Variety (Oct 1941)

80 RADIO Tednesdaj, October 29, 1941 SIX HOURS DAILY IN HAUAN PROPOSAL OF GENEROSO POPE FOR W6NY, BROOEYN Foreign Language Good Vehicle for Defente Propa- ganda, He Believes — Denial of Any Mussolini Taint in Policy Generoso Pope, wealthy and poli- Ucally potent New York City con- tractor and publisher of two Italian language newspapers, is behind EI Progresso Broadcast Service, which has been negotiating first with WOV, New York, to purchase the station, and, that lailing, with WBYN, Brook- lyn, to gain an Italian language pro- gram monopoly ot that station. Arde Bulova, owner of WOV, has been apparently receptive to the sale of his station for some time, but re- portedly did not feel that now was the ideal time to sell, or that this •was the best deal to take to the Fed- eral Communications Commission for Its sanction. Under the Pope deal, some six hours of time daily would be ear- marked by WBYN for the Italian lingo programs. At the suggestion ot the Institute of Public Relations, ' representative of the contractor, the actual consummation ot the arrange- ment was retarded pending an ex- pression from the FCC. Latter has no actual rule against re-sale of radio time, but often frowns upon the practice. Pope 'Pro-FJDJl.' The lUUan vote in N.Y.C. is a branch of specialized politics and Generoso Pope is in a delicate posi tlon because of former comments on Benito Mussolini, which have earned him, unfairly, he protests, the repuU- tion of . being pro-Fascist. It Is now his announced policy to throw the fuir weight ot his newspapers, his prestige and his following behind the Roosevelt administration's national defense policies. Miss Hyla Kiczales, who .was for •ome time the general manager of WOV, is slated to be in charge of the six-hour Italian day at WBYN. Fortune and Anthony Pope, sons of the contractor, are officers of the Service. Because of the extreme sensitivity about Fascism and the whispers ' about 'propaganda,' if is understood that elaborate editorial supervision over all Italian advertising and en- tertainment copy will be maintained. That most radio stations handling foreign language programs take edi- torial control seriously in their pub- licity statements, but not too seri- ously In their regular day-by-day operations, is well known to the - trade. It is thought likely that anti- Fascist observers will carefully scru- tinize the new programs, but that the auspices themselves will have to maintain an impartial type of au- thenticating record in order to pass the FCC. Actually the Pope Interests make the p&int that they are fully recon- ciled to letting Mussolini go swim In his own juice, and that they are 100% with the democracies against Italy. The Italian language broad- casts -should be encouraged, this group holds, as the ideal antidote to dictator hoke. Under a recent FCC grant, WBYN can go 1,000 watts days, SOD watts nights, instead ot the 'latter wattage for both. Chief Engineer Peter Testan (one of the four owners of station) is rushing the technical de-^ tails for the change to occur in November. DAVE OLSON TO DETROIT Joins WJB Aflei' 10 Tears WCAE, Pittsburgh With PitUburgh, Oct. 28. Dave Olson, production head at WC-AE for last 10 years, has resigned his post at local Mutual outlet to take a similar berth at WJR In De- troit Ben Muros, engineer, Is being groomed to step up to production berth at station, sharhig those duties with Donald Dickson. Lattet recently quit KDKA to Join WCAE staff. NBC FRISCO'S TOP MONTH IN HISTORY possible. .An Issue to be settled Is the best way of nominating and electing permanent groups ot seven to function starting Jan. 1 next. The present 14 were arbitrarily chosen by NBC tiut the web wants its fili- ates to choose their own reps on a basis ot one from each of seven zorfes: All NBC executives who will par- ticipate in the Wednesday-Thursday San Francisco, Oct 28. Current month Is the biggest In local NBC history here, accordhig to Al Nelson of KGO-^CPO. Part of the upsurge Is due to exceptionally heavy spot skeds being carried by breakfast-food and drug products. The local sales effort for the first eight months of '41 la 70% ahead of the same period for last year, al though during the same period spot biz from the east has been down about 7%. Present month's totals are running about 16% ahead of April, which was the peak month for '41 up to how. Preliminary check of sales records by William B. Ryan reveals no past month equal to October, '41. NBC Meetings :Contlnaea from page 29s Justice Dept. Conference ; Continued from page 23- The Bhe Seven Those selected by NBC to" rep- resent Blue-affiliated stations are the following e xecutiv es: Sam Bosenbanm, WFIL, Phila- delphia. Harry Wilder, WSYB, Syra- cuse. Eliey Roberta, KXOX, St Louis. H. P. Jofanaon, WSGNi^ Bir- mingham. Harold Rough, KGKO, Dallas. Tracy McC'rackcn, 'KFBC, dheyenne, Howard Lane, KFBX, Sacra- mento. meetings held a preliminary meet- ing among themselves Monday after- noon at Radio City. It was decided that only the program department will attend both meetings. Sales and sales promotion talks for each web will ba separated entirely. Niles Trammell, Frank Mullen, Mark Woods and William Hedges will outline the major problems In the morning, with Frank Mason and Frank Russell sketching defense co ordination matters. TrammeU will host the seven guests and a few senior NBCers at luncheon in his private dining room each day.: Clay Morgan has been acting as organ izing secretary of the whole project For, the Blue sales story Edgar Kobak will have Ken Dyke and E. P. H. James on hand. The next SPEaOR SPREADING ON GOLD MEDAL CAPSULES Raymond Spector agency, which has been spotting announcements for Gold Medal Capsules,.a Block Drug Co. product on stations here and there, stated last week that it's ex- panding the schedule to the point where its expects to have over 150 stations. The placements have been mostly on the basis of five or six announce- ments a week. n Progresso Files Albany, Oct 28. II Progresso Broadcasting Service, Inc.; has been chartered to conduct a general radio broadcasting business in New York. Capital stock is 200 shares, no par value. Directors are: Jacob H. Zamore, B. William Lahl- man and I. WienA', 21 East 40th ■treet. New York City. Each holds two shares jof stock. Jacob I. Goodstein. 21 East 40th street New York City, was filing at- torney. Ivan Hill Adds Accounts Chicago, Oct 28. Ivan Hill agency liere now handles Weeks & Leo Co., manufacturers ot cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Also has the Great Lakes Varnish Works account' Will use radio and direct mail tor that firm's new Bl-Kote paint product Jackie HeBer to NBC Pittsburgh, Oct 28. Little Jackie Heller has been signed by NBC for z. new sustaining series beginning Nov. 10 in which his singing, will be backed by a 17-plece studio orchestra. ; ■— Heller will take up permanent resl- delice in New York, where the pro- gram is to originate, and plans to turn the active management of the Yacht Club, local niterly which he owns jointly with, his brother, Sol Heller, over to the latter exclusively. .The Red Seyenr Invited to New York for con- ferences at NBC are the follow- ing executives of Red-affiliated stations: James Shouse, WLW, Cinchi- nati. Paul Morency, WTIC, Hart- ford. Leonard Rclnsch, WSB, At- lanta. O. L. Taylor, KGNC, AmariUo. J. J. Glllln, WOW, Omaha. Sid Fox, KDYL, Salt Lake. ' Harrison Holllway, KFI, Los Angeles. day Roy Wltmer for the Red will be abetted by Charles Browii. Expected to sit in on all meetings are' the following program person- ages: Sid Strotz, Phillips Carlin, Bmy^HUlpot James R. Angell, Wal- ter Preston, Burke Miller. John McKay for press and Abe Schecter for special events will also stick the distance. Out ot town vice presidents, Harry Kopt of Chicago and Don Oilman ot Los Angeles, will be present Pittsburgh Good Wf Slant Les Hagner Scouts Air Talent for Defense-Loadec Corporation Pittsburgh, Oct. 28. Les Hagner, radio producer and, writer of the WUtman ft Pratt adver- tising agency, is in New .York City this week gathering impressions and data on available radio entertain- ment personalities. He'll file a report with the agency. Behind the trip is said to be the interest of defense-active firms here to invest coin in good will build-ups via radio. This procedure attracts them, It is said, although they are running capacity at the moment Think it a good Idea to invest in ad- vertising as shading tor the post-war period. Milligan Gets V.-P. Tag; Wenban Joins Agency Chicago, Oct 28. Robert Wenban, formerly with Blackelt - Sample - Hummert agency as v.p. In charge ot the creative staff, has joined the Sherman & Marquette agency here, also as .v.p. Lawrence MUligan, who shifted to Sherman & Marquette from B-S-H several months ago as radio depart- ment chief and account exec, has been named a v.p. of the agency, and with Fly. Sole topic Is expected to be the possibility of lightening the load by combining a Federal attack with defense ot the Commlsh. While many aspects remain con- fusing, it Is known the JOstlce pople feel, after perusing the voluminous record built up by the FCC, there Is ample ground to substi^tiate a bill of complaint against the elder chains. Prosecutors think there will be no trouble proving that NBG and CBS put stumbling blocks In the way of Mutual and exercised so much control over affiliates there was no possibility ot respectable, healthy competition. 'Deny .'Sqneese Play' In some quarters there Is suplcion Fly Is endeavoring to pull off 'a squeew play' and that -Arnold et al., sharing his reform zeal, are simply trying to scare the veterans Into sub- mission to FCC control. From jus- tice Department spokesmen, .how- ever, there have been .denials of any such, arrangement or motive. The trust-busters' feel they possibly should have cracked down sooner, rather than adhering to the policy of keeping hands off matters under consideration by other government administrative units. Though unwilling to discuss the situation for publication, Arnold has given clear Indications he sees eye to eye with th« FCC element which has pronounced NBC ani CBS guilty ot restraining competition. Refusal to promise there won't be any at tempt-to get Indictments—^thus seek- ing to Impose criminal punishment for past conduct-r-ls significant, even though It Is not the present Inten- tion to use the criminal procedure. The outlook now Is that a bill of complaint In an equity proceeding will be filed simultaneous with any government answer to the prospect- ive NBC-CBS attempt to block en forcement of the regulations via an Injunction. The Justice Department assault may go beyond the networks and embrace, radio equipment manu- facturers, though this phase of the matter may be postponed and han- dled separately at some future time, The artist bureau and copyright is- sues do not figure In the present picture, though Arnold's crew still Is watching the performing rights situation. Taolloi Not Clear From some points of view, the legal ramifications are contradictory. If the FCC's position Is as strong as Fly claims—and the chances of winning approval from the United States Supreme Court are really be- Jieved bright—it is hard to under- stand why the Commlsh chairman should seek reinforcements from the Justice Department At the same time, however, a finding that the networks have violated the Shenrten act, either after trial or through a consent decree, would bulwark the Commission's right to impose such restrictions on th^ freedom of net- works to make tight contracts with outlets. Some observers consider Fly's insistence on D. J. participation is a confession ot uncertainty about the outcome ot the scheduled litiga- tion over the rules, since they can- not visualize the Commlsh reformer particularly anxious to share jurisdiction with apybody else. There is always the chance, however, that Fly Is simply using an established New Deal technique—shooting with both barrels to better the odds of getting the victim. If the FCC should lose the fight over jurisdiction but the justice De- partment should win a related row over Sherman act violations, the FCC then would be in the position where it still could proceed along the lines of its original reforms. In such an event however, the shoe would be. on another foot to a large degree, for the Commlsh would be in a posi- tion where it would be ethically re- quired to punish the affiliates as co- violators. Since the FCC does not license networks as such and could only take cognizance of the court verdict In treating with licensees, its power to penalize the chains would be limited to denying renewals or revoking present permits for the web-owned plants. Differentiating between these and the independent affiliates would be hard to justify, though the regulators, of course, could take the attitude the Indies were at a disadvantage in dealing with the skeins and more or less un- willing offenders. Further uneasiness results from Fly's present stand on the question of postponing enforcement of the commandments. He has denied he gave the Senate Interstate Commerce Committed any pledge to defer ap plication penSing a decisive test Industry people Insist that the sub- stance of his statements was that the Commlsh would welcome a court test—feeling sure of eventual vic- tory. Fly's stand is he promised not to penalize any Individual station and would be "happy to join in the litigation' initiated by a particular licensee. The transcript of the Sen- ate hearing - last spring shows ha assured the Senate (and coin- cidentally the Industry) that 'it they do want to challenge these regula- tions and do move expeditiously into orderly litigation and carry it through to a conclusion, there will be no Injury to It' He told Chair- man Burton K. Wheeler the Com- mlsh 'absolutely' would not under- take any "purge' of stations which de- clined to surrender until courts have upheld the validity of the rules. In view of its attitude In recent tiffs, the Commlsh law department is expec^d . to. jflght a sUy.. ordcr-r: suspending effectiveness of the rules IS well as the challenge. Lately it has been automatic for the FCC bar- risters to oppose any judicial Inter- ference with decisions, so that the chains are almost sure to find them- selves crowded for time to adjust contracts in the event they lose ths first round. Except that the New York Federal Court may be mora sympathetic and give them a break which they would have a harder job getthig in the District of Columbia. TIME IN 2-HR. BLOCKS SOLD BYWMCA Blackett-Sample-Hummert which In tha past has divided two-hour blocks on WMCA, New York, be- tween transcribed repeats ot net- work daytlma serials and 'Sweetest Love Songs of Today,' dropped tha cllflhangen completely as of Mon- day (27). Ijova Songs' now rides tha entire two-hour stretch for an as- sortment of B-S-H accounts. Includ- ing Louise Philippe, Kolynos, Dr. Lyon's and PhilUps' Milk of Mag- nesia. Sam Brown announces. Another two-hour program, bank- rolled by a single sponsor. Is slated to begin over the same station Nov. 8. Ex-Lax, through Joseph Kati, has picked up Don Phillips' Satur- day evening dance parade marathon whicb-was sponsored last season by Gold Ribbon Wines. Phillips Inter- views singers and songwriters dur- ing his stint and unwinds request numbers received via a private phone number and special switch- boards. CUT-RATE DEPT. STORE SPONSORS HIGHBROW Detroit Oct. 2«. Growing more pretentious annu- ally, Sam'9 Cut Rate, fast-growing bargain-rate department store here, is sponsoring a new series on WWJ with Prof. Preston Slosson, of tha University of MIshigan, In three pro- grams weekly for a 28-week period. Slosson Will have three-lO-minuta periods weekly In which he will in- terpret current historical happenings from the standpoint ot the historian as to causes, social and economt* effects. Doc Brinkley Very ni San Antonio, Oct. 28. 'Doc' John B. Brinkley, former goat gland operations wholesaler, was rushed here from Del Rio, Texas, last Week following a sinking spell brought on by the weakened condi- tion of his heart Physicians hava said that additional amputation at his left leg seems Indicated, Brink- ley also has legal difficulties pend- ing, They Involve a mail fraud charge and his own bankruptcy. His location here Is being kept a secret. According to Mrs. Brinkley he is in a private home under treat- ment and that he was brought here for X-ray pictures and electro- cardiograph tests.