Variety (Dec 1937)

iTediicflldayr Deccmb^ 1^7 VARIETY Qptiisxepsiqwi^V Enemies , of jFedeiral Gbpnmuhications Cbihmission Ciik' Makb. Nb^ ; Prdgrfeisi Against vGohihi- nation of Crowded^ Pocket and . Disposition to Body /Try Self rReiForrri CHAIRMAN LOADED ..: V/ Washingtdh-':Nby:- SO;^:- :. ^iow-mpving refoi'm p'r^ of JChairrhan Frank- It McNinch,sup^ ; pigmented " by st'cop^ jsUre, has idaifipened prop :Con- duct; three-cornered . inquiry into conduct and policies of t ' Communicatidhs ; Comrriissiph; the . radio business,:^ arid the,adequacy and •yyorkability of the CommUnicatioris '/^.y:.\: v Complete :Ghahge; ocijlldolc for Gpngriessiohai Scrutinizing ' has durred since the shake-rup ^ in Com- mish perscinner last September.. Now . appears doubtful if any iact-^fihding will be attempted .for another yeaiC Legislators are bound ieyerituany. to have, a look; at the law and the reiii- Jiatdry ppiipiesi- but scheduled ad- rhinistrative rerioyatiph; ci^owded legislative ..sla{e, and^ i^ another canipaigri ■all combine to . make lengthy postponenieht p.rpb^ .able.'.; v.',-.'-'''-,.•••C : ■,■ V . No possibility; that- any of the riu- • merdus- investigatiort^^ •. pKehding in both chambers vwiU^ b pcted on during the present special^ session. Word has gone put froni the Pefnocrjatic leadership in .the ■House' that the Rules.Committee will not consider the prbpdsals d£ the- late eohgressman William. P.. Gdri- nery, Jr.; ot Represehtativie^s Wigjg^ worth; Biacdni Mcfarlane,. et ai. In the Senate,, the chief exponents oTa npn-political, -. fact-fihdih^ ihvestiia- tioji, Senatdrs White of Maine; and .Avheieler: ol Mon^ sho^yn no intention of trying. to piit oyer . their resolution, . ■;■ i;'iyhUe's-^ttitude^;- Study ^ of ■ regulatory pdlieies will be deferred- until:, adminiiitratiyc purge plPtted by McNinch is fihished, accot-ding. to all indicatidhs in tlie Senate.; /Senalpr , White, spdiisor pf the resdlutipn' to cdnsidet overhaul-: ing: the law, said he feelg it wduld .be unfair to the President's, FCG brOorn-weilder ; to launch a probe While, the house-cleahirig is in pi'og- ress, He will not try foi; .some tirrie CFCF MONTREAL .'i'U« Mls'.hMiiitliK tMiUiiiK A|iir/-li'.':U Wit, H\i : Vliirtli*r Kttlns 'tt '."' 'ir4>)i«>iilNK: tli^ .iqr|ce.4t^ liiim ■.«.r. ii|imns«»r«>il: broiiidt'HHt.N . iev.er ■ .ily«re.«i In Moi»tr)^»il .liom^H .b.v ■• ^^Montreaiy Quality !Statibn'- WJSFt> * COMrAXY, CFit'F IINITKD New F.CX. Syslem . ■ ■. Washington,'NoyV 30; ■ : /. Hereafter routine fh^tters be-;. • lore the Federal ; Comthuhica' ■. tions Coinmissidn will be enV- - Vtr-usted; to; ieparaite commissidh- .ers.; Thei^ dt duty Will be; on '' a . mpri^^^ rOtfiting basis. ■ , A'ppoihtrhehts .' for December werie antiouncied Tuesday after- .hipon by: Ghairman McNinch .as follows: V'./'-. ^ Emergency-^GedrgeOH. Payne.; ;.Cdnistructioh—T. A.^ M Crayen. : V Motions—Norman Case. .Erhetgency will icoy^r re-^ ^quests' for. temporary: time creases or icurtailfn^^ and v ■ •■ Oil. Gdnstructiph hjas tio doj with' ' - equipment; -kirvd;: - eng^iheerihg changes; delays, : ihabililj^ . to\ meet license dates; ' Motions:. ■ cOuH (entirely,new): ■ -on the ,. ; legal phases: of pending :appli- : catidhs where princii)als. or' in-: . :ter.ested'.parties .step in. .' idea is to. save time, snap; Up ; • the temjpo of administratibni ; etc. There Will be a minimum of :afterndon-killihgj Thdise ;pf stJiff hpt he Will not be .. ...'present.;>;.-';'v" . x'-- to Overcome . the; resistance of- mem- bei-is of the. Rboseyelt .. A tipn.^''•: .,:';■.■;:;.- •■;- .\ ..;;Muddledi ;legislate sltUatipii both branched looks like a bdntirtuihg Ob.s.tacle .to .slich a thihgi ais; i Con- gressional;-fluiz; of any. New'^;p^ agency or activity, while the vplagued penrtocratic' A^^^ ;; doing.: their utmost', tp; sidestep ;^ a^ more ; trbyersies w:hich; would cohiplicate the already toiigh \ job, of; putting thrdughx the :,numerpus , laws ; the Pre;^idenl hais ordered.