Variety (Dec 1940)

Wetlnesdaj, December 25, 1940 RADIO 89 Station 'PaVly* Becoiiies a Prie-Chr i s t m a s Tradition Throughoiut Broadcasting Ihdustry^Liep Fitzpatrick Also Takes Care of Staff Kiddies With /Gifts MANY REPORT Especially notable this Christmas were the riumber of radio stations rewarding their staffs with substan- tial cash bonuses. /These ranged . iroiri one week's salary up^ to prince- ly melons baised. on annual salary, *rhe question of plowing profits back Into staff loyalty has lately been em- phasized by radio st^ition manage- ment. The theme was emphasized in the recent eighth annual VAniKTT ghowmanship survey, especially as regards WGAR, Cleveland. Attir ttire. of broadcast management to- ward staffers had gradually changed through the ye^rs. • Not oiily because 1940 was a big year, or because, of, the. tax situa- tion, but because the radio broad- casting business is now in the 'solid citizen'' classification this change las come about,. In the earlier days •wners of stations squeezed their firopertie's -to the rind and showed ittle realization that they should thank or think about staff esprit de corps. A few of the stations that have banded out cash bonuses during the present Christmas holidays are re- ported herewith. Many (Dthers have been previously reported in earlier issues of VAniETv-,. Still others, of coiirise, have not been disclosed pub- licly at this: time. It is now customary in scopes of radio stations around the country to hold staff parties' during the days just before Ghristiifias. This-has be- come- one. tradition 'In a busings that: grew so fast it didn't develop many; traditions. ■ . ,„ An amusing picture is suggested by the.story frbml'acoma where one staff collected its: bonus and imm&- diately started a crap game with the bosses. This 'was; probably bad economy but/good democracy.' St. Nick Fltzpatzrick ■ Detroit;'Dec; ■24. Staff-, menibers-of WjR, .number- ing weir above 100^ were given 15^5, of their year's salary as a Christmas present at the annual group party Friday (20) in the Recess Club. . It brought to 20% the bonus paid during the year.: Last summer- just before the vacation season, the en- tire staff. was given a special . 5% gifti • The . only members io whom the largesse does riot g(o a'r^; the union musicians.^ ■ In addition tb this Christmas, cash,. Leo Fitzpatrick, vice-president arid manager, takes the holiday brunt off all parents on the staff. ■ He tossed his annual kid party on Dec. 23 for all ..children of staff members aridi the gifts Include the.biggest items on the youngisters' letters .tp Sarita Claus. Handed . out were . such - things as bicycles, riding habits, doll houses arid other expensive items. Mothers are tossed a separate party;, while nurses take over the kid party. Arthur Church's Policy Kansas-City, Dec. 24. Annual bonus and rourid-up break- fast of personnel ol KMBC was held last Wednesday (18) at the Pickr wick hotel, with Arthur Church, pi-exy, passing but the good news. Employees who had service of nine mbnths or more were glyeh. bonuses on length of service.; This is in, keeping with the policy Church nas practiced for several years; Some 90 workers ^yere oh hand for the doings. ' - . Principal' point of Church's several announcements concerned draftees who will be guaranteied re- instatement at, KMBC at. the con- clusion of military service. Each draftee will- also receive a special bonus of one month's pay for each year he has served KMBC up to six years.; In a recent, survey of KMBC's 92 employees 46 . reported eligible for. the draft. Wasmer's Bonus Plan : ' .-'.' . ' Spokane, Dec-;24. . More , than 50 employees : of KHQ and K.(iA got bonuses. . Lpiiis Was- hier, president of the station's, was host at a Christmas party for the staff at the Davenport hotel. Ex- tended thanks to the staff, includirig the original four members, who have been : with: KHQ for more than 14. years.: '■: ^. All employes with the organiza- tion for a year received checks equal to two and a half month's salary; from .months to a year, one month's salary, and less than six months, two. weeks' pay. :Remainder of. the evening : Was spent at cards and 'African gOlf. Today, Tuesday (24) the entire stiff Of KFPY (oyer 30). held annual Christmas party in Golden Concert Studio. Imriiediately following presentation of gifts, the staff took part in an informal gathering in the station's newly completed staff recre- ation room. The tree was decorated with colorful balls, represeriting the various network shows released , by KFPY. Entire staff was also presented with salary, bonuses. - Santa at CBS, Too Executive and employees of CBS got their. Christmas bonuses yester- day (Tuesday). In each, envelope there was a message frorii William S,:- Paley, thahking therh for their good services, etc. . ' Non-executives each got a weiek's pay. JVGAR Bonus Swells One-Half Glevelarid, Dec. 24. y Employees of 'WGAR gathered for the annual Christmas party, with 10% in. their mental'arithriietib. .-But the bonus wais 15% by way• of ,a geriiaT surprise, froni the board .of directors, WDEC Awards Two VWejeks Hartford, Dec. 24. All eniployees of WDRC have been given two weeks', salary as a Christ- mas bon-Us! Station. this riibnth observed its 18th birthday. ' , ■ 'Green Hornet' Returns ' 'The Green Hornet,' weekly 30- minute : adventure series which has. been off the air for several- months, returns 'Saturday night (28): to WOR-Mutual. Network, has a sponisorship deal on the verge of signirig and figures clinching it when the show resumes airing. Stanza was oh NBC blue (WJZ) for two years and on Mutual earlier this season, It has been co-operativiely bankrolled Ori occasion, but. never sponsored by a single accourit. WKRC, CmCY, laCPANBING Cincinnati, Dec. 24. 'WKRC, lltiitual affiliate, took oc- cupancy last week of six more rooms in the. Hotel Alms, where the station is located, for oiffices arid a music library. Brad Simpson recently became program director and is taking over other duties . formerly handled by Hulbert Taft,: Jr.,. general manager. 1940 TOO GRIM, 'Twelve Crowdeid Moriths,' Colum- bia's ; annual. 60-minute prpgram of the year's biggest news stories, will not be in dramatized form this year. Reason is that the network officials believe the events of 1940 were gen^ erall^ too grim to be palatable in dramatic form. Reversal' of pjrevious policy, was . decided over the week- end, after plans for another, drama- tic presentation were well under wayi . i, ■ Actual' standout stories haven't yet been selected for this program, which is scheduled for 1:30 , to 2:30 p.m. Sunday (29). However, Ed- ward Murrow, Willisni Shir'er, Eric Sevareid,; Larry ,Le Sueur, i Elmer Davis and Maj; George Fielding Elli- ott will probably participate, each using his own script. Paul White and Robert Wood, of the news de- partment, will supervise. SWIFT BUYS 60 Swift & Co. has. bought a daily quarter hour of the 'Breakfast Club' on the NBC-blue and will use . as mariy as 60 stjStions if the network can clear them.' The period is 9 to 9:16 a.m. EST. t Beckley, W. Va.—Howard F. Flynn,. forriierly with NBC Artists Service, has joined the. staff of WJLS in charge of writing, casting and pro* ducing dramatic programs. WASHINGTON, D.C 50,000 WATTS CBS The most powerful voice in L Fdfmorewformation about WJSV, one oj the stxfeeh'CBS 50,000 watiUatioiis^i^^ ( COLUMBIA'S STATION FOR THE NATION'S CAPITAL