Variety (Dec 1942)

16 RADIO Wednesday, December 16, 1942 N. Y. Dai^^'s Sqaawk Points Up Anew Net s Cut-Rate Forep Coverage Because the N. Y. Herald-Tribune beefed, CBS no longer gives the name of Walter Kerr, its Moscow correspondent, In sending out tele- types of his broadcasts. All such network handouts of Kerr's broad- casts credit them merely as by 'CBS Moscow Correspondent.' Incident arose when the N. Y. Post and other dailies printed summaries or highlights of the Kerr newscasts, crediting him by name. The HT, which pays Kerr's salary and footed the expense of sending him to Russia, objected to other papers cashing in on his work. Of course Kerr still uses his name over (he air. Occurrence revived again the en- tire matter of the networks paying a comparatively small sum for foreign coverage by the correspon- dents for press services and papers. In all such cases the publishers have paid large amounts for travel, office upkeep and living costs, while the networks, for a small additional sum, Lee, Danoay May Do Special Gov't Series Manfred Lee and Fred Dannay, co-authors of 'Ellery Queen,' may do a special series for the Govern- ment on the subject of security of war information. They conferred over the weekend with George Zachary, radio production head of the Office of War Information, and a decision on the matter will be made in a few days. Zachary formerly directed the 'Ellery Queen' program and, in addi- tion to his Government duties, still directs the Andre Kostelanetz show Sunday afternoons on CBS for Coca- Cola. hire the same men for radio cover- age. The N. Y. Times is notable for the fact that its men do not take such regular outside assignments. Vf. of PhlDyACA Local QniU; Differed With 'Appeasement'Policies Philadelphia, Dec. 15. Edgar T. Darlington, master con- trol engineer at WFIL, today (Tues- day) resigned as Vice-president of the American Communications As- sociation, broadcast district No. 1, over disagreement with the policies of the ACA leadership. In resigning, Darlington said that he could not remain in office in the face of the 'appeasement attitudes of local col- leagues.' Darlington had been secretary treasurer of the local, which takes in all stations east of the Mississippi River, until three months ago, when he stepped into the vice-presidency following the resignation of L. E. Littlejohn. The latter had resigned when he became chief engineer at WFIL. Although Darlington would not elaborate on his 'appeasement' charges, it is known that he felt that the union had been too pro-manage- ment . in dealings with the stations. Pending new elections, the union will be headed by Carroll C. Roder, of KYW, present secretary-treasurer. Station Not Liable for Slander-If Careful About Speaker and Scr^t -4f TM Detroit'Resumes Application of Axe to Axis Detroit, Dec. 15. Repeating its broadcasts of last year on How are we doing on war production,' WJR resumed its win- ter series of T.O.B. Detroit* Satur- day (12) over the Columbia network. The program,' aimed at giving the Axis a headache directly from one of the biggest arsenals of democracy, goes out via 96 stations of the Co- limibla network and Is short-waved to Hitler, Musso and Tojo. First program used an augmented orchestra of 22 pieces, with Edgar A. Guest, Detroit Free Press poet, act- ing as narrator. Prominent national figures and industrialists will be used each week to tell the story directly from the big war plants here of the mighty production which now is out- matching thai of the Axis. Th« Merriment is Mvlnal!" For Cfeilitaus, 1942, The MiMB's best we tead to fMl FMa MUTUAL to all who tend The practice piontoblY Mud To ue this networh In the past, ABd aU of fon who, we telecast. Will OBd IB lf43 Ab oyob stroBfer web are we I thlo Is WMCA, N. Y., last weeic won an important point In • slander suit growing out of a political broadcast Justice Isador Wasservogel, in the N. Y. supreme court, declared that a station could not be held liable for the extemporaneous defamatory re- marks of a speaker, so long as the station's management has exercised 'due care in the selection of the lessee of Its facilities and In the in- spection of the script.' This finding was included in an order dismiss- ing the efforts of the plaintiff. Dr. Emanuel M. Josepbsoo, to have the defenses offered by WMCA thrown out of court. The event that led to the suit oc- curred during the N. Y. mayoralty campaign of 1941. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, in a speech at Madi- son Square Garden, which .k-as broadcast by WMCA per rate card, assailed Dr. Josephson's reputation as an officeholder. Dr. Josephson, who was campaigning at the time (or the Democratic candidacy for mayor, had at one time been a salaried member of the N. Y. Board of Health. mse,-?Ouri.n ^nd aitli .defenses,' wrote Justice Vai rvogel, 'plead qualified privileges under section 315 of the Federal Communications Act. This section prohibits dis- crimination among qualified candi- dates for public office in the use of the facilities of a radio station and denies a right of censorship to the radio station. Tlie person who uttered the defamatory matter was such a candidate. Since this statute creates certain obligations and Uqni- tations, it is proper that the owner of the radio station be given cor- responding qualified privileges against liabilities for statements which it has no power to control.' Depositions Uncover More Angles m Suit Against Sale of WOW Omaha, Dec. IS. Question of the sale of station WOW fiared up again over the week- end. John Gillin, station manager, testifying for deposition, said that Guy C. Myers, N. Y. financier, who negotiate.*; sale of private power com- panies to Consumers Public Power District, has more money Invested in WOW, Inc., the new proposed owner or lessee, than any other Individual. Also, Henry Doorly, publisher of the Omaha World-Herdd, said that D. Emmett Bradshaw's statement that he had this year turned down an of- fer to sell WOW to a group which controls the World-Herald, was a misstatement, as the World-Herald had not at any time recently made any offer or authorized any offer to buy WOW. The World-Herald did offer to buy WOW three or four years ago, it was added, and Bradshaw said the asking price was $1,000,000. The World- Herald, it was stated, has not been interested since. Bradshaw Is presi- dent of the Woodmen of the'World Life Insurance society, which owns And oesratep.WQW, When he made the statement be was testifying by deposition In a suit brought by a Woodmen member. Dr. Homer Johnson, of . Lincoln, Neb, who seeks to stop the society from selling the station to a group headed by John Gillin. Dr. Johnson, In his suit, says that the proposed rental is too low, that the new corporation Is 'dominated and controlled by men' who want the Nebraska Power Co. sold to Consum- ers, and that the station would be used for 'propaganda' favoring the sale. Stanley Qoini Now MRS' Aussie Reporter Stanley J. Quinn, formerly Au- stralian radio representative of the J. Walteir Thompson agency, has re- signed to b^ome Mutual corre- spondent and newscaster in Au- stralia. He succeeds Frank Cuhel, who is to be transferred to another war' tone. B«l«f^g«]iw<ff'A3#^jrMia in IMO. Quinn ''*ag,'Vi^JV6im^n agency's New York olniK*^;.,-