Broadcasting (Jan - Jun 1944)

Jett's Political Status Heard _ NBC War CUnic At House Committee Hearing Chief Engineer Tells House Appropriations Subcommittee He Has No Party Affiliation DESPITE instructions from FCC Chairman James Lawrence Fly not to make a statement as to his political faith, Chief Engineer E. K. Jett, Commissioner-designate, told the Independent Offices subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee that he was neither Democrat nor Republican, it was disclosed last week when the record of hearings before the subcommittee Jan. 19 were made public. Meanwhile the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee has postponed consideration of Mr. Jett's nomination, Chairman Wheeler (D-Mont.) said, at the request of Sen. White (Me.), acting minority leader. Sen. White said last Friday that although Senate Republicans had planned to discuss Mr. Jett's politics at a session last Thursday, "other matters were discussed" and the Jett nomination was not touched. Sen. Wheeler said he would delay Committee consideration pending Sen. White's wishes. Fly Trys Sidetrack Mr. Jett's politics crept into the Appropriations subcommittee, of which Rep. Woodrum (D-Va.) is chairman, when Rep. Wigglesworth (R-Mass.) questioned Commissioner Ray C. Wakefield about his own political affiliations. "How about Mr. Jett, who is now nominated for Commissioner Payne's place, as I understand it?" asked Rep. Wigglesworth, also a member of the House Select Committee to Investigate the FCC. "I suggest that is a matter pending before the Senate Committee at this minute," interposed Chairman Fly. When Rep. Wigglesworth pressed further, and Mr. Fly remarked that the chief engineer's appointments "have all come from Republicans, I think". Mr. Jett said: "I am not trying to qualify as a Republican now, or a Democrat Influencing Sales FAR Beyond Pontiac In cities . . . villages . . . farms . . . for miles and mites around Pontiac . . . the messages of national, regional and local advertisers are heard over WCAR's 1000 streamlined watts. GET THE FACTS FROM WCAR PONTIAC, MICHIGAN or the Foreman Co. • Chicago • New York either." Chairman Fly exhorted his chief engineer: "Now do not make a statement unless you are directed to." Woodrum Lauds Jett Rep. Wigglesworth continued to press and Mr. Fly appealed to Chairman Woodrum with: '"Mr. Chairman, this a matter pending before the other committee at this time, and that question has been raised in the Senate Committee. I do not have any objection to his making a statement, but I question the propriety." "Whether a Republican, Democrat or Socialist, Mr. Jett has had a lot of fine experience in this business," said Chairman Woodrum, "and I think the Communications Commission ought to have the benefit of his active participation." Rep. Starnes (D-Ala.) assented and Mr. Jett, ignoring instructions from Chairman Fly not to make a statement, gave the following information : "I hope the record is not muddled. I want to make it clear that I have never belonged to any political organization, have never taken part in any political campaign or attended a dinner given for a political purpose. And while I have registered to vote, I have never voted in my lifetime. I am not registered to vote for a party; I can only vote in a general election. In other words I cannot vote in the primaries. "The reason I have not voted is because I was in the Navy for 18 years; following that, I lived in the District until I moved to Maryland, and when I got in a position to vote in Maryland, where I have resided since 1932, I was then assistant chief engineer of the Commission, appointed by the then Federal Radio Commission, which had a Republican majority in 1931, and I felt it would be a bad idea at that late date in life, being in the engineering department, to get active in politics, and so I stayed out of it. Those are the facts." Rep. Case (R-S.D.), declared: "I think that is a much better contribution to the record than to avoid answering the question, as the chairman, Mr. Fly, suggested. I think Mr. Jett has helped himself." To which Chairman Fly fired this parting shot: "I think that is right, but I am sort of reluctant to try issues here that are before the Cox Committee, the Select Committee, or before other committees. I have no objections, of course, to any statement he may make and I would not want any cloud in the record on that account, so far as I am concerned." THIRD ANNUAL war clinic of NBC will start in New York at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Feb. 28 and will wind up March 22 in Los Angeles, lasting for three days in each of five cities. Instituted in 1942 to provide an opportunity for discussion of war-time network operations by executives of the network and its affiliates, the 1944 clinic will meet in New York Feb. 28 March 1, in Atlanta March 5-7, in Dallas March 9-11, in Chicago March 13-15 and in Los Angeles March 20-22. WTAG-FMNowCommercial W1XTG, FM station of WTAG Worcester, altered its call letters Jan. 30 to WTAG-FM, when it changed over from an experimental to a commercial status. The new FM outlet, which received its commercial grant from the FCC last month, was also assigned the new frequency, 46.1 mc. Within a short time WTAG-FM is scheduled to broadcast CBS commercial and sustaining programs in accordance with CBS policy as outlined in a telegram from Paul Kesten, executive v-p, Jan. 24. (See p. 26.) BROWN REPLACES SALTER ON MUTUAL CECIL BROWN, former CBS correspondent and commentator, who resigned from that network last September, will begin on Mutual this week, for Phillies, a product of Bayuk Inc., Philadelphia. Sam Baiter, who has been sponsored by the cigar company Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8-8:15 p. m., is leaving the air. Mutual notified the sponsor, and its agency Ivey & Ellington, Philadelphia that it was cancelling Mr. Baiter's commentaries effective Feb. 2. Mr. Brown is expected to start on that date. Mr. Brown's resignation from CBS, submitted Sept. 2, 1943 was the result of a disagreement with the network's news policy, forbidding the expression of editorial opinion by commentators. [Broadcasting, Sept. 27]. He had been reprimanded in a memo from Paul S. White, CBS director of newsbroadcasts for "indulging in defeatist talk," in one of his series of broadcasts for Johns Mansville Corp. He replaced Elmer Davis on the CBS-Johns-Mansville program in January, 1942, after returning from a foreign tour for CBS during which he made his dramatic coverage of the sinking of the "Repulse" and the "Prince of Wales." WCFL Names Keegan HOWARD KEEGAN has been appointed manager of WCFL Chicago, replacing Maynard Marquardt who resigned recently. Keegan will continue to act as program director. Boake Carter on MBS CAREY SALT Co., Hutchinson, Kan., began sponsorship Jan. 4, of a series of quarter-hour news shows, featuring Boake Carter broadcasting from New York on 71 Mutual stations, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contract is for 39 weeks. Agency is McJunkin Advertising Co., Chicago. toft bread an • feCtant, y tvrfve or S for today National Braadcatting Co. A Service of Radio Corporation of America R A D I O R $€ O R D I N G DIVISION AMfllCA'S NUMB la 1 S9r CE OF RECOROSD PROGRAMS RCA B/dg., Radio City, N.Y... Merchandise Marl, Chicago, Iff. Trans-Lux 6/dg., Washington, D. C. . . Svnset and Vine, Hollywood, Cat BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising January 31, 1944 • Page 63