Broadcasting (Jan - June 1940)

$50,000 Fund for Radio Planned by Communists COMMUNIST Party of America, taking advantage of the "equal opportunity" requirements of the Communications Act, intends to raise a fund of $50,000 for radio during the forthcoming national elections compaign. All or most of it is to be spent for regional or local radio time, it was indicated by Peter Cacchione, secretary of the Communist committee in New York. In the meantime, since the networks are broadcasting the conventions of the major political parties, the Communists have also asked that they carry at least portions of their four-day national convention. May 30 to June 2, in Manhattan Center, New York. NBC and MBS have agreed to carry a 1:30-2 p. m. broadcast June 2 when it is expected the speeches of the probable candidates. Earl Browder for President and James W. Ford for Vice-President, will be timed. CBS on June 2 will carry an 8-8:15 p. m. interview with the Communist candidate by Al Warner, its Washington correspondent. The party has also asked CBS to carry some of the convention proceedings along with the other networks. WITH members of its staff of news analysts reporting the latest events. CBS is presenting a Sunday evenins' series Headlines and Bylines, 11-11 :1.5 p. m., replacing the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.'s Paul Sullivan Reviews the News program, which has moved to an earlier prosram five times weekly. Reporting for CBS on the program are Maj. George Fielding Eliot, Albert Warner and I?ob Trout. FRAMED in beauty and wreathed in smiles was Lloyd George Venard, Colonial Network's representative with Edward Petry & Co. in New York, when he made a flying trip to the New England Drug & Health Show, in the success of which Yankee and Colonial networks played a big part. The girls, a few of the semi-final winners of the "Oomph Girl" contest held as part of the show, are (1 to r) Lucille Burke, Peggy Jackson, Gertrude Haughton and Arlene Wannlund. AFM TO CONSIDER EXPIRATION PLANS QUESTION of how relationships between the American Federation of Musicians and the non-network broadcasters shall be handled following the expiration of the present national agreement in September is expected to be settled during the AFM convention, to be held in Indianapolis the week of June 10. Method will probably be the same as that employed in the case of the network affiliates, where new contracts, chiefly on the same basis as before, were negotiated by individual stations and local unions, after an expression from the Department of Justice that any effort to extend the national agreement requiring each station to make minimum expenditures for union musi cians based on a national quota system would be interpreted as a violation of the anti-trust laws. Joseph N. Weber, AFM president, who has been in the South for his health following a severe illness, is expected to return to his New York headquarters about June 1, spending a week in preparation for the convention. Florsheim Series FLORSHEIM SHOE Co., Chicago, with local dealer tie-in, in early May started placing the transcribed program, The Squared Circle, on a group of stations nationally. Series, which features James J. Jeffries, ex-world champion heavyweight, as m.c, is being produced by Fred C. Mertens & Associates, Los Angeles. INSTITUTE IS HELD BY OHIO SALESMEN THE Ohio Assn. of Broadcasters on May 3 held its third annual sales institute for salesmen of Ohio radio stations at the Deshler Wallick Hotel in Columbus. All-day sessions were attended by some 80 salesnren and sales managers representing all Ohio commercial stations. The meeting was addressed by Prof. Warren Dygert of New York U, Don Davis, president of WHB, Kansas City, and Frank Ryan, Frigidaire Corp., Dayton. Prof. Dygert spoke from the viewpoint of the media buyer and emphasized selling radio as a medium, importance of stressing radio listener circulation, the tangibles of radio and continual reiteration of success stories. Mr. Davis through a series of charts and transcriptions told assembled salesmen "how it's done at WHB". Mr. Ryan's talk covered the broad field of selling and stressed the fine points of salesmanship in general. Eugene Carr, assistant manager of WGAR, directed an open forum after summarizing the three previous talks. The meeting was opened by Vernon Pribble, manager of WTAM and president of the OAB. The program was arranged by E. Y. Flanigan, commercial manager of WSPD and the conference by B. A. Manring, of WHKC, secretary of the OAB. LIGHTNING striking near the transmitter of WPEN, Philadelphia, on May 3 burned out five fuses and a condenser, putting the station off the air for eight minutes in mid-afternoon during the 920 Cluh program. i WRVA serving RICHMOND & NORFOLK 50,000 WATTS CBS 0 nestation coverage of Virginia's two most important markets. For more information about WRVA, one of the sixteen CBS 50.000 watt stations, inquire of Paul Raymer Company, New York, Chicago, Detroit. San Francisco VIRGINIA'S PREMIER RADIO STATION BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising May 15, 1940 • Page 47