U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

Eor current weather conditions as children prepare for sc hool or extracurricular functions. The School Closed Report airs school closings beginning at <i a.m. on any day when storms force schools to shut down. School menus are broadcast at 1 1:05 a.m. and 1:05 p.m. so parents will know what children eat in the sc hool cafeteria as an aid to meal planning. To aid parents in avoiding illness in children that might interfere with school attendance, K.BON airs Help Your Health twice weekly. Community Bulletin Hoard announces all school functions and Parent-Teacher Association activities. Airwatch Oner Omaha, a regular traffic report broadcast twice daily, alerts parents of road conditions while driving children to or from school. Another station broadcasting the school luncheon menu is WISN Milwaukee, which carries a threeminute program at 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. The station reports a rise in the number of children taking advantage of the school lunches, and the Milwaukee Public Schools have been surprised at the close attention given the program by parents. WBML Macon, Ga., devotes a 15-minute program each week to the Miller Girls High School. In addition, the station airs a half-hour discussion program each Sunday on local educational affairs. KYOK Houston gives high school students a chance at higher education through its "KYOK Sock Hop." The dance for teenagers is held every Friday night; disc jockeys spin records and entertain, broadcasting the first hour's proceedings. Any teenager showing student identification is admitted for 50 cents. All net proceeds go into a fund for scholarships at Texas Southern University. HEALTH Stations are literally close to the heart beat of a community, too, in the many ways they provide services and information that lead to better health. Emergencies such as calls for blood donors are the constant responsibility of stations serving the public. KING Seattle listeners responded to an appeal for blood donors to help a three-year-old child burned over 60 percent of her body. To complicate the requirements for Type B blood with RH Negative factor, the donor must have had suffered burns over 20 per cent of his body. Through KING, authorities were able to locate several who met these stringent requirements. A similar story comes from WIBG Philadelphia where an urgent request went out from a hospital for donors with a rare type of blood. Within 55 minutes the hospital received offers from 70 persons who qualified. The emergency appeal saved the patient's life. Another contribution to public health was WIBG's cooperation with the Pennsylvania Working Home for the Blind and the Lion's Club OFF AGAIN for another day of covering heavy Long bland traffic the WHLI Babylon "egg-beater" leaves the ground. The helicopte' is ever-present at ground-breaking ceremonies, dinners and luncheons. Auxiliary of Bustleton, Pa. The home badly needed eyeglasses for its patients, so WIBG broadcast the appeal: "New eyes are needed for the needy . . ." Within 30 days, listeners sent 2,600 pairs of eyeglasses to WIBG. The glasses were turned over to New Eyes for the Needy, an organization in its 17th year of reclaiming old glasses to provide new ones for those who cannot afford their own. Deaf children received a helping hand from WING Dayton for the second consecutive year. Funds totaling $782.35 for training of teachers for the deaf were raised through the WING drive to collect old license plates. More than 37 tons of license plates were collected and sold. Station WDIA Memphis maintains two WDIA "Goodwill Buses" to transport handicapped children from their homes to a special school. The buses are driven by station personalities, twenty times a week. 700 times a year, giving handicapped children the benefit of a basic education. A Richmond, Calif., girl who needed .$3,000 for an operation for a rare liver condition was helped by KDIA Oakland in a special appeal by one of the announcers. Listeners were asked to call in "bids" to hear their favorite records, with some pledges running as high as $17. After 11 days the fund for the girl's operation had reached the sum of $3,575, and her parents rushed her to the Albert Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia. Her treatment was successful. WPAL Charleston, S C., aids community health by special efforts to keep information on cancer flowing constantly on the airwaves. The station has received a special citation from the Charleston Count) Unit of the American Cancer Societv. U. S. RADIO • February 1%1 4.