Broadcasting (July - Dec 1943)

Miller Gets Green Light From Legislative Committee of NAB Meetings of Nearly Half of 17 Districts Show Unanimous Support for New Radio Law ALTHOUGH its legislative plans, insofar as personnel is concerned, have not fully jelled, the NAB Legislative Committee, at a meeting in Washington last Tuesday gave NAB President Neville Miller the green light in support of new legislation to afford the industry maximum protection against regulatory excesses of the licensing authority. President Miller pointed out that the industry is strongly united in the demand for new legislation to re-define the powers of the FCC. In nearly half of the 17 NAB districts in which meetings have been held since the Frankfurter decision of May 10, delegating broad powers to the Commission, broadcasters were unanimous in their support of new legislation, he said. "Most of the meetings have resulted in the passage of resolutions and the appointment of District Legislative Committees", he added. "Recognition of the industry's peril is evident in these moves." Loucks Unavailable Efforts had been made by the Committee to procure the services of Philip G. Loucks, Washington attorney. The former NAB managing director, however, advised the Committee at a luncheon session Tuesday that he would be unable at this time to consider such a retainer because of commitments, plus the manpower situation in his firm. Arthur W. Scharfeld, associate of Mr. Loucks, recently was commissioned a captain in AMGOT and now is on actitve duty. Consideration also was given by the Committee to the retention of other legal counsel, particularly in the light of the vacancy created by the recent departure of Russell P. Place, NAB staff counsel, for government military service. Another staff appointment also was considered, without final action. It had been presumed, when the Legislative Committee meeting was called a week earlier, that Mr. Miller had completed arrangements covering an all-inclusive legislative plan, entailing retention of personnel, which he would seek to have ratified by the Committee. In this connection several committee members were believed to have agreed upon retention of Mr. Loucks, since the matter had been discussed at an earlier meeting. It was clear that Committee members were disappointed over Mr. Loucks' inability at this time to consider the proposal advanced by Mr. Miller. Four of the ten Committee members were absent — Don S. Elias, WWNC Asheville; James W. Woodruff Jr., WRBL Columbus; James D. Shouse, WLW Cincinnati; and Frank M. Russell, NBC Washing ton Vice President. Mr. Russell was in Washington but did not attend the meeting. Present at the session were: Nathan Lord, WAVE Louisville; Clair McCollough, WGAL Lancaster; Joseph Ream, CBS Vice-President, New York; Ed Yocum, KGHL Billings, Mont.; and G. Richard Shafto, WIS Columbia, S. C. William Barlow of WLW, assistant to Mr. Shouse, was an observer in behalf of WLW's general manager, who was vacationing in Mexico and unable to return in time for the meeting. KFMB to Join Blue KFMB San Diego, Cal., on Sept. 1 becomes a BLUE basic affiliate, replacing KFSD. Latter station in turn on that date joins NBC as a supplementary affiliate, continuing as such until Oct. 1, 1944, when it becomes a basic outlet. Owned by Worcester Broadcasting Corp., KFMB operates on 1450 kc, 250 watts. KFSD is owned by Airfan Radio Corp. Ltd., and operates on 600 kc, 1000 watts. WFPG to Join Blue WFPG, Atlantic City, N. J., on Oct. 4 joins the BLUE Network as a basic supplementary station, bringing the network's total affiliates to 165. Owned by Neptune Broadcasting Corp., WFPG operates on 250 w, 1450 kc fulltime. Evening hour rate will be $60 per hour. W.TTiK Dptroit, has been awarded a special flag and certain of its members have received certificates of merit from fhe Treasury Department for the patriotic work the 250 watt station has done in selling $1,350,000 worth of war bonds to foreign language listeners during the past year. Big Winner H. V. KALTENBORN, NBC commentator, is reported by NBC to be looking for a good analyst to interpret the results of private poll on radio commentators conducted recently by a professor at the California Institute