Dials and Channels March 2008 Page 1

Vol. 14, No. 1 www.radiohistory.org March 2008

Harold Reed was an engineer at Washington, D.C.,station WOL during its early years. His familydonated to the Radio & Television Museum twoscrapbooks that Reed had filled with news clippingsand other ephemera related to the station’s history.Part 1 of this article, in the December 2007 issue,tells how WOL began in the 1920s. This issuecontinues the story as the Depression years begin.

WOL in the Early 1930s

Special events aggressively promoted by WOL in theearly 1930s to generate listener loyalty and interestincluded chartered trips to places like New YorkCity, Luray Caverns, and Virginia Beach. A NewYork City trip on April 10, 1932 left at midnight onenight and returned at midnight the following evening.$8.85 per person covered the round trip train fare,three meals, and a sightseeing excursion in NewYork City. These trips must have been successfulbecause the station organized a number of them.

Local businesses everywhere were struggling duringthe Depression, but because of the federal govern-ment influence in D.C., times were probably not astough in Washington as in some of the more indus-trialized U.S. cities. WOL appears to have been suc-cessful in selling radio advertising during this era. Toillustrate the effectiveness of its advertising, a WOLpromotional brochure cited Sworzyn’s Style Shop at1209 G Street, N. W. That firm bought two radioannouncements on WOL costing less than $15 anddrew a huge crowd that spent over $2500. A 1932letter to the station from Leonce (“The Girlie Shop”),also on G Street, noted that a sale advertisedexclusively on WOL drew such a large crowd that

the police had to be called tobreak up a near riot. And this,during the depths of theDepression!

In December 1930 WOLbroadcast a fictional murdertrial “of a beautiful and charm-ing society girl” accused ofkilling her fiancé. TheWashington Herald encour-aged listeners to send lettersindicating whether theythought the accused was guilty.The paper received 16,728 letters. 14,674 respon-dents thought she was not guilty, 2,054 thought shewas.

Dorsch’s Bakery at 641 S Street N.W. sponsored aprogram calledUncle Pete’s Children’s Clubat 11a.m. Saturday mornings. Parents were encouraged tobring their talented kids to perform. It cost fivewrappers from any Dorsch’s bakery product to gainadmission. The promotional brochure said “Many aradio star of today received their start in this way.”

WOL’s major competitors in the 1930s were NBCstation WRC, CBS station WJSV (which laterbecame WTOP), and independent station WMAL.The table on this page shows the results of a 1933listener survey.

The survey data indicate that WOL’s morning showwas particularly popular. By November 1933 a spotannouncement on the morning program cost $7.Rate cards of that era continued to say, “Make

Dials and ChannelsThe Journal of the Radio & Television Museum

2608 Mitchellville Road Bowie, MD 20716 (301) 390-1020

The Early Years of Station WOL:Harold Reed’s Scrapbooks (Part 2)

By Brian Belanger

Dials and Channels March 2008 Page 2

checks payable to American Broadcasting Companyonly.” (As noted in Part 1, this isnot the ABCnetwork of later years, but rather a local companythat owned WOL.)

In 1933 the station’s Northern Dramatic Companypresented the radio playThe Stronger Love. Concerts

of the Central Union Mission Glee Club were aregular Saturday evening offering.

Five 13- to 16-year-old African-American kids fromHarlem auditioned for a job at WOL, and were hiredby Joe Brown to perform Mondays at 7 p.m. Theycalled themselves “The Nacky-Sacky Syncopators.”Their instruments consisted of a guitar, washboard,“gazoo” [similar to a kazoo, perhaps?], a crackedcymbal, and dented cow-bells, but what they lacked intraditional orchestral instrumentation, they more thanmade up for in exuberance.

The Amalgamated Broadcasting System and WOL

Another attempt to create a new network to competewith NBC and CBS was launched in 1933Ｆ the Amalgamated Broadcasting SystemＦ and WOL hoped to join it.

The April 30, 1933Washington Postannounced thatcomedian Ed Wynn was the driving force behind theAmalgamated Broadcasting System (ABS) and that hehad 100 stations signed up and ready to participate,with a longer-term goal of having 300 stations inABS. Western Union lines, rather than AT&T trunklines, were to be used to connect the stations. (NBCand CBS leased special wide-bandwidth lines fromAT&T for radio network use.) Experiments in the1920s to use Western Union lines to interconnectradio stations had generally failed because the band-width of the WU telegraph circuits was too narrow foradequate audio response. Perhaps WU had agreed toupgrade some of its lines for use by ABS or perhapsEd Wynn and his people had not adequately con-sidered the bandwidth issue.

ABS was to provide 16 hours of programming per daywithout resort to phonograph records. Wynn promised

1st Percent 2nd Percent 3rd Percent 4th Percent

Morning WOL 47.28 WRC 22.83 WJSV 21.43 WMAL 8.46

Afternoon WRC 36.05 WJSV 30.72 WOL 16.77 WMAL 16.11

Evening WRC 36.51 WJSV 28.63 WMAL 24.11 WOL 10.75

Table 1Ratings of the D.C. stations WOL, WRC, WJSV, and WMAL (From a 1933 Listener Survey)

During the early 1930s WOL sponsored trips tosightseeing destinations and promoted them on theair.

Dials and Channels March 2008 Page 3

to have less commercial time than the majornetworks. He also implied that he was not in it forthe money. “It is an idealistic venture,” he said. Hehoped to hire hundreds of unemployed actors andactresses for whom the Depression was creatingmisery.

WOL was to be the Washington outlet for ABS, andby mid-August 1933 the station was broadcastingnetwork programs on a test basis, without announ-cing that the programs were from ABS. A memo-randum dated September 23, 1933 said, “After manyyears of struggling for a good program at quite someexpense, we have contracted with the AmalgamatedBroadcasting System, New York, to furnish usfifteen hours of program from New York daily. Thisputs WOL on the air practically as a chain station,beginning Monday evening, September 25th at eighto’clock, when an inaugural program will be broad-cast from there that will be well worth your time tolisten to.”

The station obviously hoped that with its newnetwork programming, the Federal Radio Commis-sion might be talked into allowing WOL to increasepower to better compete with WRC, WJSV, andWMAL. The reception of WOL was said to be very

poor in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, hence the stationclearly needed more power.

TheWashington Daily Newsfor August 18 editorial-ized, “Radio-Minded Washington, both fans andprofessionals, would do well not to take WOL’sassociation with the ABS too lightly. The hundred-watt station has been plugging along in its lowlygroove for a long time, but now they’ve got ambition.. . . It is a well-known fact that with its presentwavelength and power license, WOL is seldom, ifever, heard in certain residential parts of the city.Furthermore, the Federal Radio Commission’s powerallotment for this section of the country is alreadyslightly exceeded. But with the acquisition of suchfirst-rate network programs as Amalgamated prom-ises, a strong public demand might go far towardaltering cases.”

WOL’s September 25 inaugural ABS networkbroadcast was a big event. Dignitaries who wereheard on that broadcast included FRC chairman E. O.Sykes, Postmaster General Farley, radio pioneer Leede Forest, composer George M. Cohan, bandleaderPaul Whiteman, and singer Rudy Vallee. The sixstations that participated in that first official ABSprogram included (besides WOL) WBNX (NewYork), WTNJ (Trenton), WPEN (Philadelphia),WDEL (Wilmington), and WCBM (Baltimore).

But the excitement was short-lived. Approximately amonth later, on October 25, 1933, theWashingtonStarreported that Ed Wynn had resigned as presidentof ABS. ABS general manager Henry Goldman wasnamed acting president. Wynn said he wanted todevote more time to his NBC radio program. Thepapers also reported that he withdrew his financialsupport. (It seems likely that NBC did not welcomethe competition from ABS and may have threatenedto cancel Wynn’s NBC programＦ which no doubt paid him handsomelyＦ unless he disassociated himself with ABS.) The network fell apart almostimmediately after Wynn’s departure, and once again,WOL was left without network affiliation.

WOL Continues its Struggle to Find a Network

A June 9, 1934 clipping from theWashington DailyNewssaid that WOL was to be the Washington outletfor yet another new radio networkＦ the General Broadcasting System. (This is the only report wherethe new network is called GBS.) The paper said,

Ed Wynn (right), clowning with his announcer,Graham McNamee. In the 1930s Wynn triedunsuccessfully to establish a new nationalnetwork to compete with NBC and CBS. WOLhoped to become its Washington, D.C. affiliate.

