Variety (May 1941)

Wednesday, May 21, 1941 RADIO 25 TACKLE D. C AIR PRIORITIES St L Convention Qoses on Sour Note Of 'Bad Manners Versus Temper St. Louis, May 20. After the convention of the Na- tional Association of Broadcasters had closed at the JeSerson hotel last Thursday (22) some dispersing dele- gates began to wonder whether the event would in years to come be re- called more as the time when the Industry took a courageous, fighting stand against bureaucrat than as a much-debated example of bad man- ners. The local press in its coverage of the attack of Mark Ethridge, WHAS, Louisville, on the FCC's anti-monopoly report the day before (21) was pretty much agreed that James L. Fly, the FCC's chairman, who was present, had been treated to a sort of glorified hot-foot The defenders of Neville Miller, N.A.B. paid prez, who presided at the meeting, explained that it was all a case of misunderstanding and over- light. In any event the Ethridge speech produced a display of crowd emo- tionalism that was utterly without precedence in N.A.B. convention proceedings. His biting, searing sallies at what he termed the com- mission's 'bad faith,' his personal excoriation of Fly as one more In- terested in punitive acts than in con- structive procedure and his demand that the present commission be re- placed by a three-man group were each greeted with sustained ap- plouse and even howls of approval, At the finish of his denunciation of Fly and those who voted for the. anti-monopoly report Ethridge was given a rising ovation that lasted for several minutes. Fly Was Ezpeotant As Ethridge took his chair Fly, who had been taking notes all the time, was seen to gather his papers and look up at Miller expectantly. MlUer had the day before conveyed the impression that open discussion of the issue would be held after •both sides' had got 'out on the table, After the demonstration for Ethridge had completely subsided Miller pro. ceeded to read some convention an. nouncements. He then declared the meeting adjourned. With that Fly, his face flushed in anger, sprang up from his seat on the dais and started for the door. Miller, suddenly frightened, dashed after him, caught up with the FCC chairman at the door and asked him whether he wanted to speak imme- diately or at the afternoon session. Fly retorted that It was obvious that the meeting had broken up and that J anyway he wasn't going to let Miller "make.the ground rules under which he (Fly) had to play. Later efforts by Miller and other NA3. officials failed to induce Fly to change his mind, Klauber's Speech At the same day's afternoon, ses- sion Edward Klauber, CBS execu- tive v.p., blasted the commission's anti-monopoly report as threatening the freedom of the air, as a step toward government ownership and as an attempt to terrorize' the broadcasters. Also that the enforce- ment of Its terms would push the broadcasting business into chaos and that the network affiliates were be- ing asked by the commission to al- low themsel'^es to be taken ' into 'protective custody.* Ethridge, who prefaced bis speech with the remark that despite aU the chagrin and disillusionment he had suffered from the administration he was still a New Dealer, stated that many gestures of bad faith had come from the Government and that he knev of three instances in which the commission had determined certain principles and violated them almost immediately 'in favor of people who were not unfriendly to the adminis- tration.' He said that he never de- fended the status quo In radio but that he has found the station opera- tor is re&dy to take his chances with the most stringent sort of govern- ment regulation if he is assured of two things: '(1) That the regulation is honest and intelligent, (2) that he has assurance that what Is done is not done to produce chaos, to fur- ther an eventual taking over by the The Boss Elderly newspaper publisher who owns two radio stations or- dered a salesman fired because the latter was wearing a pair of the new-style perforated shoes. 'I don't,' said the publisher to the manager of the station in- volved, 'want a man working for me who goes around with holes in his shoes.' RAUH OFF FCC STAFF AND BIZ NOT SAD HEAD N[W DEPT. Washington Is Very Radio- Minded Under PreMure of War Preparations — Con- flicting Plans and De- mands of Services a Vexa- tious Dilemma' Wipillbles'Tleatre Date Click May Influence Kellogg's Air Policy Softie IDEA STILL VAGUE Washington, May 20. Resignation of Joseph - L. Rauh, assistant general counsel of the Federal Conimunlcations Commis- sion, was looked upon this week by the networks with a 'parting-is-such- sweet-sadness' attitude. Departure of the 30-year-old barrister to join the legal staff of the Lease-Lend Ad- ministration was put in the mixed- blessing category by members of the industry 'who recalled his brief but dazzling career as principal author of the Commlsh's new anti-monopoly regulations. While the Lend-Lease Administra^ tlon is so new that its paint hasn't been scraped yet, FCC Chairman Fly praised Rauh for his 'energies vast and his loyalty unfailing' and wished him luck in the new venture. V Headachey broadcasters — return- ing from the St. Louis debacle- heaved a sigh of relief at his de- parture, but shuddered a bit when they read the Commish eulogy ex- plaining that ■'Mr. Rauh deferred his resignation pending issuance of the Commission's report and regulations on network broadaasting, in the drafting of which he actively par- ticipated.' Following is Rauh's parting state- ment: 'I have only .one real regret in making this move,' the Cincinnati attorney declared. "Before leaving the Commission, I should have liked to see the chain broadcasting regu- lations upheld in the forum of pub- lic opinion and in the courts, as I feel confident that they shall be. I should have liked to see them be- come an Integral part of the struc- ture of radio broadcasting in this country. The Chain Broadcasting Report and Regulations constitute, to my mind, the most forward-looking step toward the safeguarding of free-' dom of speech that has been taken for many years.' Rauh—who formerly was with the Securities and Exchange Commis- sion, the National Power Policy Committee and the Wage and Hour Division of the Labor Department; was graduated at the head of the class of '35 at Harvard Law School and once was secretary to the late U. S. Supreme Court Justice Benja- min Cardoza was assured of the best wishes of the network industry when he left for his new job. Washington, May 20. . Vague at the moment, but defi- nitely underway, is a new Govern- ment radio department to top—or at least theoretically 'coordinate'—all other Government . radio depart- ments. It is believed the new setup will, indeed to have any meaning must, concern itself with two prob- lems: (1) Clearance through a central booMng office of all Government agency requests for free time from broadcasters. (2) Deciding on a basts of first- things-first which of these various Couemment services have 'priority' where there is not enough time ovailable for all. Although formal creation of such an office awaits formation of sup- plemental agencies, defining of poli- cies and the scope of operations, numerous plans are under discus- sion. Understood Bernard Schoen- teld would be named the radio chief. Obviously no formal radio plans can be set for such newly created outfits as the office of Civil Defense, under Mayor LaGuardia of New York (announced today). But con- siderable increase in radio activity related to the defense effort is In prospect, so some sort of coordi- nating and supervisory agency is virtually essential. Library nf CoDfress Not connected with any plans for an over-all radio department Is a new radio series belna readied by (Continued on page 82) Hollywood, May 20. Promised the concert spot on Kraft Music' Hall if she would polish up on her technique at the 'cello, Connie Boswell prac- ticed like mad for two weeks. Day before the broadcast she bad to cancel. Instead of toughening her digits for the plucking job the best she could raise were large water blisters. FOREIGNTONGUE BROADCASTS BY CIO. Detroit, May^:20. Radio programs in nine foreign languages, including the Arabic, are included in the 34 broadcasts of the United Automobile Workers (CIO) in its drive being made in advance of the National Labor Relations Board election (May 21) at the Ford Motor Company. Aired in the spe- cial broadcasts over the Detroit sta- tions are speeches in Italian, Polish, Ukranian, Czech, Hungarian, Croa- tian, Rumanian, Finnish and Arabic In addition to 15 English broadcasts during the six-day period. Unions here have been plentiful buyers of radio time and the 34 broadcasts in the Ford drive are in. addition to the two regular nightly broadcasts they have been making. Pawtncket, K. I.—Jack Gibbons, president of the 1941 class of Provi- dence CoUege, has been'added to the announcing staff of recently opened station WFCL Cincinnati, May 20, Turnaways registered by WLW** Boone County Jamboree- show Wednesday (14) on three perform- ances in the Kellogg auditorium. Battle Creek, Mich., are expected to lead to the Kellogg company's adop- " tion of more rural entertainment in its future air programs. Kellogg ad- vertising execs and agency men who have to do with the firm's broad- casting were keen observers of pub- lic reaction to the Boone County en- gagement in Kellogg's home town, 280 miles from Cincy. Bill McCluskey, who directs book- ings for hillbilly troupe, tied In with the Battle Creek Enquirer Si News and its station, WELL, to exploit the date. Jamboree entertainers did an afternoon broadcast by WELL. The two afternoon performances in the Kellogg auditorium were for school children. More than 8,000 persons attended the three shows, the En- quirer tc News reported. Johannes Steel in London, Does Four for WMCA Johannes Steel, news commenta^- tor currently vlsitiqg London, last night (Tuesday) began a series of four broadcasts from there, via hl4 home station, WMCA, New York. He will air again tomorrow night (Thursday) and Tuesday (27) and Thursday (29) nigbts of next week. Commentator normally has a regu- lar series over WOR, New York, as weU as WMCA. "Sherlock Holmes'Due Back Bromo Quinine (Groves Labora- tories) has picked up the option oa 'Sherlock Holmes' for next' season, but it has not settled on the network for the scries. Russel A. Seeds will again be ths clearing agency. government, but is done in pur- suance of sound policy.' Ethridge expressed himself as 'ex- cited about the ingenuous method by which the commission seeks to accomplish its purposes' via the anti- monopoly report and because the commission is 'transferring a latent power which has never been abused but jealously safe-guarded by the Industry, to itself, where, it may be abused.' Also as "believing that the commission's proposed regulations would induce a lowering of program standards and that it 'may have the effect of gutting small stations be- cause, even though the commission had undertaken to provide against that the provision is in the form of a threat' MAHAosunfT AmuATBO With Tm Oelaboiu fvttoBiM OOMMffr Ako WKV, Ohuhoka Cm—RwaHrnnnltnJCtn AonnbCi