NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

him I wanted to discuss the situation and see whether this thing could not be ironed out in some way between the record manu¬ facturers and the National Association of Broadcasters. Mr. Loucks, in his very engaging way, received me courteously, treated me nicely, but defied me to do anything about it.” “That is as far as it went, is it?” asked Deputy Administrator Rosenblatt. “Yes sir,” Hubner replied. Albert E. Haase, consultant for the Association of National Ad¬ vertisers, representing the majority of all large advertisers, stated that in radio the principal interest of the advertiser was in the show and in the actors. The advertisers, he pointed out, wanted to see that the money paid by them actually reached the actors and did not want pyramided commissions. Numerous advertisers have complained, Mr. Haase said, that they had to pay “commis¬ sions on commissions.” The advertisers’ success in radio depended entirely upon the quality of the performance, Haase said. The result of the pyramided commissions practice was that the actor did not get the amount he or she was supposed to receive. Sugh practices, he contended, led to unhappiness among the radio per¬ formers and tended to vitiate the quality of the show. Haase said that actors should not be paid any uniform rate. Pay should be proportionate to skill and radio personality. Emily Holt, attorney for Actors Equity Association, submitted a proposed actors’ code. It would establish minimum rates of pay for the actor for several types of broadcasts and defines a perform¬ ance as 3J4 hours in duration, including rehearsal time. The actors’ code also aims at another alleged abuse in the in¬ dustry by providing that “the administrative, operating and studio staff of a station shall not participate as artists in a program em¬ ploying professional artists.” Minimum wage for extras is set at $5 per performance. The artists’ code further provides that auditions given for a prospective buyer of a program must be paid for by that prospec¬ tive buyer at the rate of one-half the rate for an actual broadcast. Alice M. Edwards, executive secretary of the American Home Economics Association, recommended the inclusion in the code of a provision under which no network would knowingly broadcast false, misleading or ambiguous statements of articles which by such misrepresentation, might impair the public health. Immediately following the public hearing, Deputy Rosenblatt called all interested parties into conference to consider the various proposals offered at the hearing. These conferences continued Wednesday night, Thursday and Friday and are still in progress at the time this issue of NAB Reports goes to press. No definite conclusions have as yet been reached. Judge Eugene O. Sykes, chairman of the Federal Radio Com¬ mission, attended the hearing as special advisor to the deputy ad¬ ministrator. Others who were on the bench with the deputy administrator were James W. Baldwin, industrial advisor; John Shepard III, Boston, Mass, special advisor; G. A. Renard, con¬ sumer advisor; Edward Nockels, labor advisor; L. M. C. Smith, legal advisor; and Donald K. Wallace, research and planning advisor. The NAB Code Committee, consisting of Alfred J. McCosker, president of the NAB and chairman of the Committee; Philip G. Loucks, NAB Managing Director; Frank M. Russell, Ralph Colin, I. Z. Buckwalter, John Elmer, G. A. Richards, John W. Guider, John Shepard III, were present at the hearings. Quin Ryan, the tenth member of the Committee, was unable to attend. A meeting of the NAB Code Committee was held on Tuesday, the day before the hearing, and agreed upon matters concerning the presentation of the testimony. Meetings of the NAB Code Committee will be resumed in Washington next Tuesday at which time it is hoped reports on the conferences will be ready for consideration. THE CODE AND THE CONVENTION With prospects that the broadcasters’ code will be ready for approval late next week, indications are that a record crowd will attend the annual NAB convention to be held at White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., October 8, 9, 10 and 11. Work on the code is being expedited in order that it will be ready for announcement before the time of the meeting in order that all broadcasters may • Page have an opportunity to get first hand information about it during the convention. Every station received a copy of the official NAB program in the mail during the week. Read this program carefully and you will see that a major portion of the time will be devoted to business sessions in which free discussion is anticipated. Stations desiring to have exhibits or displays of promotional material should make arrangements direct with the hotel. The hotel rate for the convention is $10 a day on the American plan although accommodations may be had on the European plan, the rooms costing around $5. The registration fee will be $5 and this fee will include the banquet. NR A TRANSCRIPTIONS FOR SPONSORSHIP Release dates for the 24 electrically transcribed NRA program interludes have been announced from the office of W. B. Dolph, radio director of the NRA. Since this campaign is to start the week of October 8 it is absolutely necessary that orders be placed IMMEDIATELY by stations who desire to take advantage of this series. Herewith is the schedule of release dates, together with the sub¬ jects treated, which will indicate the local clients to whom the programs may be sold. Some stations are selling the transcription as just a five-minute program, while others are suggesting fifteenand thirty-minute programs in which the NRA transcription is spotted. No restrictions have been made as to the price for which these transcriptions can be sold. Each transcription is a force¬ ful and dramatic stimulus to “BUY NOW,” built directly around the specific commodity which is the subject of the particular episode. SCHEDULE AND SUBJECTS Week of Oct. 8 — Interlude No. 1. Subject: “Furniture.” Inter¬ lude No. 2. Subject: “Musical Instruments.” Week of Oct. IS — Interlude No. 3. Subject: “Ladies Ready to Wear.” Interlude No. 4. Subject: “General.” Week of Oct. 22 — Interlude No. S. Subject: “Mens Suits and Overcoats.” Interlude No. 6. Subject: “Women’s and Children’s Shoes.” Week of Oct. 29 — Interlude No. 7. Subject: “Labor Saving Devices.” Interlude No. 8. Subject: “Home Improvements.” Week of Nov. S — Interlude No. 9. Subject: “Foodstuffs.” In¬ terlude No. 10. Subject: “White Goods.” Week of Nov. 12 — Interlude No. 11. Subject: “Refrigeration.” Interlude No. 12. Subject: “Yard Goods.” Week of Nov 19 — Interlude No. 13. Subject: “Drugs and Drug Store Products.” Interlude No. 14. Subject: “Real Estate.” Week of Nov. 26 — Interlude No. IS. Subject: “Cosmetics and Toiletries.” Interlude No. 16. Subject: “Men’s Hats.” Week of Dec. 3 — Interlude No. 17. Subject: “Automobiles.” In¬ terlude No. 18. Subject: “Home Heating.” Week of Dec. 10 — Interlude No. 19. Subject: “Men’s Wear.” Interlude No. 20. Subject: “Kitchen Replacements.” Week of Dec. 17 — Interlude No. 21. Subject: “Culture and Amusement.” Interlude No. 22. Subject: “Children’s Wear.” Week of Dec. 24 — Interlude No. 23. Subject: “Women’s Stockings and Lingerie.” Interlude No. 24. Subject: “Tableware.” The NRA does not have funds to pay for the recording cost, but Mr. G. T. Herzog of Washington, D. C., has volunteered to produce the series at a cost of $2.50 per record, the production to be done under the supervision of NRA officials. Stations desiring to make use of these recordings should com¬ municate at once with Mr. G. T. Herzog, 704 National Press Building, Washington, D. C. The cost is $60.00, plus 5 per cent tax, for the entire series. You may, if you wish, pay for half the series at the time of subscribing and the balance on November 1, 1933, or, have them sent C. O. D., in which case an additional 25 cents per program mailing cost should be added. If you desire to make use of these recordings it is important that you place your order IMMEDIATELY. 182*