Radio: Interlude

Though eager to sell broadcast time to sponsored commentators with partisan views, most radio stations are timid about taking sides on anything. Last week—owing to circumstances beyond its control—a Los Angeles station found itself speaking right out in a labor dispute. Listeners to a recorded Harry Wismer sportscast on station KECA were startled when a fierce masculine voice suddenly broke in: "I interrupt this program to bring you a special message. I am the recording engineer making this transcription and I am using this means as a last resort to expose a vicious KECA racket. . ."

The voice went on to accuse the station of hiring engineers at low salaries for a probationary six months, then firing and rehiring them to start at the bottom. The voice concluded: "I would be very surprised if I get this far without being cut off the air. And I know I'll get—"

At that moment the station was silent for eight seconds. Then, without further interruption, or any explanation, the sportscast came back on the air. Red-faced KECA officials descended on the culprit, a mild-mannered, 37-year-old Canadian engineer named Lionel Roy Flook. Marching him to the front door, they hurried back to answer the phone calls which were jamming the switchboard. Spluttered' one top executive: "He broke all ethics for engineers. I've never heard of anything like it in all my years in radio."