U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

RADIO IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST COMMUNITY SERVICE A Mat ion ma) contribute i<> community improvement through off-the-air efforts in main ways. An example is the cooperation given by K.MBC Kansas City for die "Keep Kansas City Clean" campaign. The station bought 100 litter baskets and arranged them in a massive displa\ in Eronl of the studios for the c ampaign ki< k-off. On each basket the station posted a permanent metal plate with the slogan "Keep Kansas City Clean, says KMBCI" KMBC also aired spot announcements and special programs foj the drive. The (ampaign kick-off was followed by a two-week "Best Suggestion for Keeping Kansas City Clean Contest." with an allexpense three-day trip for two to Las Vegas as the top pi i/e WIKY Evansville, End., alarmed at community feeling that industry in (he town was dying, conducted a "Salute to Evansville Industry" campaign, ft saluted a different industry each day with fiveminute copy five times a da\ explaining how long the company had been in 1 vmsville, the number of people employed, products manufactured and money spent in the area. The campaign served to remind the public of the thriving business still operating in Evansville and such community progress as the completion of a new stadium, the building of a new museum. expresswa\s. schools and slum clearance projects. The (ampaign was instrumental in restoring the public's pride in the community. Quite often a need arises suddenly which radio can meet quickly. Radio's ability to be of service in emergencies was pointed up during the recent railroad strike allec ting New York City. WICC Fairfield. Conn., rescued commuters from the strike-bound city by serving as a c lcaring house for car pools. The sta 38 lion broadcast availability of car pools every 15 minutes for the strike's duration. Close to K00 separate car pools were arranged by the station, transporting an estimated 2,000 commuters to and from their jobs. Stations have the opportunity to perform a community service in a number of unusual ways. WE MP Milwaukee, for instance, tied an extensive public sen ice campaign into a station promotion. An integral part of the "Pirate Dan's Treasure Chest" promotion last year was the broadcasting of a key word approximately 100 times a day to open the treasure c lu st. These key words were a reference to some community project or activity, such as "Salute to Seaway," "Hospital Benefit Circus," "Scoutarama," "Primary Election," "South Milwaukee Spectacle of Music." WEMP received letters from several organizations served by the announcements, commenting on how valuable the publicity had been. PERSONAL MEDIUM Radio can demonstrate its closeness to the community in times of personal hardship as well. Last Christmas Eve, the parents of a small Austin, Tex., girl called KOKE Austin with a "please help" request. Their daughter, suffering from a serious and often-fatal illness, desperately wanted a white kitten for Christmas. Unable to find one, the parents asked KOKE to braodcasl an appeal. Within 10 minutes, a kitten was found to fit the description. Keeping the public informed of meetings, changes in meeting times and other civic events is another valuable service to the community. KADY St. Charles, Mo., is now in its third year with Metropolitan Memos, a 15-minute program of community and cultural news aired Monday through Friday. News of clubs, social and civic activity from the entire St. Louis metropolitan area has served to bring many suburban communities closer together, the station reports. WHAT Philadelphia broadcasts its Community Bulletin Board four times daily. News from churches, schools, and charitable organizations is quickly assembled for timely announcements. A similar service for listeners is provided by WLOB Portland, Me. WLOB calls its program the Lobster Pot, a two-minute program of announcements aired six times daily. Community Events Calendar, aired twice an hour on KPRC Houston, is still another example of the average station's close contact with its community. Civic, social and religious groups send in announcements of all kinds which are screened by an editor to eliminate "commercial" appeals. WAMO Pittsburgh devotes two five-minute segments daily to the WAMO Bulletin Board. In addition, the station singles out one public service organ U. S. RADIO • February 1961