AIR WAVES

[Music] 20 years ago the Youth of America found a new toy with which to annoy its elders they called it a radio and it gave forth a wide variety of squarks and howls and occasionally a faintly Audible Voice from a nuisance radio progressed to become a novelty earphones gave way to loudspeakers and you could actually hear music by radio in your own living room in a few few more years radio had become an important entertainment medium sending the best talent into the [Music] home inar another step forward and radio became an accepted vehicle for Nationwide news and opinion as well as Entertainment Bottom of the depression has been passed and that prosperity it is just around the corner there is every reason to believe that 1932 will be the best year that American business has experienced in a decade today radio knows no National limits and what goes on in the world also goes on in every American living room where there is a radio receiver I had another talk with the German Chancellor here Hitler and here is the paper in the United States broadcasting is so well organized today that we take for granted everything that stands behind the radio receiver but actually radio broadcasting has made even greater strides in the past 20 years than reception radio Studios have grown up too from the shed in Pittsburgh that housed the first Studio to skyscrapers like New York's Radio City in which are located the world's largest radio Studios these studios are open to the public and a steady stream of visitors files through the lobby to purchase tickets for a tour that demonstrates the technique of radio and shows the equipment and Facilities essential to putting a modern program on the air but contrary to popular belief radio programs are not broadcast from the studio they are sent by wire to the transmitter station usually located outside the city where they are actually put on the air to many visitors the most interesting exhibit on the guided tour is the sound effects demonstration in which the guide explains how the sound effects heard on the air are made now I'm going to try and show you what some of those sound effects you hear look like here we have the marching Army square frame with 25 wooden F Cy attend Cy forward Mar how h they always keep in step and never disobey all right now to feed this large army we use an ordinary piece of cellophane and pry some bacon and eggs or sausages perhaps some french fried potatoes would go very nicely and now the Milkman who delivers the milk to the boys in the Army found something like this in the weow the morning and now the oneman Cavalry here you have the army officer another high spot of the studio tour is a stop in the glass enclosed observation gallery of a studio from which a program is going on the air or one in which a program is in the final stages of rehearsal from a soundproof balcony the visitor watches the program on the studio floor below and hears it from a loud speaker overhead [Music] in this dress rehearsal the very duties of the announcer are probably the most interesting part of the program for he keeps it running smoothly as he follows his script a flashing light attracts his attention to the engineer who signals that the actors are too far away from the microphone he places them in the best positions for a good mic pickup and the rehearsal goes on the final rehearsal is conducted just as if the program were actually on the air the announcer checks the time to the second and as the program nears the end he signals the actors to go faster the change in Pace is so slight that it is unnoticed by the audience but it is enough to bring the lagging script up to the racing clock and the program ends on the [Music] nose the program over the tour leaves the observation Booth to see other interesting Studio activities and to Marvel at the master control board through which every program is cleared to the transmitter but behind the equip and activity seen on the tour is an even greater Marvel of organization unseen by the visitor in the announcers room owners of well-known voices relax briefly between programs and rehearsals Milton cross plays Chinese checkers with Kelvin ke while Jack Costello times a script but relaxation is short live for putting a program on the air is a matter not of minutes or hours but of days and weeks of preparation days and weeks that are crammed with activity for scores of people twin gods of radio broadcasting are the clock and the conference for the first step in the creation of any important program is a conference of department heads a conference that takes place long before the date of the program [Music] based on notes of the program outline made at the conference each department swings into action many artists and actors must be interviewed and the Personnel of the program carefully selected while letter prepare the first draft of the script in another office the musical director measures melody in minutes slave to the inexorable stopwatch in the hand of the program [Music] director the work of artists writers and musicians must be coordinated and recorded for the information of the scores of people who are concerned with the program so from the mograph room go the thousands of printed sheets of paper containing the description and instructions for the program but before the ink is dry the stopwatch may call for changes the music library makes its preparations the printed score for each musician's part is assembl [Music] [Applause] as the day of the program approaches telegrams carry last minute plans to outof town stations and Studio executives are kept in touch with developments by the inter office til [Music] autograph on the final day a dress rehearsal is called in the studio from which the program is to be sent musicians file in to find their music already laid out the stage is dressed for the broadcast and Engineers Place their microphones and check their [Music] [Applause] equipment the musicians tune up and as the hands of the clock point to rehearsal time the conductor steps up to his platform to lead his men through their difficult art over and over again until they satisfy him and the everpresent stopwatch weeks of preparation days of rehearsal then a few few minutes of broadcasting and on the Split Second switches are flipped on the master control board lights blink and the program is finally on the air [Music] as we twist The Familiar dials of our radio sets bringing music and comedy and drama into our homes as we listen to the man in the street and the man of the hour few of us stop to think how our lives have been revolutionized in two decades by Voices From the sky how much we defend end on the magic of the airwaves little do we realize how much our army our Navy our Marines our government depend on these same magical Airwaves ever since that fateful day in December 1941 the National Broadcasting Company has dedicated all its resources to victory for the United Nations now after months of crucial fighting NBC can look back and point to its share in the war effort and envy able record of thousands of War savings bond and stamp announcements and many more thousands of recruiting announcements for the Army the Navy the Marines and civilian defense the National Broadcasting Company continues to do its share unflinchingly scores of programs a month the equivalent of several hundred hours on the air are devoted solely to the war effort its War feature programs fill military missions of vital importance an to every American citizen a program like the Army hour tells you what your army is doing and how you and you civilians in every Walk of Life can best work to help your fighting men NBC public service programs of Music drama religion and home economics fill the many needs of a people at War NBC sponsored shows and their Stars contribute their share in the war effort by furnishing entertainment for a nation's morale most important of all NBC brings you the news of the world direct from the war zones to keep you informed of the latest War developments likewise in cooperation with the government NBC's international division with its core of trained men and women and with the aid of three powerful shortwave transmitters wnbi wbos WCS a brings America's views and the truth in the news to the oppressed peoples of the world telling them in their own languages to keep their thumbs up giving them messages of cheer and hope and a United Nations promise of Deliverance out of this vast scale radio program for victory have come the expected results more manpower for the Armed Forces more manpower for defense plans more volunteers for the home front more money in the purchase of War stamps and bonds to help win this war more conservation in rubber aluminum and other War [Music] Essentials this is a people's War NBC knows it and tells it to keep Americans the best informed people in the world one important note for all Americans to keep in mind now in case of an emergency and that includes air raid warning signals keep tuned to your radio station for information and guidance NBC is conscious of its obligations and duties in a democracy fighting for the Four Freedoms of the world over and pledges to carry on till the War and Peace is won