Variety (Oct 1941)

Wednesday* October 22, 1941 RADIO 29 CHDRCH-IN-POUTICS ISSUE RAP NBC FOR . POLICY GHAIieE OF BWAN TALK In an atmosphere of hudi and mys- tery and undercover conferences, the Ameucan radio industry and the Bo- man Catholic leaders In the east nervously waited aU last week for the speech of Archbishop Francis J. I, Beckman of Dubuque, Iowa, who was scheduled to speak on the NBC- Blue iietworl^ on Sunday afternoon (19) at three. What lurked behind Beckman's radio date and the appre- hensions it aroused was politics. ■ Specifically it was feared that, un- wisely for Catholics and unwisely for radio, a high dignitary of the church was to hurl himself thirough the medium of broadcasting Into the controversy of the Roosevelt admin- istration's foreign pollis^. Insiders in the radio Industry, the various liaison specialists between the networks and the three chief re- ligions of..America, Catholic, Prot- estant and Jew," "were" all buzzing with speculation as to the reasons for the apparent breakdown of the principle, heretofore considered vital (Contintied on page 44) MUTUAL AGAIN ENDORSES FCC The Mutual Network put out its lo-called 'second White Paper' Mon- day (20). The booklet of 20 pages leeks to analyze the Federal Com- munications Commission's modified hilea on chain .broadcasting. The pamphlet carries the signa ■ tures of Fred Weber, A. J. McCosker and W. E .Macfarlane, general man- ager, chairman and president of the network, respectively, ' The 'Paper' denies that the new regulations, by completely forbid- ding network option-time and by limiting network-affiliated station contracts to one year, have unduly disturbed the network broadcasting structure and makes note of the 'significance' that the only network ttiat petitioned the- FCC for amend- nients to the originally amended Tegulations was Mutual. Mutual advances the assurance that the revised regulations will 'not only not have harmful effects ascribed to them but will benefit the radio industry, the public and the ad- vertiser,' The 'Paper' points out that ttations affiliated with a network do not have to clear time any longer tihdef the 28-day clause in their net- work contracts, since less than 28 days remain between Oct. 20 and Nov. 15, the effective date of the re- vised regulations. Also that the regulations are binding as to any af- filiate sUtion which contracted with • network since May 2, 1941, either by way of a renewal or by way of • new or exisUng affiliation. The pamphlet holds that in prac- tice regulations affect cities having Mes than four stations and that Mu- •ual opposes merely certain abuses of option-time privileges and that - the non-exclusive options in the regulations assure (1) nationwide clearance and (2) pquallty of com- petition. 'EARTHBORN' SERIAL SOLD WLW Show Sponsored by Coco- Wheats—18 Months Snstalnlng Cincinnati, Oct. 21. After 18 months as a sustainer on WLW, the rural folk serial titled ^rthborn started imder Coco- Wheats sponsorship last week. Pro- Bram reUins its Sunday 6 to 5:30 P m. spot. Contract with the cereal concern was placed through the Rogers & Smith agency, Chicago. Show is written and produced by Walter Hank . Richards, Crosley staffer. Hudepohl Brewing has renewed Soger Baker for a second year of sportscasts Monday through Satur- day, 6:46 to 7 p.m., on Crosley's WSAI. . , OPENING THE FLOODGATES Men of goodwill, whether Catholic, Protest- ant, Jew or agnostic, have a natural and justi- fied horror of the introduction .of religious in- tolerance and hatred into partisan politics. Many such .rp'?n will surely be puzzled by the apparently unnecessary, unwise and gratuitous surrender of its self-interest by NBC in per- mitting the dangerous precedent fo be estab- lished that an' obscure niidwestern archbishop, famous chreily as an admirer of Father Cough-, lin, may demand, and get, free time to fling unclerical invective at the President and the Government of the United States. Beckman got his time from a reluctant NBC apparently, as the endorsed friend of a United States sen- ator. NBC, from reports, wilted under the hot glare of the senator's personality and persis- tence. distinguished citizens that NBC would clear its religious programs through responsible groups of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish lay- men, Direct requests* for time would not be entertained by NBC. This system has pro- duced harmonious relations and practically no serious complaints for years except that cer- tain Protestant groups not party to the Fed- eral Council of Churches of Christ in America did occasionally assert that no proper provi- sion was made for them as exceptional cases. Archbishop Beckman could-contribute only one thing to this running debate America's foreign policy and that was sectarian preju- dice. Catholics, with ample and_just_cause, complained bitterly in 1928 when'sectarTafi"' prejudice was introduced into politics by Protestants. But what makes Beckman's rabid address so unfortunate is the magic and the free gift of a modern network hook-up. And why NBC felt obliged to make the gift even under senatorial pressure, will probably never be intelligible to a lot of persons in a businesi-~that only a little while ago got rid of Father Coughlin, who so often embarrassed many of them and who delighted in invidiously characterizing several dominant 'broadcasters. The Catholic Hour on NBC and variods other Catholic programs resulting from this system have been marked by a high level of spirituality, tolerance and good taste. The National Catholic Laymen's League of "Wash- ington in the Beckman case adopted a policy of absolute dissociation and disapproval and definitely was heartbroken that the NBC lost the courage of its own convictions and chose to violate its own regular policy. Rabble-rousing wildmen exist in . all churches, but the floodgates have heretofore been closed against them with the blessing and gratitude of the responsible leaders of theie denominations. It wai established—and soundly—a long time ago by the RCA-NBC Advisory Board of Protestants and Jews alike will probably do religion and their country and radio a service if they ignore the, Beckman episode and do not, as they have a right, pressure NBC for free time to answer. They will thus not add the torch of recrimination to the kerosene of un- fortunate senator-inspired religious" attack upon the leadership of the Nation. HVE SINGERS ON ONE SHOW Boston, Oct. 11. WBZ" Is shooting the works on a program using Rakov anfl his orches- tra plus five vocalists with the pos- sibility of network sponsorship. Started last week, it is now heard daily, Monday through Thursday, at 2:30 p.m., Rakov divides his orches- tra into a string sextet and a dance group, playing popular and semi- classical music, and five girls who were winners in a recent talent quest here: Madeleine Savaria, of Worces- ter, concert soprano tO' be known as 'Madeleine;' Olga Pavlowa, of Boston, dramatic soprano; Charlotte Patten, of Wrentham, and Eve Suthern, o( Boston, popular singers; Claire Whitney, of Brookline, billed as a 'continental stylist.' The singers' schedule Is staggered throughout the four days. Edmund Chester, CBS Shortwave Director Jo Visit Latin Countries Edmund Chester, head of Colum- bia's shortwave activities, is due to visit South America In the next few weeks, and will probably be away from New York two months or more. Meantime CBS is shooting at a Jan. 1 start for its Pan-American hookup. Equipment priorities are not too promising, however, that this revised date can be absolutely kept. Mrs. Chester, who is a Chilean by birth, will accompany her husband and her mother along with the Chcs- ters' fours months old child for the purpose of exhibiting the new mem- ber to the rest of the family. McNaughton-Wilson's 6th Straight on Rinso Show Harry, McNaughton and Ward Wilson have been booked on the Rinso - Spry 'Vaudeville Theatre' (NBC-Red) this Saturday morning (18) for their sixth consecutive ap- pearance. It'j a week to week arrangement MRS. MILLIGAN'S LUNCH A« BcHrIng dulrman of Coanall Oq Children's Programa Mrs. Harold V. .Milligan will ra- tlra as chairman of tha Radio Coun- cil on Children's programs at a ceremonial lifncheon Oct. 31 at tha Town Hall Club, New York. She wlU tosi posies at her successor, Mri. Nathaniel Singer. The latter may toss a few back. Meantime Mrs. Dorothy Lewis, the eouncil's ons-woman flying squad, was last reported In the out- lands clearing her throat and about to make a speech. mnNAMEr IS SPONSORED 'What's My Namet' - will have Fleischmann't Yeast aa a sponsor after the first of the year. Deal was set last .-week between tha Lyons offica and Kenyon Sc Eckhardt, agency on the product. Standard Brands, which owns the yeast company, used 'Name' for nine weeks this summer on the NBC-Red to plug Its Royal desserts. Hooper Figures' Contrast Wfth Last Season Repeals Slow Level Pickup Even though the pickup In listening levels In October was appreciable as compared to September, tha general ratings on network programs show that set owners have bean slow in getting back~-to' fall listening habits. The listening graph this past summer took tha lowest seasonal diye in years, but program checkers state that they haven't enough evidence at hand to. indicate whether .a similar leveling-oft process will prevail this fall or whether listening will epproximata last season's grades. According to the C. B. Hooper reports for tha Oct. 6-12 week Edgar Bergen (Chase & Sanborn) was again leading the list, with Fibber McGee and Molly (Johnson's Floorwax) second, and "The Aldrich Family' (Gen- eral Foods) third. Following is a comparison of the current Hooper ratings for the first IS shows with the way the Initial 15 stood the same time the year before (1940): , THIS YEAR , ^LAST YEAR^ No. Program Rating Bating No. 1 Edgar Bergen 28J 28.8 1 2 Fibber McGee 27.7 ■ 25.9 3 3 'Aldrich Family' 25.8 21.8 7 4 Bob Hope 25.4 22J 6 5 Maxwell House 25.2 15.0 15 6 Lux Theatre 22.3 23.2 5 7 Walter WincheU 21.4 25.9 4 8 Jack Benny 20.5 27.1 2 0 Eddie Cantor 17.0 18.8 11 10 'One Man's Family' 16.8 195 8 11 'Mr. District Attorney' 16.2 12.7 21 12 Major Bowes 15.8 19.4 0 13 Burns and Allen 15.3 10.2 24 14 Rudy Vallee 15.1 13.5 18 15 Kay B>ser 14.9 15.5 14 1 MISSING FROM LISTOT^RRENT IS | , 1940 , 'We, the People' 17.0 10 Fitch Bandwagon 15.9 12 'Information, Please' 15.9 13 In tejephone calls, mail and wide- spread criticism in and out of the trade, the National Broadcasting Co. began 'taking it' from about 3:20 p.m. last Sunday afternoon (19) as the result of its 'experiment" of per- mitting a prominent churchman. Archbishop Francis ' Beckman, to plunge into politics up to his mitre. After he had spoken, the Archbishop was echoed by a Catholic layman of his choosing, Joseph Scott of Los Angeles, Together, the two men went to extremes of abuse against the Roosevelt administration's for- eign policy that veteran radio men. believe have never been equalled ■over the air. under any circum- stances, even by Father Coughlin and Senator Wheeler. . The NBC staff was prepared for the outburst of criticism of religion mixing with .politics that came in. Indeed there was a disposition to feel that the criticism, great as it was, was less in volume and more restrained in tone than the Beck- (Continued on page 44) WHODUNIT CLUE INSIDE HATS San Francisco, ^ct. 21. Lundstrom Hat Stores has pur- chased eight 10:30 p. jfi. quarter houi4 on KPO- Friday nights for a mystery serial starting Oct. 31. Each chapter will Involve a diflerent type of hat, with dialers required to visit the store and see the hat for clues In order to compete for prizes iii solving slaying which will occur in each chapter. Show is a Segall agency produc- tion. , Henry Fisk Carlton Is Due for Presidency Of Radio Writers Guild Henry Fisk Carlton Is slated to be next president of the Radio Writers Guild, succeeding Courtenay Savage,, of' Ciiicago. Nominating committee drew up its slate of candidates lost week for the election to be held Nov. 7. Carlton will serve one year. Nominees for the organi7.ation's New York council, to serve two years, include Stuart Hawkins, Harry Herrmann, Richard McDonagh, J. T. W. Martin and Addy Richton. Alternates, to serve one year, are George Corey Lowther< Vera Oldham and Helen Walpole. Ex-ofliclo coun- cil members are Kenneth Webb, former president, and Knowles En- trikin, former local vice-president Incumbent local vice-president, serv- ing until next year, is Katharine Sey- mour. RWG representatives to the coun- cil of the Authors League of Amer- ica, the Guild's parent organization. Include Normap Corwin, Elaine Sterne Carrington, Merrill Denison and Philo Higley. They will serve two years. CORWIN MISSES NO. 24 Perry Lafferly Directs Eepcat— Henry Morgui aa Lead Norman Corwin was ill Sjnday (19), so instead of the scheduled 'Psalm for a Dark Year* as the 24th and '26 by Corwin' on CBS, the Co- lumbia 'Workshop offered a repeat of his 'Descent of the Gods.' Perry Laf- ferty directed and was given billing at both opening and close. Henry Morgan, announcer-come- dian of WOR, New York, made his dramatic debut in the narrator-lead part of Nick, the Greek Expert of Trivia. •