WRTI Takes the Air Tomorrow
Makes Radio History at Temple

4 Communication Media To Be Used Simultaneously

No Byline Given
Wednesday, January 21, 1948

Station WRTI, the voice of the Temple University Radio Workshop, will make radio history at its Dedication Day ceremonies tomorrow by utilizing four mediums of radio communication simultaneously.

In addition to broadcasting programs over WRTI, the campus "wired-wireless" station, the proceedings will be televised over WFIL-TV, broadcast over frequency modulation through WFIL-FM, and a facsimile demonstration will be given utilizing the facilities of WFIL-FX, the facsimile branch of the Inquirer and the station. WFIL will record a documentary drama, written and performed by Temple Students, to be rebroadcast tomorrow night over WFIL-AM.

"This will be the first time in radio history, to my knowledge," said John B. Roberts, program director of WRTI, "when four different mediums of communication will be used simultaneously."

Maybe on TV Newsreel

Mr. Roberts said that there is a possibility that the ceremonies will be photographed by the mobile WFIL motion picture unit to be televised over the "Television Newsreel" of WFIL-TV.

The Dedication Day proceedings begin at 1 P.M. with an open house for students, faculty, University personnel and their guests, which will continue until 4:30 P.M. when a transcribed organ recital will be beamed to Thomas Hall Auditorium.

DR. ARMAND HUNTER

A recorded interlude follows, after which the formal dedication proceedings will begin at 5 P.M. WFIL-TV television cameras will be set up to shoot the entire proceedings, and the speeches of Dr. Armand L. Hunter, chairman of the Radio, Speech and Theater Department, and Dr. Milliard E. Gladfelter, University provost, will be broadcast over WRTI.

Features Chorus, Orchestra

A special musical program follows with a 20-minute recital by a chorus of 30 and an orchestra of 25 students directed by Dave Davis, WRTI music director.

ROGER W. CLIPP

Following the concert, Dr. Hunter, Roger W. Clipp, general manager of WFIL, Jack Steck, program director of WFIL, and others will explain the workings of the WRTI studio setup to the television audience from a model built by Joe Zimmerman, television director of WRTI, and David L. Kaplan, continuity director.

A facsimile receiver will be set up in Thomas Hall Auditorium and the WFIL officials will explain the facsimile process as a copy of a facsimile Inquirer is received telling about the Dedication Day ceremonies.

"Altars of Peace", an original drama based on the Friendship Train will be presented at 5:40, with WFIL-FM beaming the program to its frequency modulation audience.

The drama, written by Amy Faust, Alice Groff, and Martin Katz, night school students, and produced by Mr. Roberts, will star Bob Feldman, Arts ‘50, as the narrator, and other members of the workshop acting staff with Bill Brown, Arts' 50, announcing.

President Johnson will give a short dedication speech at 6:04; to be broadcast over WFIL-FM, and WRTI will pick the proceedings up again following the speech by presenting a five-minute newscast by Stan Isenberg, Business ‘48, to be followed by a 15-minute program of song by Ethel Gosfield, accompanied by organ music.

WRTI will begin broadcasting to Mitten Hall at 6:30 when a dinner music program will be aired to the Club Room. The program will be heard by members of the University advisory board composed of radio professionals, the Faculty Radio Council, staff members and guests of the radio department dinner.

RCA Executive Is Speaker

Dr. C. B. Joliffe, executive vice president in charge of the Radio Corporation of America laboratories, will speak on "Electronic and Communications Developments and Their Significance for the Future."

Guests include Walter L. Annenberg, editor and publisher of the Inquirer and president of WFIL, Dwight Herrick, public affairs and education division director of the National Broadcasting Company, and Ruth Weir Miller, education director of WCAU; Sam Serota, head of the WIP education section; Helen J. Sorourssat, of the Columbia Broadcasting System, and other radio officials.

Facilities Ultra-Modern

WRTI was established by the University in cooperation with WFIL, which contributed $25,000 toward the construction cost of the ultra-modern studios.

The above article was the Banner Story for the issue.
A sidebar, reproduced below, was to the left of the article (and above the fold).

From the official archives of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia
Articles & Photos used with permission of the Temple University News
Articles and photos originally donated by Broadcast Pioneers member Gerry Wilkinson
All Rights Reserved