Broadcasting (July - Dec 1940)

Features of Biggest Army Maneuvers Are Brought Listeners by Networks Time Purchases By Parties Await Acceptance Talks Late Opening May Result in Reduced Expenditures ALTHOUGH detailed plans for commercial time had not been announced by either the Republican or Democratic parties as Broadcasting went to press, political broadcasts will go on a commercial basis following the Aug. 17 acceptance speech of Wendell L. Willkie, Republican candidate for President. Pre-commercial plans also include the acceptance speeches of the two vice-presidential candidates— Charles L. McNary, Aug. 27 from Salem, Ore., and Henry A. Wallace, Aug. 29 from Des Moines. Detailed plans to use commercial time in the Presidential campaign are being developed by the radio directors of both parties. G. W. (Johnny) Johnstone, radio director of the Democratic National Committee, has transferred his headquarters from Washington to the Biltmore Hotel, New York, where he will superintend Democratic radio activities. Republican broadcast schedules are in the hands of Wells (Ted) Church, Republican National Committee radio director, headquartering in Washington. Late Starting Date Although earlier in the year it was expected the two parties would use more commercial radio time than ever before [Broadcasting, March 15], it is possible these early estimates necessarily may be revised, largely because of the late starting date of the actual campaign and also because of the limits placed on campaign expenditures under the Hatch Clean Politics Act. A report of an alleged scheme to circumvent restrictions of the Hatch Act recently drew the attention of Chairman Gillette (D-Ia.), of the Senate Campaign Expenditures Committee. The reported plan was to place political speakers as "guests" on regular commercial broadcasts. Although Chairman Gillette indicated the practice per se would not violate the law, he observed that if it was widely followed, it would effectively violate the spirit of the Hatch Act provisions limiting individual contribution to $5,000 and total campaign expenditures to $3,000,000 for any political organization. He indicated that if formal complaints are filed, they will be investigated. Pointing out that the practice also would work to circumvent the Corrupt Practices Act prohibition ag'ainst campaign contributions by corporations. Senator Gillette observed that he believed the committee has authority to "delineate" between proper and improper political practices, even if they are within the letter of the law. All three national networks and two individual stations will broadcast the Aug. 17 ceremonies attending Mr. Willkie's acceptance of the Republican nomination in Elwood, Ind., his home town. NBC, CBS and MBS, along with WGN, Chicago, and WLW, Cincinnati, have sent special staffs to Elwood to handle two special broadcasts, a quarter-hour pickup of the Republican nominee's appearance on the steps of Elwood High School, from 3:15-3:30 p.m. (EST) , and the noti AS IN 1939, radio will play an important part in bringing Americans full details of the greatest peacetime Army maneuvers in this country Aug. 13-23 when 100,000 men of the Regular Army, National Guard and Organized Reserves engage in war games in the Plattsburg-Watertown area of Northern New York. States represented are the five New England States, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Disti-ict of Columbia. To give stations accurate information on the activities, the radio section of the Public Relations Division of the First Army at Ogdensburg, N. Y., is mailing daily radio bulletins, via a twice daily airplane shuttle service, written and condensed for broadcast immediately upon reception. All stations were invited to send their own crews as well, to pick up on-the-spot broadcasts from the area. Network Features For complete coverage of the action over 1,300 square miles, CBS has assigned a staff including Maj. George Fielding Eliot, military expert; special events reporters John Charles Daly and Jack Knell, and four engineers and production directors with specially equipped lorries. The network estimates that its coverage, including time and talent, will cost over $5,000. Highlights were expected Aug. 15, with description of an attack by a mobile unit of modern fighting machines; Aug. 18, when Brigadier General James E. Chaney will tell listeners of an aerial demonstration during which two planes will "attack" Watertown to test civilian aid to military forces, and Aug. 19, when Maj. Eliot will fly over "No Man's Land" and analyze combat maneuvers below. A. A. Schechter, NBC's director of special events, will coordinate the work of 25 technicians and fication and acceptance speeches from the local Callaway Park, starting at 4 p.m. Network Pickups WIRE, Indianapolis, will handle the pickup for MBS. NBC and CBS will send their own network crews, including engineers and announcers. NBC will be represented by Carleton Smith, NBC Presidential announcer, and Bud Barry, recently assigned to handle NBC announcements on the Willkie campaign trips. Bob Trout and John Charles Daly probably will handle CBS pickups. Peter Grant, WLW chief