Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

4 Congress NOVEMBER 30, 1959 The FCC More about WHO’S WHO IN FCC INQUIRY: The FCC sounded pleased with the turnout its TV-radio programming inquiry has stimulated (see p. 2), congratulating the 52 who have filed appearances to date for “their willingness to expend time & effort in this very important proceeding.” The Commission hasn’t indicated when each will appear; it said it would do so later. Here’s the list, as published by the Commission : National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. National Catholic Welfare Council Union of American Hebrew Congregations Jewish Theological Seminary National Congress of Parents & Teachers American Assn, of University Women American Civil Liberties Union National Grange National Farmers Union General Federation of Women’s Clubs National Assn, for Better Radio & TV National Council of Women Federal Communications Bar Assn. American Medical Assn. National Education Assn. National Assn, of Educational Bcstrs. Educational TV Council Joint Council on Educational TV Greater Washington Educational TV Assn. National Educational TV & Radio Center. Norman Cousins, Saturday Review of Literature William F. Buckley, National Review John Fischer, Harpers Magazine Prof. Gilbert Seldes, dir., Annenberg School of Communications, U. of Pa. Prof. William Y. Elliott, Harvard U. Prof. Charles Siepmann, NYU Prof. Reuel Denny, U. of Chicago Eric Larabee, exec, editor, American Heritage Prof. Paul Lazarsfeld, Harvard U. Rev. William Lynch, Georgetown U. Prof. Sydney W. Head, U. of Miami Theodore Peterson, U. of 111. Prof. Ronald Coase, U. of Va. Prof. Percy Tannenbaum, U. of Wis. Prof. Ithiel Poole. MIT Msgr. John McClafferty, Catholic U. Assn, of Better Business Bureaus TV Code Review Board. NAB Assn, of National Advertisers American Assn, of Advertising Agencies Advertising Federation of America NBC ; CBS : ABC; MBS Westinghouse Bcstg. Co. NAB ASCAP Sigma Delta Chi Philip Cortney, pres, of Coty Inc. Storer Bcstg. Co. WWLP, Springfield, Mass. Others filing, though not included in the FCC’s list: Pierson, Ball & Dowd (law firm) ; Sharfeld & Baron (law firm) ; NBC-TV Affiliates Committee : Peoples Bcstg. Co. (KTVT Sioux City, etc.) All-network Conelrad briefing for pesonnel of all TV, AM & FM stations will be carried this week via closed circuit from Washington. FCC defense Comr. Lee has asked gen. mgrs. of all network-affiliated outlets to stand by for the special program, which will be transmitted Nov. 30-Dec. 4 by CBS, NBC, ABC and MBS at times chosen by the networks. Lee also asked the stations to provide nonnetwork outlets with tapes of the briefing, conducted by FCC’s national industry advisory committee in cooperation with FCC, Office of Civil & Defense Mobilization and Defense Dept, to explain “broadcasters’ responsibilities & obligations” in the national emergency communications setup. He suggested that the stations invite local & state advisory committee members and civil defense representatives to sit in with station personnel for the closed-circuit program. In another move to strengthen Conelrad, FCC has approved for distribution an interim outline of a printed guide on Functions & Responsibilities of State Industry Advisory Committees. Payola Parade: There was no doubt about it last week — the nation’s disc jockeys, music publishers, recording officials and musical performers discovered they had replaced quiz contestants, producers and large-budget advertisers as the latest group to be herded into the “circus maximus” of public probes (see p. 1). Even the locale of the spectacle was shifting. Robert W. Lishman, chief counsel of the House subcommittee on legislative oversight, announced he would move his payola investigations to N.Y. Dec. 1 to interview music industry figures in a search for an activity pattern in pay-for-play music & record plugs. Also due to be probed by Lishman will be the sideline activity of TV performers in music publishing & the recording field. As a warm-up to this main event, the pace of payola probes in N.Y. was quickening. DA Frank S. Hogan served a Grand Jury subpoena on Alan Freed, one of the industry’s top disc jockey names, Nov. 25 as he finished a local dance-party program on N.Y.’s WNEW-TV. (Freed had been fired officially by WABC Nov. 21, after refusing to sign an I-never-took-payola pledge, and had agreed to end his WNEW-TV contract “by mutual consent” Nov. 23). Freed was hardly pleased at being the center of so much attention. He had refused to sign the payola pledge at WABC, he said, because it was “an insult,” and had taken time during a local N.Y. radio interview to differentiate between in-front payola and after-the-fact gifts & Christmas loot from record firms. Detroit & Philadelphia Walkouts Also fired last week was WJBK Detroit disc jockey Tom Clay who admitted taking nearly $8,000 worth of payola annually “but only when it was urged on him.” Said Clay: “It is part of the business.” Also on the motor city station, WJBK disc jockey Don McLeod resigned in a huff, becoming the 3rd platter-twirler to leave the station in a 36-hr. period. In Philadelphia, WIBG’s Joe Niagara also joined the walk-out parade. For the benefit of N.Y. listeners curious about the payola position of WMCA personalities, the independent radio outlet aired spot announcements urging dialers “who have any questions about WMCA’s music policy” to write in for details. In Chicago, another local-level payola investigation began to develop Nov. 24 when the Cook County attorney’s office promised to “cooperate fully” with the House special subcommittee study. Chief Investigator Paul Newey said WAIT personality Phil Lind has already been contacted. Lind’s tape interview with the owner of a small record label allegedly uncovers payola demands made by several Chicago disc jockeys. Further west. Twin Cities columnist-disc jockey Bill Diehl defended Minneapolis-St. Paul record spinners “who are not on the take,” but urged a Congressional payola probe to uncover those disc jockeys in the U.S. “who have betrayed themselves and their public,” and accept payola. There is some likelihood of a Hollywood counterpart to the Washington & N.Y. payola probes. At least 2 investigators from Harris’s subcommittee are due in Hollywood this week, at which time they’ll begin a probe of West Coast payola activities. DA William McKesson has stated there is no Cal. state law to prevent payola (Vol. 15:47 pl7). Tunesmith Meredith Willson (“The Music Man”), scheduled to host the “Grammy Awards” show on NBC-TV