- '■ ■ ■''.■, '■/ .: - Spasmodie rock-tbrowing^b^^ the leaders of thie iiivestigatiori. inoye irt; the House ;■ expected; jtp .Jceep on throughout' thie; winter, but; i^ ;npt likiely to result' ". ; anything more 'thah. repeated harrajisment of; Mc- Ninch; & Co..: Probe- bloc, althpugh vdcai; and'aggressivCi is nurnericaily so weak that ;it has only the faihtr' est hope of blasting one of the resd.r. lutiOris Oiit of the Rules Committee; While the presence ;of' McNinch at -the-helm prthe FCC is partially ef- fectiye jn- Silencing . critieism of agency, the sloWness of - the reform may ..in / the end bopmerang to thC: adyantage of .the investigation seek- ers.. Lethargic manner: in whifch new' niachinery ;is being set up tp 'rer place - the abolished; divisions, to-, ,gether with iimpunt of time taken in adopting some;ciear-,cut policies, do hot please the Gongressjohal sqvtawk- ers, Whd expected the fur wdulcl :fly ^v;ith; M,cNihch'$; ;desighatioh.' McNihch Oiycr-nurdened; ■ Some grumbiing is being heard: al-. ready thiit the new;chaii;rnah is still ..devoting top much time; to aflairii of the •Federal Power Gdmmissioii, which he is counseling ffdm the .side- lines, :and;ihit he is pxiying top much attention: to petty details of the FCG; Noted that President Rposevc 11 Jast . Week dragged him intd' Whtte Hriusc cdnferehces with utility czai's arid is not .alipWing; him ample .;tim to get ;acqiiainted; - with . CPtTirriLuViGations problems. ■ ■ ■ v-' .--" . ;, ..:■ ';; '■ ' : General disposiiidn ; tp gran.t; Mc-: Nihch a faiV. dppprtu'nity. a enough tim.e. .tp..take ;.con;ectiy.e jsteps^ - diciated on The. Hill,; hoWever.'M to eradicate :'spdnsdrfed ; fun^-; arid wirie-tugging are rridre or less re- assuring, .although there is: some siisr picidn that the golcifish-bQWl theory. Wili;;npt be as: citcctiye as. the Ch.alr- ;m'ah seems'.to expect.';'.initial Changes . in procedure . li kevvisc. h\ b^^^^^ a fayoriiblc • reaction' in .legi,slativo ■ ;;':-;;:\ :W'ashirigtoni' Nov; SiO;.- : ; . Attack on Federai Cpmmunicatiohs Commission for unseating Cornnrjis-^ sipner George A. Payne Was: resumed Morid^y . (29) by. Gbhgressmah; W. D, jilcFarlairie,; ^yhp condemned iGhairr mih Prank McNlhjch for; evasive an-. sWer to; his first; inquiry about rWhere Goinmish found authority to pust one of its members. '■'■;.■.. -'."..'- ;:;Terniing 'reply-. 'Astonishing,* the, Texas Democrat; repeated demand for direct; ansWei's i about Whkt jus- tified disquaiificatiOrt: b* Paynip frdm patticipatihg in disbarmeht pro ihg; and blasted. McNinch for 'im-; piidence' in; refusing / to supply ; der. tails. Added he do.es nbtwant 'shifty' letter this tirne and thireatened ■ im- peachment'^; charges if dope is hot fdirthcpmirig :' : reasonable period. Dedsion Pending On Research Continuance And Clark-Hooper Bid , Call for meetinig of the Joint; Committee on Radio ;Research has been issued for this Friday (3)1 Main point Of discussion* will \ he whether the project get's another bankroll from NBC and Columbia and. continues, operating or it folds around Jan. 1. No indication; has- been given by.either network about future contributions. . It is understood that the reorganiz- ing ppwers in the National A.ssdfia- iion.pjf ;'B.r.oadc<^^^ to see the project go on until; the NAB; has rebuilt;* .its; own otganizatipn structure and finances and the. way becomes clear for- the association to take dyer the research bureau. Orig- inal idea of the bureau. Was the NAB's, but as. Wishes of the agency and national advertiser elements be- come dp'mihant the NAB: foUnd, Itself , fillin^ the back ;seat. • -'■' . Joint CPmmittee has also before it for decision the offer of Clark- Hooper, Inc., to turn, over for a year gratis the .tights to a; device fdr. recording listener, habits. The com- mittee would have to do' the manu- facturing and installing ©f; .the/;ap- paratus; . ;. ;..;•; Bond Brestd Sponsori Series on WIRE» Indianapolis ---rHold Ganies Half an Hour for Radio , Indianapolis,,Nov. 30. :-' ■, I^adio. will again bVing play-by? play descrii)tions of basketball; games tp Indiana honics this yeaiir. WIRE setup, spdhsdred by Bdrid/Bread, Will broadcast -five games; of Southport High School On Saturday nights^ , ;Pjiials to. be .he Indianapolis late in March, 1938; w"i1l ^ls^b cast for half-iin-hbur,:. ■ ordCt to fjet them complete oh th^ " Fii-st* starts this Saturday^ (4), With ■ ah- other one,in December, one, in Jan- ■; uary, and' two in February. ,. . ; Paul Rayme'r' spei^dibiilk of his" time, in the Chi terJitory these days. General Manager William 11. West, Chief Engineer Thomas R. McLean and Pro.?ram Director Wo'ddy Klose of WTMy served as - pallbearer.s at the funeral of the late Chief Engi- neer Fred Liggett at Atchi.son, Kan., laist week; circies", where it is exijccted there joe, additional and; more pio- found. shifts in method Of function- ing. ;■ . ■ -/' ..,.;;; ;.;•:■■ ' "■' \ Apppiritmeht. of McNinch may p.or- manently .stop head-huntin.? . ex-, peditidn, but it i.s. npt ..expected to prcyent an eventual study , of ■' th.e Cdmrnunicatidns .Act and . changes in the present form of the law. Lejfils- iatiye patch-work is vii;tually .sure,' ;since the -heW' FCC. head has i'n.timat-" ed he will propose sorne ameridmenls; him.self.■ When .;he, becpmes more thoroughly acguaihied; with regulaT tory problem.s. .Senator Whi'te'.s-'sIaVif that Congir,d.si!;■:itscl£■' should re,-,Weh. the dedaratioits of policy finds onr; ddi:s'e~merit •:from" many .sources a nc Is bbund :to prevail ■ time. ;; ;■ Here's a National Craze liiunche ■ [ '^^,.. \- On his;X'aciilirin la dfpppied into the Big Apple Night Club in Columbia, Sbatli Car«lina* His pulse quickenedr-as any gbud showroim's %voaldr-at what he saw and heard there that night. lie had a.ringside, seat at the gciiesifi of a new national di/zincss. And he knew it. ^ It was pjily a matter of days before he had carted llie whole kit ahd boodle to the wnr .sliidiof had thern making crazy before a WUT nucrophonc. Of coarse, piiltiug a program like that on wbt was like dropping a match i u an oil well The reist is history! <l You get plenty of action in a short spar; - of time when yoii go on wbt. Because wbt is listened to by so many pf;<»ph:;in the,South. Bc(L;au.sc WBT is "The showmanship Stalioh of the Nation.'* And because it is sucli a good salesman, ioo\ . OS (^*tg«^^«: The .SliOWM ANSI! IP Stalioiiof the Nalipn**, WBT WBT, Charioltc, .N. C. Owned; and operated by the Columbia IJ r 0 a (1 cast I ng System an d rep resented by RAD 10 SA \j% S. Set the dial of your radio at ]080 — and listen to wbt direct. , DAVE ELMAN j]gj^;|j|;:|j^,p|r. ' :::■■■'';■/. '•■.. snc;v::cREp "by '; - Vuriely: ■ • ^ Ho bby Lobby' pro gra m, via WO 11- ' TV r ntualvWijil u (1^(1 i I y:a^^^ : ^i.'iinfMl mbmeiituin : sirifo j(:- >fnt (■ro.hi.itwM'c.l.'ii fi(!V«M'!i;i w<>f;l<.'i 'fffio. 'I'lil.s,. w«o'k\S: broi.ulcilst, is iiliiiiily JfidiciL- tive ()/ hpW far. li li.-rs K'>n*'. ; vo: Kli^irui' : litis : had •' Wllliani' ;■ I-.vons; J'h('l|);H,' <;,K.-yaTo . •pi\i.rv'.^ for t.jii'O*'. ..Wo(>K's now, wlilcli: ;(li)it«!,:l;i;i,s;'Ki VfM- 'tii R Di'Qgi'Uiti lift .': 1 f!J.'t'ry. Sii.U«'r'.s or- • W 0 R - W A EC A N D 76 ST AT 10 N.S OF, THE COLUr/iBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM ; ,. ; . " ,V . ■ WEDNESDAY, .7r15-7:45 ■ P.M. ■■ - . . '' ' REPEAT I WEDNESDAY,: 10i30-11 P.M.. ; 6FFICES 485 MAiblSON AVENUE, NEW YORK .('I(ii'stra . (Introduce.d an- is nui.'^iriil ■lobhyThpiVbyi.^^st.s) .is^ .«1miW' l>>;5ethPV: KiTUf?|y "airiijV^ fiOink «l)ii:lt o.C 111-o;ul vn^iy, o'l<'.-,'f• I>• .. .etc:, ■(•l<\,' cU;.,. etc'■' , -';: ^ .•■:■'