announcer, will handle the directwire origination for WLW. MBS carried three special programs from Elwood prior to the acceptance ceremonies. On Aug. 10 and 11 Quin Ryan interviewed hometown friends of Mr. Willkie, and on Aug. 15 Ruth De YoUng Kohler, a member of the Willkie advisory committee, originated her WGN Women World Wide program there. Although the networks also have indicated they will broadcast the acceptance speeches of the vicepresidential candidates in Salem and Des Moines, no staff assignments have been announced. other members of the NBC crew, including Bill Stern, NBC reporter, and Announcers George Hicks and Bob Stanton. NBC will present two programs from the area Aug. 17, a description of boxing bouts between the two "rival" armies and an amateur entertainment by the war games participants. Gen. Stephen O. Fuqua, NBC's military expert, will analyze the maneuvers Aug. 18 and George Hicks will broadcast from an NBC mobile unit as he accompanies the first division in combat. Programs will be shortwaved by NBC from a master control headquarters on the campus of St. Lawrence U, Canton, N. Y. Mutual's Plans Working in cooperation with WSLB, Ogdensburg, WOR MBS presented a special program Aug. 7 from Canton when Lt. Gen. Hugh A. Drum, commander of the U. S. First Army corps, spoke to 7,000 officers already encamped. Maj. Leonard Nason, MBS military analyst, will cover all maneuvers in detail the week of Aug. 18, participating in the events by day and broadcasting each evening. John Hayes, assistant to Julius Seebach. WOR vice-president in charge of programs, also will be encamped as a regular member of the Reserves and will oversee MBS coverage. Lt. Gen. Drum on Aug. 23 closes the MBS schedule of broadcasts with a critical review of the maneuvers. WINNER of the "Little Miss Topeka" title in a recent bathing beauty contest held on the stage of the local Fox Grand Theatre was 3-year-old Jo Susan Curtis, youngest of four children of Elmer Curtis, announcer of WIBW, Topeka, Kan. She won $20 and a silver trophy and competed with 56 other youngsters between three and seven years. Jo Susan was named through a WIBW contest staged by her Dad, with Jo Susan chosen from some 10,000 names submitted. German Program Stopped by WHIP Criticism of Public and Press Results in Cancellation GERMAN AMERICAN National Alliance Inc., since April 28 sponsor of the German Hour, six-weekly one-hour programs on WHIP, Hammond, Ind., object of much criticism as antagonistic to American ideals, on Aug. 5 was notified by Doris Keene, managing director of WHIP and WWAE, both Hammond stations, and secretary of the Hammond-Calumet Broadcasting Corp., which owns and operates the stations, that the programs would not be allowed to continue after Aug. 10. Addressing her notification to Paul A. F. Warnholtz, Chicago attorney and managing director of the Alliance, Miss Keene stated that "this action is taken because the German Hour as now being presented is of such controversial nature as to make it unacceptable to many leading Americans. In view of the present national emergency, growing out of the international situation, we believe wholeheartedly in promoting American solidarity and unity." The Alliance, which is composed of 320,000 members who comprise 372 Illinois German-American societies, such as choral groups, first received funds to pay for the broadcasts by accepting donations from various sponsors whose names and businesses were mentioned during the program. One sponsor, it is said, declined to remain on the same program with a certain Jewish contributor. One group held out for the elimination of all Jewish sponsors from the program and, in order not to let a religious angle arise which might have been open to criticism, all participations were eliminated and members contributed small sums, said by one source to be ten cents | per member, for the broadcasting upkeep. ! The Chicago Daily News for several weeks carried a page-one campaign of criticism of the programs. Time magazine also re ! leased such an article. S According to Mr. Warnholtz, and ; corroborated by Miss Keene, all i copy for the programs was submitted to the station in advance and at no time was it necessary to delete anything. He said, "We are certain that the public will agree that the throttling of the channels of free speech is not in \ accord with the American way of ■ life. We know that tremendous pressure has been brought to bear ' upon Station WHIP, not by the public, but by certain interests whose main objective is to get us into the war." Miss Keene has stated that the tremendous increase of mail which this series of programs has caused was evenly divided pro and con. She said the station will continue to present a German Hour at the same time as previously but now strictly under station supervision. Marlin Razor Spots MARLIN FIREARMS Co., New Haven, which has been using test spot announcements in several markets for the last two months in the interests of Marlin Razor Blades, plans to increase the list later this fall. Craven & Hedrick, New York, is the agency. | Page 98 • August 15, 1940 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising