Variety (Mar 1938)

mTERNATiOHAL RADIO VARIETY mutiffataoit Whole Statui bf Oove^ Radio j^opardizeci by Givil Service Ruling ..: .^ AJJpntrealr'Mardh'lV -l :^dding fiirther tb tlVe; cohfusidn ijf; cialiadian^ Brokdjcasting^.; SetMP atisirig ifrom the .ruling of t\yo 'foiirts ordering Ithe^CBd to i^fq^^ its books in' court jiist.^ as if it /Werp^ ; ^: priVjately .ipwned ::cpn^ thie additional;; srtbacW'-' adrri ' the Cpiirt of Appeals last, w.eelc'.when. . it-refused t)ie'request -of■ the-CBC::tb 'take the- case to the' Supreme Coiirt, ;highest :;tribuh&l in the;: coXintry. • ' :; drily iooiihole for clarification and. consOlidatibh of CBG affairs, AvouVd; ; be additibnal :.legisltiti6n ; at; Ottawa Ibr the; purpose of ;sb teorsahizing the Corporation that it Ayoiild feie- cpme a Civii Servlpe enterprise iii law as well as in fact..." ■ • " • / ■ ' . Unless Parliamentary ;; aciioh is taken-it: is-.diffiqult tp foresee :hP\v the GBC can coritiriu6 to function in its present manner. There-is also the possibility , of loss. oJ! about $2;r ,000,000, :tinhuailly; frOm license fees. i^hich . thie Goverhmeht :atv pttawa would be disinclineid; to fpregp.... With the Court of . Appeals i;(efus-; Jhg to permit the case to go; to. th^ ' Supreme Court and - by. implication pliacing the CBC in the category bf a private cprporatipn i^ of; liciehse: taxes running into millibris: which; have been paid . ; ; the past . may also .bie'raised. ; .;:.;■.'v-'. - / Political obsiervers tariB inclined, to- the viewpoint that the - King ;;admiii'- jstratipn: at Ottawa has; already; been . tuffering eiribarrassment because of the widbsplread press .attacks, con- (iiemning the CBG for • competing with. privatei enteirprise, ; The, Prime Minister . has . been. obliged to ..jgo to bat for .the Corporation ;ahd a comi- jDiittee has been appointed to. irivesti- , fate complaints. : -V Canipiaign against the CBG is the fiiost Virulerit press attack ever" •taged against a Government agency; With the courts ruling agairiist the- CBG tiiso .the: Federal admihistyatibn il in ;a^ spot 'unless clearing viP;. the •ntire affair by clearcut iegislatiph. Big Ben Themes Cockneys ■ Vancouver, March 1. . GKWX is using; recbrded^c of Lbhdbh's; 'Big Ben*; to; therrie-' signal its live weekly prpgrarri. 'Mil- ,lie and Lizzie.' / . Show has a .piair of comedy women using Gpckney ■ chatter aigaitist; a b.iackigrpund of sLondonr \ NEWS ys^|N^ British; Relays W South Aoierica Sirlctly Informational ; ■ ; iian Be Stretched to 5 Years; Cov't Won't Cut Set Tax . ; ;Sydney,; Feb, 12* , : Australian government is expect- ed to increase the licensing term; fb tbrrimerbiai stations .;tb ;fiVe. yea contrast with this indicated widen- ing of opportunity for; the commer- cial coterie is thb administration's aidamant refusal ;to; reduce the $.5 annual fee fbr; set. owners, aithbugh; such licensees are pni the upbeat eVery week., ■ ..- V^ v-.' "'■'■■■■' ■■/.■■:'■■ Outlook for commercial; business this year is. exceptionally gpod ■ and the station operators are predicting new highs in revenue. , STAGE PLAY NOT AIRED IN FRANCE AFTER RAP : Lille, Feb. 18. .. Protests.by rlepresentatives of local radio listeners.bf Immbrality of play, 'Catherine, Empereur,' . by Maur•. j ;Rostand^ which was; to be broadcast from the Theatre, de I'Odeon, caused it to be barred from air. Letter was sent through the local branch of goverrithent owned ' star tibns to M'.:G€!iitin, Minister bf P.T.T., when play was announced brought about change. , .;;/; London, Feb, 18. . Effect Of a iprivate repbrt'.tb'B.B.d. ' frpnii''Felix Greene|..followm^ of South American;.territory, :is; that' Corporatipn hias $et March 1.5 as; in- augural ;'date:bf regular . brPadcasts to that, .cpntinent. . Programs will ' consist of; straight news ■.broadca -ts.- in Spanish and Portuguese, and will , be transmitted from Dayehtry on 3i.55; metres, with call si^ri GSB.; Daily: programs will be;:given;.at 1:,30 G.M'.T; in SpanishVand; 1.45 in Portu-: g'uese.• .'y ■■ ; ^;:^'.^ r'; Policy of straight hews, ha^ .•been aidopted ;by BBG'.as basis of all foreign . language broadcaistSi regard- less of ; the fact Germ an and; Ital i an; daily. tran$mi'ssioni. to ;South; Anierica include • ..high ;grade ■; entertaiHrtient,; and occupy as much; as seven; hours a day air time. . •■;■•\.. ■ Jammed; Canberra, Feb; 18. Closer supervisibn bf Ipcal politi- cal ■.comment over goyernment oper- ated stations has been ordered :i)y the; Australian CabiniBt as the result of a dig taken by a commentator at a proposed govern nient policy.; Prior to this.incident only the- M outlets .have felt the hand' of cen- sorship. ;; '-■ ■';: ^ ■ ■ Administration nad refrained from setting up iany taboos for govern- ment-owned stations, figuring thait the lalter's officials' could - spot ahy- thing unfavorable in advance and delete it from the script. • Commeh- tatPr involved stays on the govern- ment's payroll,: but. his stuff from now on will be thoroughly; scrutin- ized. Nothing has beeii said about giving the eagle-eye to comment affecting politics in any othier country. • ; . MontreaT, Maroh IV ; FoVd Motors oif Canadji, havint; decided to use radio with .it half- hour weekly program hr.', French, finds - . desirable r; time. a.vailable:. oyer [ station GKAC;; with ; whom ;Jack He.riry; - of the N. W. fiyer. agency, has beeri.h.egotiatihg, .Ford Motors, if decidinft to use AC will be obliged to take', the Wodncsday. night -spot ;• ffori) . 10:30 ;to 11. p.; m '., : W^idhe'sday spotting is,;cbrisidere'd tbn late, by ;the; agency- as the,prograrii is - intended, to hit the cpuntry trade. Group bf Ford dealet'S were 'ra^ in to. auditibn two dramatic shows; andone ;musical last week, xyith the .dealer vote. .going urireseryedly for the musical. Another audition bf the.mu'siciai is; scheduled shortly w the; .probability.• that Ford Motors will take what time.' th^re ;is -iivail^ able;';fegardless.^'pf spotting,' until> a mors desirable spot shbuld open. up. ;■ Tea accounts ;al<;n cnterin<* the radio adyertis'n? field for; the first time. here. Red Rose was sched- uled tb .start with a; Frrrich Bu.ck. RogcrS- shbvO' Feb. .23 five times weekly fi:bm 5:15. to 5:30 p.m; Lip- ton's recently started with 'Old Country Professor,* sketch, from 11:15- to 11:30 three times weekly. : WpW^^ Base •'■■; . Omaha, March 1. Cbmin? ba.sebali season to be han- dled at WOW by Ralpli. Wagher for Brown & Williamson Tobacco Go, Since coming to WOW ; several months ago he has operated sustain- ing, and hew horsehide coverage; w.ill riaark ;h:is; first commercial spieling.' Gphtract calls fot*. six q hours weekly beginning April 24. ,; London. Feb. 18. Practically all restrictions on .Ih* broadcasting of -.newS; have.; been de'-..; clai-ed off by the Britis;li;;-fii'badiciij^tv\ ;ing CP. -sb :that; the. gpvef nm combat the hostile propaganda a ired by Germany, Italy, and othed. coun- trios.. BBG is now frce .tb gather jt.<i news frorii; whatever ;5ource.s it elect?, instead of . confining itself to ■;ihe Press; Association, -Central NPavs.- and '■ ■ Exchange Telegraph. . ; ■;' .'.' ' /; .; Along with the drastic altering of' its; agreement^With the ; Newspaper Proprietors. A'ssbciation the BBC has;. set; up a special bureau for foroijin. language -brpadcasts: R. -.A> Ca 1 visrt.- who .has ;;;done:;;newspaper work in Spain and.Portugal, hblds. the job of .Spanish.'and; Pbrtugese; editor -' ^ - A .-. Understanding ■ between ; the BBC ; and newspaper publishers became ef- fective 10 years ago and had been • modified from • time to tirrie'; The pubs are hoping .'that; the ■BBC .will preserve .;at least; ^t^^ bars news broadcasts ;" .'the■:,Uhited ; Kingdom before 6; p.m. ; NP.\ feels that any. encroachment ph afternobnv editions would have ah iirifavorabie,: effect on newspaper sales. ;V WILEY BROS. OF LONDON MAY WAX COOKE IN N. Y. Wiley Bros., London firm. Is audi- tioning Alistair Cooke for ai s.eries of; transcriptions which' the cbmpariy' wants to place bn.Radio Luxismburg; po'werful European commercial eta- tioh: ■ ■..--;. ■■/■^-■■■^ :)■..:■■. ::X Cooke Is a sustaining commentatbr current;on NBC. If. a deal is con- summated, his talks will be recorded, in. New York. Wiley products ar« hot sold in'the. U. S. , Allen C. Anthony, chief of KWK'a announcing staff, back at his stint. minus his appendix. . Carroll Levis and his Radio Discoveries just signed up by Xiord & Thomas Ltd. (London, England) on a second 26 weeks' radio contract for Quaker Oats!' Radio Pictorial " {BritairCs only spomm-ed radio magdzine) finds Carroll Levis Britain's most popular commercial radio feature also.