Variety (Feb 1938)

We«lncs<lay, February 2, 1938 RADIO VARIETY 4S PEDAGOGS' SLICE OF AIR Locally Acceptable Chan- nels Opened Up for Uae by Schools and Other Non-Commercial Petition- ers—Seek to Appease In- dustry Critics POLICY switcri Got Something! , St. Louis, Feb. 1. Fred Mqegle, production di- rector of WTMV, worked out scheme whereby Suzie, 'The Girl froni the Hill?,' st&tipn hill-, billy, sang a duet with herself last week on a 15-minute pro- gram .sponsored by the Old . Judge Coffee ^Co., .large St. Louis regional advertiser. ' Moe- gle recorded warbler's voice, rehearsed her with it , arid then broadcast both during show. Station expects to build Siizie up to a ferrime quartet by the same process. Washington, Feb. 1, Room in radio's .newly-opened attic was parceled put to pedagogs last week when the Federal Com- munications Cortimissioh took the initial step to appease critics of the commercial industry.. Educational broadcasting henceforth will be a recognized unit entitled to a con- crete chunk of the spectrum. Changing their minds ..after four years, the commissioners promul- gated a set of rules which earmark 25 channels in the medium-high.por- tion of the spectrum for non-profit educational broadcasting. Frequen- cies, which are 40 kc. apart, are betvyeen 41,000 and 42,000 kc. Termed 'an important step' in har- mony with, new policy of encourag- ing educational use of radio; the pol- icy contemplates ii^suance. of permits . in a way which will provide facilties for service to every city and town in the nation. . Okay Locally Power limitations will put a 1 kw maximum on the educational trans- mitters so that a large number of users can be accommodated with •the 25 frequencies. Characteristics OKLAHOMA TRADE ASSN. MAY BE RESURRECTED but no sponspfed programs or com- mercial patters will be allowed. Managements will be able to take programs of other broadcast stations providing 'all commercial announce- ments and commercial references in the continuity, are elimina.ted.' .. Technical, requirements stipulate that 160-kc. separation will be re- quired when, there is more than one station in a single area. Policy is a compleite about-face since January, 1935. Three years and four days beifore the new rules were promulgated, the F.C.C. told Con-, gress that the pedagogs had not demonstrated their right to a slice of the ether. After several week', of listening to beefs from educators and other non-profit groups, the Cbmmish recommended against the idea of writing into the law a pro- vision under which a fixed percent- age of facilities would be allocated to particular groups. Setting aside of 25 channels , be- tween 41,000-42,000 kc. for licensing to organized non-profit educational agencies \yas highly praised by John W. Studebaker, Commissioner of Ed- ucation of the Department of Inte- rior and chairman of the Fedieral Radio Education Committee Terming the opportunity to use the ultra - highfrequency band 'a great challenge to American education,' Oklahoma City, Feb. 1. Organization of an Oklahoma As- sociation of Biroadcasters is being conteniplated by a number of station managers. State formerly had an as- sociation which broke up through lack of interest on part of mieitibier.'?.' Present conditions affecting broad- casting in. state as well as- evident, future problems have made it np-. parent . to station - managers. that united efforts through an association are going to be neccessary- rn the near future. There are 15 stations in the slate.. Wayne U Prograus on W8X WJ Detroit,, Feb. 1. Wayne U broadcasting guild are putting on special events, an- nouncingi producing , and : writing scripts for; ,,WWJ's' ultra-high baby, W8XWJ, which recently began pro- ducing its own shows. Wellington Granzow, station man- ager, and Garnet Garrison, guild di- rector, are working to provide studes with dope on airings from ground upi, Starting this month, Wayne U guild will present regular series of speakers, dramas and music shows over shortwaver. ~ -of- -the—medium-^high- channels- -will--Studebaker-^expressed confidence-that- insure intensive local coverage, with engineers declaring satisfactory sig- nals can be delivered to cities .and small counties under favorable con- ditions. State-wide service cannot be expected except in unusual cases. . Fitness test for applicants includes definite plans of operation. Besides demonstrating they are non-profit groups, candidates must make a showing that the station will be used foi' the advancement of education. Transmitters may direct programs to specific schools for use- in connec- tion with regular courses, as well as routine and adminl.strative material for -bupils. teachers, and the general ■public. Entertainment will be peirmitted, NICK KENNY Wishes to Thank The Entire Staff LOEWS STATE NEW YORK aii(i The Following Crand Aels Dolly Dawn Buster Shaver with Olive and C^eorge Ray and Geraldine Hiidson Herman Hyde and Sally Burrill Texas Jim Lewis and His Lone Star C-ovvboys For qn EnjoYaBle Week schools and colleges would take ad vantage ' of a chance to broadcast educational programs of all descrip tiohs. He predicted 'results just as revolutionary as those which fol lowed the invention of the printing press,' as soon 9s American school radiO: technic and cost factors can be overcome Macon, Ga.. Feb.- 1. Score is about one-all in. recent exchange of words between E. K Cargill of WMAZ and leaders in the Baptist convention, one of whom broadcast over WMAZ criticism of radio. Cargill took the Baptists to task for accepting courtesy time over WMAZ facilities to; include-a criti cism of. radio. Local pastpr expressed regret to Cargill that anything .should have been said that gave ofl"ehse to the local radio stiatioii. However, John Sampey front Florence asserted,T said nothing to apologize for and would say the .same thing a . thou sand times over.' He said it was his purpose to decry abuses in institu tions and not the inslllutiojis them selves. 'As to the radio,' he expliained, 'I did say that 1 would prefer its use for educational purposes iis .in Eng land, rather than for commercial purpose's, as in America,' MC Sales OtfkiaHy^^^^ Mutual in Turn Will Recognizee Gross Computation of Tiiiie Sales and Drop Net Quotations J. A. Kennedy Advanced Washingtan. Feb; 1. James A. Kennedy, Federal Com- nriunicatioris Commis.sion attorney, uppied last week to the post of As- sistant General Counsel to replace Carl F. Arnold, who recently re- signed. One-time ior attorney with, the Agricultural ..Adjiistment Adminis- tration, Kenn^ 'y. whs appointed to the same job on the commi.sh in 1934—later being advanced to the po- sition of principal attorney. WBEO Storm VicUm , : Detroit, Feb. 1. Zero blizzard,-worst in 65 years, which swept upper portions of Michigan last week, wrecked the new IM-foot, vertical antenna of WBEO in Marquette, Mich. High wind during the storm top- pled over the antenna, which had just been erected week previously. NBC's sales department has ofrir cLally recognized the existence of the Mutual Network. Latter's programs' arc now imluded in th.> chart #hich NBC salesmen -carry arouml with them showing what the various webs clear at particular times of the day. Previt^usly this schedule was con- fitied to red, blue and CBS commer- cials. NBC explains that it had; re- ceived enough queries regarding Mutual program competition to justify the addition of this info. Mutual on its side has also done .some belated recognizing, thi.s having, to do with the fact that NBC and Columbia have been computing their monthly tiine billings on a gross basis for the trade record. MUtual's figures have been net, with. the. fre- quency discounts deducted; but from now on this network will folloW the istyle set by NBC frbrii away back and make it gross income. Overall difference between the net and gro.s9 columns figures around 15%..; FXX; February lineup -. :W?ishinglon, Feb. l, . Rotation of a.s.sigenments of, Fed- ei'al Cpmmunicalion.'>' Commission, membership, brings broadcasters most frequently, fuce-lo-facc. this month with Cbmmlssipnors Thiid H. Browii and Norman S. Case. Chores are parceled out for Feb- ruary, as follows: Brown-TrMotion.;. .Ca.se — Licenses ; cf-.Tiplying with con.struction permits, minor modifica- tions of c.p.'s and permit.':; measure- ments, extra time, e.tc.. Payne—Alaskar matters '.\cepling broadcasting. Walking—A^-^^ro, motion picture, erncrgency, special authorizations, etc. Craven—Telephone and telegraph permits. Sykes—Telephone and lolegraph tariffs.