Variety (Jun 1943)

^ o«laeMl«y« June 23, 1948 43 Hy Blames 2 Nets' for Pressure Attack on FCC; ThreateiB Probe Washington. Jiine 22. 4 A leeislative investigation of a •piessuie campaign' by radio inter- wis scelting to discredit the Supreme Court network decision was hinted Monday (21) by James L. Fly. chair- niiin of the Federal Communications Commission, ut his press conference. Fly named the 'two big nctworlis' niKl said they were using the Na- tional Association of Broadcasters in this smear campaign. The networic rules,' he said, 'are woiking splendidly, according to re- port!:. Individual stations and some nclworlts .seemed pleased. But the two big networks, of course, are not happy. I think even they will come around to seeing that the rules aren't as bad as they paint them.. ■I regret to report, 'Fly continued.' thill ihry are heading up a campaign of polilical piessure. Utilizing every .iviiilnblc facility of the NAB for their campaign. Eventually nil of this will come out in the open. Re- cently, inspired editorials have been ftfi\ out in unidcntiflable envelopes tu stations to the effect, that for snnie strange reasons, the policy of allowing the.se stations the privilege uf selecting their own programs, is nn infringement on freedom of spcefh.' Fly then reminded the newsmen of thr Black Senatorial Investigating Cnmniittee. which several years ago iiiii-ovorod an inspired telcgrnnt cam- paiiin launched by the public utili- ties companies against the Security nnd Exchange Commission's holding company regul.itions. He acidrd that thi.s current campaign will also be imcovercd. The FCC chief refused any com- ment on his recent appearance be- fore the House (Cox) Committee in- vent icating the Commission. In re- sponse to a question, he said the FCC could take no. direct part in the Pctrillo conciliation proceedings, but (Continued on page 46) 'Mayor' WiO Be Minns Jive Unless AFM Eases The Ageiijcy Looks at Gag Men By ROBERT T. COLWELL Vic«-Pr«(id*nt J. Walter Thompion Co. Will B* a Feature In the Radio Talent ♦REVIEW AND PREVIEW of I he 1943-44 Staaon to Be Publiahed July 7 Hollywood, June 22. Summer session of Lionel Barry- morc's 'Mayor of the Town.' begin- ning July 7, will be without music unless the American Federation of .Musicians relaxes its demands on RuthraufI & Ryan, the agency plac- ing the show, to hypo the budget. The union dctnands the equivalent pay of nine men if an organ or any other kind of instrument is used on the .stanza. I'ro.-cnt plans are to forego music and use some other device to bridge the missing musical passage. Vallee Leaving Sealtest; Spot To Haley or PoweD Hollywood. June 22. Rudy Valee leaves the Sealtest .show either July 1 or 6 to complete his advance training in the Coast Guard, with duly possibly extended to other areas. Joan Davi.s, comedi- enne on the program, takes over 'the village store,' and scripters will have her picking out a helper from the several 'applicants' booked for guest shots. Jack Haley, committed to the show for six guest appearances, may eventually inherit the Vallee spot, although nn definite decision will be made by James McFadden, radio di- rector of McKce Si Albright agency, until after the trial period. Also under consideration Is Dick Powell, whose deal with 'Campana is reported to have developed a chill. Dennis Day has the guest date July 8. NO REFORM, JUST LACK OF GOODS The war ha* prodnced an Im- proved trend In radi* In that it has Inadvertently braufht a gradaal Rhertcnlng of eooinierclal lengUia, according to radio network and pro- cram agency executives. The lack ef t*pdt to tell, Ihe turn to Inatltn- tlonal, keeplng-thc-naine-before-Uic public attitude has shortened many a sales talk. Asked if this might, educate spon- isors in new habits, and thus result in a permanent improvement, some executives gave a doubtful answer. One pointed out that since Alfred Lasker introduced his 'reason why' theory of advertising, in contrast to the slogan type of selling, that many advertising men are convinced that lengthy advertisements sell more goods than short, to-the-point copy. Thus, he said, spon.sors will not be permanent converts, but will go back to the long advertising spiel when the war is over. One flaw in this logic, it was pointed out by another executive, i." that while lengthy ads in black and white may have proved proflt- able, the advertiser does not take mto consideration nuisance value in radio. A person doesn't have to continue reading a printed ad, but if he wants to tune out a too-lengthy spiel on the dial, off goes the whole program, and perhaps that network for .several hours or an entire eve- ning. KEISET WITH 'SEXES' John Kelsey is the pew assistartl producei on 'Battle of the Sexes' and 'March of Time' for Young & Rubi- cam. Kel.sey moves over from WMCA. GRACIE HELDS TO MOVE TO MUTUAL IN FALL Pall Mall (American Cigaret & Cigar Co.) will assign Gracie Fields, to Mutual when vhe returns to her broadcasting stint in the fall. Her period on Mutual (9:15-9:30) will be an hour earlier than it has been on the Blue Network. Miss Fields winds up on the Blue July 9 and shortly afterwards departs for a summer's stay in England. The time billings involved, if flgiired on a 52-week basis, amounts to $700,000. Signing of the contract was held up several days while Mutual sought to induce WGN. Chicago, to clear the spot. Ruthrauff tt Ryan, agency on Pall Mall, had made the deal contingent upon the network's producing WOR, New York, and WGN as part -of ihe hookup. WGN had to move Bond Clothes and WOR, Feigenspan Brewing Co., each across- the-board customers. Iim Hdlips May Go With Tbonipson At 15(j Yearly to (hsh RM. Radio Cro88>Country Tour By RALPH EDWARDS Chronicles the Bond • Selling jaunt by the "Truth and Conse- quences" program, with timely hints to Other producers inter- ested in loaning their shows to the Government. A Feature in the Radio Talent 'REVIEW AND PREVIEW' Special Edition to Be Pub- lished July 7 Whiteman Ukdy Cinice for Ford's Tri-Widy. od Blae Following the exit ft Earl Godwin next month, the Ford Motor Co. will retain the Monday, Wednesday. Fri- day and Saturday 8 to 8:15 p.m. pe- riods on the Blue Network and add Sunday half-hour (8-8:30 p.m.). The Godwin news series occupied the 8-8:15 slot every day of the week. Paul Whiteman will likely have the Monday, Wednesday and Friday as- signment. Ford will have a program coming out of Detroit Saturdays, while the Sunday .segment will be devoted to a program of musical comedy and light opera music, with the cast consisting of Josephine Hus- ton, Wilbur Evans and Jo.sef'Stopak. conductor. ^ Whiteman, who does/a Sunday stanza for Chase & Sanbdrn on NBC Sundays, was auditioned to Ford Monday-oLght (21.)-. Tojt Huslon- Evens-Stopak combination has been sustaining for the Blue' Sunday jmati- nees for several months. Irna Phillips, one of the top money-makers among the creators and writers of daytime serials, haa in)der consideration a proposition to join the Holly wood-office of the J. Walter Thompson agency as a staff scriptist in the fall. Miss Phillips, according to intimates, will probably confirm the 'Thompson offer at the end of this week. Her decision to accept the ageiKy connection and di^:pose of her Chicago home will be •.ctuatcd by two reasons: (1) An urge, which she has frequently ex- pressed, to get into the nighttime phase uf radio and (2) a desire to establish a home fur her adopted .son and daughter in California. ML<s Phillips has two daytime se- rial.s. 'Road of Life' (Procter Sl Gam- ble) and 'Lonely Women' (General Mills.) currently running on CBS. .Although her deal with Thompson would allow her to continue with both contracts. Miss Phillips may decide to either sell or farm out the rights to the two operas. During her writing career Miss Phillips has authored more daytime .serials and grossed more money than any other person in the same fleld. Around three years ago, she had four sfMasored serials going at one time on the networks, with each of these netting her around $500 a week, or an annual gross of approxi- mctely S200,000 on the quartet. Part of her Thompson assignment would be the adaptation of the scripts on the 'Lux Theatre' series • CBS). The move would entail a considerable monetary sacrifice, since the .salary propo.sed by Thompson is $15,000 a year. Miss Phillips has told friends that what she was primarily interested in was not the money to be derived from such an agency connection, but the opportunity to get away from her exclusive association with daytime .serials and to learn the business ol nighttime radio. • MARGIN MAY LEASE XRIME DR.'TO BIOW Max Marcin's latest idea about his 'Crime Doctor' program is to lease li to the Blow agency, which would conlii\up it Sunday nights on CBS /or Philip Morris. The scripter has previously talked about yanking the series off the air to give him time I0 work on a legit play he has in mind. VVith Marcin currently in Mexico City on vacation, meanwhile writing Ihe^ stanza from there, "Crime Doc- tfr' is on a week-to-week basi.s. However, Ray Block's contract as niu>ical director stipulates that he nuisi get four-week notice, which l>as not been given. If Marcin were to lease the show to Biow, the agency would' probably move origination to the Coast, where Its production director, Carl Kuhl. is located. Latter arrived in New York this week for donfabs. Strictly Seasonal Paul Kesten. CBS general manager, left Friday (18) for a three-week ^ aration. This time it was not prompted by •vcrwork or poor health, but just a >casonal urge. Radio Talent REVIEW AND raEVIEW 1043-44 Radio $kmson PuhUeaiion Date JULY 7 Advertising Forms Close July 2 Owens-Dliiiois Moving Program West to Satisfy Fletcher Wfley's Yen Fletcher Wiley will be able to re- main with the Owens-Illinois daily- Fv.rics on CBS and at the same time satisfy his yearning for his ranch on the Coast. The account and the agency, D'Arcy. are'slated to decide at a meeting today (Wednesday) the date of the migration. It will be somewhere within three weeks. Wiley had expressed himself as unhappy over having to remain in New York and indicated that he would quit the program unless the .series were moved to the Coast. Ac- cording to the agency, Wiley's con- tract .stipulated that the program was to originate from the vast for the first 13 weeks, but Wiley of late has been urging that the switch be made before then. The .series went on the air May 10. . In addition to wanting to get back t(i his interests on the Caam, which includes his 'Housewives' Piotective League,' Wiley ha.s been harboring a grievance over the .series itself. He has felt that ho has been pre- vented from doing th(> sort uf .-tuR on which he had built his reputation as a daytime personality. Bob Shayon WUl Sub For Ailing Wm. Spier Robert Louis Shayon planed Mon- |day (21) to the Coa'^t to .-.ubstitute : for William Spitr on the latler s CBS ' .shows originatign there. Spier is re- ;c(jvering from a heart attack. I fihayon will probably be gone iiboul four week.s. 'Miss Duffy' Wanted Ed G.irdner, of "Duffy's Tavern,' .- auditioning for a new Mi.ss Duffy. The present Miss Duffy is Shirley B(joth. ihc former Mrs. Gardner, ' who is sticking in 'Tomorrow the ; World.' legitcr at Barrymore, N. Y., I and not moving with the program to Ihe Co.i.'-l..