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BACKSTAGE
RADIO PRODUCTION DURING 1937
By
NORMAN S. WEISER
RADIO DAILY
«WA
Production in the broadcasting industry reached its highest peak in the past year. Financially, technically and generally, 1937 was the most successful year enjoyed by the industry in its brief history. The three major networks, National Broadcasting Company, Columbia Broadcasting System and Mutual Broadcasting System, showed a total gross billing for the year of $69,200,000, an approximate increase of 16 per cent over 1936. Technical advancement brought renewed efforts in the television field, and 30 new broadcasting stations.
Program production was brought closer to Hollywood when both Warner Brothers and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer entered the broadcasting field by producing radio shows for commercial interests. NBC, because of the added importance given to Hollywood by radio, shifted its west coast headquarters to that city from San Francisco. Many large shows were removed from New York to Hollywood either to draw upon the vast talent resources of that city, or because their stars had film commitments. Columbia Broadcasting System launching a new expansion project to facilitate the handling of programs from the west coast.
The networks, in addition to financial gains, continued to build station affiliations in a fight for supremacy. NBC, with its two webs, added 41 stations, bringing its total number of affiliates to 143; CBS, with 21 additions, brought its total to 115, while Mutual can now boast of a coast-to-coast network of 76 stations.
Union activities during the past year entered the production phase of broadcasting with a splurge. American Federation of Musicians battled with the
entire industry in an attempt to put more musicians on the payrolls of the radio stations. AFRA came into being, and embraced all radio talent exclusive of musicians. American Communications Association, formerly known as ARTA, organized the technical staffs of radio stations with resultant 40-hour week, wage boosts and other concessions from employers. Towards the close of the year, ACA widened its scope to embrace all station personnel. AGRAP was organized and made rapid strides in its efforts to organize in a well knit organization all announcers and production men.
Dramatic programs came into their own, with both NBC and CBS offering Shakespearean cycles as sustaining features. MBS joined the parade with Orson Welles and his troupe presenting a radio adaptation of Les Miserables. Script shows showed remarkable increases, while an effort was made to divest juvenile programs of all blood and thunder. International broadcasts were frequent, and a close commercial alliance with Canadian broadcasting stations was made when numerous sponsors added the Canadian network to their American chains. Program producers became aware of the growing trend towards quality music, and advocated same to the industry.
The broadcasting year 1937 left a high mark for the industry to shoot at during 1938. Production has reached a high state of perfection in so far as broadcasting is concerned, and is now concentrating on its next problem of major importance, Television. The advancement of 1938 will largely depend upon the advances made in that field.
(200 pages of complete production data — see page 465)
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