COMPANY, mmM BROADCASTING general LIBRARV YORK, H, PLAZA, HEW 30 ROCKEfELLER Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/nbctransmitter8194nati NBC TRANSMITTER JANUARY 1942 NO LOUDri , TALKING Pl£AS£ TOKIO MOSCOW LONDON-PARIS G.M.T. NEW YORK I Ul UTU CAIRO BERLIN-ROME 2 NBC TRANSMITTER When, a few short weeks ago, the United States was plunged into war, the big NBC family from coast to coast assumed its new responsibilities without confusion and with an efficiency of which I am extremely proud. The job you did during those stirring hours of December 7th and the way you have carried on since that day has been no surprise to us; but it was a heart-warming example of NBC spirit. 1941 saw NBC working in close coopera- tion with the National Government and its various agencies. The Treasury Depart- ment, the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps and the other branches of the Gov- ernment having a part in the preparation of National Defense made heavy calls on the broadcasting industry. But we had antici- pated their needs. NBC, with its hundreds of fine programs, conceived in the interest of National Defense, made its impress on the American public; there can be no doubt of that. 1942 will present new problems, many of them, no doubt, of serious moment. But come what may, NBC will be ready. We’re enlisted for the duration; we’ll giye no less than our best. Thanks to eyeryone of you for what you haye done and what you are doing. May the new year bring you and yours all the good things! NILES TRAMMELL JANUARY. 1942 3 BLUE NETWORK COMPANY On January 9th, David Sarnoff, President of the Radio Cor- “The segregation of the Blue Network from the National Broad- poration of America, announced the formation of the Blue casting Company will occasion the separate, Network Company, Incorporated, a wholly-owned transfer of approximately 500 em- subsidiary of RCA. Incorporation papers were filed at Dover, ployes, practically all arrangement Delaware. for this transfer having been com- The new company will operate the Blue Network and will pleted. own and manage Stations WJZ in New York, WENR in “The National Broadcasting Company will continue, uninter- Chicago and KCO in San Francisco. It will continue to furnish ruptedly, the maintenance of its program service to than more one hundred independently Red Network broadcasting services, owned, affiliated radio stations throughout the country. which includes the operations of Blue Network Company, Inc., will continue, without inter- Stations WEAF, New York; WRC, ruption, the programs and business heretofore carried by the Washington; WTAM, Cleveland; KOA, Denver, Blue Network Division of the National Broadcasting Company WMAQ, Chicago; and KPO, San Francisco; and its and will be supervised by experienced personnel which, over service to 1 36 independently own- a fifteen year period, has made the Blue one of America’s ed affiliated stations. great Networks. “The National Broadcasting President The of the Blue Net- program standards, the Blue Net- Company will also maintain its In- work Company, Inc., is Mark work will avail itself of the counsel ternational Broadcasting Service, Woods, heretofore Vice President of an Advisory Committee, repre- its Radio Recording Service and its and Treasurer of NBC. The Execu- senting seven regions into which development in the fields of Tele- tive Vice President will be Edgar the United States has been divided vision and Frequency Modulation. Kobak, previously NBC Vice Presi- for broadcast purposes. Members “The vital and essential services dent in charge of Sales for the of the committee, all of whom are of network broadcasting in this Blue Network. thoroughly conversant with broad- period of war will continue to serve In his first statement as Presi- casting, its problems and its re- the American listeners, the affili- dent of the Blue Network, Mr. sponsibilities, have been elected by ated stations and the advertisers. Woods said, “In the first 1938, the independent stations affiliated The National Broadcasting Com- steps were taken toward setting up with the network. pany and the new management of the Blue Network as an indepen- “Members of the committee the Blue Network have rededicated dently operated broadcasting unit. are: Harry Wilder, Station WSYR, themselves to this objective.” One by one, during the three years Syracuse; Allen Campbell, Station elected President of which followed, separate depart- The newly NA/XYZ, Detroit; Earl May, Station the Blue Network, Mark Woods, ments have been established to KMA, Shenandoah, la.; hienry P. with the Na- supervise Blue Network opera- has been associated Johnston, Station WSCN, Birming- tional Broadcasting since tions. Company ham; Harold Hough, Station its inception. “The formation of a separate KCKO, Fort Worth; Tracy Mc- company comes at a time when One of the youngest top-rankmg Craken, Station KFBC, Cheyenne; radio is playing a vital role in the executives in network broadcast- Howard Lane, Station KFBK, life of our country at war. The ing, Mr. Woods comes to his new Sacramento.” heaviest responsibilities which rest post with an unusually broad back- Niles Trammell, President of the today upon all broadcasters pro- ground in the industry. vide the highest incentive to the National Broadcasting Company, Since 1926, he has had an im- management and personnel of the who will continue in that capacity, portant part in determining the fi- was elected Chairman of the Blue Network to maintain and, if new nancial and operational policies of possible, to improve the standards company’s Executive Committee, NBC as Administrative Officer. of public service. which includes Mark Woods and Vice President and Treasurer. “For the past fifteen years the Edgar Kobak as members. President Woods was a network Blue Network has pioneered in In commenting on the formation broadcasting executive prior to the fields of public service, educa- of the new company, Mr. Trammel joining NBC and, earlier, was a tion and entertainment. Such pro- said, “The Blue Network will con- financial and sales executive for grams as the Farm and Home Hour, tinue to be housed in its present Southern construction firms. the American Town Hall Meeting locations, pending the establish- Born in Louisville, Kentucky. Mr. of the Air, and the Music Appre- ment of permanent quarters else- Woods was raised and schooled in ciation Hour, developed and pre- where and certain of its routine Florida. Married and the father of sented by this network and the operations will be carried on by the two children, his chief interests, stations affiliated with it, have es- National Broadcasting Company away from the office, are, first the tablished high broadcast standards. until the new company has estab- youngsters, then sailing, swimming “To maintain and enhance its lished its own facilities. and golf. 4 NBC TRANSMITTER NBC TELEVISION On Monday evening, January 5, essary in fighting the light magne- New York City’s air raid wardens 1 942, NBC Television officially be- sium incendiary bomb. on television as a means of instruc- came part of New York City’s The experiment was conducted tion. Reports came in from the civilian defense organization. to test fhe efficiency of television hundreds of wardens gathered at By order of Police Commissioner in transmitting defense instruc- 123 viewing locations in the 50 Lewis j. Valentine, hundreds of tion, by Police Department experts, precincts witnessing the telecast, selected zone, sector and post war- to many scattered groups, simul- A sheaf of telegrams brought dens were notified by their local taneously. Standardization of train- praise from defense officials and precinct station houses to report ing and the economies in the time individual citizens in such out-of- for the special NBC defense tele- of the Department’s crack instruc- town points as Philadelphia, Penn- cast. Viewing locations were in in- tors were the all-important ends sylvania; Poughkeepsie, and Bridge- dividual homes and radio dealers' sought in the test. port, Connecticut, for the televi- sion shops, enlisted by the NBC Tele- The television experiment was experiment conducted by the vision Department to aid in the ex- also witnessed by New York State New York City Police Department in cooperation periment. and New jersey civilian defense of- with NBC’s Televi- sion Department. Television’s debut in instructing ficials in towns and cities up to Philadelphia New York City’s thousands of air sixty miles from the NBC Televi- A home viewer wired: “Three in raid wardens was made possible by sion Transmitter location in mid- our family saw the National Broadcasting Com- Manhattan. telecast on incendiary bomb lec- pany’s offer to telecast training Situated atop the Empire State ture. Picture very clear. We are films and supplementary instruc- Building, the WNBT Transmitter better informed on this phase of defense.’’ tion by Police Department experts can enable one instructor to speak over NBC’s Television Station, from five thousand television A Connecticut televiewer tele- graphed: WNBT. screens to an audience several “Ten people witnessed special civilian In the first use of television to times that number. The regular defense program, instruct the City’s volunteer war- evening audience of NBC’s previ- including three air raid wardens. Reception perfect. dens, Lieutenant William F. Maley, ous civilian defense television Wardens great- of the staff of the Coordinator for classes has been estimated at from ly impressed with television in- struction the Police Department Civilian De- forty to fifty thousand people. as being far better than oral fense, gave instruction supplemen- On January 5th, a re-telecast lecture.’’ York City report- tary to that contained in the fea- over Station WPTZ, Philadelphia, New wardens ed: “The presentation was excel- tured Office of Civilian Defense with which WNBT is linked by a training film, “Fighting the Fire radio relay, made the instruction lent,’’ “Could not be better’’ and, Bomb.’’ available to defense workers in the “I think this demonstration was very interesting and highly Assistants in the NBC Televi- Philadelphia-Camden area.