Broadcasting (July - Dec 1942)

Broadcasting Held Essential Industry Selective Service Sets Up Broad Classes to Aid Boards LONG ANTICIPATED, broadcasting was declared an "essential" occupation last Tuesday when the Selective Service System, under Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, released a list of 34 broad essential activities compiled by the War Manpower Commission. Simultaneously Selective Service also announced a new seven-category guide for its local boards in their selection of men eligible for draft. Listed under a broad classification of communications services, radio broadcasting was declared essential along with telephone, telegraph, newspapers, television services and repair of facilities. Not a Blanket However, Selective Service hastened to say that the mere designation of an industry as essential does not imply blanket deferment and local boards will still be allowed broad discretion as exercised previously. In its announcement Selective Service said "the list of civilian activities necessary to war production and essential to the war effort, which may be used to guide local boards in considering occupational classification of registrants, specifies that such activities must meet one or more of the following tests : "(a) That the business is fulfilling a contract of the Army, Navy, Maritime Commission, or other Governmental agencies engaged directly in war production; (b) that the business is performing a Government service directly concerned with promoting or facilitating war production; (c) that the business is performing a service, Governmental or private, directly concerned with providing food, clothing, shelter, health, safety, or other requisites of the civilian daily life in support of the war effort; (d) that the business is supplying material under subcontracts for contracts included in (a), (b), or (c), above; or, (e) that the business is producing raw materials, manufacturing materials, supplies, or equipment, or performing services necessary for the fulfillment of contracts included in (a), (b), (c), or (d) above." The Selective Service statement went on to declare that "having found that the business in which a registrant is engaged comes under some group in the attached list (of 34 essential activities), and having applied the tests and made the determination that it is an essential activity, consideration will be given to the occupation of the registrant, within that activity, and if he is found to be a 'necessary man' as defined by Selective Service Regulations, occupational classification may be made by the local board." At the WMC the statement of Selective Service regarding blanket deferments was reiterated. As one WMC official put it, "Our one purpose in the issuance of this list of essential occupations is to supply essential industries and activities with the labor they need." Procedure Outlined At Selective Service, procedure to be followed by local boards in considering men for draft was outlined as follows: The local board will determine whether the prospective draftee is engaged in an essential occupation (using the WMC and U. S. Employment Service lists as a guide) ; the board will then determine whether or not the man is "necessary" to the business. Draft or deferment will follow the board's findings. It will not be necessary, a Selective Service official said, for a man's employer to make a declaration in his behalf provided he can satisfy the board's requirements on the question of his "necessity." However, it was stated that where any doubt arises in an employe's mind as to his eligibility as a "necessary" man he should have his employer fill out Selective Service form 42-A. Specifically concerning the broadcasting and communications fields, WMC spokesmen said that no one as yet has been appointed in the organization to give special attention to these fields. However, when it was pointed out that the Board of War Communications and the U. S. Employment Service are now conducting surveys of the fields to determine what employee categories should be considered necessary to maintain the structure of the industries [Broadcasting, July 13] it was said that undoubtedly special appointments would be made for a study of the reports. It was felt that immediately following would be more specific guides to local boards for their draft determinations in these industries. The BWC study is now being completed by its committees. These will be submitted to the board for final consideration before being turned over to WMC. It is expected that BWC handling of the matter will be completed within the next week or ten days. Survey Results The U. S. Employment Service survey is not being undertaken, it was said, for the purpose of making an immediate adjustment in the communications industry manpower problem. Results of the sur KFPL Deleted at Own Request Due to Shortage of Operators FIRST wartime cancellation of a station's license due to inability of the licensee to maintain a staff of qualified operators was effected July 14 when the FCC announced deletion of KFPL, Dublin, Tex. The Commission revealed that the move was prompted by a request of C. C. Baxter, operator of KFPL, who said operator and equipment shortages had forced the station silent. Suspended in April Operations of the station had been suspended last April when Mr. Baxter in a letter to the Commission cited his pro'olem and was granted a 30-day suspension of operation [Broadcasting, May 5]. Another suspense period was granted a month later when Mr. Baxter was still unable to operate and it was expected that the Commission would lay down a definite policy for such cases. Finally, on June 15, Mr. Baxter voluntarily turned in KFPL's license to the FCC asking that his station be removed completely from the Commission's records. KFPL had operated on 1340 kc. vsdth 100 watts night and 250 day and was one of the pioneer stations in the country, having been founded in 1924. It is expected that eventually numerous stations, especially the smaller outlets due to the economic factor, will be forced to silence by the drain of the war effort on quali fied operators as well as equipment shortages. The KFPL case is the first wartime mortality of an regularly operating station within the continental United States due to technician shortages. The FCC, realizing the increasing seriousness of the situation, has from time to time relaxed its rules regarding use of first-class operators in stations as well as requirements governing broadcast days. In the latter respect stations have been authorized to reduce hours of operations so that they could continue operating with their reduced personnels. Old Gold Sales Jump A DEFINITE increase in sales of Old Gold cigarettes has been noted by P. Lorillard Co., New York, as a result of the past two weeks intensive campaign in radio and newspaers based on findings in the Reader's Digest which give Old Golds two points of superiority over other leading brands. Shortly after the June 24 copy of the Digest hit the news stands, Lorillard started the campaign, promoting the cigarette survey's results in its baseball broadcasts on WOR, New York, and WGN, Chicago, as well as on the weekly CBS New Old Gold Show. Agency in charge is J. Walter Thompson Co., New York. SERVICE FLAG of WRC-WMAL, Washington, catches eye of Lt. (j.g.) John Gaunt, former WRC production man. Dedicated at a special program the flag is displayed in the station's lobby. As employes join the service the flag's numeral is changed accordingly. I vey will be used as a basis for fore cast, it was said, and possibly for' use in reallocation of employes as the problem becomes more acute. By all Governmental agencies i and industry groups interested in" the broadcasting personnel problem the feeling was expressed that the Selective Service designation of thej industry as "essential" will serve! to impress the need for caution by] local boards in drafting broadcasting employes. It was brought out that the WMC^ is yet in its infancy and has not had time to give sufficient consideration to manpower problems of every industry. It was pointed out, however, that policies of the commission will rapidly take definite outline, resulting in crystallization of every industry's place in the manpower picture as well as its position with regard to value as either an essential war industry or one necessary to maintenance of the nation's social structure. The WMC is now undertaking studies of "in plant" training in various industries and it was said that results may be applicable to replacement training for the broadcasting and communications industries. Though no complaint was registered, it was indicated at WMC that the commission feels sufficient effort has not been made by broadcasters to solve the problem of personnel replacements. It was felt, however, that the BWC and U. S. Employment Service surveys may be a major step in the solution of this problem. HARRIET HESTER, educational director of WLS, Chicago, is the author of a new wartime cookbook, SOO Sugar Saving Recipes, published by M. Barrows, New York. Chemical's Spots CHEMICALS Inc., San Francisco (Vano-woodwork cleanser), has just started a radio campaign in various sections of the country. It is using participations on the Marjorie Mills program on seven Yankee Network stations; participation on the Galen Drake program on KNX and on the Home Makers Club of WOL, Washington, as well as spot announcements several times weekly on KPO KQW KOIN. Agency is Botsford, Constantine & Gardner, San Francisco. Page 12 . July 20, 1942 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising