Broadcasting (July - Dec 1939)

CONGRATULATIONS were in order when the weekly half-hour program, I Want a Divorce, started on Oct. 15 on 32 NBC-Red stations under cooperative sponsorship of Food & Beverage Broadcasters Assn., Sunday, 3-3:30 p.m. (EST), with Sussman, Wormser & Co. (S & W food products), sponsoring the West Coast repeat, 1-1:30 p.m. (PST). This group, closely associated with the series, include (top row, 1 to r), Joe Parker, NBC Hollywood director; Van Fleming, writer who is adapting stories for radio, and Bill Lawi-ence, agency producer. Shaking hands are Emil Brisacher, head of Emil Brisacher & Staff, San Francisco agency servicing the account, and Sydney Dixon^ NBC western division sales manager. Late Personal Notes AFM Stalemate Persists at WPEN No Progress Is Made Toward Solution of Difficulty ALTHOUGH several meetings have been held between executives of WPEN, Philadelphia, and officials of the American Federation of Musicians local in that city, no progress has been made towards a solution of the differences between the two groups on the amount of money the station should spend for the employment of union musicians, according to Harold A. Lafount, general manager of the Bulova radio interests, who stated that unless some change in the situation develops in the near future it may again become necessary for the station to give notice to the members of its staff orchestra, who are working on a week-to-week basis during the discussion period. Concessions Refused Such action early in October resulted in WPEN's being forced off the air for a day-and-a-half when the musicians picketed the station and the announcers, engineers and other employes who are members of American Communications Assn., a CIO union, refused to pass through the picket line [BROADCASTING, Oct. 15]. With the rehiring of the musicians, these other employes also returned to their posts and the station resumed normal operations. Dismissal of the musicians was made necessary, Mr. Lafount averred, because the load of the $42,000 per year contract was more than the station could stand, resulting in a loss for the year 1938 and with probably the same result for 1939. Contract, entered into several years ago by John Iraci, at that time owner of the station, calls for an annual expenditure of more than three times the sum the station is required to expend for musicians under the terms of the standard national agreement drawn xip in 1938 betwen the AFM and all non network broadcasters, which would be approximately $12,000 a year for WPEN. The Philadelphia local, however, refused to make any reduction in its previous contract, basing the refusal on a clause in the national agreement that no station could reduce its annual expenditure for musicians and stating that it had no jurisdiction in the matter, since the terms of the general agreement had been formulated by the AFM international executive board. AFM President Weber likewise disclaimed jurisdiction, and the station has continued to live up to the contract, although employing the men on a week-to-week basis for the past year. The union has also refused to submit the question for arbitration, Mr. Lafount said. LESTER L. BIEDERMAN, chief engineer of WTEL, Philadelphia, is president of Midwestern Broadcasting Co., applying to the FCC for a new 250watt .station on 1370 kc. in Traverse City, Mich. He i.s listed as .30% stockholder, with William H. Kiker holding 161/4%, Drew McClay 1.5%, Fred G. Zierle, 16i4% and Edward G. Biederman of Detroit 22%%. Mr. Kiker and Mr. McClay are listed as operators at WTEL. W. G. SKELLY, president of Skelly Oii Co., and owner of KVOO, Tulsa, was saluted in a special program on WTAQ, Green Bay, Wis., when he and other Skelly officials visited that city to attend a sales banquet commemorating the 20th anniversary of the company. BOB CHAPMAN, sales manager of WKY, Oklahoma City, is recovering from an appendectomy followed by pneumonia complications. WILLIAM REID has joined the CBS Hollywood sales department as commercial traffic manager. He was formerly with the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. JAMES PARKS, formerly of the William Morris Agency, Chicago, has been named radio director of Rockwell General Amusement Corp., that city. WILLIAM BOND, formerly announcer of WAVE, Louisville, and a brother of Announcer Ford Bond, has joined the announcing staff of WHN, New York. LAWSON DBMING, lor the last year staff announcer of WPIC. Sharon, Pa., has resigned, effective Nov. 1, to accept a similar position with WGAR, Cleveland. EVERETT MITCHELL, chief announcer of NBC-Chicago who handles the National Farm & Home Hour, was honored Oct. 23 at the Kansas City convention of the Future Farmers of America. He was presented a gold key for his work on Farm & Home Hour. DALE ARMSTRONG, KECA. Los Angeles, commentator and conductor of the weekly You Explain It program, acted in five different motion pictures now in production, during the week of Oct. 23. In addition he sold an orighial manu.script to a major film studio under title of "She Walks Alone". HUGH WALTON, production manager of WCAU. Philadelphia, is the father of a boy born recently. WARREN SWEENEY, announcer of WJSV, CBS Wasbington key, has been transferred to the CBS New York announcing staff. HERMAN E. FAST, for the last five years with the sales staff of WKRC. Cincinnati, was named sales manager Oct. 27. succeeding William .1. Williamson, who has joined the sales staff of Ralph H. .lones Agency, Cincinnati. Mr. Fast formerly was with the sales promotion department of Bei'key & Gay Furniture Co., Chicago, and with General Outdoor Advertising. BLAINE CORNWELL. production manager of KXOK, St. Louis, has been appointed program director, succeeding Allen Franklin, who has joined the Carl Wester Agency. Chicago producers. Mr. Cornwell started with WRC, Washington, in 1929 and has served with WFBR, Baltimore, and KVOO, Tulsa. HARRY GROVE, formerly of KCKN. Kansas City, Kan. ; Frank Dent, of KWFT, Wichita Falls. Tex.: Charles Davis, of KCMO. Kansas City, and Duke Robinette have joined the announcing staff of KITE, Kansas City. Bill Squires, KITE announcer, was married recently. WALTER P. DOWNS, formerly with NBC as a studio engineer and recently announcer of a CBC program, as well as radio director of MacLaren Adv. Agency, Montreal, has formed an agency at 2313 St. Catherine St., W, Montreal, specializing in radio. WILLIAM SALATHE, formerly of KOMA, Oklahoma City, has joined the salesstaff of KTSA, San Antonio. Bob King, formerly of KDKA, Pittsburgh, has joined the KTSA continuity staff. ALBERT C. MUELLER, with the Chicago Herald d Examiner for the last 17 years, has been named director of the new merchandising and research department of Russell M. Seeds Co.. Chicago. P. E. DENTON has been named head of the merchandising department of KLRA, Little Rock. FRANK .lARMAN, manager of WDNC, Durham, N. C. is the father of a girl born Oct. 24. EARL PUDNEY. program director of WAGA, Atlanta, and Mrs. Pudney are the parents of a nine-pound son, born Oct. 20. IRKED BY UNION Petrillo Protests Tactics I Of Elevator Group ' UNION methods, such as he is said to have employed in forcing Chicago radio stations to employ "platter-turners" for their transcribed programs, have backfired on James C. Petrillo, president of the Chicago Federation of Musicians. When the Chicago Park Board, of which he is a member, faced a demand of Mathew Taylor, head of the Chicago Elevator Operators & Starters Union, to employ 10 elevator operators to watch the escalators and two automatic elevators in the Board's new administration building, Mr. Petrillo switched characters and met the idea with derision. Mr. Taylor appeared at a board meeting Oct. 24 to point out that the building's automatic equipment was depriving elevator operators of bona fide jobs and demanded that 10 operators, who would draw salaries aggregating $24,000 per year, be put on duty. Irked at Mr. Taylor's failure to respond to Board President Robert J. Dunham's explanation of budget troubles with anything more gracious than terming him "anti-labor", Mr. Petrillo rose in indignation and verbally blasted the union leader from the chamber. "What do you mean coming here and trying to shout this board into submission? It's an insult to us," declared Mr. Petrillo. "You're not speaking for labor. I've been active in labor for years and I know labor wouldn't have anybody like you speaking for it." Mr. Petrillo not so long ago was in the forefront of the AFM drive to force broadcasters to employ studio musicians, whether they performed or not, which ended in the existing contract, now slated for renewal. B & W Starts Discs BROWN & WILLIAMSON Tobacco Co., Louisville, has started Twilight Trail, twice weekly 15-minute transcriptions, on 13 stations for its Avalon cigarettes. For the same product the firm is using five weekly one-minute announcements on WMBD WFBM WCBS KFEQ XEBG. The firm is also using Twilight Trail on six stations for Big Ben tobacco. For its Bugler tobacco, the company is using Plantation Party, half-hour weekly disc show on 11 stations. For Wings cigarettes, a daily 15-minute program titled Sports Review and featuring Dan Bowers has started on KGB, San Diego, Cal. The firm is also using John B. Hughes in News & Vietvs, thrice weekly quarter-hour live series, on 29 stations of the Don Lee Network for Avalon cigarettes. Russell M. Seeds Co., Chicago, handles the account. PROMOTIONS of W. R. Link to local sales director and of Wayne Johnson to production manager, were announced Oct. 25 by Warren P. Williamson Jr.. president of WKBN, Youngstown, O. Mr. Link has been on the station's sales staff for a year, having started in radio as a commentator. Mr. Johnson joined WKBN three years ago as an announcer and afterward served as director of its music department. JOHN BLAIR & Co. on Oct. 27 announced its appointment as national representative of KFYR, Bismarck, N. D. Page 82 • November I, 1939 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising