User:Teblick/Women's National Radio Committee

The Women's National Radio Committee (WNRC) was an organization that sought to improve the quality of commercial radio broadcasting in the United States from 1934 through 1946. It "was one of the first groups to offer annual awards for various types of programs.

Overview
The group was founded in 1934 by Yolanda Mero-Irion. She was the advisory chairman of the organization, and Mrs. Harold Vincent Milligan was the chairman. At the outset, the committee emphasized that the focus of its efforts was less on networks and stations and more on the public's lack of letting radio officials know what people wanted.

Mero-Irion announced its dissolution in December 1946, saying that the committee felt that its original purpose had been achieved.

Affiliated groups
By 1938, the committee was "affiliated with numerous women's clubs". They included the General Federation of Women's Clubs, the American Association of University Women, the American Legion Auxiliary, National Women's Christian Temperance Union, National Federation of Music Clubs, and Zonta International. Groups listed as cooperating organizations included the Association of the Junior Leagues of America, Camp Fire Girls, Girl Scouts Incorporated, and the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Children's radio
An early focus of the committee was criticism of radio programs aimed at children. That activity grew out of a study by the Women's Club of Scarsdale, New York, and subsequent protests after a committee of Scarsdale women found only five of 40 children's programs to be suitable. The group said that the unsuitable programs excitied children enough to interfere with their sleep, among other problems. Mrs. Harold V. Milligan, who headed the WRNC's effort, described radio programming as "man-made" and "man-regulated" and told a national radio conference, "Women vote, and they have influence on public opinion, yet big business does very little to indicate its willingness to earn the respect of millions of women who are serious about the one problem — children's programs on the radio". The WRNC established awards to recognize good programming for children, and some affiliated groups sponsored programs themselves.

Milligan also expressed concern about radio promotions that offered premiums in return for sending in tops from boxes of the sponsor's products. She said that such offers exploited children as consumers.

Awards
Time magazine noted in 1938 that, "having nothing that corresponds closely to" Academy Awards for films or Pulitzer Prizes for literature, "radio takes its annual laurels from the Women's National Radio Committee!"

Selection of recipients for awards began with voting by "key women in WNRC affiliated organizations, radio chairmen and others who are expected to represent radio views of their respective groups." A committee determined the winners when ballotting resulted in ties.

1935
Four programs received top recognition from the WNRC during its initial awards luncheon, held at the Hotel St. Regis in New York City on April 10, 1935. Federal Communications Commission chairman Anning Smith Prall presented the citations. Recipients were Factors in the judging included each program's effect on the audience's cultural tastes and the extent of their entertainment and instructive value. Merio-Irion said that the committee paid particular attention to programs' advertising content. Judges eliminated programs from consideration if they had too much advertising or if the advertising was in poor taste or was too persistent.
 * Commercial musical program - General Motors' Sunday night symphony concert series
 * Commercial non-musical program - The March of Time
 * Non-commercial musical program - Columbia Concert Music Hall
 * Non-commercial non-musical program - You and Your Government

A. Walter Kramer, who was chhairman of the awards committee and editor-in-chief of Musical America magazine, said that the evaluation process indicated that "standards of radio are appreciably higher than a year ago" and that "the radio public has a distinct liking for programs with educational or cultural value."

1936

 * Best Children's Show - Wilderness Road

1938

 * Gold Microphone to George V. Denny Jr. for America's Town Meeting of the Air on NBC Blue.

Publications
In July 1935 the WNRC began publishing Radio Review. Its first issue described the publication as a bulletin that members had requested, and noted that members' "suggestions have shaped its plans and policies".