Broadcasting (July - Dec 1939)

JRNA Forms Permanent Setup pperating Under NAB Banner Budget of 820,000 Voted; Board of Directors Named With Rosenbaiim Reelected Chairman [establishment of Independent Radio Network Affiliates as a permanent organization, functioning in harmony with NAB, was effected Sept. 14 at a special meeting |in Chicago, Samuel R. Rosenbaum, rWFIL, Philadelphia, was reelected chairman for a one-year term. [Paul W. Morency, WTIC, Hartford, was elected vice-chairman. The executive committee comprises IMr. Rosenbaum; Mark Ethridge, WHAS, Louisville; L. B. Wilson, WCKY, Cincinnati; Walter J. Damm, WTMJ, Milwaukee; John 'Shepard 3d, Yankee Network. ' A budget of $20,000 for the first year was agreed to by the eonven'tion, after adopting bylaws setting up the permanent organization. Provision also was made for the retention of paid personnel, but this was left to the discretion of the new board of directors of 15 men. It is expected counsel will be retained to confer with the major networks in connection with fundamental questions growing out of affiliation contracts. As dues, stations will pay a sum equal to their highest quarter-hour rate for the first year. Elected directors for three-year terms were Mr. Rosenbaum; Mr. Ethridge ; Mr. Wilson ; Edwin W. Craig, WSM, Nashville; H. K. Carpenter, WHK WCLE, Cleveland. Elected for two-year terms were Mr. Morency; Mr. Damm; Mr. Shepard ; C. W. Myers, KOINKALE, Portland; John A. Kennedy, WCHS, Charleston, W. Va. Elected for one-year terms were I. R. Lounsberry, WGR-WKBW, Buffalo; Edgar L. Bill, WMBD, Peoria; E. B. Craney, KGIR, Butte, Mont.; George W. Nox'ton Jr., WAVE, Louisville; Gene O'Fallon, I^KFEL, Denver. Dempsey Declines Tender William J. Dempsey, FCC general counsel, who had been approached by IRNA leaders in connection ■«ith his possible retention as paid executive of the group, on Sept. 13 advised Arthur B. Church, president of KMBC, Kansas City, of his inability to consider any proposal, even if proferred [Broadcasting, Sept. 1]. The general radio regulatory situation, complicated by war conditions, it is understood, prompted Mr. Dempsey's deI cision. Approximately 125 broadcasters, representing 150 stations attended the IRNA convention, which had ■ been preceded the night before by t a meeting of key network broadcasters. While it was decided to set up a permanent organization, it was emphasized that the group \vi'i\ work -n-ith NAB. The bylaws specify that membership of IRNA shall consist only of active members of the NAB. Brought in by its reorganization committee headed by Chairman Rosenbaum, the bylav.'s were adopted after considerable debate and several amendments. Provision is made for retention of a secretarytreasurer as the paid executive officer, but there is no present immediate intention of filling that post, it was indicated. The board also is authorized to retain other employes, counsel and agents of the association and fix salaries. The bylaws state that the objects of IRNA shall be to foster radio under the American System, and, "to foster, encourage and promote harmonious and practical relationships with the national networks with which members are affiliated." In this connection, mooted problems of station compensation from the networks, optioned time arrangements, station break announcements and kindred questions apparently are embraced. The bylaws prescribe there shall be a board of 15 members, six of whom shall represent and be elected by the stations affiliated with CBS; three to represent and be elected by stations affiliated with MBS, and six to represent and be elected by stations affiliated with NBC. Should any additional network be given recognition, three directors would be elected to represent its affiliates. Directors will serve for staggered tei^ms of one to three years, with each group divided into three term-classes, so that one third of the entire board wall serve a year; the second group two years, and the final third for three years. The chairman and vice-chairman of the board will be elected by a majority vote of the board members, from the board membership. A REGIONAL code for the West Coast, covering all network programs originating in Holly^\'ood, Los Angeles and San Francisco and available only to stations located within the 11 western States, was signed Sept. 14 in New York by Lawrence Lowman, CBS vice-president in charge of operations; Mark Woods, NBC vice-president and treasurer, and Emily Holt, executive secretary of the American Federation of Radio Artists. Code, which goes into efi'ect Sept. 17 and runs until Feb. 12, 1941, is sup'-iementary to the AFRA commercial code of fair practices signed by the networks and AFRA last winter [Broadcasting, Feb. 15], which also expires Feb. 12, 1941. Salary Provisions Salary scale called for by the new code is approximately 60% of the scale for national network programs in all classifications. Actors will be paid $10 for a quarter-hour program, §12.50 for a half-hour show, §17.50 for a full hour, with rehearsals at $3 an hour. Dramatized commercials are priced at $7.50 if on a lo-minute show, ."?10 for a 30-minute program and $12. .50 for an hour broadcast. Singers are classed by number of voices appearing together. Soloists get $20 for 15 minutes, $25 for 30 minutes. $30 for 45 minutes. $35 for an hour, with rehearsals at $3.50 per hour. Groups of two to four voices are scaled at. per singer, $15 for 15 minutes, $17.50 for 30 minutes. $20 for 45 minutes, $22. .50 for an hour, with rehearsals at $3 per hour. Five Lindy Breaks Silence COMBINED hookups of the national networks on Sept. 15 carried the first public declaration made either through radio or the press in eight years by Col. Charles A. Lindbergh. The famous flier, who completed his volunteer Army service that day, spoke from Washington on the war situation. The broadcast was originally arranged by Fulton Lewis jr., MBS commentator and a friend of the flier's, as an MBS exclusive feature, but it was decided to feed it to all the networks. for one-year terms. The secretarytreasurer likewise will be elected by the board, which will prescribe his term of service, duties and compensation, and enter into an employment contract. While the board would hire other executive personnel, the bylaws prescribe that the secretary treasurer, subject to board approval, shall hire clerical assistance. An executive committee comcomposed of five directors, four of whom shall be elected from and by the board, also is provided. The chairman of the board will serve as chairman of this committee, consisting of two affiliates of CBS, two of NBC and one of MBS. Standing committees will be named by the chairman, subject to board approval. The executive office, the bylaws provided, "shall be located at such place as the board of directors shall from time to time designate." to eight voices, per voice, are paid $12 for 15 minutes, $14 for 30 minutes, $16 for 45 minutes, $18 for an hour with $2.50 per rehearsal hour. Nine or more voices each get $9 for 15 minutes. $10 for 30 minutes, $11 for 45 minutes and $12 for 60 minutes, with $2 for each hour of rehearsal. Signature voices are $7.50 per program, or $37.50 per week when used on strip shows. Extras or supernumeraries receive $7.50 per performance, including four hours rehearsal. Announcer's scale runs : 15 minutes. $8.50 ; 30 minutes, $12.50 ; 60 minutes, .$17.50, with $3 an hour for rehearsal. If actor is under contract, rates are subject to discount as follows : 5% for three quarter-hour shows weekly ; 10% for four and 15% for five. Regular scale is paid for announcers and actors acting as news commentators, etc. on 1.5-minute programs. News programs of five to ten minutes in length are priced at $10 each for the first five, $6 for the second five and $4 for all over ten broadcast weekly. A special scale for sports announcers prices a college or professional football game at $50 for the announcer and S20 for the commentator ; for high school games these fees are reduced to $15 and $6. Boxing and wrestling matches, hockey games and other contests carry the same scale as professional or collegiate football. On Sept. 14 AFRA also concluded negotiations with CBS for a contract covering its Hollywood key station. KNX, and the contract was forwarded to Chicago to be signed by D. W. Thornburgh. vice-president in charge of CBS Pacific Coast operations, who was in Chicago for the NAB convention. Annual meeting of the union's New York local will be held Sept. 28, at IRNA's Objectives Fixed in Platform AT ITS SPECIAL meeting Sept. 15, Independent Radio Network Affiliates adopted a platform covering its objectives. Regarding network commercial practices, it concluded : 1. Eliminate all network advertising announcements known as "trailer announcements" preceding the opening identification of the sponsored program and following the closing identification. 2. Networks and affiliates to limit commercial copy in quarter-hour, half-hour and one-hour sponsored programs to conform with the NAB code; and where the purchaser of a half-hour or longer is permitted to divide the time into periods such as quarter-hour or longer for separate sponsored programs, the total commercial copy shall be limited to that allowed for the entire time purchased unless contracted and paid at the rates of the shorter period. 3. Networks to provide stationbreaks of at least 20 seconds between all separate program units where sustaining or sponsored, specifically including consecutive sponsored programs of an advertiser whether or not time is purchased for programs singly or in bulk. 4. IRNA members to limit to 30 words time-signal and other commercial announcements between network sponsored programs, as soon as networks comply with the foregoing provisions. 5. IRNA membei-s not to broadcast spot announcements competitive to sponsored products of adjacent network programs. 6. Networks to furnish name of sponsoring product and description of program before asking stations to make definite time commitment. Network Responsibility Under the heading Miscellaneous Network Practices, IRNA prescribed that the networks must assume responsibility for progi-am content. Further, it stated that in broadcasting publicity on network programs the networks are to eliminate announcements not affecting practically all stations; that they give affiliates due credit on all public events broadcast. The affiliates asked that networks eliminate so-called sustaining programs giving free advertising. Mention was made pai'ticularly of motion pictures, phonograph records, office buildings, hotels and other enterprises operated forprofit. IRNA asked that networks not require affiliates to broadcast transcriptions of network programs other than at affiliates' national spot rates, except recordings made by affiliates off network lines at the time the affiliate is broadcasting a local program. On copyright, IRNA pledged itself to the "per program" or "per use" basis with the principle of "clearance at the source" to hold on both network and sponsored transcription programs. which time the AFRA scale for artists working on transcribed programs is expected to be the chief topic of discussion. Scale is said to be completed, but AFRA ofiBcials have refused to discuss it. General impression, however, is that it will match the scale for national network programs, both commercial and sustaining. New Contract Covering Pacific Coast Is Negotiated by AFRA and Networks BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising September 15, 1939 • Page 13