Broadcasting (July - Dec 1942)

OWI Sends Trio To Set Up Branch Office in London MacLeish, Warburg, Brophy Are Assigned to Task TO SET UP a London office, the newly established Office of War Information last Thursday announced it was dispatching Archibald MacLeish, James P. Warburg and Murry Brophy to the British capital. They will establish the London office in the American Embassy under the direct supervision of Ambassador John G. Winant. It will not have a large personnel. Mr. MacLeish, former director of the old Office of Facts & Figures, is now one of the three assistant directors of OWI under Director Elmer Davis and Associate Director Milton Eisenhower. He heads the Policy Development Branch. Mr. Warburg is deputy director of the Overseas Branch, which is headed by Robert Sherwood, playwright. Mr. Brophy, formerly with CBS, is chief of the Overseas Branch's Bureau of Communications Facilities. Mr. MacLeish and Mr. Brophy will be in London for only a short time to discuss general information policies and radio problems, respectively, with British officials. Mr. Warburg will remain to organize the London office. Shortwave Policy Soon The move to open a London office is in conformity with the provision of President Roosevelt's Executive Order establishing OWI, which states that it "shall maintain liaison with the information agencies of the United Nations for the purpose of relating the Government's informational programs and facilities to those of such nations." Mr. Sherwood's Overseas Branch OWI DOMESTIC BRANCH BUREAU CHIEFS UNDER COWLES Mr. Horton Mr. Lewis Mr. Mellett BUREAU CHIEFS serving under Gardner Cowles Jr. in the OWI Domestic Branch are (1 to r) : Robert Horton, former Scripps-Howard writer, recently information director of the Office for Emergency Management, chief of News Bureau; William B. Lewis, former CBS program vice-president, recently radio chief and associate director of the Office of Facts & Figures, Radio Bureau; John R. Fleming, formerly Mr. Fleming Miss Blackburn Mr. Hamblet with the Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Publications & Graphics; Lowell Mellett, administrative aide to President Roosevelt, Bureau of Motion Pictures; Katherine C. Blackburn, former assistant to Mr. Mellett in the administration of the old Office of Government Reports, Bureau of Public Inquiries; Philip Hamblet, former executive officer of Office of Government Reports, Bureau of Special Operations. has taken over intact the Foreign Information Service of the old Office of the Coordinator of Information (Donovan Committee), and its personnel remains virtually the same. Many changes are expected, however, in view of its expanding activities in the international shortwave field. Conferences are currently under way with the Board of War Communications and the Rockefeller Committee looking to coordinated and more efficient use of this country's privately operated shortwave system, and Mr. Sherwood told Broadcasting that plans are progressing "very satisfactorily" to all concerned. It is believed definite that the Government will not take over the shortwave plants of this country but will continue to program the stations and pay for time and facilities. Methods of payment have not yet been decided upon. During Mr. Brophy's absence in London, his duties, largely technical, will be taken over by Roy Corderman in Washington and Pete Nelson and Carroll Hauser in Song for Davis A TUNE dedicated to Elmer Davis, OWI chief, and inspired by his policy of "letting the nation have the news, good or bad, as long as it divulges no military secret," has been written by Irving Caesar, composer, and aired for the first time on his Sing A Song of Safety on MBS July 19. Title of the song is "The News is Good — The News is Bad". the old Donovan Committee news staff, is still in London but is expected back shortly. His duties have been taken over by Richard Hollander, former managing editor of the Washington News. New York. In the negotiations currently under way in Washington, Mr. Sherwood's aide is Gordon Persons, one-time part owner and manager of WSFA, Montgomery, Ala. Mr. Persons formerly was with the Donovan Committee, but left some time ago to return to his home State. He returned recently, however, to rejoin the Washington staff under Mr. Brophy. Irving Pflaum, former Chicago Times foreign editor, who headed Standard Brands Shifts Royal Desserts to JWT STANDARD BRANDS, New York, which in February 1940 switched the Royal Desserts account from J. Walter Thompson Co., New York, to Sherman K. Ellis & Co., New York, last week transferred the account back to J. Walter Thompson "for the time being", according to a Standard Brands spokesman. No reason was given for the shift. An unconfirmed rumor suggested that the company was planning to promote Royal Desserts rather than Tender Leaf Tea on the NBC One Man's Family program, which is owned by the Thompson agency. Such a change is contemplated, it was understood, because of the proposed rationing of tea, although the sponsor would not confirm this possibility. Chart of Organization of Office of War Information Drawn for Broadcasting by Henry Liebschutz DIULCTOR timer Davis ASSOCIATE OliSl^TOR. MLlton S.ELsenhower ADMINISTkATlVt Vernon Magce I ASSISTANT DIRLCTOa For POLICY OtVELOPMENT Archibald AAacLeish OtPUTItS OF IHi OIRtCTOIU A.H. Feller • James Allen • Arbhur Sweebser* Heginald C.Fosber • Frank. P. Shcpard -Hobert Huse • INTELLIGENCE SLUVICE. R.. ICeLbh kane ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR for OVERSEAS OPERATIONS R.oberb Sherwood ASSISTANT DIRECTOR for DOMESTIC OPERATIONS Gardner Cowles, Jr. WEST COAST OFFICE Warren Pierce I INTERNATIONAL PHESS&RADIO BUREAU Joseph Barnes FOREIGN PUBLICATIONS BUREAU Edward Stanley OUTPOST BUICEAU Harold Guinzburg COMMUNICATION FACILITIES BUREAU Murry Brophy NEWS BUREAU Koberb Hortx)n R.ADIO BUREAU WLIlLam B. LewLs BUREAU OF PUBLICATIONS & GRAPHICS John R. Fleming FOREIGN OFFICES REGIONAL NEWS OFFICES MOTION PUBLIC BUREAU of PICTURE INQUIRIES SPECIAL BUREAU BUREAU OPERATIONS Lowell ICatherine Philip AAelletb Blackburn Hambleb FIELD REPRESENTATIVE.S Page 16 . July 20, 1942 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising \^