Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

m. PETRILLO'S BP.OABEH AI25S: it’s quite apparent now the unpredictable Mr. Petrillo’s basic strategy is not aimed merely at preventing AM-FM duplication, but has much more far-reaching aims: (1) more local employment of musicians by radio, both AM and FM, (2) payment on a per-station basis for network music. Either proposition may precipitate showdowns in courts of law (under new labor acts forbidding featherbedding) or in the court of public opinion (if he should strike the networks). His aversion to technological inroads — especially networks and recordings — is real reason he pulled plug on FM’s new-born Continental Network (Vol. 3, No. 38), let alone his bah on AM-FM duplication. So Petrillo is clearly an all-industry problem — and the sooner NAB implements its "let ’ s-get-together-in-united-f ront" resolution, the better for all. So far only informal conversations have taken place toward bringing NAB, FMA, TBA and transcription companies into joint committee, as proposed at Atlantic City. FMA’s committee (Dillard, Bailey, Fay, Novik, Claire, Kohn, Lamb) meets Petrillo in New York next Wednesday, under aegis of Congressman Kearns, who says his latest conversation with Petrillo in Chicago last Monday leads him to believe music czar is willing to set national policy on FM. Still optimistic, he feels his own idea of probationary period for FM, allowing it to get on its feet (Vol. 3, 'No. 37) will be accepted. "Petrillo is not trying to get their [the FMers ' ] lives," he told us. "He just feels he should start afresh with this new broadcasting service." Kearns also opined the obvious: FM conference will have important bearing on forthcoming AM network negotiations. Yankee's John Shepard 3rd, who makes no bones about already duplicating MBS music (Vol. 3, No. 38), doesn't seem particularly worried at Petrillo's statement that AFM is investigating. Nor about his added dictum: "If we find this is so, then the contract covering live musicians broadcasting over regular stations has been violated. You know what happens when a contract with the musicians' union is violated. The boys are told not to work and they don't work." On another sector, Petrillo is preparing to stand possible trial under Lea Act for WAAF test strike, which precipitated U.S. Supreme Court edict (Vol. 3, No. 26). Completely new criminal information charges have been written by Justice Dept., sent to U. S. Attorney Otto Kerner Jr. for filing in Judge LaBuy's Chicago court. II3C GEVIiiG TV THE V/OHKS: It's hard to believe smart, well-heeled CBS, having taken its defeat on color TV with good grace, is going to be content to play second fiddle in TV's development. Yet the fact is it has only one station. New York's WCBS-TV, which is devoted practically entirely to actuality programs; that it's asking for only one more, in Chicago, where FCC has held up grant because v.p. Leslie Atlass also happens to be stockholder in WIND, another local applicant ; that it has been shut out of Los Angeles, Washington because channels there are all spolcen for; that only 4 CBS affiliates are as yet CP holders — KGDM , Stockton, Cal. ; WHAS, Louisville ; KRLD, Dallas; WHP, Harrisburg; and that only one other CBS affiliate has as yet applied — WDRC, Hartford. Even ABC holds allowable limit of 5 CPs, and MBS's major owners — WOR, WGN, Don Lee — are up to their ears in TV in New York-Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles-San Francisco, respectively. In fact, ABC is represented on CP list 8 times, MBS 3 times with 6 MBS stations on TV applicant list to date. Whatever its keenest rival's motives for seemingly holding back (only explanation is CBS prefers to step warily, depend on affiliations rather than station ownership, let the manufacturing boys carry today's big operating loss-load), it's plain that RCA-owned NBC is beset by no misgivings. As of this date, NBC has 2 TV stations operating and hooked up — New York's WNBT, Washington's WNBW ; holds CPs for 3 more — in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles; plans hooking up 2 more affiliates before year's end — Baltimore's WBAL-TV, Boston's WBZ-TV; is unqualifiedly recommending its affiliates go into TV. Three are already on the air — WGRB , Schenectady (WGY) ; WWJ-TV, Detroit; KSD-TV, St. Louis. In all, 21 NBC affiliates