo iiKike use ol iis HOO-ioot tr;uisniitliii,<> tower wliich was com ei ted into a "t^iaiit eandle" siiiee it is located on Candlestick Point. Working with the police department, the station agreed that the "giant candle" woidd only be lighted if there was no Black Flag flying. The chief of police taped a series of messages annoiuicing whether or not the candle would be burning in San Francisco that night. CIVIC AFFAIRS Being an integral part ol the conununity, the radio station olten devotes a great deal of attention to civic |Moblems and events. ^VBT Charlotte, N.C., has inaugurated a "Community Pride" competition. As explained by the station, the winning community will receive a cash award of 31,000 and one year's possession of an award cup. the event is open to all towns of 1,000 or more population within hearing distance of the station's signal. Listeners are invited to vote for their laxorite town. The town receiving the most points during the year will he the \\inner. The cash will be turned over to that town's governing body for use in civic improvements. Weekly standings are annoimced rcgidarly on the station, and the town in first place on the first of each month is featured on WBT for one day. Local civic and business leaders are interviewed on the programs. WBEN Buffalo, N.Y., has been broadcasting the University ol Buffalo Round Table each Saturday evening without interruption since 1941. In those 19 years, the station has made its microphones available to civic, state and national leaders in education, labor. commerce, industry and politics. KLZ Denver has been active in ci\ic affairs \vith such jjrograms as Citizens By Choice, which deals with naturalization and the various facets of this subject as it applies to the new citizen and to the community; and Income Tax Panel, which offers the listeners pointers on this oft-times perplexing annual event. On KTOR Oklahoma City, a Civic Nezvs series is heard five clays a week. The series includes interviews on various projects of interest to the community, and interviews with oiustanding visitors to the ciiv. In a similar vein, KPRC Houston, Tex., conducts its Co)iimiinit\ Events Calendar, which is heard an average of 38 times a day. Each message metitions an item or activity of some civic, church, social or other group. KWKH Shreveport, La., has been supporting the move to get a /oo for the city by scheduling announcements calling attention to the project, and by having the public come to the station to pick up tickets for a "zooarama," ^vhich the station says is a preview sho-i\ing of animals already promised to the zoo. WATCHES FOR THERAPY are accepted by Roy Campanella on behalf of The Institute of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation of New York University Medical Center. Drive by station WINS New York for worn-out tinne pieces provided watches for training of disabled patients. FUND RAISING The pid)lic annually contriljuies hundreds of millions ol dollars to help coml)at and stamp out the diseases that are cripplers and killers of men, women and children. Radio has alwavs been aware of its obligation to contribiue and sujjport these necessary fund-raising drives. Last sinnmer, KBON Omaha conducted an claboiate campaign in cooperation with the local March of Dimes connnittee. The station reports that all of the funds in the March ol Dimes treasury had been dej)letccl and that there was urgent need for money. To dramali/e this need KBON's night deejay, Fritz, climbed a pole on the Courthouse lawn in downtcjwn Omaha. He remained on his perch for 15 days, and during that period the staticjn sent performers and celebrities to the "Polio Pole, " to be interviewed by Fritz and to focus attention on the fund drive. In commenting on the project, the drive leader for the March of Dimes campaign in Douglas County said: "The pole, feature stories on KBON, the spot announcements, the time signals which read 'Give to Policj Time' and the tremendous woik of P'lit/ ha\e all made Omahans think twice about polio." Dining the most receiu Conimunity Chest drive, WKZO Kalamazoo, Mich., wrote and directed a series of campaign songs. These nimibers were recorded at the opening dinner by the entire group of voliniteer workers tor the drive. The recordings were made availal)le to all stations in the conmuuiitv, which used them ihioughoiu the campaign. WKZO reports that the songs were credited with being instrumental in hel]jing make the Conuniniily Cfiest drive a success. When the comiminitv's onh hospital was ccin ■■P. S. RADIO May I960 47