Variety (Apr 1939)

Vedncsday, April 26, 1939 RADIO VARIETY 21 NEW A.F.M. DEMANDS DUE PdKt Script' Open House Scattered reports from around the country indicate that last week's 'National Radio Open House' as carried through by N. A. B. aiid R. M. A. made a fair impression on the public. Results were in ac- cordance with community characteristics, and the amount of prepara- tion and push behind move. Majori^ of stations did/Very little, confined themselves to spot an- nouncements. But some towns and some stations expended time and thought. Showmanly activity was exception rather than the rule. Actual turnout of visitors was . fairly large. Philadelphia particu- larly reported mobs. No fewer than 100,000 showed up, 60,000 at WCAU alone. Threatened to clog the works. There was some fair here,, as in other cities, that the inevitable maiihattdling of mobs might make : for ill will rather than good will toward radio. But. crowds remained good natured. AFRA SEEKS PACinC PACT American Association of Advertis- ing Agencies has been invited to par- ticipate with the networks in nego- tiations with the American Federa- tion of Radio Actors for a contract covering regional hookups on the west coast emanating from Los Angeles and. San Francisco. The present contract with AFRA applies solely to transcontinental hookups. Matter of designating-a committee to sit in on' these negotiations wer« discussed at a meeting of the Four A's radio committee last Friday (21). St. X-ouis, April 25. Mrs. Emily Holt of AFRA is here. Will negotiate for KMOX, KSD and ■WEW. KWK won a recent victory over AFRA but bearing in view of AFRA's own subsequent victory makes this uncertain. WAVE, Lonisville, Carries Baseball for First Time LouisvUle, April 25. WAVE, Louisville, airing for the first time American Association games played by Louisville Colonels, For the past seven years, WHAS has carried the local games. General Mills, in behalf of Wheaties, and Mobiloil are co-sponsors, and airings are handled by Don Hill, formerly with WCBS, Springfield, lU. All local games are handled by Hill from Parkway Field, and out- of-town games are aired via wire rc;,- ports, with exception of those games played on Sundays, which are not broadcast; Hill late in Hartford Hartford, AprU 25. Due to a conflict in schedules, Ed- win C. HUl's 'Human Side of the News,' will be transcribed by WDRC and presented by that station at 6:30 p.m. instead of the scheduled 6:05 p.m. network schedule. Commitments with Esso for U. P. news at that time is reason. The five minutes following the period wiQ be devoted to baseball scores. CUT IN rEDEIIAL [ Union Also Baaing Argu- ment on FCC Policy Com- mittee Data That Less Than 2,500 Musicians Are Employed by Broadcast- ing Industry WEBER RAPS DISCS Washington, April 25. Following the appearance last week before the FCC monopoly probe of Joseph N. Weber, presi- dent of.the American Federation of Musicians, a further demand for the radio industry, notably large net- work affiliates, to employ more mu- sicians is foreshadowed. Contribu- ting to this situation are two factors; (1) Prospectivie curtailment of Federal relief rolls throwing the spectre of unempjoymert among AFM members into sharpc focus. ' (2) Recent pubUcity to FCC fig- ures, which radio spokesmen de- clare are antiquated, which suggest that only 2,500 fuU-time musicians are employed by the broadcasting Industry.' Demands that musicians get still a bigger slice of the industry's rev- enues than is assured by the quotas fixed in 1937 are being readied on the strength of tables in the FCC's policy committee report showing less than 2,500 fuU-time musicians were regularly employed during the sam- (Continued on page 2S) Union Fears Facsinnle Kills Jobs Printing Trades Urges Congress Prohibit New Blow to Employment of Members Wise Generation Philadelphia, AprU 25. Among sidelights of 'Open House Week' here was A nine-; year-old kid who dutifully start-^ ed to fill out a questio nnaire given each visitor by KTW. When he came to 'What Is your favorite program?' he asked the attendant: 'Don't I have to put down a KYW program?' CHICAGO SEES AFRAANAID Chicago, April 25. With American Federation, of Ra-' dio Artists now actively engaged In organizing radio performers in the smaller key «ities throughout the country, Chicago believes itself due to originate programs which formerly originated in such cities as Cincin- nati, Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, etc. Sponsors had been originating their programs in these outlying cities in order to make the most of the lower wage scales current in those localities. But AFRA is now stepping into the picture and setting up the wage scales on a par with the scale in Chi, N. Y. and L. A. ' On the contrary, it would be a Washington, April 25. Ban on commercial operation ot facsimile transntitters is being urged on Congress by the Allied Printing Trades, Alarmed that airwaved ad- vertising in visual form, will be the worst blow to newspapers and maga- zines, along with direct-mail, bill- boards, and other media in which the imion has an interest - ' Minutes of the meeting of the gov- erning board sent lawmakers re- cently note the 'large volume ot radio advertising compared with the numl>er of people employed in that field and its detrimental effect on the job opportunities of the workers in the printing tirades.' Discussion re- sulted in adoption of motion by C, M, Baker, president . of International Typo^aphical Union, recommending enactment of statute keeping fac- simile stations on an experimental basis and prohibiting alrwaving-ot- 'any paid advertisements of any na- ture whatever.' Resides seeking to hobble fac- simile, the Printing Trades bosses de- cided to take a fling at limiting the amount of vocal radio advertising, via an amendment to the Com- munications Act fixing the number of day and night hours that may be used for commercial purposes and prohibiting absentee landlordism. saving to move the programs to Chi- cago where production faculties are within walking distance of the agency offices, instead of being at the end of an over-night train jump. NEW YOBK 154 W. 46th SL CHICAGO 54 W. Randolph HOLLYWOOD 1708 No. Vine St. 1,200 Pages 2/3 Actual Size LONDON 8 SL Martin's PL Trof algar Square The 1939-40 VARIETY RADIO DIRECTORY, now in editorial and advertising preparation, is an ideal advertising medium for stations and talent. Consider the value of this PAID CIRCULATION: AGENCIES buying 96.5% of all national radio time, both network and spot, each purchased from one to ten copies of the Radio Directory. SPONSORS whose budgets total well over $65,000,000 annually, not including Spot radio, each purchased from one to three copies of the Radio Directory. • ADVERTISING RATES Full page. ..$175.00 Half page 90,00 Quarter page 50.00 Bleed, per page, extra... 25.00 Colof, per page, extra... 25.00 (Thei* rate* are net)