Variety (Sep 1942)

Wednesday, September 30, 1942 RADIO SI Kay Kyser at Coast OWI Meeting Raps 'Guiding Geniuses of Radio' Hollywood, Sept. 29. Network and agency radio execs got a dressing down here by Band- leader Kay Kyser, now a consultant to the radio division of the Oflice of War Info, for what he termed a lack of complete cooperation In the war effort by the 'guiding geniuses of radio.' He leavened his criticisms with enough humor to take the sting out of his remarks, but the intent was without sugar-coated camou- flage. He told them point-blank if they didn't 'accept the challenge and carry the ball that defeat of all the OWI efforts couldn't be avoided.' Kyser was one of the speakers at 'the first of four meetings set up by the local branch of OWI for the visit here of W. B. I<ewis, radio chief, and his Washington aides. Lewis had to give up his plane space to a ferry pilot at Fort Worth and failed to arrive in time for the session. He aired in late in the afternoon. Nat Wolff, deputy chief here, pre- sided and opened the discussion by declaring that this war is being fought on three fronts—military, eco- nomic and phychologlcal. The lat- ter, he pointed out, was radio's most potent weapon and the OWI was turning out the needed material to assure a successful campaign. Pro- grams rated outstanding in the hand- ling of government allocated mes- sages were 'Fibber and Molly,' Lum and Abner and Kraft Music Hall. Wolff took to task those whose only concern with OWI messages was to get them out of the way with the least possible disturbance to the pro- gram's continuity. He noted that the OWI has accomplished much since its changeover from Office of Fact:i and Figures and said the ratio of 75% frustration to 25% achieve- ment had been reversed in the past few months. One of America's biggest prob- lems to be tackled by radio, ac- cording to Douglas Meservey, chief deputy to Lewis in Washington, is to condition people to the proper atti- tudes toward our allies and adjust- ment to changing conditions and re- strictions. Training of replacements, especially women, for jobs con- cerned with the war effort, breaking down meat-eating habits and ac- quainting the people of 3B states with the fuel conservation program are also high on radio's OWI agenda. Seymour Morris, chief of OWI al- locations, said that agencies and net- works would not be asked to devote more time to the Government's messages but for an improved quality of handling the inserts. He said that the allocations now being distributed assure a 90 C.A.B. rating daily. Kyser pulled, no punches in his talk and used such terms as 'betray- ers* and 'traitors' In describing those who won't take a turn at 'carrying the ball.' He said that people want to be talked to sincerely and are tired of gagged-up phrases such as 'slap the Jap,' etc. He told of how plain-talk to shipyard strikers In Frisco and walk-outs in Detroit was received without a dissenting voice and brought down the house. He emphasized the success of the Detroit incident by declaring that following his talk, the last two days of his theatre engagement broke all exist- ing house records. 'They knew I was sincere and they loved it.' He then gleaded for more sincerity with overnment messages and said that if the challenge flung down to radio isn't met wholeheartedly then the whole campaign will be a flop. Won't Tolerate It Washington, Sept. 29. Office of War Information thought it was pleasing the broadcasters when it modified the request for 10 daily United Nations plugs. But the patriotic fervor of WTCM, Traverse City, Mich., couldn't be chilled by a Federal suggestion that six men- tions would be enough. The station replied that it will "not tolerate' the reduction from 10 to 6 and said 'we will run a full schedule if not more.' ELMER DAVIS ROUGH ON RELEASES Shelf-Paper Finn Using Participations Royal Paper Works, of Brooklyn, N. Y., makers of doilies and shelf- Paper, is buying time on women's participation programs in 16 markets. Schedules will be determined by satisfactory availabilities. Washington, Sept, 29. Elmer Davis, director of the Office of War Information, acted Friday (20) to cut down the outpouring of Government propaganda in the form of pamphlets, reports, press releases and other publications to save mil- lions of dollars to the Treasury. He made mandatory for the duration of the war the discontinuance of 239 Government publications and the curtailment of 264 others. Also af- fected is the distribution of sui'viv- ing publications. Mailing and other distribution lists are to revised and curtailed. One effect of this entire curtail- ment program will be to give added importance to the Washington con- tacts of organizations outside of Washington that have depended on the formerly very free and liberal distribution of publications by the Government to keep in touch with what was happening in the Capital City in their respective fields. Just a StarUr This curtailment action is just a starter. OWI is setting up an Inter- 4lepartmental committee which will reexamine whatever publications have been permitted to survive and those which can be dispensed with for the duration without much loss will be put on a list to receive the death warrant. The order abolishes all general mailing lists built up of requests for 'all releases and publications' and departments and agencies are called upon to notify persons of this ac- tion. Agencies, under the order, will be permitted to form selective lists based on requests for specific publi- cations. Also prohibited is the send- ing of government releases by tele- graph to newspapers, radio stations or any other news media without permission of the OWI except at the request and expense of the receiver. For some time the OWI, with the cooperation of other Federal agen- cies, has been studying the flow of Government releases. During this study, many agencies voluntarily abolished many publications not bearing directly upon the war. Cuts were also made in mailing lists. Over-all curtailment of publications in some non-war agencies ran as high as 40 per cent. Among the Federal Communica- tions Commission publications which have received the death warrant and which will be discontinued are: ABC of the FCC; Radio. A Public Primer; Weekly Analysis; and lists of broad- cast stations. Affected by the curtailment in the way of limited distribution are; An- nual Report; FCC Reports; Statistics of the Communications Industry; Permanent Calendar; Orders on De- cisions; Proposed Findings; Orders Instituting Investigations and In- quiries; Broadcast Actions; Actions Taken in Motions Hearings; An- nouncements in Docket Cases; Re- port of Applications Received for Broadcast Services. NEEDS T Gladstone Murray Explains New Progrram Policies of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation—Discontinu- ing 'Hello Mom' Talks From England — in Gen- eral Murray Thinks Sched- ule Overloaded with Gab OTHER SLANTS Montreal, Sept. 29. Gladstone Murray, Canadian Broad- casting Corporation g.m., in an ad- dress over the corporation's national network outlined what would be his immediate program on taking over the duties of his new appointment of Director-General of Broadcasting in the near future. First he announced that after Oct. 15 there will be no more per- sonal messages from Canadian troops overseas broadcast over the CBC networks. With the great number of Canadians now in the United King- dom there was no chance of even a small percentage of these men be- ing able to speak to relatives and friends at home via radio and limi- tations were such that disappoint- ment and irritation had outweighed positive results in this service. Other changes are to include the following: Dispersion of war effort programs. 'Too many war programs have been tackled at the same time,' he said. 'Fiom now on there will be more concentration and rhythmic plan- ning.' Another defect was too much talk; not for the sake of talk but there were too many things to ex- plain, Murray said. Further, he claimed there was n.t enough laughter-provoking mate- rial. Gloom and depression were not part of the spirit of victory. 'Probably the best laughter-provok- ing material will come from the camps at home and abroad.' There will be a new weekly 'Comrades in Arms' which would stress the necessity of coverage of the three fighting services and will harmonize with the conception of 'combined operations.' Finally, more attention will be paid Canadian creative work in the field of music. He welcomed the government's decision to create a high-power short-wave station that would give Canada a world-wide audience and stated that new Canadians of recent European origin would be utilized to speak words of comfort and en- couragement to their oppressed kins- men in countries overrun by the enemy. WRUL TO DX PROHLES ON ALLIED LEADERS WRUL, Boston, short wave outlet, has started a series of dramatized profiles of leaders of the United Nations. Program is being beamed to Europe, done in English. First was Ezekial Padilla. foreign minister of Mexico. Following weeks will air thumbnail sketches oi Henry Wallace, Eduard Benes and General Jan Smuts, with others to come. Scripts are by Whitin Badger, scripter who did Chase & Sanborn show while on Coast, with Dwight Cooke handling the direct- ing chores. NBC Weighs Benefits, Problems Of New Full-Network Discount 1948 Will Be Bad! Chicago, Sept. 29. Year of 1946 will be worst in radio history for reception, ac- cording to observation by Chi- cago Journal of Atrophysics. Maximum sunspot, occurring roughly once every 11 years, causes poor transmission over long distances in radio, with conspicuous static. In 1946 sun- spots will be third largest since 1749. Allen Roth, Inc., Dissolves Albany, N. Y., Sept. 29. Allen Roth Radio Productions, Inc., New York, has been dissolved. Papers filed with the secretary of state by Hastings & Hellenbrand, New York City. ANOTHER TRADE ASSOCIATION APPEARS Chicago, Sept. 29. The Broadcasters Victory Council has been colnverted Into a new trade organization, the American Broad- casters Association. The metamor- phosis occurred here last week, con- current with the gathering of the board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters. The N.A.B. board was to have acted on proposals of reorganization and changes of personnel, but all this was deferred to another meeting, Oct. 14, also In Chicago. John Shepard, Srd, of the Yankee Network, BVC chairman, had favored an arrangement whereby the N.A.B. might assume the underwriting of the BVC but, it is undersood, his associates on the oouncil opposed the move. In any event the proposition was not made to the N.A.B. board while in session last week. Organizers with Shepard of the new association are Eugene PuUiam, WIRE, Indianapolis; Oeorge Storer, Fort Industry station group; James D. Shouse, WLW-WSAI, Cincinnati; Ed Craney, of the Montana Z-Bar net- work; Walter Damm, WTMJ, Mil- waukee, and Stanley Hubbard, KSTP, St. Paul. O. L. (Ted) Taylor, KONC, Amarlllo, who was executive secre- tary of the BVC, has resigned as NAB director from Texas and also allied himself with the ABA. The N.A.B. board discussed the Senatorial investigation and litigation surrounding the ban of the American Federation of Musicians on recording. Counsel has in preparation a brief at tacking the AFM's action which will be filed for use by the Government when hearing on the anti-trust pro- ceedings against James C. Petrillo, AFM prez, opens here before a Fed eral court Oct 14. The board huddle it is reported, was accompanied by a barrage of gag telegrams from prac- tical Jokers outside the directorship The kidding wires, carrying the sig- nature of Petrillo, offered divers so- lutions and compromises for ending the disc controversy. Following the board meeting it was announced that there would be a .series of 19 district meetings, start- ing Nov. 19 in Worcester, Mass., and ending Dec. 10 in Philadelphia, with a view to determining what added aid the broadcasters within the N.A.B. can lead the war effort. Represen- tatives of the OWI, OCD, Selective Service and the War and Navy De partmenls will be asked to address these gatherings. Chicago, Sept. 29. NBC's new 125-station discount plan was the main topic of discus- sion at a meeting here last Friday (25) of the NBC Planning and Ad- visory Committee. The affiliates agreed that the discount arrangement would prove beneficial all around, particularly after William S. Hedges, NBC v.p. in charge of station rela- tions, disclosed that since the intro- duction of the plan on July 27 the network has added 608 station hours of commercial time weekftr. Due to disparity in size of districts previously constituted for repre- sentation vote was taken to set up an additional district, with the Ad- visory and Planning (!;ommittee con- sisting of eight' representatives next year. New district will be on East- ern seaboard, taking in Penna., Maryland, Del., Virginia, N. Si S. Carolina. Niles Trammel, NBC chief, pointed out in his address that the war Is presenting broadcasters with many difficult problems. He warned that the new 1943 Advisory and Plan- ning Committee, to be elected short- ly, will have to shoulder this added responsibility wisely, if the network is to continue its profitable opera- tion and still sustain its responsibil- ities to the nation. Attending the meeting were Harry Stone, WSM, Nashville, chairman; James D. Shouse, WLW, Cincinnati; Stanley Hubbard, KSTP; Ed Yocum, KGHL, Billings; Arden X. Pang- born, KGW, Portland, Ore.; and Walter Johnson, WTIC, Hartford, representing Paul W. Morency, 111. O. L. Taylor, KGNC, Amarillo, also did not attend. Representing NBC at meeting were Niles Trammel, William S. Hedges, C. L. Menser, Frank M. Rus- sell and Harry C. Kopf, vice presi- dents, also Sheldon B. Hickox, Jr., Charles B. Brown,. Paul McCluer, Jules Herbuveaux, and Joseph A. McDonald. Spy Angles on WFIL Philadelphia, Sept. 29. Henry Klein, of the Philip Klein agency radio department, will script the "Mister ■ Mystery' scries Sunday noons on WFIL, Philly, for Parisian clothe."!. - Programs will have a spy or sabotage angle this season. HRE RAZES CHRC. QUEBEC Quebec City, Sept. 29. Private radio station OHRC studio, located in the Victoria hotel tbii city, was completely destroyed by fire last week including much val- uable machinery, equipment and re- cording*. Much of this will be Irreplace- able under wartime conditions and restrictions. SEATTLE \m BAN ON STUDIO CALLERS Seattle, Sept. 29. Seattle radio stations have closed studios to all visitors. Only those with legitimate business now ad- mitted. This is In response to a suggestion by the Fourth Interceptor Command. Hal Mills on China Via Midwest Stations Hal P. Mills, former 'Variety' cor- respondent in Shanghai, and who arrived in N. Y. Aug. 25 aboard the exchange liner Gripsholm, is now in the midwest, where he is broadcast- in.-, several programs on affairs In China. Mills recently was heard over sta- tion WLW, Cincinnati, where he out- lined the situation in China and also told of life in the Bridge House, the Japanese house of torture, where he and many other Americans were held prisoner. Mills was a prisoner for 65 days.