Variety (Aug 1940)

Wednesday, August 14, 1940 RADIO 27 ViTasklngton AVkraiis Ppssibl«e Repertcussions in Political Circles as Qne Ne|:work Alone (Gillette Spbn- ibrship) Has Rights to Gala Week of National Sport: ■ MONGPOLY? Washington, Aug. 13. Both trade and politicail circles are waiting with bated breaths for re- percussions to Mutyal's announce-, meht thait ior the second successive eeason rights to: air the^ world series baseball games have^ been tied up under an ^exclusive contract, with Gillette Razor sponsoring the pitch by pitch accounts;. Interest has been heightened by the critical conirrients about -last year's situation ophtained iri the chain-monopoly committee report; Trio of probers condemned MBS. for depriving the public service, through refusal to grant rival outlets an op- Sqrtunity to" join the web.; Nothing as beeii. done, ihqugh the other chains last year fussed and did their best behind-scenes to get the FCC to ftep in and give Mutual; the wood- shed treatment. Whether the games will be offered to either stations and whether CBS and NBC, as last year, will wave a club in the direction of any affiliate flirting with Mutual, intrigues local watchers. Admittedlyj a legal rum- pus would occur if the Goriimish tried to cotnpel Mutual to loosen up or; to punish the other chains for hot releasing their iaffiliates. But the way the regulators have: looked down the nose at the industry in .the past year provides basis for being alert to the possibility that some, official heat will be turned on. Of Real Importance : With the . chain-monopoly report hanging over the industry's head, the proposition is of much greater im- portance than it was a year ago. If thete are many squawks — from listeiiers or from stations—about Mu- tual's exclusive airrangement, regu- latory; faction feeling exclusivity should be banned in the 'public in- terest' will be in a stronger position. So far, there have been no bleats, but there is plenty of time. .;, There is no indication at this end that siich will be the practice, but sujggestioris have been thrown, but that MBS would be ,smart if it offers to let CBS and NBC carry the games at regular card ratiBS, with the credit line reserved' for Mutual. It's not :expected ;the rivals would go for such ah arrangement/but at least by ■making an overture , Mutual would head off . complaints it; is trying to monopolize a program of widespread interest >in a way that may deny many listeners ;a chance to hear the descriptions. :. ''i . The. matter of Federal interference with the Mutual arrangements prob- ably will be chewed over by the regulators after the vacation iseason. Though not on any agenda, the pub- lic welfare issue as spotlighted by the chain-monopoly coinmittee's dis- cussion of \yhat happened- last Oc- tober is bound to: be brought up. ' Des Molnes.-^Bbris Radoff is now a: niember of Buddy Webster's Borderland Buckaroos at WHQ, Des Moines, iowa: MECHANIZATIQN MENACE WCCO Hfobile Unit Upsets the Farmers' Bovines : ■ Minneapolis, Aug. 13. ; Livestock in the rural sections are getting their first taste of radio: broadcasting as station WCCO XCBS) sends its new mobile imit out into the country. And farmers are compilaining that the loudspeakers, turned on full blast, are; frighteninig cows so much that, in some in- instances, milk yiields have beeri re- duced.'. ; Truck not only broadcasts: current radio prpgrartis,. but also has a p.a. system: and equipment to make transcriptions. It was used effectively; here to; help direct parade tiraffic during the Aquatennial celebration and it's now: visiting county fairs where the WCCO artists' bureau is staging shows. Ms tp1iyR,I)efroft, , As Turns Precimpts WXYZ Detroit, Aug. 13. Stfoh Brewery'i local hilf-hbur: rhusical show, highlighting Gus Haenschen and a 36-piece string or- chestra, : ihoved last week frorh WXYZ to WJR after 13 weeks on King-Trendle station. Chaihge was forced by shift of Turns 'iPot-o-Gold' program- to NBC-Blue, and herice WXYZ, in same spot formerly - cupied by Stroh show. New contract with WJR calls for 39 weeks and: ishoW will again com- prise Thomas L. Thomas and Mar-: gairet. I3aum, soloists, - who, like Haenschen, make weekly trips from New York for program. It'll con- tinue to emanate from Consistory chapel of Masqnic Temple here be- fore live aduiehce. on A Dilemma For ^^^(^ W Question of : baseball broadcaists next season on Columbia affiliates has already, cpme :up and discusslpns are being held.; The afternoon time in 1941, is' reported likely to be sold mONfARM Atlanta, Aug. 13. Byhum (Bill) Prance, WSB's farm director, ' bringing his stories of the Georgia farmer • ,to' the early morning: listeners, by way of; the transcription route. Prance ; found that when the rural folk got in front of a studio mike thiey tightened up, so he now takes his recording ap- parjitus to ■ the orchards, cbttonfields and back of barns- and interview his subjects, arid with much better results. Prance has the 5:30 to (6:15 a.m. period for his program which in ad- dition to these interviews consists of music, news, farm Info and talks by state or federal agricultural experts. He's the. m.c. Arthur Simon, WPEN Philadelphia general manager. In canoe Sunday with wife, was rammed by a speed- ing motor boat. Cut craft . in two. All they got Was a wetting. to national advertisers, some of the time has already been tentatively ' okayed, although network officials assert that no actual deals are set. Attitude of the affiliates:, toward any network business that might force the local baseball broadcasts off the air is uncertain; Their rights in the matter would depend on in- dividual contracts with the network. However, even the managed and operated stations would probably not be forced to relinquish the base- ball games' if they insisted, accord- ing to CBS execs, Columbia's attitude as a network is dissatisfaction with the idea of having to hold open afternoon time year around for sponsors of base-. ball game^ to use from April to Oc- tober. Mofepver, there's always the possibility that, after holding open the afternoon hpuris oyer the winter; rights to the games might not be obtainable or sponsors interested in the spring. However, a number of the affili- ates are believed to be strongly op- posed to relinquishing games and web Is apparently reluctant to be forced into making a final decision on the matter at this time and is trying to feel out various proposi- tions. WABC, the network's New York outlet, carries the Yankee and, Giants home games for Camel ciga- rets. If baseball is dirppped for next year, it's figured NBC may try to grab them for its blue hookup. (WJZ); However, WOR, which now has the Brooklyn Dodgers games for Wheaties and Ivory soap, might want to switch. KNX LOS ANGELES 50,000 WATTS CBS With the largest habitual audience in the time coverage over seven in 272 counties in eleven Western states. For more in formation about KNX, one of the sixteen CBS 50,000 watt stations, inquire of Radio Sales: New York, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Charlotte, N, C, San Frandsem /) COLUMBIA'S WORKSHOP IN THE WEST