Variety (Aug 1939)

32 VARIETY RADIO Wednesday, August 30, 1939 AFR A Convention Outwardly Placid Handling Routine Matters, Elections, But Fireworks Behind the Scenes Chicago, Aug. 29. i American Federation of Radio Art- ists, wliich wound up its second an- nual convention here Sunday night j (27), elected officers, discussed and j referred a number of issues to its | national board, but took no action i on vital problems. Session lasted i four days. I Eddie Cantor was re-elected presi- dent; Lawrence Tibbett, first vice- j president; Virginia Payne, Margaret | Speaks, Mark Smith and Carleton \ KaDell, vice-presidents; Alex Mc- | Kee, recording secretary, and George i Heller, treasurer. Convention, also j named 45 members to the national i board._ I In general, the convention was run oft without a hitch, but several delegates from smaller locals ex- pressed resentment at what they termed machine politics played by the New York, Chicago and Coast representatives. They indicated that before next year's convention they will organize small units to oppose the big fellows. Expressions were particularly bit- ter toward the way elections were engineered, and the attitude taken in the attempt to set minimum scale for transcription work. Latter came in for hours of haggling, and still re- mains in the air, with each local to submit a price to headquarters, and headquarters to make a decision later. Representatives of outside locals declared the national minimums de- manded by N. Y. and Chicago—same as Clii and N. Y. network rates- would absolutely stymie that part of their income. While locals such as Cincinnati, Denver, Cleveland, St. Louis and Miami do little recording at present, they want that liltle, and fought hard against what they termed 'high-handed methods to get everything moved to Chicago and N. Y.' California's locals. Los Angeles In particular, left no doubt as to what they thought of Chi and N. T. mini- mums as national transcription rate. In Los Angeles actors have taken what they could get for transcrip- tions, starting oft with a dollar, years ago, and working up until now the average is somewhere around $7.50. Admitting something should be done, they l\ad their feet solidly on the floor against raising the mini- mum to N. Y. and Chi levels. There v.-as also a feeling that there should be a difterence in minimums for open end transcriptions, but that didn't get anywhere either. Hint Collusion In elections, some small locals held the opinion that Chicago and N. Y. worked with too much pre- cision, as units, to have individuality tmi GOES TO TOWNS! in opinions of delegates. Also that the election of paid executives as members of the board was a matter of ramming, especially after the opinion rendered by the nominating committee in the case of Raymond Jones, secretary of the Chicago lo- cal. The opinion, in part, said; 'It is with regret we do not see our way clear to renominate to the national board the executive secretary of the Chicago local, Raymond Jones... after the most serious consideration it is the unanimous opinion of your nominating committee that paid executives of locals should not be eligible for election to the na- tional board. This we recommend as a national policy.' At one time during the session, some individuals declared Chicago was trying to slip something over when Chicago suggesled and solidly lined up for the hiring of another arbitrator. The matter was. quashed, however, when it was pointed out that no more arbitrators were needed, or could be used. Opening day, the sessions were conducted by Lawrence Tibbetl, in the absence of Eddie Cantor. After the keynote address, reports were received from e.'cecutive-secretary Emily Holt, and treasurer George Heller. Alan Corelli, speaking for Theatre Authority, expressed a wish that a satisfactory plan of relief within AFRA ranks could be worked out. That matter was left up to the board. Marston Blasts Whitehead Mrs. Florence Mar.ston, in giving her report on Associated Actors & Artistes of America and American Federation of Labor affair, declared she wouldn't, pull her punches. Her indictment of Ralph Whitehead and the conduct' of AFA affairs was a fiery speech. Plan for the simplification of Four A's structure to eliminate multiple dues was turned over to the board. Also turned over to the board was the question of turning AFRA- member writers over to Radio Writers Guild, as the writers had re- quested, and as AFRA had agreed when writers joined. Possible scale for performers on Chi local com,- mercials was not discussed. Since the convention was not em- powered to act on any real Issues, but could only make recommenda- tions to the board, the session was generally rated a reasonable suc- cess. Whatever excitement there was took place behind the scenes, where some bitter scraps were re- ported to have taken place between officials. At one point, the New York delegation-was.-understood .IQ have split wide open. No casual- ties, however. ♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦* . . • • * Adds 25 Chapters to Its Record of Community Service • WKVS 200-walt mobile transmitter went on tour this summer .. . visited twenty-five state cities ... interviewed civic leaders . . . rehearsed local musical talent . . . added an historical background and transcribed a 15 minute program for each city. The result was Oklahoma Parade, a summer series of twice-weekly broadcasts characterized by the Okla> homa City Chamber of Commerce as "a fine piece of inter- city goodwill building." WKY considers it an integral part of its community service policy. It's this same sense of community service that prompt- ed WKY to dedicate, in 1936, the finest studios outside the metropolitan network centers ... to install the most modern and complete broadcast facilities in the Southwest. Community sen'ice has likewise been the inspiration for a permanent program structure that has made WKY stand out among the nation's broadcasting stations to listeners and sponsors alike. WKY \_JklaLai^iA.ci C^iti^ AI-hll.lATE ★ 'ino Kl[.()( )( 1.1:> ()"NKi) \M) Oi'Kimr.i) \U TiiK (Ki.miomv I'i iui-min(. Comi-^.N't Ki;i'iu-,>t.M Ki) .N.viioNU.Li !!■■ TiiK Km/ A(.kn(i, l.\c. AFRA Delegates ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ AFRA-RWG Differences on Writers Coming Up for Settlement in N. Y.; 4 As Jittery Over Possible Fight New York Teddy Bergman, John Brown, Ev- erett Clark, Ted de Corsia, Helena Durnas, Carl Eastman, Betty Garde, Alex McKee, Tom Shirley, Lawi'ence Tibbett, George Heller, Emily Holt, Henry JaSee, Major James Holmes. Cincinnati Paul Hughes. Cleveland Lou Henry. Denver Gilbert Weber. Los AnselCA I. B. Kornblum, Carlton Kadell, Georgia Fifleld, William Brandt. Chicaeo Raymond Jones, Virginia Payne, Sam Thompson, Charles Calvert, Gene Byron, Philip Lord, Rene Gekiere, Win Stracke, Fran Allison, Donna Reade, Dan Sutter, Mora Martin, Paul Nettinga,. Franklyn MacCormack, Norman Barry, Frances Carlon, Sunda Love, Ken Christy, Lewis Wareman, Burton Dole, Arine Semour, Dick Wells, June Meredith Alternates: Herb Butterfield, Bob Bailey, Fred Howard, Jack Odell ClifT Peterson, Lesley Wood, Ralph Schoolmam, Roy Franklyn, Olga Rosenova, Willard Hemsworth Jeanne Juvelier, Charles Lyon. San Francisco Vic Connors, .Tohn B. Hughes, Ted Maxwell, Josephine Martin. St. Louis Nellie Booth, Wayne Short, Mau rice Clifler. Detroit Gwen Delaney. Racine Kenneth Hegard. Orrln W. Towner, technical di rector of WHAS, Louisville, figured in an airplane crack up while mak- ing a frequency check for WHAS. An army ambulance dashed to the scene, but no one was injured. With him were Bill Blanton, WHAS radio operator, and pilot Frank H, I Dreher. With the arrival in New York this week of I. B. Kornblum, Coast rep of Equity and the American Federa- tion of Radio Artists, efforts will be made to settle the latter union's dif- ferences with the Radio Writers Guild. Tiff, Which has been smoul- dering for many months, has threat- ened to involve, both parent or- ganizations, the Associated Actors & Artistes of America (.\FRA). and the Authors League of America (RWG) in a genex'al actor-writer war. Kornblum arrived in N. Y. Mon- day (28) from Chicago, where he attended AFRA's annual conveiUion. His prime purpose in making the trip was to sign a contract for the Coast local of AFRA with CBS offi- cials, covering station KNX, Los An- geles. It is this KNX contract that is one of the issues in the .\FRA- RWG dispute. Pact covers not only actors, singers, announcers and sound ef- fects men, but also includes writers. According to a preliminary agree- ment between the two groups, AFRA agreed to turn over the writers to RWG after the contract had been signed. Guild appears to feel, how- ever, that the actors' union is now stalling on that agreement. Situation along somewhat similar lines exists in St. Louis, where AFRA negotiated a contract with KMOX covering writers as well as performers. From present indica- tions, AFRA is willing to relinquish the Los Angeles scripters, profess- ing to have no intention of seeking representation over writers in the four major radio production cen- ters (New York, Chicago, San Fran- cisco and Los Angeles*. But it ap- parently intends to retain the writers in St. Louis and take in oth- ers in various other cities through- out the country. No Jurisdiction Over Writers According to RWC members, AFRA's charter from the Four A's, and Indeed the Four A's charter from the AFL, include no jurisdic- tion over writers, but limits the union's -representatiton to-perform- ers only. Regardless of the needs of the writers, or the merits of in- dividual cases, RWG members argue that AFRA's efforts to take in writers are the same sort of juris- tional invasion tactics of which the Four A's is currently accusing George E. Browne and the stage- hands' union. » The Guild is anxious to settle the matter without an outright battle, but believes it is better able to rep- resent writers and handle their prob- lems than is AFRA. If necessary, it intends waging a battle on tho is- sue. An RWG membership meeting is scheduled for some time next week, with the AFRA situation cer- tain to get close attention. Matter has already been taken up to the Author League board, which is tak- ing an active part. Marc Connelly, league president, is now on the Coast, and is in close touch with the situation there. It is pointed out that it AFR.\ in. tends to represent writers formal- ly, it will have to apply to the AFL for permission to extend its jurisdic- tion thus. No such move has been made and, it's understood, none i.i contemplated. Question • of writer representation was brought up at last week's AFRA convention, but was submitted to the national board without recommendation. According to Kornblum, there ih no occasion for a quarrel between AFRA and RWG. Four A's offlcials are likewise jittery over precipitat- ing an open row between the Four A's and the League. But the Four A'h is known to be soldily behind AFRA in the matter. Also, once the stage- hand tussle Is out of the way, AFRA and the Four A's are known to view a possible conflict with the RWG or the Authors League as a trifling af- fair. That such a war will actually oc- cur is flgured unlikely. But if it does take place it will hardly be a minor skirmish. HILDEGARDE Playing to Capacity Business Nightly SAVOY PLAZA HOTEL New York Radio-Transcriptions Decca Records Per. Mgr.—ANNA SOSENKO Ex. Rep.—JACK BERTELL KAY THOMPSON and her Rhythm Singers for ETHYL with ANDRE KOSTELANETZ and TONY MARTIN CBS Zvtrj Mondsr. S-8:S0.r.M., ED9T Management WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY WBAL DOiVT MiSS PALMOLIVE'S • BESS JOHNSON ^ By Adelaide Marston Dedicated to the women of America. Th« story of a woman wha must choose between love and th» career of raising other women's children. WABC-CBS—10:30-10:45 A.M. EJ).S.T. 78 Stations Coast-to-Coost WOR—4:30-4:45 P.M. EJ),S.T. Monday Through Friday Direction BENTON & BOWLES, Inc. Management ED WOLF, RKO BUILDING, New York HELD OVER—THIRD WEEK! CAPITOL, NEW YORK THE MARTINS A NKW UIIVTIIM qVAKTETTK Mgl.: FIIF.O HTICKI.K, Hi nil Ave., New York— CI 7-1971