Variety (March 1944)

WednesiiAy, March 1« 1944 RADIO 41 Inside Stuff-Radio Guest talent from Paramount on the four Kate Smith shows from Coast will be paid full salaries in compliance with rule 15 of American Federa- tion of Hadio Artists. Studio waived its contractual right to assign the playtTS for gratis exploitation of their pictures. To avoid a recurrence of the Louella Parsons episode, when stars appeared on "Hollywood Hotel" at AFKA minimum, Claude McCue, executive secretary, and Austin Sher- man; his assistant, conducted an investigation and learned that there was no infraction of the cut-rate rulings ' ' Whether Ted Collins or Paramount is footing the guest bill was not revealed, but AFRA's only interest in tlie proceedings was to see that their members were protected. Studio contractees are obligated to one free tadio guest shot to exploit the picture in which they appear. " Companion book to "13 by Corwin" is being brought out by Henry Holt & Co. on March 6, timed to hit the book stalls with the new "Columbia Presents Corwin," Tuesday night series, which bows in March 7 on CBS with "Movie Primer." New Norman Corwin tome, called "More by Corwin," contains 16 radio dramas, including "We Hold These Truths," a long condensation from the "This Is War" series, the satiric "Mary and Fairy," etc. Also included is "Cromer," one of the dramas written by Corwin during his visit to England last year, when he produced a series of programs for CBS and BBC. Book carries an introduction by Clifton Fadiman. Citing wartime conditions ^ith the attendant paper shortage, difficulties with printer.?, mails, etc., NBC press department last week surveyed the radio editors of newspapers throughout the country on the usefulness of the network's NBC's News Features weekly handout. Idea is to invite general comments concerning NBC press service in the interest of effecting wartime economies, although there's an added gim- mick in presTs chief John McKay's notation that "if you^could send us sev- eral-tearsheets-Avhieh-would-indicate how the material is Seing" usedrit' w;ould be most helpful." Leigh White, CBS cot'respo<ident now on leave for the study of post-war affairs at Harvard University on a Nieman Fellowship, has penned an ac- count of his year and a half experiences in the Balkans. Volume, tabbed "The I*ng Balkan Night," published by Charles Scribner's Sons on Mon- day (28). White roamed the Balkans from the Spring of IMO through the blitz in 1941. He was wounded while traveling viai train from Belgrade to Athens by a strafing Nazi plane. He returned to tlie U.S. after a month in a Greek hospital. V : Neville Miller, retiring president of NAB, has circulated personal mes- sages. of thanks and appreciation to thousands in and out of the industry preparatory to turning the office over to John H. Ryan. Message in form of printed card signed by Miller reads in part: "Since it is not possible to write each one individually, l am taking this inadequate' but nevertheless sincere way< of sajiing how much I have appreciated your many kindnesses, that I have enjoyed working with you, and that I hope I shall have the pleasure of seeing you many times in the future." A check for $48,606.51, representing collections in the Fourth Mile O' Dimes campaign conducted jointly by KMOX and the St. Uuls Globe Democrat, was turned over to the St. Louis infantile paralysis committee last week. Campaign was under the direction of Jerry Hoekstra, war pro- grams director of KMOX. . This is the greatest amount raised in the four St Louis drives, being 116,793.25 more than last yeas'* total. NXall to Head NBC Newii iDvaskm' Staff Francis McCall, assistant man- ager of the NBC news room in N. Y„ leaves, for England soon to head the web's news stall covering the in- vasion.. Understood clearance for McCall to leave for overseas, came tlirough this weefk. . FCC "Curbs," Petrfflo Target of NAB DisL 6 In Memphis Powwow Memphis, Feb. 29. Hoyt B. Wooten, president of WRSG here, was reelected director of District 6, National A-ss'n of Broadcasters, at the meeting here last Friday (25) and Saturday (26), attended by SV' stations.' District also -voted condemnation of - Ameri- can Federation of Musicians record- ing demands and FCC ."curbs" on the radio industry. One resolution -called upon the War Labor Board to reject the de- mands of James C. Petrillo in re recordings and _ radio. >^nother called for a "'declaration of inde- pendence by this - indu.stry," urging revision of the FCC act to give broadcasting a freer hand without Federal control; Latter resolution asiked that FCC be definitely defined and came after talk by C. E. Arney, Jr., of NAB, who declared "the recent Supreme Court decision gives FCC absolute control over radio and our problem becomes whether radio shall .be a free enterprise or a .tiovernment- controlled enterprise." CBS BOND PROGRAM MAY GET SPONSOR "Recreation Ball," the variety- music show which Larry Bems, CBS producer, went- to' the Coast to write and produce fof .' a. two-shot bond pitch, is being looked over as a sponsor possibility. Aired Jan. 23 and 30 on 8^8:30 p.m. slot, show starred Clarole Landis and had three servicemen guests. Format will be retained. War Boom Biz Hypoes Small Radio Mf rs.; ^ Shots Face New Competish By JAMES S. POOLER Detroit, Feb. 29. The stockbroker, the butcher: and even the smart high school kid are all going into the radio biz after the war. No, they don't want to be broad- casters or studio engineers. They want to make the big money. They have started to make a dog fight to become the local distributors of the millions of new radio sets America will be buying. They are scrambling to get in on the ground floor of F-M, television or whatever, the future brings. , The fact that a na,tional scramble has started for the prize' distributor- ships also reveals tl^at the post-war period is going to be a highly com- petitive war between radio manu- facturers. The beginning o£ the war saw most of the radio set business cen- tered in the big companies with the small concerns on the ropes. It ain't that way any morej ^Th'e~small fry" radio concerns, plenty of them in Michigan, which were anemic; got- fattened up on war vitamins. Most of the small concerns, worlcing close to. the war industries, got huge gov- ernment contracts for iXadio equip- ment which permitted plant expan- sion, research and. a salting away of profit5|o give them a headlong start in the post-war race for business. Many former, small - radio manu- facturecs are rolling in enough dough today- to ibe buying full-page ads in the Post, Colliers and other 'national magazines: What has . been touched off is the fact that millions of canny Americans, aware of the growing shortage of sets and realising the; industry is on the verge of improve- ments which' will outmode - former types of reception, evidently all. want to get into the distributor business.: Post-War Bids The small local concerns—in De- troit, Ann Arbor,: Grand Rapids and other Michigan citie.s—have been swamped with thousands of post- war bids from all parts of the coun- tiy. One owner here figured Out that if the coinparatively unknowns of the business arc-pulling that kind of a response from the public, the big companies must have tens of thousands of : would-be distributors on their doorsteps. He pointed out that the radio business seems to be pulling the cream of potontial dis- tributors and that even the small .companies don't stand tO; lose by having the opportunity to set up top- notch sales agencies. His point also was that it is going to be no pipe to determine which is a small radio manufacturer any more the way plants have grown: under the war boom, piled up capital. and estab- . ILshed big research departments. The posti-war reshuffle may see plenty: of the former minor concerns race up to the top spots through choice sales staffs and sound manufacturing ideas. Watson-Dodd-Lovett —Cj»e4Iear-Sliowdown^ Watiion, Washington, Feb. 29. Dodd,. Lovett matter : headed, closer to- a showdown last Friday (25) when the Senate okayed a; House-approved resolution wfaich. permits the House to. hire .outside counsel to defend the case against the trio. - , :'■: . The men, two formerly employed by the FCC and the other by the Interior Department, were ordered fired by ah Act of Congress last summer, on the -grounds that , they were-affiliated with Communist or? ganizations. Action followed a chargo by the Dies Committee, followed up by a special House Conimitteei The men chacgfed that Congress had no right to oust them and have filed suit in th« Federal courts for their back pay. House'decided that, since the Attorney General had ruled the Congressional action was illegal, it had better defend the case with CouhSel of Its own choosing.