Variety (Dec 1942)

Wednesday, December 30, 1942 RADIO 31 TO SELECT S 4 Web* Will Be Asked to Contribute Several Hours Per Week—Program Idea Based on Government Sur- vey of All Network Shows TO END CONFLICTIONS Four major networks will be Bsked to contribute several hours of time a week lor Government pro- grams under a new plan being formulated by the Office of War In- formation. Shows to be heard in the donated time would be selected by the OWI, according to the present idea of WiIliani_ B. Lewis, OWI radio head. That would be a departure in network-Government policy. Although the projected plan is not completely set, those to whom Lewis and other OWI officials have ex- plained it say it is based on a Gov- ernment survey of all network pro- grams, both commercial and sus- taining, and their comparative ef- fectiveness as purveyors of Govern- ment and sponsor messages. Pre- sumably the shows to be chosen by the OWI and broadcast in periods contributed by the networks would be selected on the basis of the sur- vey's findings. It's expected that when the new plan gets under way such conflicts as the two Office of Price Adminis- trator programs, '100.000,000 Ques- tions' and 'Neighborhood Call,' both heard at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, but respectively on CBS and NBC, will be eliminated. Under the present schedule the programs compete for the same audience, though they're on for the same Government agency. Somewhat analogous case is offered by the Treasury Department's 'Bond Wagon' at 10:15-10:45 p.m. Saturday on Mutual, and the same agency's 'Over Here' show 7-8 o'clock the same night on the Blue. FCC K.O;S RULES FOR BEHER DX Washington, Dec. 29. In order to coordinate the opera- tion of all international broadcast stations in the interest of the Gov- ernment's propaganda warfare, the Federal Communications Commis- sion has suspended indefinitely cer- tain of the rules and regulations governing DX outlets. Parts suspended were subsection (f) (1), (2) and (3) of Section 443, subsections (d) and (e) of section 4.44, and section 4.46. By the suspensions it will no longer be necessary for international broadcast stations to make and keep for inspection verbatim mechanical records of international programs, nor will it be necessary to furnish the FCC, on request, record and scripts together with translations if the programs are in any language other than English. Suspension also removes the re- striction against an international broadcast station from using more than one frequency. Nor will it be necessary any longer to file with and n>ake part of each application for license renewal, information about hours operated on each frequency, list of transmitted programs and outUnes of reports of reception and transmission characteristics of the assigned frequency. «lso ruled that subsections (?) and (e) of section 443 require a S'ngle station identification for all stations which are carrying the same ^jSram, and require identification ot international broadcast - stations tro ^\ beginning and end of a transmission. ■ ' • ' Gene Buck Compares World War I Show Buaineti with the Global War period of now, •n Added Fratura In *Shoio Business At War* theme of the 37th Anniversary Number of Fhilly Show Change Philadelphia, Dec. 29. Bill Perry last week replaced Frank Coleman as the vocalist on a KYW variety show sponsored by Esslinger's Beer. Coleman is in serv- ice. Another addition to the show is Frances Kay. New Argentine DX-er Aims for Gen'I Listening; Pro-Democratic Policy Buenos Aires, Dec. 22. First local short-wave transmitter aimed spe;iflcally at attracting gene- ral listeners inaugurated by Argen- tine provincial newspaper, Los Andes, located in Mendoza. Station, known as LRN, Radio Aconcagua, will operate on 10 kilowatts and 49 meters. It increases to eight the number of local short-wave trans- mitters. Because of its location, 800 miles from Buenos Aires (it's also in the western part of the country, close to the Andes), a regular long-wave transmitter would have been impos- sible to tune in most other parts of the country. Newspaper Los Andes, which is strongly pro-democratic, plans to keep outlet on a full-day Arthur Kober Satirizes Mr. AnlhonyV Radio Program an .Idded Feature In *Shou) Business At War* theme of the 37th Anniversary Number of sked in the same manner as regular long-wave transmitters in B. A. Will emphasize \\ve talent, with many of the prograrhs originating in own B. ^. Studios. Although actual figures not avail- able, station operators say majority of listeners here have sets equipped for both long and short wave. Claim potential audience in Chile and Bo- livia should be large. Diplomat Joins CBC for Special Post-War Series Robert B. Inch has taken a tem- porary appointment with the Ca- nadian Broadcasting Corp. to do special work oh a projected series of broadcasts dealing with questions of reconstruction after the war, par- ticularly as they affect Canada, it ii announced by Dr. James S. Thom- son, general manager CBC. CBC is organizing a special ad- visory committee, representing a wide variety of interests, to assist in preparing the series. Inch, who was until lately secre- tary of the League of Nations So« ciety in Canada, has traveled widely and is expert in. intetDationai-aiZalrs... osf extensive survey on radio lisfenersltip ever made in the PliiladetphiaWlMeTArea l t I Ten thousand five hundred personol inter- views, made in one week, show ... IS WR^T. More people listen more to WCAU than to any other radio station in the Philadel- phia Market Area. Cipfes of lh0 cempfof* wmwy/ wHh flh—n-nmut* fcreoHrdewns for the combined Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday ratings, are now on the pros*. Wie sMl\ bo ghd lo sond you a copy if you so desiro. WCAU PHILADELPHIA 50,000 WATTS IN ALL DIRECTIONS '*'The Bell Telephone Co. of Penntylvania is authority for the fact that enly'44% of homo* In Philo- delphia ore telephone equipped. This survey, an accurate cross-section sample of the population of the Philadelphia Area, included the other very important 56%.