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“The utter confusion and uncertainty of procedure atthe beginning of the project led to the belief that itwas merely an echo of Ed Wynn’s ill-fatedAmalgamated Broadcasting System. It now appearsthat this apparent confusion was nothing more than ashrewd caution. Beginning modestly, feeling its wayalong, GBS began with a vague, irregular exchangeof programs between its member stations. Last weekit inaugurated a full-time schedule of chainbroadcasting, from 7 a.m. to one hour past midnight.Its late dance bands are now equal to those aired bythe larger chains, thanks to the New York outlet,WMCA.”

On July 23rd, the Washington Starsaid that theAmerican Broadcasting System, which includedstations WOL and WMCA, was hoping to become anational network to compete with NBC and CBS.This would suggest that the name of the GeneralBroadcasting System had been changed to theAmerican Broadcasting System. Or, perhaps theWashington Daily Newshad the name wrong in thepreviously cited clipping, and the network had neveractually been called GBS. In any case, this newnetwork existed for a time in the mid-30s andincluded WOL. In 1935 ABS captured headlines by

carrying live the investigation of theMorro Castleship tragedy.

According to the June 29, 1934Washington DailyNews, WOL’s owner, the American BroadcastingCo., had applied to the Federal Radio Commission onJune 23 to have a second 100-watt station on 830kHz. The argument was that the station’s frequencyof 1310 kHz was not received well in Chevy Chasebecause of heterodynes from other stations.(Congress had recently passed a radio bill that gavethe FRC the authority to grant additional 100-wattstation licenses as of July 1, and WOL probablyhoped to be first in line to get one.) The day thatclipping appeared, the FRC granted WOL’scompetitor WRC’s request to increase power from500 watts to 1 kW. WOL protested, to no avail.WOL had been granted an increase from 100 watts to250 watts daytime/100 watts nighttime on June 15,hoping to compete better with WRC.

The Washington Daily Newsfor April 15, 1935,reported that the Loew’s theater chain, which ownedNew York station WHN, was seeking to form a newradio network and that WOL’s Le Roy Mark wasengaged in negotiations. Mark must have spent mostof his waking hours striving to get WOL into anational network that could compete with NBC andCBS.

Mark needed to find another network with which toaffiliate because ABS was in turmoil. It appears thatthe American Broadcasting System had beenrenamed the American Broadcasting Company, andits flagship New York station WMCA had beenreplaced by WNEW in 1935. TheWashington DailyNewssaid on January 17, “ABS may be ABC or itmay be extinct. No one seems to know what theexact situation is at present. And, altho no programlistings have turned up for today as this is written,there is every indication that there will be programs.Rather than print totally inaccurate listings, theNewsthinks it is better to print none.” That same day theWashington Starsaid, “WOL, incidentally, shouldhave better programs from now on, because of thechoice of station WNEW as the key station of theAmerican Broadcasting Co. network.” This ABS/ABC chain was often referred to in the press as “theInter-city group” or “Inter-city chain,” and on page101 of Broadcasting’s 1936 Yearbook,an ad forWOL touts its membership in “the Inter-City Group.”Whether the term “Inter-city” was ever part of an

Announcer Joe Brown was a favorite among WOL’slisteners. Later the station hired Art Brown, whobecame even more popular than Joe Brown.

Dials and Channels March 2008 Page 5

official legal name of the network is unclear.

The Washington Staron March 10, 1936, providedmore information about the status of ABS/ABC:

“Last January, when American Broadcasting Systembecame embroiled in financial difficulties with its keystation, WMCA, which it operated under lease, therewere indications that the project might collapse . . . Itwas promptly reorganized, however, with ArdeBulova, New York watch manufacturer and partowner of station WNEW in that city, joining theorganization. WNEW became the key outlet.” Whenprevious general manager George Storer resigned,Bulova took charge of the floundering network. ABChad previously occupied offices in the old NBCbuilding at 711 Fifth Avenue, but moved to cheaperquarters at 501 Madison Avenue about the time thatBulova took over.

Per The Washington Post, as of March 6, 1936, thestations listed as being in ABC included

WNEW – New York (flagship station)WCBM – BaltimoreWHDH and WMEX – BostonWIP – PhiladelphiaWPRO – ProvidenceWTNJ – TrentonWOL – WashingtonW1XBS – Waterbury, Conn.(appears to be an experimental station)WDEL – Wilmington

This list of stations evolved somewhat during theshort time the network existed.

