Variety (Jun 1943)

Wednesday, June 30, 1943 RADIO 35 NBC Casts Oot Female Hollywood, June 29. NBC's thou-shall-nols in New York last week ruled out of bounds for singers on Ha skein a lyrical couplet in Frankie Loesser's high- ranking ditty, 'In My Arms.' Just before going on the air last week, Eddie Cantor (wlio had mouthed the 'naughty' wordage twice before on NBC) was told that this time it's no dice, that something objection- able to someone's sensibilities had been Isolated and the two lines were ruled in 'doubtful taste.' The couplet that brought out the Puritan In the chain's blue-pencll- ers goes like this: 'Give me something nice, cute and female, I'll never And her in the V mail.' Other networks have found nothing In the wordage to shock their finer instincts. CBS'N. t iUTiliates Join Move To End 'Cowcatcher^' 'Hitddiikers' Boston, June 29. 4- The movement «mong CBS af- filiates to prevail on the network to abolish cowcatcher and hitchhike announceHnents has spread to New England. At a meeting of CBS af- filiates in this district last week the network was called on by resolu- tion to get rid of such types of an- nouncements on its hookup pro- grams as 'soon as may be practcable.' CBS afTiliates In the Kansas-Missouri area had adopted a similar resolu- tion just the week before. The New England group's resolu- tion held that the cbwcatcher and hitchhike ajinounccment as used on network programs tended to 'lower the standards of good broadcasting,' 'violated the responi^ibility placed upon .<;tation licensees to 'operate in the public interest, convenience and necessity' and also were there with- out the consent ot the affiliates. A 'cowcatcher' is a blurb which precedes the regular opening an- nouncement of a network program, whereas a 'hitchhiker' Is a plug which comes after the closing .<;ales message of that same progr.im. Both 'cowcatcher' and 'hitchhiker' are supplementary to the product which 'presents' the program. Bhe Waxes for Aodition New Variety Program The Blue network this week, rec- orded for audition a variety show with Johnny Morgan, Diane Court- ney and a large orchestra batoned by Jimmy Lytel. Script was writ- ten by Mort and Lester t«wis and Stanley Fields, with Dee Engelbach directing. Miss Courtney will also be the vocalist on the new Jerry Lester program Sunday nights on CBS, starting July 11. It will have Fred Utal and Ray Sinatra's orchestra. This Sunday night (4) she goes to Montreal to guest on a variety show originating at CBM and heard on CBC. She will plane back for the regular broadcast Tue.<:day night >6) of her R. & H. beer stanza on WJZ, New York. ZERO WITH BLUE KENO. Las Vegas, has joined the Blue as a bonus station of the Mountain Group, bringing the total of Blue affiliates to 158. KENO operates full time with 250 watts on a frequency of 1,400 k.c. WFBR, BALTO, SEEKS AFFILIATION WITH BLUE A high Blue Network official ad- mitted Monday (28) that the web had been approached b> WFBR, Baltimore, about a switch in affilia- tion. WFBR is now aligned with Mu.ual. The official pointed out that WCBM, the Blue's present Baltimore release. Is tied up by the Blue's standard two-year contract and that the Blue, as would happen in the case of any such approach, is giving consideration to WFBR's story. WFBR could have had a Blue franchise several years ago, when NBC decided to swing its Baltimore affiliation from WFBR to WBAL as the latter was about to go 50,- 000 watts. WFBR, after rejecting the offer, engaged in a bitter feud with NBC and turned up as an anti- NBC witness when the FCC was in- vestigating affiliate-network rela- tions. These hearings led to the adoption by the FCC ot its present rules on network broadcasting. Akron.-J{obert Hlnntrs, formerly with WERC, Erie, Pa., has Joined the announcing staff of WJW. Negro Church &oup Burets lOOG For Tolerance Campaign Via Radio Paging Hawkshaw Another of those perenniaf cases of listeners taking radio drama literally occurred last week in New York. Woman, a member of whose family was missing, phoned CBS to ask that Mr. Keene, of the 'Mr. Keene, Tracer of Lost Persons' program, bCassigned to the case. Cocilana's Pro(n^ Hoot The Al Paul Lefton agency if con- tacting stations direct in quest of availabilities for Cocilana cough- drops. The campaign would start Sept. 15. The agency's letter asks for ideas, programs, participations and what- not, . St. Louis, June 29. Approximately $100,000 Is to b« used by the National Council of the African Methodist Church, to buy radio time as a means of fofSstallinc such racial disorders as occurred in Detroit, according to a program out- lined at the annual conclave of the organization here. A series of broad- casts would feature Joe Louis, world heavyweight boxing champ; Marian Anderson,' songbhrd; Negro soldiers, sailors and workers; both Negro and white religious leaders^ and others. The plan was presented last week to bishops and delegates here by Edgar G. Brown, director of the Na- tional Negro Council in Washington. Brown has requested President Roosevelt to make a national radio appeal for tolerance and goodwill which would serve as a prelude to the series of educatranal radio pro- grams. SOMETIMES the elements originate WCCO's orig- inal programs. When the snows come to the Northwest, many of our schools are isolated by house-deep drifts which block roads and tear down poles. School busses have to change schedules or stop cold. Thousands of anxious parents are left without word of their children in the snowed-in areas. Children at home don't know from day to day whether school will be open. So WCCO-<*« NorthwesCs Good Neighbor—haa school principals and bus drivers throughout its vast service-area call, write or wire daily reports to the station during a storm. Then, WCCO puts these reports right on the air. During a storm, the calls come pouring in—from northwestern Hubbard to western Kandiyohi coun- ties—some 200 miles away. During two months of The Northwest's Good Neighbor last year, 254 such reports were sent from schools and bus depots in 82 cotmties... mothers were told that their children were safe and warm at some wayside farmhouse... children were told whether their schools would be open. This fall, when the first snows come in (as early as September), the million radio families of our Northwest will lean once more on their "Good Neighbor," WCCO. For 19 years, it's been a never- failing source of help! Represented by Radio Saki^ the SPOT Broadcasting Division of CBS