Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Showdo wn with Chicago Union Averts Strike New Year's Day Sweeping Victory for 12 Radio Stations; They Call Musicans' Threat, Win on Every Point (From a Staff Correspondent) CHICAGO, Jan. 15. — Chicago's broadcasting stations entered the new year with their musical destinies once more in their own hands after united negotiations Wm. S. Hedges not only averted a musicians' strike, called for midnight of Dec. 31, but resulted in a sweeping victory for the stations over the Musicians' Union in the latter's demand for shorter hours without lower scale, musicians' operation of gain controls in control rooms, and other stipulations. Not only did the stations defeat every demand of James C. Petrillo, president of the Chicago Federation of Musicians and Local No. 10 of the American Federation of Musicians, but they put over several points of their own before the final settlement was reached during the afternoon of Dec. 31. The musicians were awarded their six-day week; but they will have to put in the same number of hours in those six days as they did before in seven — namely, 35 instead of the 30 they demanded; and, furthermore, the stations may "stagger" the days off for the men according to their own schedule and are not required to employ a substitute in any musician's place unless they desire to do so. Above all, the broadcasting stations demanded, and obtained, a contract with the Musicians' Union, something they never had before. The contract not only sets forth the settlement on the recent negotiations, but maintains all of the concessions granted various stations by the union merely as favor — concessions which the Union could have withdrawn at any time. Petrillo's Demands THE CRISIS just passed developed Dec. 7 when Mr. Petrillo, out of a clear sky, presented five demands to the stations. Previous demands over a period of years had for the most part been helplessly accepted by the stations. The five demands were: 1. Doubling of the overtime scale for radio musicians. 2. Barring of electrical transcriptions from the stations for commercial purposes. 3. Cutting of the evening hours of work from 35 to 30 hours and the daytime hours from 42 to 36 hours, all to be consumed in six days without any reduction in pay. 4. _ Musicians to put their own men in charge of gain controls. 5. Increase in the minimum number of musicians in all classes of stations. For the first time the broadcasters, realizing the impossibility of the situation, banded together and at the first meeting with Mr. Petrillo and his board of directors laid down their positions on each demand. As a result Mr. Petrillo withdrew demands numbers 1 and 2, but stood pat on 3, 4 and 5. As negotiations proceeded, the broadcasters agreed to raise the minimum number of musicians required for Class A stations from 10 to 15 men but stood pat on the minimum for the B and C stations — 5 and 3 men, respectively. The Class A stations fell in line for the simple reason that each one was employing more than 15 men and had been for some time, intending to continue to do so anyway. Negotiations finally reached a deadlock, however, and Petrillo made a flat demand that the stations choose between demands numbers 3 and 4. This the stations refused to do and the strike was set for midnight of Dec. 31. Decide to Fight THEN THE stations, functioning under the well-established Chicago Broadcasters' Association, went over the previous working rules and scale and decided to not only fight the thing through, but secure additional points before settling. The stations didn't fool. They went right to work. First, they made all arrangements to carry on their broadcasts, strike or no strike. Records and transcriptions were lined up. Blanket orders went to each station covering operation under strike conditions. Every station agreed to continue to operate its normal number of hours. Armed guards were arranged for studios and transmitters of all stations. All visitors were to be barred from both. Grounds of transmitters were wired for flood illumination at night. All members of Musicians' Unions were politely but firmly invited to stay away, whether employed as musicians or in other capacities. There were other arrangements. And a standard announcement was drawn up setting forth the entire situation for the benefit of the list eners. Not the least item of this was the mention of the money received by the musicians. The arrangements became known and activities in the Musicians' Union were redoubled in an effort to bring about a settlement. In the meantime the stations added three demands of their own, which were: 1. A contract between the Union and the Chicago Broadcasters' Association, something the stations never had had, showing obligations on both sides and providing for contingencies resulting from laws, acts or rulings. 2. A daytime-only schedule of salaries. 