Variety (Sep 1937)

Wednesdair, September 29, 1937 RADIO VARIETY 31 Craney-Symons Issue Letters Joindy Two br6adcasters from the northwest threw themselves into the musicians' employment situa- tion last week- with a call to arms directed at west- ern stations. ^T. W. Symons, Jr., of KXL, Portland, and KFPY, Spokane, and Ed Craney, of KGIR, Butte, Mont, did the clarion act through a couple inimeographed letters mailed in the same envelope. Craney's communication urged complete defiance of the Federation's requirements, while Symons took a more conciliatory point of view but urged that the western broadcasters get together before the Oct. 12 meet of the National Association of Broadcasters in New York and decide the course of action they wanted taken, regardless of how it might affect the interests of NBC and Columbia. Symons-Craney letters have caused some dismay among the networks, fearing that such regional meets might produce enough flre-breathing to fore- stall ' any chance of a harmonious solution of the problem at the New York gathering. Sufficient western broadcasters might be swung, into line tq make the militant group's viewpoint the dominant policy of the convention when it comes to voting on the musicians' issue. As the membership in the NAB now stands, out of the total of 413 dues paying stations 210 are affiliated with NBC and Columbia. This creates a balance of power that makes the net- works' outlook still less cheery. Some broadcasters foresee a possibility of the affiliated outlets breaking away from the NAB and entering into their own deal with the AFM. They also look on the forthcoming meet as likely to offer a side picture of no mean proportions, this involv- ing a sturdy attempt of the NAB's current admin- istration to steal back the show. This same admin- istration came off with anything but flying colors at the last broadcasters' ^sion in New York when it was at the insistence of the opposition on the asso- ciation's board that the NAB called for the Oct. 12 get-together of the industry. Stations Outside Network Cbverned by Same Basic Agreement in Musicians' View stations not affiliated with the net- works will have no alternative but tb accept the/same bsisic agreement which a . committee reptesenting the network affiliated outlets concluded with, the American Federation of Musicians last week. '".Joe- Weber, prez,' disclosed Monday (27) that the agreement with the affiliates contained a clause which prevented the unioii from giving the non- affiliates' any. more advantageous terms. Agreement or memorandum con- Bummated between the AFM execu- tive board and the affiliates' com- mittee involves the additional ex- pehditufc , of $1,500,000 a year for musicians among the affiliated out- lets during the next two years. This same committee has also drawn up a uniform contract for use between the stations in the group and their local AFM branches. Both the uni- form contract and the method for . allocating the $1,500,000 are subject to the approval of the affiliated sta- tions, which are slated to meet in New York Oct. 12, Weber is leaving Friday (1) for the American Federation of Labor' convention in Denver and will be absent from New York until Oct. 13. NBC and Columbia are meanwhile expected to work out new two-year agreemsfLts for staff musicians em- ployed by them in New York, Chi- cago, and hos Angeles. Negotiations for such contracts are being handled in New York by web officials direct. First instance of the Committee on Industrial Organization extend- ing its unionization activities in. broadcasting beyond the' technical field'is the claim made by the Amer- ican Radio Telegraphers Association that it has enrolled the annoimcers, continuity writers and program pro- ducers, as well as the technicians, of KbMA, Oklahoma City. The CIO union has advised the management of KOMA that its personnel in the four classifications have been signed up 100% but that no pressure will be brought to negotiate a contract until the station has had a chance to dig up counter data. Headquarters of the ARTA in New York explained last week that the organization's policy will not be to claim jurisdiction over these various classes of station personnel. If other unions to cover each classifica- tion develop, the ARTA, which pro-, poses to call itself the American Communications Association,' will gladly agree to the