Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

LOCAL 802'S SURPLUS GROWS ANNUAL financial report of New York Local 802, American Federation of Musicians, shows that at end of 1956 surplus amounted to $664,000 as against $470,000 at end of 1955. Report showed that at end of 1956, approximately $490,000 remained in general fund; $2,400 for relief fund; $85,000 for live music fund and $88,000 for strike fund, reflecting increases in each group as compared with 1955. WHLS MICHIGAN'S POWERFUL 250 WATTER . . . WHLS is responsible for more newsworthy stories featured by A.P. than any other station in the country. 4 FULL TIME NEWSMEN PORT HURON'S COMMUNITY STATION Rtprotontod Nationally by Gill-Perna For Detroit — Michigan Spot Saltt ONE OF THE FIRST 100 MARKETS WHBF RADIO & TELEVISION FIRST IN RADIO 1st In Down state Illinois* 1st In The Quad-Cities according to NCS No. 2 * All 68 stations outside of Chicago REPRESENTED BY AVERY-KNODEL, INC. VOICE OF THE PEOPLE WSRS GREATER CLEVELAND'S NUMBER 1 STATION SRS "RadioActive" TvlBS Page 90 • May 20, 1957 PERSONNEL RELATIONS LOCAL 47 MULLS CONVENTION TACK • Talks in Hollywood bog down • National session in Denver A SPECIAL meeting of the Hollywood local (47) of the American Federation of Musicians, held last Monday to draft instructions for the local's delegates to AFM's 1957 national convention, failed to agree on what these instructions should be. Bogged down with a welter of more than 20 resolutions, the meeting referred the lot to the local's board of clarification and revision. They will be resubmitted at another membership meeting called for May 27. Earlier, Eliot H. Daniel, president of Local 47, reported on his three-hour appearance before the AFM's International Executive Board, meeting in Chicago the previous week. He reported AFM President James C. Petrillo and the union's other top officials gave a courteous reception to his presentation of the views of Hollywood musicians — that the AFM trust fund policies are not in the best interests of the musicians employed by the makers of recordings and films for television. The union requirement that the makers of tv films pay an additional 5% into the Music Performance Trust Fund has served only to force the use of recorded music in making these films, making the cost of live musicians prohibitive, the local contends. Other Meetings on Tap His meeting with AFM's top executive board paved the way for further meetings at which representatives of Local 47 can present specific suggestions for policy changes to the national union, Mr. Eliot reported. The way is open, he said, for the Hollywood musicians to attain their goal of abolishing the royalty payments through negotiations within the union rather than through the courts. Currently, groups of Hollywood musicians employed in making films and recordings, are prosecuting a number of suits to block payments by employers into the trust funds and to divert them to the individual musicians instead. Long a controversial issue within the AFM, the trust fund policy argument last year proved an unsuccessful rebellion in the Hollywood AFM local. This year's AFM convention will be held June 10-14 in Denver. WGAW Statement Emphasizes Tv Importance to Writers GROWING importance of television as a market for writers is shown in a financial statement by Writers Guild of America West for the past year. In dues assessments based on earnings, tv writers contributed better than 32% of the WGAW income during the year ended March 31, 1957, up from 26% the previous year and 17% for the year ended March 31, 1955. Meanwhile, the screen writer's contribution has declined from about 66% to about 53% of the total guild itself. The report by Curtis Kenyon, guild treasurer, shows that for the latest fiscal year, ended March 31, 1957, the income of WGAW's tv writer members totaled $6,814,662, nearly $2 million ahead of their $4,742,404 total for the preceding year. Income of radio writers dropped from $765,939 to $467,227, but the slack was well taken up by the additional revenue from tv, Mr. Kenyon noted. Screen writers' income rose nearly $1 million, from $10,338,431 to $1 1,151,234. For the guild itself, total income for the fiscal year just past was $212,415 compared with $183,564 the previous year; expenses rose from $141,016 to $169,522, and the net was just about the same, $42,893 for the latest 12-month period to $42,548 for the previous year. SEG Elects New Officer Slate Franklyn Farnum Again President OFFICERS of the Screen Extras Guild, Hollywood, have been announced following annual elections. President Franklyn Farnum was unopposed for re-election. New officers are Jeffrey Sayre, first vice president; Tex Brodus, second vice president; Paul Bradley, third vice president; Paul Cristo, recording secretary; Kenner G. Kemp, treasurer; board members: Mr. Bradley, Mr. Brodus. Joe Brooks, Eva Novak, Lucille House, Murray Pollack, Bill Hickman, Eve Gordon, Spencer Chan, Emory Dennis, Connie Conrad, Max Reid and Roy Damron. Donahue Heads Hollywood RTDG; Installation Set for June 3 JACK DONAHUE, freelance director (The George Gobel Show), was elected president of the Hollywood local of the Radio-TV Directors Guild for the coming year and will be installed at a general meeting June 3. Other officers elected are: Robert L. Robb, ABC, vice president: Miss Maury Orr, ABCTV, secretary; Howard Quinn. CBS-TV, treasurer. Broadcasting • Telecasting