The loss of WMCA must have adversely affectedprogram quality because in the spring of 1936, WOLdropped its affiliation with ABC. On April 1, 1936 theWashington Heraldasked, “The question on the lipsof all concerned in radio is ‘Does WOL plan to goback to network broadcasting, or is it going to resumeits status as Washington’s only local station?’ ”

On April 11th, the Washington Daily Newssaid“WOL, after withdrawing from the AmericanBroadcasting Co’s ‘network,’ indicated yesterday thatit may begin operations as a chain station under anentirely new organization within the next few days.The hapless ABC chain has been slowly decliningsince its break with WMCA, the original key station

in New York several months ago. When WOLstepped out Monday, it had shrunk to the six orseven stations with which it started last fall.” Le RoyMark must have concluded that WOL could producebetter programs locally than it could get from ABC.But there is evidence that WOL occasionally carriedprograms originating at WMCA even after bothstations were no longer affiliated with ABC.

WOL’s 1930s Programming and Personalities

In the mid-1930s WOL was broadcasting CatholicUniversity and The George Washington Universityfootball games from Griffith Stadium. WOLbroadcast services ofThe Church of the Airled byThe Non-Sectarian Tabernacle minister, Dr. Clark J.Forcey. The Palace Laundry presented the SundayafternoonPalace Juvenile Parade, another amateurtalent show. A Sunday morning program from 9 to9:15 a.m. wasThe International Sunday SchoolwithJudge E. C. Collins.

In 1933 the station held a monthly “Cherry BlossomLaundry” contest to name the “Little Radio King or

WOL’s rate card as of 1935.

Dials and Channels March 2008 Page 6

Queen of the Month.” Joe Brown was the MC.Listeners were urged to nominate talented boys andgirls up to age 16, who could win prizes if selected.Kids would perform over the air and listeners wouldmail in their votes to theWashington Herald, whichwas also involved in the event.

In January 1934 the station sent letters to allmembers of Congress offering to do pick ups of theirspeeches in Washington and send them live to anyone of 400 hometown radio stations around thecountry via telephone lines. The letter noted that “Itis entirely up to the individual radio station as towhether they charge the speaker for the service orbear the cost themselves . . . The same rule wouldapply to the speakerＦ whether he would consider it worth the expense to pay the cost of lines from herein addition to the station time. A memo to radiostations noting the availability of this serviceindicated that WOL’s charge would be “$25 perprogram for fifteen minutes and $35 for thirtyminutes, while the AT&T’s published charge forhandling a service of this kind for anyone out ofWashington for a broadcast is $100 flat plus wirecharges.” It would be interesting to know how manymembers of Congress used this service.

When Howard Overstreet, an obscure presidentialcandidate, made a speech on WOL theWashingtonPost commented, “Unfortunately the station fromwhich Overstreet made his speech was WOL, whichis a very nice radio station indeed, but not verypowerful and reaches for the most part, only citizens

of Washington who aren’t reallycitizens at all because they haven’tany vote.”

In 1935 Tony Wakeman’sSportsResumeprogram aired on Monday,Wednesday, and Friday from 6 to6:15 p.m., sponsored by the FidelioBrewery. Later this program wassponsored by the Christian HeurichBrewing Company’s Senate Beer.

In August 1936 WOL wasbroadcasting on Sunday transcribedprograms produced by theWatchtower Society, featuringJudge Rutherford. The station was“deluged” with protests aboutRutherford’s messages, and it

issued a press release saying in effect, “If you don’tlike what he says, don’t tune in.”

One of the most novel uses of WOL’s airwaves inthe 1930s was singing lessons for canaries threemornings per week. Bird expert, Mr. H. S. Wetzler,provided six expert canaries. A listener with acanary that did not sing well could set the birdcagenear the radio, tune in WOL, and the bird mightbecome a real Caruso in no time.

WOL’s staff, early 1930s.

Arthur Reilly (left) from the Washington Heraldnewspaper introduces personality Jeannie Lang toWOL listeners as announcer Art Brown looks on.Brown appealed to listeners to contribute money forflood relief when severe spring flooding in 1936caused widespread destruction. The newspapercollected several thousand dollars.

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Typical WOL Weekday ProgramSchedule – November 1936

(Sign-on was at 7 a.m.)

7:00 Art Brown7:30 News7:35 Art Brown8:00 Morning in Sports8:05 Art Brown8:45 News8:50 Art Brown9:15 Morning Concert9:30 Police Flashes9:45 News10:00 Musical Potpourri10:30 Jack Ward, Organist10:45 Ballad Hour11:00 In Old Vienna11:15 Ed Fitzgerald and CompanyNoon Lost and Found12:15 News12:30 Luncheon Concert12:45 Church of the Air1:00 Paul Pendarvis Orchestra1:15 The Playgoer1:30 Sung by Etting1:45 Newark Orchestra2:00 Tony Wakeman’s Sport Pages3:30 Monticello Purse Handicap4:00 Today’s Winners5:00 Folio of Facts5:30 Intercity Express6:00 Little Jack Little Orchestra6:15 Tony Wakeman6:30 WOL Edit. Music6:45 Rhythmic Age7:00 Dinner Concert7:15 News Spotlight7:30 Dinner Dance Music8:00 Five Star Final8:15 Piano Specialties8:30 S. S. S. Musicale8:45 True Detective Mysteries9:00 Hungarian Ensemble9:15 Stamp Club9:30 Rendezvous10:00 WOL Concert10:30 News10:45 John Johnson’s Orchestra11:00 Art Brown Varieties11:30 Crosby Follies12:00 Cab Calloway’s Orchestra12:30 Paul Pendarvis Orchestra1:00 Sammy Kaye’s Orchestra1:30 Sign-off

WOL Experiences Labor Unrest, Upgrades itsEquipment, and Affiliates with Mutual

An undated newspaper clipping, apparently from themid-1930s, reported, “The first sit-down strike in thehistory of radio today completely tied up operationsof station WOL. With seven technicians ‘sittingdown,’ no broadcasts have been made from thestation today, and it appeared that the station wouldbe off the air indefinitely.” Engineer John Gantt wasthe spokesperson for the strikers, and said that thestrike was to bring engineers’ salaries at WOL inline with those of other local stations. The strikersbelonged to the American Radio TelegraphersAssociation, a CIO-affiliated union. Harold Reedwas among the strikers.

1930s WOL postcard acknowledgingreceipt of correspondence from listeners.

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A broadside from the station in 1935 said that WOLwas about to acquire a new Western Electric Model301-B transmitter that would give the station betteraudio quality and wider coverage. This was toreplace its Western Electric Model 1-B, modified for100 watts. TheWashington Daily Newsfor Oct. 29,1935 announced that the station was replacing“practically everything,” furniture, microphones,carpeting, etc. “It now boasts the most up-to-dateapparatus in the city.” One wonders how the stationcould afford these upgrades in light of the fact that in1935 a sponsor of an hour-long program had tospend only $75. New furniture and carpeting musthave been pretty cheap in those days, too.

WOL subscribed to the Trans-Radio News Service.The Gunther Brewing Company sponsoredGunther’s News of the Airat 9:45 a.m. and 12:15p.m. every day except Sunday, with news providedby Trans-Radio.

The station joined the National Association ofBroadcasters in the mid-1930s. Late in 1936 WOLmoved its studios to the top floor of a new officebuilding at 1627 K Street.

Finally, after years of struggling to join a viablenetwork, WOL joined Mutual sometime in 1936.

The December 11, 1936Washington Postreportedthat the FCC voted 2 to 1 to approve WOL’s appli-cation for a frequency change and power increase.Effective December 5, the station was authorized tomove its transmitter from 1111 H Street NW to anarea near Riggs Road and Ager Road in PrinceGeorges County, Maryland, increase power from100 watts to 1 kilowatt, and change frequency from1310 kHz to 1230 kHz. By then WOL was carryingMutual programs.

More About WOL’s 1930s Programming

In the 1930s virtually all U.S. radio stations wereowned by Caucasians. With a few exceptions, it wasrare for stations to offer programs specificallytargeted at African-Americans. However, WOL didoffer “an all-Negro quarter hour of sports.”

Along with 33 other stations, WOL carried thebroadcasts of the controversial priest, Father CharlesCoughlin.

Art Brown: A Popular WOL Announcer

Art Brown hosted the morningRise and ShineShow, played the pipe organ, and often didremotes and special events. As can be seen fromthe schedule on page 7, he began broadcasting at7 a.m. and finished his last program at 11:30 p.m.When did the man sleep?

RHS member and well-known theater organperformer Raymond Brubacher wrote to me tosay that he considered Art Brown one of the mostmemorable of WOL’s personalities in the 1940sand 1950s and that “Art had played for years atthe Capitol Theater in Washington, D.C. Hisbattles with orchestra leader Sam Jack Kauffmanwere legendary. Sam Jack hated the organbecause he felt that the Wurlitzer took awaymusicians’ jobs.”

Raymond continued, “One fine day in 1950, mymother decided that I should see Art Brown inaction in the WOL studio at 1627 K Street, NW.We were permitted to sit in the studio with Artwhile he did his morning broadcast. Art wasplaying a Hammond electric organ and a decrepitBaldwin grand piano. At one point Art asked meas a guest on his program what I wished to dowhen I grew up. My answer was, ‘I want to getmyself a Steinway piano and go on stage.’ Art’scomment was, ‘This kid wants a Steinway whenall I’ve got here is a broken down old Baldwin.’ ”

In January 1936 Brown went to the WashingtonAnimal Rescue League, and over the airdescribed the plight of homeless dogs and cats.The appeal was successful, and many animalsfound new homes.

Brown’s morning show counterpart host onWJSV was Arthur Godfrey, and the two had agood-natured rivalry. When Godfrey’s sowpresented him with a litter of piglets, Brown senta letter of congratulations and used WOL’sairwaves to ensure that everyone heard aboutGodfrey’s new pigs.

In 1936 Art Brown formed a new club called“The Wah Hoo Club.” The name came from aPaul Whiteman song. Members had to commit tobeing happy at all times, and greet others with“Wah Hoo.” More than 1500 listeners joined asquickly as the club was announced.

Brown remained at WOL until the 1950s, whenhe moved to station WWDC.

Dials and Channels March 2008 Page 9

At noon the station presented a lost and foundprogram where listeners could call in about a lostdog or whatever, and have the announcementpresented at no charge.

On December 10, 1935, the station celebrated its 11th

anniversary with a major bash. Major advertisers andcivic leaders were invited to a reception at Le RoyMark’s home. Others were invited to the studio forrefreshments and good fellowship. Announcers fromrival stations were invited and engaged in reparteewith WOL’s talent on the air.

Early in 1936 the FCC lifted the rule that eachphonograph record must be announced as it wasplayed. WOL responded immediately by playingmultiple records without interrupting for announce-ments.

Motion Picture Daily for November 26, 1936reported that WOL broadcast 15 minutes of dialoguedirectly from the Belasco Theater during theAmerican premier of the movieBroken Blossoms,claiming that this was a “first.”

1937 programs includedThe Hollywood SunshineGirls, sponsored by SKOL Products, Tuesdays at11:15 a.m., originating in California and broadcast

on Mutual; live broadcasts of Washington Redskinsfootball games; and Mutual’s popularLone Rangershow. It also carried Fulton Lewis Jr.’s newsbroadcasts.

WOL’s New Year’s Eve 1937 broadcast fromMutual featured name bands such as TommyDorsey, Guy Lombardo, Benny Goodman, andOzzie Nelson.

The Washington Heraldannounced that during thewinter of 1936-37 WOL would broadcast “the bestcolored dance bands in the country” from theauditorium at Howard University.

In October the station announced that it would carrya new program on Fridays at 5:15Ｆ The JohnsonFamily. “The Negro, whose appeal, deep planted in

WOL’s Staff in the Mid-1930s

Owner: Le Roy MarkStation Manager: William DolphProgram Director: Madeline EnsignEngineers:

H. H. Lyon (chief engineer)John GanttWalter GodwinBellum MillerHarold Reed

Radio Guild Director: Ronald Dawson

Popular announcers during the 1930s era wereTed Ostenkamp, Art Brown, and Bob Hurleigh.Ostenkamp was best known as a sportscaster.About 1936 he was joined by anothersportscaster, Tony Wakeman.

WOL’s studio at 1627 K Street, NW.

Dials and Channels March 2008 Page 10

Current Museum Hours:

Fridays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturdays and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m.

Other times by appointment

Acknowledgements:

This newsletter was published with support fromthe George and May Shiers Memorial Fund.

The Museum thanks the Maryland HistoricalTrust for its grant support to enhance the

museum’s operations.

plantation days, has entwined its far-reaching rootsaround the hearts of a nation.” Jimmy Scribner wrotethe show and played 22 different characters.

In August 1938 WOL announced that on September 1its new 1 kilowatt transmitter would go into service,making WOL the second most powerful night timestation in Washington.

Walter Compton became the station’s localnewscaster, with six daily newscasts. Italian SwissColony Wine sponsored Compton’s 6:30 p.m.newscast in 1937-38 and increased wine sales volumein Washington by 500 percent. Washington’s publicschools tuned in to Compton’s 3 p.m. daily newsbroadcast.

A July 1939 WOL brochure was titledWhat’s All theFighting About and was directed at rival stationsWRC and WJSV. Apparently these stations had beenbad mouthing each other to potential sponsors. Thebrochure said “This argument between two radiostations of your calibre is beneath your dignity. Youmay think we bystanders are getting a kick out of thescrapＦ WE’RE NOT!”

In 1939 the programPeople Have More Fun ThanAnybody, with Col. Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle, waspresented by the Mennen Company on Friday nightsat 8 p.m.

WOL organized a cooking school at the TivoliTheater, and parts of the school were broadcast live.WOL’s own Frances Troy Northcross, Director of thestation’sHome Makers Club of the Air,ran the show,and local advertisers lined up to buy ads. 7,500people attended. While WOL was never affiliatedwith the big networks (NBC or CBS), and while itnever had high power or a wide coverage area, eventslike this cooking school illustrate how popular the

station was among its loyal listeners.

The WOL story will be continuedin the next issue. Stay tuned!Ŷ

Museum News

A Word About Our Treasurer

Our treasurer for the last few months, JustinGodell, has determined that the job is more thanhe can comfortably handle along with his pro-fession as a tax consultant. At our recent boardmeeting he handed his resignation to RHSPresident Ken Mellgren. The very good news isthat Mike Rubin, who had served as our treasurerfor many years, has graciously agreed to assumethe responsibility once again. We elected Mike atour February 9 board meeting and a smoothtransition has taken place. Thank you MikeRubin!

New GWU Exhibit to Open Soon

The museum presents changing exhibits in theMedia and Public Affairs Building at The GeorgeWashington University. A new exhibit calledTelevision’s Role in Public Affairsis about toopen. The exhibit is on the ground floor of thisbuilding, located at 805 21st Street, NW− twoblocks east and one block south of the FoggyBottom Metro Station, on the corner opposite theLisner Auditorium. Plan to stop by to see theexhibit, which includes vintage television setsplus a wonderful array of books, magazines, andephemera showing how television has dealt withpublic affairs issues over the years. (How manyof you recall the early television newscasters,Douglas Edwards and John Cameron Swayze?)

Dials and Channels March 2008 Page 11

Donations to the Museum Since the Last Newsletter

Jon AndreasenNewton, N.J.Four books

Betty BeazleyFredericksburg, Va.23 issues, 1930sRadio World

Brian BelangerRockville, Md.Magnavox R-3 horn,

RCA 100 cone speaker

Richard BoltBowie, Md.EarlyQSTandCQ magazines

David BoydGaithersburg, Md.Earphones, dealer sign, radio books

David BrueningBowie, Md.Zenith Trans-Oceanic 7000Y-1

James CarrCamp Springs, Md.RME 45 communications receiver,

radios, manuals, parts

Tom ChaseMechanicsburg, Pa.Telefunken D666WK

Joe ColickClinton, Md.Oscilloscope, box of parts,

power supplies, etc.

Larry CzechanskiCollege Park, Md.Zenith H723

Thomas DukehartWashington, D.C.Pilot TV-37 (1947 TV set)

Peter EldridgeAlexandria, Va.Charlie’s Angels game, DVDs

John FleetwoodEllicott City, Md.Bremer-Tully radio and speaker

Michael FreedmanAlexandria, Va.Altec microphone, Howdy Doody

puppet, Mortimer Snerd dummy,Marconi autograph, de Foreststock certificate, magazines,other items

