Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan - Mar 1951)

M DEMANDS STUN NETWORKS aa By BRUCE ROBERTSON NG-DRAWN negotiations, intably extending well beyond L 31 when present contracts ween the key stations of radio 1 TV networks and AFM locals New York, Chicago and Hollyod expire, will be necessary bee new contracts can be worked network executives agreed last k. tunned by the original demands he musicians union, which they e attempting to get clarified week, the network negotiators e hopeful that an agreement Id be reached by bargaining, jy averred, however, that if M proposals are considered as demands rather than a startplace for negotiations, then a ke is inevitable as "we cannot sibly accede to these terms and lain in business." robably the major point of issue ween the union and broadcasters be the union requirement that stations eliminate all recorded grams from their schedules n 8 a.m. to midnight, which lid leave only the early mornhours from midnight to 8 a.m. disc jockey shows and all other grams of phonograph records transcriptions. Base Scale Boost carcely less critical as a matter debate is the AFM demand for 0% increase in base scale, plus lands for employment quotas for staff musicians and for ie employed on commercial proms which one network executive ared "would add up to about a % increase in program costs." e minimum s are currently L.45 a week in New York for hours work out of a 40-hour od; $158.70 for a 20-hour workk out of 40 hours on the job, or 1.80 for 25 hours work on susj ing programs only. The base mercial scale in Chicago is 7.75 for the 25-hour work-week in Hollywood $125. FM is trying to maintain presquotas for the employment of F musicians by the stations. union is also asking that a nimum instrumentation" sysbe applied to commercial pro':. ms whose musicians are emzed by advertisers or their ncies. Details of this are somet vague but it is understood , a minimum number of musis would be required for each ihe various types of programs, ewhat as the union now varies requirements for the number of musicians employed by theatres :i the type of theatrical presition playing at the time, nother AFM proposal is that F musicians be employed on an ual basis, with two-week vacalis with pay and other prejratives of regular employes with eight-week notices re quired for dismissal. For musicians on commercial shows the union is asking "run of show" contracts, said to be an innovation in radio labor negotiations. The union is also making another demand that the stations contribute to the AFM welfare fund an amount equal to 3% of their total expenditures for musicians' salaries. As one network executive put it, "it all adds up to one hell of a pill for us to swallow." Hit Radio and TV These demands are applied impartially to radio and TV network key stations in the union proposals, which are currently being handled on the AFM end by officials of the union locals in the three cities where most network programs originate. If and when problems of national import arise which cannot be settled on the local level, they will doubtless be referred to AFM President James C. Petrillo and the AFM International Executive Board for discussion with network officials — probably on the top level. For the present, however, each local is conducting its own negotiations with the network stations for all musicians employed by them for work on either network or local programs. While the AFM demand for the discard of recorded programs during the major part of the broadcast day is believed to be aimed primarily at local programs of the disc jockey variety, it would also, if interpreted literally, bar all musical syndicated transcribed programs and all network musical shows, such as ,the Bing Crosby program, which are pre-recorded on tape for network broadcast. Recorded musical bridges and introductions used in radio serials would also be prohibited and the ban might also eliminate any musical commercials on radio and TV in which one or more instrumentalists are employed. In an attempt to clarify the situation, the union and networks are setting up a subcommittee in New York to analyze the employment of musicians at the key stations, to give a factual basis for discussions as to future employment. Committee will include four representatives of AFM Local 802 (New York) and four network representatives, one each from ABC, CBS, NBC and WOR (MBS key station in New York). Presumably WABD (TV), New York station of the DuMont TV Network, whose AFM contract also expires Jan. 31 concurrently with those of WOR-AM-TV and the network organizations which all operate both radio and television networks, would be represented on this committee when TV matters are up for discussion. Apart from current negotiations, but almost certain to enter them before they are over, is the question of films made for movie-house use and subsequently telecast. Television stations a fortnig-ht ago received telegraphic warning from Mr. Petrillo that a section of the contract under which most such films are produced prohibits their Lengthy Battle Seen being telecast. Due to a "widespread misinterpretation" of the contract referred to, Mr. Petrillo's office issues a second announcement last week designed to clarify the situation. According to this second announcement, a basic agreement with Hollywood motion picture producers of April 1, 1946, specified that as to films " 'heretofore made or which will be made prior to the expiration of this agreement' (extended in 1948 and again in 1949) no television use would be made or permitted 'during the life of this agreement and thereafter.' Film Application "Thus, if a film was produced after April 1, 1946, it is subject to the agreement," the announcement continued, "but also — and this is the point overlooked by many — a film owned or acquired on or after April 1, 1946, by a signatory to the basic agreement, even though produced prior to 1946, is subject to the agreement." Full text of paragraphs (I) and (J) of the agreement read as follows: (I) The producer agrees that he will not, without the prior written consent of the federation, license, lease, lend, give, sell, utilize, or in any other way whatsoever authorize the use in whole or in part, of the music sound track containing the recorded music made by members of the federation, or scenes or shots containing pictures of members of the federation performing on musical in ( Continued on page 83) NETWORK GROSS tops $15 Mimon in nov. NOVEMBER 1950 gross time sales" totaling $15,906,296 for the four radio networks, evidenced a slight but noteworthy gain over the $15,855,787 spent by advertisers in November, 1949, according to figures released to Broadcasting • Telecasting by Publishers Information Bureau. The 11-month figure of $167,797,824 for Jan.-Nov. 1950, continued to show a decline in comparison to Jan.-Nov. 1949, however, with last year's cumulative total for the same 11 months reaching $171,391,283. (See Table 1). P&G Still at Top The long list of programs sponsored by Procter & Gamble cost the soap company $1,680,669 in gross time and once more placed them as the top radio advertiser. General Foods ran second by spending $794,863 and Sterling Drug ranked third with expenditures of $662,907. Fourth and fifth respectively were Lever Bros, for $632,384, and General Mills for $604,957 worth of (Continued on page 7i) TABLE I GROSS NETWORK TIME SAIES FOR NOV. AND JAN.-NOV. 1950 BY PRODUCT GROUPS COMPARED TO NOV. AND JAN.-NOV. 1949 PRODUCT GROUP Nov. 1950 Agriculture & Farming $ 58,677 Apparel, Footwear & Acces 183,246 Automotive, Automotive Acces. & Equip 356,709 Aviation, Aviation Acces. & Equip Beer, Wine & Liquor 313,201 Bldg. Mat., Equip. & Fixtures,... 106,042 Confectionery & Soft Drinks 375,484 Consumer Services 151,433 Drugs & Remedies 2,215,702 Entertainment & Amusements • Food & Food Products 3,870,536 Gasoline, Lubricants & Other Fuels 545,098 Horticulture Household Equip. & Supplies 196,788 Household Furnishings 53,032 Industrial Materials 174,678 Insurance 226,802 Jewelry, Optical Goods & Cameras 179,271 Office Equip., Writing Supplies & Stationery 88,665 Political 133,652 Publishing & Media 19,304 Radios, TV Sets, Phonographs, Musical Inst. & Acces 236,328 Retail Stores 8,924 Smoking Materials 1,781,026 Soaps, Cleansers & Polishes 1,359,601 Sporting Goods Toiletries & Toilet Goods 2,254,614 Transportation, Travel & Resorts. . 67,660 Miscellaneous 449,823 TOTAL $15,906,296 Jan.-Nov. 1950 899,380 1,362,147 4,612,085 2,478,375 1,209,288 5,738,509 1,731,538 22,483,872 5,619 41,030,187 4,945,428 105,696 2,870,299 467,753 1,944,155 2,601,734 1,416,104 1,211,194 281,513 645,901 1,062,591 37,932 20,691,620 18,868,743 29,614 23,510,180 802,672 4,753,695 Nov. 1949 93,538 100,996 462,503 182,044 103,270 388,619 170,734 1,902,143 4,074,456 406.646 298,966 38^70 188,745 272,446 360,613 133,752 23,869 80,580 2,088,757 1,583,110 4,969 2,479,889 67,668 349,214 OADCASTING • Telecasting $167,797,824 $15,855,787 January 22, 1951 Jan.-Nov. 1949 1 ,050,737 1,174,728 6,270,286 1,143,250 1,178,485 5,874,708 1,794,236 19,130,634 5,340 40,970,118 5,178,673 97,642 5,795,291 856,424 2,002,083 3,447,176 2,477,101 1,262,973 56,574 854,476 731,545 38,472 21,452,359 17,719,446 .67,743 26,895,452 1,007,501 2,877,830 $171,391,283 Page 21