Radio: Guts

Spreading last week in radio circles was the fame of James Coleman Hanrahan, suave but peppery manager of Memphis’ station WMPS. Mr. Hanrahan had had enough guts to apologize to his listeners for two commercial plugs heard over his station in the first week of the war. One came to WMPS on NBC’s Blue network and began: “Here is a late important news bulletin: use Smith Bros, cough drops. . . .” The other came on the Mutual network and began: “Use Gillette blades which last longer and thereby conserve steel for national defense. . . .”

Declared Hanrahan: “We absolutely will not carry any more advertising copy of this type, which attempts to exploit the national emergency, and have notified the two networks … of our position.”

In Manhattan, radio historians could recall nothing like it. In Memphis, listeners swamped WMPS’s switchboard with telephoned bravos.