Broadcasting (July - Dec 1942)

Willson, Manners Named To ASCAP Membership MEREDITH WILLSON, conductor of the orchestra on the General Foods Maxwell House Coffee Time program on NBC, and Zeke Manners, hillbilly actor of WNEW, New York, are among the 20 writers elected to membership in ASCAP last week. The board also announced the election of five new publisher-members. Other new writer-members include: Charles O. Banks, Vera Bloom, Carl Busch, Walter Donovan, Milton Keith Ebbins, Seger Ellis, Pearl Fein, Don George, Schuyler Greene, Fred Hillebrand, Arthur Kent, Hazel G. Kinscello, I. B. Kornblum, Richard Charles Krieg, Irwin Rowan, Igor Stravinsky, Mrs. Joe Taylor Torrance, Bernard Wagenaar. New publisher-members are: Bloch Publishing Co., Glenmore Music Inc., J. C. Marchant Co., Noble Music Co., Tempo Music Inc. SCARE ADVERTISING CRITICIZED Diversion of Needed Funds From Armed Forces -Criticized by Commerce Dept. Organ CLAIM that the Government is against all advertising is vigorously refuted by the attitude of the Dept. of Commerce, declares the department's weekly Domestic Commerce in its Nov. 26 issue. The conviction is rather that informative advertising is a necessary tool of commerce, for the exchange of goods and services, it is stated. "Scare" advertising, such as that urging people to buy goods because of impending rationing or shortages, is described as a blot on the information industry. "The Department, however, views as decidedly harmful and unAmerican all scare advertising," the article continues. "Promoted by some short-sighted retailers, it is actively hindering the war effort. "Such advertisements urge people to buy merchandise because of expected shortages or impending rationing. Induces Panic "They build up unnecessary fears and send a panicky public rushing to stores. They cause needless buying. They foster hoarding. They speed the day of actual shortages. "Most important, this scare type of advertising robs our fighting forces of funds needed to buy guns and other munitions. These funds bring temporary prosperity to scare advertisers and permanent loss to our war savings bond campaign. "Today's advertiser has a tre STATION Tennessee is divided into three distinct sections — East, Middle, and West. Middle Tennessee, v/ith its hub at Nashville, is covered thoroughly by one advertising medium — Radio Station WSIX. Engineers' surveys show EVERY county of Middle Tennessee plus sixteen counties in Southern Kentucky included in this station's 0.1 MV/M signal. Population, 1,264,494 . . . Families, 312,822 . . . Radio Homes, 202,200. SPOT SALES, INC. NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES 5000 WATTS ml 980 KILOCYCLES NASHVILLE, TENN, mendous opportunity in this war. He can be a leader for good. He can mold minds in the right direction. And through the medium of newspapers, magazines, radio, direct mail, or outdoor advertising, he can dramatize to the public the part it must play in helping win the victory. "Yes, the advertiser can do all these things. And praise be, literally hundreds of advertisers are doing them every day. They stand as an enlightened information industry functioning for the common good." Copyright Owners File Revised Canada Tariffs ALTHOUGH FEES were frozen last December, the Canadian Performing Rights Society, Canadian ASCAP, and BMI Canada, on Nov. 30 filed tariffs with the Canadian Copyright Appeal Board. Fees were frozen for the duration by agreement last year, covering the 1942 calendar year, due to price ceiling regulations and because it was felt by the Copyright Appeal Board that war was not a time to revise such fees upward as CPRS had asked in their tariff. This month, it is expected, the parties to the tariff and others paying CPRS fees, as well as the Canadian Assn. of Broadcasters, will appear before the Copyright Appeal Board at Ottawa to meet the new judge, who has yet to be appointed and who will succeed the late Justice A. K. McLean before whom recent appeals have been heard. KOCY Sale Approved UNDER DECISION of the FCC Dec. 1, consent was granted for relinquishment of control of KOCY, Oklahoma City, from M. S. McEldowney, local hardware dealer and banker, to the Plaza Court Broadcasting Co., John D. Thomas and C. E. Johnson, by virtue of transferee's purchase of 300 shares, or 32.6%, of the issued and outstanding stock of the licensee for $30,000. Previously, Mr. McEldowney held 600 of the 920 outstanding shares. Under the new alignment he retains 300 shares; the Plaza Court Broadcasting Co. purchases 200 shares for $20,000; John D. Thomas and C. E. Johnson, already holders of 150 shares each, purchase 50 additional shares for $5,000. M. H. Bonebrake, general manager of KOCY, owns the remaining 20 shares. Mr. Thomas is vice-president and manager of the Plaza Court Investment Co and Mr. Johnson is an Oklahoma City attorney. Wins Women's Medal NANCY BOOTH CRAIG has re ceived the 19th annual Women's International Exposition Medal for Distinguished Radio Achievement for her program on WJZ, New York, titled Woman of Tomorrow The award was made at the Women's International Exposition of Arts & Industries, meeting in New York recently. The citation stated that the program, begun well before the days of Pearl Harbor ' "helped pave the way for a unifiec effort in every phase of woman's wartime role." Page 20 • December 7, 1942