Edward GayhartWallops Island, Va.Telephone equipment, 62 records

Deborah GuynnBowie, Md.40 magazines

Bob HagerBiglerville, Pa.Eight boxes of vacuum tubes

Dwight HeastyMidlothian, Va.Lightning arrestor, decade box

Peter B. HillBowie, Md.50 phonograph records

Rowland JohnsonReston, Va.Radio & TV tubes, CB base station,test equipment, power supplies,literature, tape deck, hand-held 2-way radios, parts and other items

William KearyEllicott City, Md.RCA Mark One radio

Barry LazarAnnapolis, Md.78 rpm phonograph records

Dorothy LeonbergerSilver Spring, Md.RCA and DuMont console TV sets

James MackSilver Spring, Md.Records and CDs

Mike MehalicWashington, D.C.RCA chassis

Ken MellgrenRockville, Md.13 bound volumes of TV Guide,1960s, framed photos of femaleradio personalities

John NicholsWashington, D.C.Grunow 1291 (“Shirley Temple”

radio)

Ron NoyesBowie, Md.Radio trivia book

Daniel RadackWashington, D.C.Two console radios

(RCA and Majestic)

William RohrsSeverna Park, Md.NRI Service Manual, Vol. 1

J.R. Russ and Dan SchroederBoothwyn, Pa.DVD of early TV shows

Mac ShaweNew Carrollton, Md.Heathkit AA 2005 amplifier

Harry Shriver estateCatonsville, Md.1938 GE console, two RCA ribbon

microphones, other items

Lisa SpahrPittsburgh, Pa.Book: World War II Radio Heroes

Christopher SterlingAnnandale, Va.40 radio and TV books

Selma TwittyUpper Marlboro, Md.Stromberg-Carlson 1950s TV set

Andrew VisleyAlexandria, Va.Philco 48-482 table model,

Hallicrafters TW-1000A

Dials and Channels March 2008 Page 12

RHS Officers and Directors:

PresidentKen Mellgren (2009)13 Bitterroot Ct.Rockville, MD 20853(301) 929-1062kmellgren3@comcast.net

Vice President/SecretaryChris Sterling (2008)4507 Airlie WayAnnandale, VA 22003(703) 256-9304chsems@verizon.net

Treasurer:Michael Rubin (2008)1427 Woodman AvenueSilver Spring, MD 20902(301) 649-3722michael.rubin@comcast.net

Executive Director andNewsletter Editor:Brian Belanger5730 Avery Park DriveRockville, MD 20855-1738(301) 258-0708ra-diobelanger@comcast.netMembership Chair:Tony Young (2007)(301) 262-1917tonyy3@verizon.net

Directors:

Paul Courson (2008)(202) 898-7653

Peter Eldridge (2009)(703) 765-1569

William Goodwin (2007)(410) 535-2952

Charles Grant (2009)(301) 871-0540

Robert Huddleston (2007)(301) 519-2835

Bill McMahon (2007)(304) 535-1610

Gerald Schneider (2008)(301) 929-8593Ed Walker (2009)

(301) 229-7060

Volunteer Coordinator:Brian Belanger(See first column)

The Radio & Television Museum:A cooperative venture between the City of

Bowie and the Radio History Society

Virginia WimanFt. Washington, Md.~ 50 radio tubes

Virgil WinchellLandover, Md.Several radios, speakers,

chassis, literature

Richard WrightAlexandria, Va.Box of vacuum tubes

Ron ZebrowskiBowie, Md.Several table model radios,

including a Zenith Trans-OceanicR-7000, Sony Watchman TV

Thanks to the members whosent in more than the basic$25 membership renewal !Ŷ

Consider an RHS Gift Membership!

Recently a visitor was shown the museum’s quarterly newsletter.He said, “I believe my son would enjoy reading this newsletter, so Iwill give him a gift membership.” What a splendid idea! Ifsomeone you know would enjoy the newsletter, why not give a giftmembership for a birthday, Father’s Day/ Mother’s Day, or for anyoccasion? Just send your check for $25 (or more), give us the nameof the recipient, and we will notify him or her of your gift. Allmemberships including gift memberships are tax deductible if youitemize deductions.

(With regard to tax deductions for donated items, IRS rules donotpermit a museum to provide an appraisal of value to the donor fortax purposes. The donor must determine values or hire anappraiser. The museum can provide potential donors with thenames of professional antique radio appraisers, and donors arewelcome to look through the several antique radio and TV priceguides in the museum library. Contact the curator for details.)