of Technology. Mr. Kaltenborn emerged in first place as "best informed commentator" and received second place both as "most respected commentator", and as "biggest stuffed shirt". Colgate, Carter Involved In Net Program Changes CARTER PRODUCTS, New York, in replacing Inner Sanctum Mysteries with Keepsakes on the BLUE [Broadcasting, Aug. 16], will shift the mystery show to CBS where it will occupy the spot now held bv Hobby Lobby. ColgatePalmolive-Peet Co., Jersey City, will discontinue the latter program following the Aug. 28 broadcast and Inner Sanctum will move to the Saturday, 8:30-8:55 p.m. spot on the full CBS network Sept. 4. Keepsakes, featuring songs by Dorothy Kirsten and Mack Harrell in the Sunday, 8:30-9 p.m. period on the BLUE, will be heard on an 82-station hookup when it first goes on the air Sept. 5, adding three stations in December. Midnight repeat for Arrid, a carryover from the repeat of Inner Sanctum Mysteries, will be dropped Oct. 3. Ted Bates Inc., New York, handles Palmolive shave cream C-P-P product advertised on Hobby Lobby, and the promotion of Carter's Little Liver Pills and Arrid on Inner Sanctum. WENY to Join NBC WENY, Elmira, N. Y., on Sept. 1 joins NBC as a basic supplementary affiliate, bringing the total number of NBC outlets to 139. Owned by the Elmira Star-Gazette, WENY operates on 250 w 1230 kc unlimited. It is currently a Mutual affiliate. __L ["RADAR DEPT 1 | J__._) i f>, (C^ J S J I <1 > 7 300 STATIONS PLUG 'THIS IS THE ARMY9 NEARLY 300 stations are contributing free time for promotion of "This Is the Army," non-profit Warner Bros, production, all proceeds of which go to the Army Emergency Relief Fund. Warner Bros, in cooperation with the Army, has prepared a 14-minute transcription, which is purchassd by local exhibitors and offered free to local stations. Space is being purchased in magazines and newspapers, with Blaine-Thcmpson Co., Warner agency, contributing all its customary agency commissions to the fund. Promotional disc consists of five spot announcements by Al Jolson, Walter Winchell, Eddie Cantor, Kate Smith and Jimmie Durante, with a running narrative by George Tobias, who appears in the film. It includes six song hits sung by the chorus of "This Is the Army". Chorus is made up of a "task force" of soldiers stationed at Camp Upton, N. Y., where they are carrying out their regular training duties. Film had its premiere in New York July 28 and as it opens in various sections of the country the list of 300 stations cooperating in the promotional drive is expected to be augmented. Clarence J. Huff CLARENCE J. HUFF, vice-president in charge of sales of Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, 68, died Aug. 18 in Hampton, N. H. With P&G s:'nce 1890, Mr. Huff was with the company's Boston office until 1912 when he went to Cincinnati as manager of the central sales division. He was also manager of the case goods department, and general sales manager, and had been vicepresident and director since 1938. Surviving are his wife, a daughter and two sons. Edward P. Sealy EDWARD P. (Ted) SEALY, 39, of the continuity department of WMT Cedar Rapids, was killed Aug. 13 in an auto accident in Cedar Rapids. Mr. Sealy attended Coe College, Cedar Rapids, and graduated cum laude from Transylvania U., Lexington, Ky. He served nine months in the Army and was honorably discharged a few months ago at which time he became a member of WMT. Permit Denied R. O. HARDIN and J. C. Buchanan, owners of Nashville Broadcasting Co., Nashville, Tenn., were last week denied without prejudice by the FCC a permit for a new local broadcasting station to operate on 1240 kc, 250 watts, unlimited time. The action conformed to the FCC's "freeze" orders of April, 1942, the Commission said in its proposed findings adopted Aug. 19. Drawn for Broadcasting bv SM Hix 'It Is With Genuine Pleasure That I Pin This Month's Production Award On One Of Our Fairest Workers!" PAT FLANAGAN, sports announcer of WJ.Tl). Chicagn. on Aug. 5 missed his first baseball broadcast since joining the station's staff three years ago. Hospitalization for a stomach ailment kept him off the job until Aug 8. Page 62 • August 23, 1943 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising