Variety (Dec 1942)

Wednesdaj, Deceniber 2, 194S BADIO ST F. T. C. OWI Rules Out Pirating of Domestic Radio Personal by Overseas Brandi Washington, Dec. 1. International branch of the Office of War Information has assured the radio broadcasting industry that it will not tolerate the 'pirating* of the personnel of domestic stations by OWI overseas branch employees. Any such OWI employees who seek to lure men from the technic.-il or operating staffs of radio stations will be summarily discharged, it was an- nounced. Murray Brophy, chief of the bu- reau of communications facilities and deputy director in charge of in- ternational broadcasting of the OWI overseas branch, stated emphatically that his branch will not seek to em- ploy men now associated with do- mestic broadcasting stations. 'International branch of OWI.' said Brophy. 'is fully aware of the tre- mendous importance of domestic broadcasting. Nothing we do in the International field will be allowed to Impair in the slightest degree the continued efficient operation of do- mestic stations.' Brophy's statement of OWI policy in respect to 'pirating' of station employees was issued after National Association of Broadcasters protested that OWI overseas branch employees were active in luring stations' tech- nical employees "with promises of more pay and draft deferments. LEVER-SEALTEST WILL DIVIDE BARRYMORE Ruthrauff & Ryan, agency on Lever Bros.' 'Mayor of Our Town' program, reported yesterday (Tues- day) that the Lionel Barrymore- 'Christmas Carol' tangle has been all cleared up. Barrymore, according to R & R. will play Scrooge for both Lever Bros, and Sealtest, and that the settlement of the issue had been worked out directly between the two sponsors. Barrymore had played Scrooge for Sealtest last jear and bad previously commiled himself to repeat the part this Christmas. The Lever broadcast of the same fable would come a day before Sealtest's. Thursday, Dec. 24. and McKee-Albright, the Sealtest agency, stated last week that if Barrymore persisted in going through with his plan to do the 'Carol' in his regular Wednesday spot for Lever the matter would be submitted to the American Federation of Radio Actors for a ruling. S'long, Pal Hollywood, Dec. 1. Studio gang at a network sta- tion is making book on how long a certain r,adio star and his sponsor will keep company fol- lowing his blow-up at a recent rehearsal. Spotting a group of men in the clients booth, he screamed. 'Get those jerks out of there; what do they think this is a public reheasal?' The 'jerks' he irdered out were execs of the company that foots the bills for the program. Army Issuing Special Credentials for Radio's Local War Coverage Radio announcers, production men aitd engineers of networks and sta- tions on the eastern seaboard will be given credentials by the Army for use in case of bombing raids or other enemy action in this country. The identification cards, to be is- sued by the War Department, through the headquarters of the Eastern Defense Command and First Array, are Intended to fa- cilitate regular news coverage 'ur- ing military action. Credentials will be issued to all major networks (through their managements and not through their principal or key stations) for six men each. All stations, regardless of power, will deceive cards for three men each. All men receiving the credentials will have to be vouched for by the members of stations, respectively. Buffalo—Gene Wyatt. 34, commer- cial manager of WBEN, hai been appointed a naval warrant office with a gunner's rating and is await- ing orders to report to Jacksonville, Fla. AND REGOROS Seek Evidence of Sales Dis- crimination by NBC, Blue, CBS and Mutual — Sub- poena Forces One Web to Open Files Hub Stations Nitery Holocaust Coverage A-1 Public Service Job COMPLAINANT SECRET Washington. Dec. 1. All the major networks. NBC, CBS, Mutual and the Blue, are undergoing a probe by the Federal Trade Com- mission. Representatives of the FTC have been assigned to make an ex- amination of each of the networks' tx>oks and files to determine whether any of them has shown discrimina- tion in the sale of facilities. The particular objective of the prot>e is to find such data that will demon- strate that the contracts and billings relayed to an agency or account are not in accordance with the networks' rate cards. It is the first Investiga- tion of this kind that the webs have been subjected to. It is understood that one of the networks last week refused* to make the stipulated records available to the FTC investigators in N. Y. until they bad obtained a subpoena. Also that the order was duly forthcoming and the network in question made no furtlier move to stymie the in- spection. No intimation has been given as to identity of the advertiser whose complaint, cliarging that a practice of granting preferential rates exists in the network field, caused FTC to launch its investigation. Florida Citrus Starts Mixed Spot Campaign Florida Citrus starts its spot cam- paign next week. The schedule is a mixed one, composed of 100-word announcements and stationbreaks. Blackett-Sample-Hummcrt is the agency. Peace Feeler Springfield, Mass.. Dec. 1. The ability of the Boston Symphony and the American Federation df Musicians to get together should constitute a di- rective to the radio moguls to get together with the AFM, de- clared The Daily News in. an editorial Saturday (28). Pointing out that the union made concessions, something that is not "within the vocabu- lary or imagination of dictators.' the paper said that there was no doubt but that the AFM had won. Willkie, Reynolds Among Those to Pitcb for Allies Via Kate Smith Show Wendell Willkie, Quentin Reyn- olds, Jan Struthers, and numerous other name figures will guest on the Kate Smith program Friday nights, starting early in January, to deliver flve-minute messages iioosting the United Nations' cause. Writers War Board suggested the appearances, is arranging the guests and handling the special scripts. Ed Hitz, NBC Sales ExecDtiye, Serionsly 111 Ed Hitz, assistant to ttie NBC v.p. in charge of sales, is in a serious condition at the LeRoy Sanitarium. New York. He suffered an intestinal hemorrhage Friday (27) and his re- moval to the hospital was followed by several blood transfusions. Pneu- monia set in Sunday (26). In terms of service, Hitz is one of the oldest men in NBC's sales de^ partment RU6ICAM, AIDE BACK TO AGENCY FROM D.C Raymond Rubicam, chairman of the executive committee of Young & Rubicam, who several months ago became head of the public relations division of the Manpower Commis- sion, is slated to return to active service with the agency this week. Also due back at bis Y & R desk is T. S. Repplier, associate copy direc- tor, who went along with Rubicam. Another Y&Rite, Frederick W. Wile, Jr., remains In Washington for thtt time being. Wile held the title of assistant to the radio director. PALMOLIVE BLURBS Placement FelUws Tests In Four Neilson Markets Palmolive Soap launches its one- minute announcement campaign on a national basis Jan. 1. It wiU be 10 blurbs a week for 13 weeks. The account liad previously tested the plugs in four Neilson markets. Ted Bates is the agency. "Show Business At War" THEME OF THE 37th ANNIVERSARY NUMBER of To Be Published Late In December USUAL ADVERTISING RATES PREVAIL Special Exploitation Advantages Reservations and Copy May Be Sent to Any Variety Office NEW YORK HOUYWOOD CHICAGO LONDON 154 W. 46th St 170& No. Vips St S4 W. Bondolph St 8 St Maitiii ■ PL Boston, Dec. 1. Most of Boston's stations did so alert and well-rounded job of publia service in covering the Cocoanut Grove Club fire Saturday (281. « catastrophe that had already cost a total of 449 lives by this morning (Tuesday). WBZ, the Westinghous* outlet was the first to apprise listen- ers of the' tragedy through a flash bulletin at 10:30 p.m., only 13 minutes after the fire sUrted. WMAC re- mained on the air all night broad- casting bulletins from the scene and hospitals, after all the other station* had shut down at their usual time. WBZ brought in John Barry, Bos- ton Globe feature writer, early Sun- day morning, and at intervals (juring the day he announced the casualty list and called upon blood donors to report to the Red Cross. Within a couple hours after. Barry's opening appeal, the welfare agency had bonked enough donors to keep its staff busy 12 hours daily for thre* weeks. WEEI organized a crew of 25 em- ployees to answer questions from lis- teners about the disaster, with th« station inviting the inquiries, sine* :)ther public agencies were not simi- larly equipped. Network advertis- ers relinquished their time on Bos- ton outlets in many cases so as to allow the latter to carry on their public service job. WCOP, WHDH and WORL also had men on th* scene to relay accounts for broadcast. Bill Paine, featured singer Vrith Mickey Alport's orchestra at the Co- coanut Grove and the rescuer of sev- eral persons at the disaster, declined to go on WMEX Monday afternoon (30) for Us regular 'Fupny Money Man* role. He explained that he was too exhausted and in no mood for tli* task. 'MRS. MINIVER' NIXEDBY M-G FOR AIR I Chicago, Dee. I. ! Deal for the radio terlali^tioa ' of 'Mrs. Miniver* has been turned ; down, according to WalUt Jordan, I radio head of the Witllam Morria i agency here. Program was to have emanated from Calitomia, but MGM refused to consider the tSO.OOO offer mad* for the radio rights. • HIAI£AH GEE GEES TO GH MBS AIRING I Mutual has obtained the exclusiv« I broadcasting rights to the coming , season's events at the Hialeah race- , track In Florida. The network will I carry as many of the featured race* I as it can during the week, with I Bryan Field as the de.'tcriptionist. i The broadcasts will original* i llwough WFTL, the new 10,000- { watter at Fort Lauderdale, with stu- I dios in Miami. Ward Buys 'Judy' Ward Baking, through the Thcmp- ,Kon agency, has tiought the 'Judy and Jane' recorded serial for the N. Y. territory. It will sponsor the shour ; on WOR, New York, starting Jan. 4 I in the 12:45-1 pjn. spot Monday- through-Friday. Henry Souvaiii* I oiTice set the deal. I 'Judy and Jane,' scripted by Irv- : ing Vendig land directed by Jim Whipple, is produced in Chicago and j sponsored in the midwest by Folger cofTee, through Lord 8t Thomas. It'a bankrolled on the Coast by Carter I Pills, through the Bates agency.