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."

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