Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

A FIGHTER and a gentleman, Oswald Francis Schuette brings new and vigorous leadership to the broadcasters' side of the copyright fight. His selection to direct the copyright activities of the NAB was a master stroke by that organization's plenary committee on copyrights. Those who know Schuette — including his erstwhile opponents in the "radio trust" fight — have the deepest respect for him as a man and a crusader; many believe that the redoubtable E. Claude Mills, general manager of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, will more than meet his match in Schuette. Probably the highest tribute paid to Schuette was the fact that his former opponents were among the first to welcome his entry into the copyright struggle as an advocate of the harassed broadcasters. Now that the principle of a patent pool for the radio manufacturing industry has been accepted by the parties involved, and the anti-trust suit is in the hands of the Department of Justice and the courts, Schuette is free to turn his attentions almost exclusively to this new endeavor. That Schuette will adequately represent the little fellows as well as the big in the copyright fight may be taken for granted. He has always fought for the underdog, his sympathies being readily aroused in their behalf. His support in his new post is to be drawn from the broadcasters at large, his powers are broad and his judgment is generally respected. Oswald F. Schuette was born in Chicago, August 31, 1882. He was graduated from high school at the age of 15. He began newspaper work in Chicago in 1902, going to the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1903-4, and becoming city editor of the Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin in 1905. After traveling in Europe as a political correspondent .in 1906-7, he returned to Chicago as political writer on the old Inter-Ocean. From 1908 to 1913 he erved as Washington correspondent for that newspaper. During this time he was also Wash ington correspondent for LESLIE'S Weekly. When the war broke out, Schuette, because of his intimate knowledge of German, was sent abroad as war coi'respondent of the Chicago Daily News at the front with the Central Powers. He was the last American newspaperman to leave Berlin when the U. S. declared war. He moved to Switzerland and continued covering the war from there. Returning to Washington after the Armistice, Schuette was again correspondent for Leslie's Weekly and then for Iron Age. Later he went back to Chicago to write a political column as "Politicus" in the Chicago Abendpost, leaving that work to take charge of the editorial page of Hearst's Chicago Herald Examiner. It was in 1925, while serving in that capacity, that he was called into the radio trust fight. Schuette has been active in various public enterprises in addition to his journalistic activities. It was he who wrote the Republican National Committee's handbook on the League of Nation's in the 1920 campaign. It was he who, as a writer, coined the phrase now widely used in politics, "the steam roller." He has served as a member of various Chicago civic committees, as a member of the executive committee of the Chicago Catholic Charities, and as president of the Nation Press Club in Washington. (During his tenure in the latter post he shared the distinction with the late Chief Justice William Howard Taft, then president of the University Club, of holding bartender's license, as reauired by the laws of the District of Columbia of heads of clubs where liquor was served — in preprohibition days, of course.) Schuette was married to Mary Patrice Moran of Washington on June 24, 1919, and they have five children. He is a Catholic and Republican. His clubs include the National Press, Overseas Writers, Washington City, Milwaukee Press, Chicago Mediaevalists. His home is at 1001 No. Sheridan Road, Chicago, but he is expected to move to Washington shortly. PERSONAL NOTES RAY HILL, who came to WGCM, Gulfport, Miss., from California several months ago and contracted for half the station's time, has been named station commercial manager. In his first two months with the station he landed 31 local accounts. CHARLES G. H. EVANS, continuity editor and announcer of WFEA, Manchester, N. H., has been promoted to manager. STANTON H. WOODMAN, brother of Harry A. Woodman of the station relations division of NBC, New York, has joined the commercial staff of WCSH, Portland, Me. Harry A. Belyea, of the WCSH commercial and announcing staff, has completed a long-term contract as tenor soloist with the New England Coke Sunday night productions on WCSH and is now heard weekday mornings as soloist on a morning feature called "Eye Openers." FRANK M. RUSSELL, Washington vice president of NBC, and Mrs. Russell started on a vacation motor tour for Iowa May 2, to be gone about three weeks. ERNEST ROGERS, feature writer on the Atlanta Journal staff and a radio entertainer and composer who has made several best sellers for Victor, has been appointed radio editor of WSB, Atlanta, succeeding Harllee Branch, Jr., who resigned to practice law. GROVER A. GODFREY, Jr., formerly with the Southwest Broadcasting Co., has joined the staff of WNBR-WGBC, Memphis, Tenn. DICK CONNOR, the past two years reporter via remote control from the Los Angeles city hall to KMPC, Beverly Hills, and KMTR, Hollywood, late in April was appointed manager of KRKD, Los Angeles. DON E. GILMAN, vice-president in charge of the Pacific division of NBC, announces the following changes in personnel: Howard I. Milholland, who was manager of the program department for the past two years, becomes manager of KGA, Spokane, May 15; Thomas H. Hutchinson, of the NBC production department, becomes program manager, and Lewis S. Frost is made production manager. ROY FROTHINGHAM, sales promotion manager of NBC Pacific division, has been nominated as president of the San Francisco Advertising Club. Harrison Holliway, manager of KFRC, and Carl Eastman, Pacific coast manager of N. W. Ayer & Son, have been nominated directors. THE REV. JAMES A. WAGNER, managing director of WHBY, Green Bay, Wis., is back at his desk after a trip east during which he attended a meeting in New York of the NAB copyright committee, of which he is a member. GEORGE A. WELLS, formerly in the advertising agency field, is now with the newly established commercial department of WPRO-WPAW, Providence, R. I. Also added to the staff is James E. Coyle, formerly commercial manager of WORC, Worcester, Mass. WILLIAM N. GREER, recently named manager of KFUL, Galveston, Tex., is the father of a baby girl born in April. KFUL has added to its staff as studio director M. E. Williamson, formerly with KWWG, Brownsville, Tex. HAROLD HIGGINS, formerly with WBZ, Boston, and later with WBAL, Baltimore, is now head of the commercial division of WEEI, Boston. G. FRANKLIN WISNER, in charge of press relations for the Radio Commission since its inception, was guest of honor at the twentieth anniversary meeting of the Baltimore Press Club recently. He had been president of the club from 1913 until 1930. IRVING Z. GRAYSON, former booking agent for RKO, is now field representative of the artists bureau of WTIC, Hartford, Conn. CHARLES BOWMAN, tenor soloist, well known in eastern Pennsylvania, has joined the commercial staff of WGAL, Lancaster, Pa. He will continue his vocal work. JOHN E. FETZER, president and general manager of WKZO, Kalamazoo, Mich., has returned from an extended trip in the east. Mr. Fetzer formerly operated WEMC, Berrien Springs, Mich., moving to Kalamazoo last September. George S. Irish, formerly of the sales staff of WKBF, Indianapolis, is sales manager of WKZO. JOHN A. NEAGLE, formerly in the public relations department of NBC in New York, is now director of publicity of the Yankee Network in Boston. HARRY VINCENT, once with KMTR, Hollywood, later production manager for KGFJ, Los Angeles, has joined the commercial staff of KFAC, Los Angeles. JOSEPH H. NEEBE, formerly vice president of World Broadcasting System and well known in the radio and agency fields, has been appointed to be in charge of the Detroit office of CKWO, the new 5 kw. station due to go in operation at Windsor, Ont., opposite Detroit, June 1. BEHIND THE MICROPHONE LEWIS M. MUNNELL has resigned as program director of WHP, Harrisburg, Pa., and program direction is now handled by A. K. Redmond and Fred Frey. WHP has also added Jack Shipley, formerly with Baltimore stations, to its artists staff. ERNEST LUSBY, former University of Wisconsin football star, has been added to the announcing and talent staff of WIBA, Madison, Wis. MR. AND MRS. BILL JOHNSON, better known as "Bill and Ardyce" on their "Music School of the Air," have moved their act from York, Neb., to KFEQ, St. Joseph, Mo. WILLIAM NELMS, formerly on the Philco program staff, has joined WTAX, Springfield, 111., as continuity writer. THE BASEBALL season at NBC Pacific Division opened recently with a defeat administered to the Associated Spotlight cast of NBC by their sponsor, the Associated Oil Co. The game, staged in Kezar auditorium, San Francisco, ended 12-11. JACK BUNDY, formerly of WMBC, Detroit, and WBEN, Buffalo, has joined the staff of WTMJ, Milwaukee, and is continuing his original feature, "Heinie and his Band." EDNA O'KEEFE and Ronald Graham, KFRC, San Francisco, artists, recently married, will appear in a new series as "Horace and Helen, the Married Pals." The feature deals with the trials and tribulations of a newly married pair. FELIX C. HOLT, for 12 years a newspaper man on Detroit papers, has joined the staff of WJBK, Detroit, as publicity man and special continuity writer. William Blake is now the afternoon announcer and Marvin Gross is evening announcer, having taken over the microphone when Billy Priest became ill. MRS. LENORE ROMNEY, daughter of Radio Commissioner Lafount, on May 10 began a 15-minute weekly program over WRC, Washington. It is a sustaining program of poetry readings. Mrs. Romnev is a graduate of the University of Utah, George Washington University, the American Laboratorv School of the Theatre and of the School of Stanislavsky. For a year she was in the movies with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. May 15, 1932 • BROADCASTING Page 19