3. An arbitration clause. Hedges Represents Stations ON DEC. 30, William S. Hedges, manager of WMAQ for NBC, and former president of the National Association of Broadcasters, went into conference with Mr. Petrillo and Joseph Weber, president of the American Federation of Musicians. Mr. Hedges had been selected as chairman of negotiations, working with an advisory committee of four men from other stations. After an all-night confab, an agreement was reached and signed. The next afternoon Mr. Hedges presented the matter to the member stations and they also acquiesced and signed the agreement. The agreement then was signed by the following stations: KYW, WGN, WMAQ, WAAF, WJJD, WSBC, WBBM, WIBO, WWAE, WCHI, WLS and WGES. The stations obtained the following settlement: 1. They obtained the contract between the association and the Musicians' Union. 2. Accepted the six-day week but with the same number of hours as heretofore, with the off-day of various musicians staggered so that all wouldn't occur at once and no substitute required. 3. Obtained the "daytime-only" schedule giving a privilege of three sessions during the daytime of 1, 1 and 2 hours to be consumed in any 6 consecutive hours. 4. The union withdrew the demand for monitors. 5. Provisions were put into the contract maintaining all concessions heretofore granted to parttime and low-powered stations. An Ail-American Orchestra Guy Lombardo and Ben Bernie Tie for Captaincy Honor in Contest of Music Corporation of America GUY LOMBARDO and Ben Bernie tied for first honor in the "AllAmerican Radio Dance Orchestra Team" competition conducted by the Music Corporation of America, Chicago, in a poll of 260 radio editors, columnists and trade journal writers of the nation. Bernie and Lombardo tied for the captaincy of the team selected from among 200 orchestras for which votes were cast, while Paul Whiteman ran a close third. Others who received votes for the captain's honors are Wayne King, Leo Reisman, Herbie Kay, Horace Heidt, Henry Busso, Ted Friorito, Henry Thies, Coon-Sanders and Rudy Vallee. The team follows: Coon-Sanders, left end; Vincent Lopez, left tackle; George Olson, left guard; Ted Weems, center; Gus Arnheim, right guard; Fred Waring, right tackle; Rudy Vallee, right end; Guy Lombardo, quarterback; Ben Bernie, left halfback; Wayne King, right half back, and Paul Whiteman, fullback. The list sent the radio writers was not confined to M.C.A. orchestra leaders but included many favorites under management of other booking organizations. Those making selections were at liberty to add the names of any favorite leader in the event his name was not on the list. KYW Drops Salesmen Depends on Program To Attract Advertiser CAN YOU picture a large metre politan station, highly commercia ized and making money, without salesman on the staff and payin no commission to anybody bi agencies? That is the case of or. of Chicago's oldest, most succes ful stations— KYW. The theor is the pet notion of Homer Hoga general manager of the station. "It is my idea," declared Mi Hogan, "that if a station make its programs attractive enough, th advertisers will come in by their, selves." And they have. Mr. Hogan works on the basi that it is up to the program de partment to sell ideas to advertis ers, not up to salesmen to sell th station. As a result a highly de veloped and hustling program de partment accomplishes wonders f o him. "Once," explained Mr. Hogar "KYW had three salesmen. Bu things didn't seem to click so well When I became general manager i advanced the idea of abolishing : , sales department and concentrat ing on putting out programs tha { were bound to be saleable. "As a result we don't have mei out trying to sell time. Instead we spend our time answering in quiries by mail and telephone I Then when an advertiser has defi nitely asked for time, we contac him with a member of the progran department, who merely puts ove the idea of the program to fill tha time. "Sometimes, though, we have i program of our own that proves si ] popular with some advertisers tha they step in and buy it without an? discussion with a program depart ment representative at all. I be lieve our most striking example o: ! that is the now-famous 'Musica 1 Clock' from 7 to 9 a. m. "That program had been popula • for some time when Marshall Fieli • & Company nibbled, sampled it;' tested it more thoroughly, and nov ft are sold on it for a long period. "But other things have been jus'1 as striking. For instance, I believ the largest contract we ever havil sold I closed without leaving nr>* office. It is for the program of thit Phillips Fliers, sponsored by thit Phillips Petroleum Corporation v This is an expensive but very atj k tractive program. It features lit fast-moving 15-piece dance orches ; tra and a vocalist and runs sis nights a week." Shepard Hookup AN UNUSUAL hookup featurec the birthday party for John Shep-i ard, Jr., mayor of Palm Beach, Fla. and father of John Shepard, 3rd 1 president of the Shepard Stores oij Boston and of the Yankee network I on the occasion of the former's seventy-first birthday. Statior WQAM, Miami, was linked witt WNAC, Boston, key of the Yankee f Network, for a program which was heard by the Shepards, father anc son, their families and guests a(| their home in Palm Beach. The occasion also was taken to announce on the radio the elder Shepard's candidacy for a third term as : mayor. Page 14 BROADCASTING • January 15, I93J(n