NBC President Niles Trammell had a job of explaining to do. In recent months, CBS had charmed away five of his top attractions (Jack Benny, Amos 'n' Andy, Red Skelton, Frank Sinatra, Edgar Bergen), beat him to a big sixth (Bing Crosby). NBC had lost talent to Columbia before, but never in such great clumps. The network's 164 affiliated stations were uneasy and fidgety.
In Chicago's Stevens Hotel last weekwith eleven of his 14 vice presidents nodding approvalsuave Niles Trammell soothed the affiliates' angers and anxieties, sent them home convinced that NBC is...
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