transfer of such members. In the meantime the ARTA' figures that it is better to have them in some union than un- organized. ARTA also claims that the person- nel of WBBZ, Ponca City, affiliated /with the Oklahoma Network, has in large part joined that union and that it has a substantial representation in three othei: outlets of the regional link. Philadelphia, Sept.. 28. Possibility of WCAU and footers' Local coming to agreement on house band before settlement of national issue, Oct, 15, now seems remote. Doc and Ike Levy, Owners of sta- tion; Stan Lee Broza, program di- rector; A. A. Tomei, prez of union; Rex. Riccardi, secretary, and Herb- ert Syme, labor mediator, confabbed w into, starlight last Tuesday and got farther .than ever • before—but that's still miles from ink on a line. Tomei offered Levys band at once m same terms as allowed KYW, which has already- signed. He con- sidered this large concession, inas- much as WCAU is 50,000 watter and KYW 10,000 watts. Offer meai;is employment of 16 men at $45 for two hours of sustaining per day. In ad- dition^ another concession was thrown in. WCAIJ could deduct pro rata for any part of the two hours- used and paid for at regular comr mercial rates. Doc Levy offered alternative, • He wanted to pay. $800 weekly for a combo sustaining and commercial band. Tomei balked, as this would mean only $45 per man, plus leader's' stipend. He'll, however,, put whole thing up to general membership of the Local at a meeting next Tuesday. He indicated that he'll oppose its acceptance because it. would be of- fensive to KYW and would tear down entire union scale. He pointed out that WRAX, which sells a quar- ter-hour for $26.50, just signed a termer for 12 men at $60 for four hours a day. WCAU gets $180 per quarter-hour. Reports of strikes and lockouts in- volving entire staff of 10 gabbers at WPEN-WR\X, with this Friday (1) as the big cay, seeped through radio circles here. Men just signed up .with American .Quild of Radio An^ nouncers and Producers. Guild has suddenly come into Philly fast and it is understood that crews at sev- eral other outlets, including WCAU, have been signed virtually 100%. Whatever is happening at WPEN is being kept well sub rosa by both sides. Management declares it hasn't yet been approached by the men and knows nothing of a lock- out Or. strike. Staff, it is understood, however, is awaiting arrival of an organizer from New York to con- duct negotiations Friday with star tion's new ownei-, John Iraci. Chicago, Sept. 28. Sudden switch last week gave , WIND th6 Notre. Dame football schedule over WLW-Transamerican line, Jdthough. the. station had en- tered into" a vferbaj," agreement early lait summer to .do^ an exclusive on the Chicago U. games. Mix-up over the deal has Chi- cago U. burning, but the station claims the college had refused to put anything on paper until it had in-, terviewed and okayed the sponsor Came the "offer from Transamericah, plus- a 30-minute period. before and after games to be commercial, so Ralph Atlass nixed the Chicago U. boys. Chicago deal, made verbally at the beginning of the season, caused no little -flurry on sports pages and among universities, this being, one of the first times any of the Big 10 had agreed to' let its games be aired by one station exclusively. Technicians of station WWSW, Pittsburgh, Pa., signed with the American Communications Associa- tion (riee ARTA), Marks first of Smoky City's outlets to go union, arid will form the nucleus of new local to be- established while AC A drives herd on others. With members lined up, ACA will present demands this week. Usual 40-hour week, closed shop, 25% in- creases, etc. Los Angeles, Sept. 28, Radio producers are restrained in a recent ruling by L. A. musicians' union from staggering schedules at rehearsals. Full crews at tuneup time are made imperative. Custom has been to work eight or 16 men at a time in drilling different sections of the bands. Ukage will tilt budgets several hundred dollars weekly. Jealous of Spielers? Washington, Sept, 28. Eight announcers on the staff of NBC Washington studios go on a five-day week, starting Oct. 4. Other employees, however, will continue on six—or seven—day schedule. William Klein, .back to his WIND Germania Broadcast in Chicago, after skittering through Europe, WIND SWITCHES CHI U OUT, NOTRE DAME IN Bob Kennett Off WLW Cincinnati, Sept. 28, With personnel changes under way at WLW and WSAI, latest departees include Bob Kennett, who served as production manager for the past year; Fritz Witte, of the program de- partment, and Al Heifer, sports- caster, who also were with both stations for more than a year. Position of production manager will not be filled permanently for some time. BUCKLEY WITH CBS Bob Buckley has resigned as New York manager for the William G. Rambeau Co., station reps, to join the Columbia sales staff.' He takes up-bi&^ew job Oct. 4. Bucki^ came over to Rambeau from the mag field about a year and a half flgo.\ TTf-r- : ■ Air Unions Crystallize; Indie Guild Pulled Sympathetically Toward Ci-O.-Miliated A.CA Union NEW YORK NOMINEES Local Board of Radio Actors Union Pue for Election New York local of AFRA last Monday (27) night named the fol- lowing nominees, for its local board: Teddy Bergman, Marc Smith, Wil- fred Lytell, Marion Barney, Lucille Wall, John Brown, Niles Welch, Ted DeCorsia, Joe Latham, Edward Clark. Walter Preston, Margaret Speaks, Carol Deis, Earl Waldo, Henry Shope, Emerson .Williams, and, by petition, Floyd Buckley, Carl Eastman, Alexander McKee, Steele Jamieson, John Pickard, Charles Webster, WiUiam'Adams, Al Sinton and John MicGovern. Additipnal nominations may be made before next Monday (4) night's meeting. . AFRA national board will meet tomorrow (Thursday) • after- noon. > • Actors Union Is Organizing San Franci^o More than 75 local radioites have, become members of the San Fran- cisco Chapter of the American Fed- eration of Radio" Artists, - following the granting of a charter by the' AFRA national boaird in New York City. The local chapter covers all of Northern California from the Tehachapi mountains to the Oregon border,' as well- as the entire state of Nevada. ' Charter members have elected a governing board, which will in turn elect, officers for the San ^Francisco chat)ter early this week. A recent meeting of more than 150 radio artists and announcers was ad- dressed by James Wa'iingt'on, Eddie Cantor mikeman; Norman Field, na- tional executive secretary and sec- ond vice-prexy of AFRA, and Carl- ton KaDell, announcer and prexy of the Los Angeles chapter, all of whom flew to San Francisco for the event. Vic Connors,. executive secretary and organizer of the -local chapter, opened the meeting, following which John B.- Hughes, Mutual-Don Lee web newscaster, was named tem- porary chairman. Chiilo Branch of Actors Union Elects; Shuts Out Non-Memhers From Rally Chicago, Sept.-28. First for-members-only meeting of Chicago local of American Federa- tion of Radio Artists was held Sun- day (26) night and board of direc- tors and officers electied. For a couple of days preceding the meeting, and the day following, Chicago performers were complain- ing at the closed door policy adopted by the temporary committee. Gen- eral thought was. that it was too soon to, shut out everybody except paid members, particularly those who in- tended to join but were prevented from doing so because of the scarcity of radio pay checks. Many felt that it would have been a better policy to have let all per- formers attend, even though only actual members were allowed to vote. At any rate, the morning after the meeting there were numerous squawks that the Chicago local wanted only those who were up in the bucks, that it didn't care whether the two-shots-a-week guy got in or not. Official Idea On the other hand, the temporary committee felt that the closed door policy was well worthwhile in that it furnished the squeeze which added a good many members immediately, many of whom would have dilly- dallied until actually forced in by. a closed shop, policy. Arrangements were made whereby perlormer.s could join at the door, before going into Sunday night's meeting, and a good many joined that way. While expecting some little trouble in effecting a complete union policy here' So far no organization has come out openly against AFRA and, according to agencies and sta- tions, they can have no feeling in the matter until AFRA itself comes out in the open. As yet AFRA does not exist officially to agency and station executives and it will not until it makes known its policies and de- mands. However, it is pretty well known that, without official seals, two large agencies and two major stations arc not in accord with a union policy among performers. Board and officers elected Sunday, night include performers from all three networks, independent sta- tions and free lance players. Elected to the board were Ann Seymour, Philip Lord, Carleton Brickert, Ray mond Jones, Hugh Studebaker, Henry Saxe, Bernard Burke. For- riest Lewis, Virginia Payne, Frank Dane, Be.ss Flynn, Judith Lowry, Mark Love, Ed Davis, Harry Walsh. Stan Thompson, Pat Peterson, Philip Vuikin, Major Holmes, Dick Wells, Myles Reed. Of these, Carleton Brickert was elected president; Ann Seymour, vice president; Philip Lord, treasurer, and Rayi-no(.id Jones, executive sec- retary. Organization of the performer and technician ends of radio is gradually assuming a simpler picture. Three main groups now domln&te the field, with the other smaller or less active ones being steadily pushed into the background. Three large and rapidly growing organizations are the American Federation of Radio Artists, af- filiated with the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (AFL); the American Communications Assn., af- filiated with CIO, and the American Guild of Radio Announcers and Pro- ducers (indie). AFRA is organizing the performer end only.. ACA and AGRAP are organizing both ends, but the former is concentrating on the technician angle, -tvhile the lat- ter is stressing the performer end. Of the. less active groups, the In- ternational Brotherhood of Elec- trical Workers, American Federation of Labor affiliate^ is interested in the technician end, as are the Inter- national Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (also AFL) and. the As- sociated Columbia Broadcast Tech- nicians. , American Federation of Musicians, (AFL) has the musician end completely sewed up and is not concerned in the efforts of the other groups. - " • Tending toward further simplifica- tion of the picture, indications are ' that AGRAP and ACA may join forces within the liot distant future, leaving only two main bodies in a struggle for the radio scene. .Since AGRAP several months ago adopted the CIO vertical setup, the two groups have been coming closer to- gether in sympathy and (lately) In cooperative eftorts. At stations where the ACA is actively organiz- ing technicians, AGRAP is holding off, while ACA is generally, recipro- cating. ' Joining Forces? Since it as yet hasn't the necessary organizational setup, to handle a ver- tical union on a national scale, AGRAP may well find it expedient to join forces with the ACA for that reason, as well as for greater nu- merical strength. Also the CIO backing might prove invaluable in case of" a scrap with the networks or AFRA. Meanwhile, AGRAP is pushing its membership drive nationally. Or- . ganization has formed A free-lance announcer chapter, in which the membership includes David Ross, Ted Husing, Paul Douglas, Andre Baruch and other name mlkesters. Group also claims to have organized KYW, Philly, 100%, as well as the staffs of WCAU, Philly; WEEI, Bos- ton; WBBM, Chicago, and WBNX, WNEW, WOV, WABC, WOR and WMCA, New York. Sound effects men of CBS, WABC, WBBM, WJZ and WEAF are also claimed by the AGRAP. Although the organization likewise claims its membership drive among actors and singers is 'pro- ceeding satisfactorily,' the AFRA, because of its Four- A's tie-up, is conceded to have the edge there. Altogether, AGRAP claims bar- gaining is in progress at WAAT, Jersey City, and WORC, Worcester, Mass., and organization is complete at WPEN, Philly, Group is active at 11 other stations, has taken action against three other stations before the National Labor Relations. Board, First national AGRAP convention is scheduled for Friday (1), in Now York. ACA is negotiating this week with the technical staffs at WCAU, KYW and WFIip, Philly, has a cDntruct with WDAS, Philly, and . V/V/GW, Pittsburgh.' Hearing of its com- plaint against CBS was to come up before the NLRB yesterday (Tucs.) afternoon. Feeling among AGRAP and ACA members in regard to the .former's contracts with several studios is that the pacts are anything but .satisfac- tory, -but are as good as could be ex- pected, considering the difliculties. Idea is that AGRAP wants to get es- tablished in the field and is willing to take weak contracts tp gain its point. When the deals come up for renewal, the feeling is. better tarms can bo sought. MeatlWhile, the p^.cts will )■'•.■•^ t') keep AFRA from in- vading the field.