Variety (March 1944)

Wednesday, March 29^ 1944 RABIO 35 Mer Nixes WMCADebateOn Ak Controvorsy senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana didn't want any part of the wrangle between radio commenta- tors and Congress occasioned by the Winchell-Di*s feud. Wheeler was Skeddcd to appear on WMCA, N. Y, ■,6ri-rTfiwrsd^v1'?3)' flight, ;biat ;:,late; Wednesday (22) afteinoon, the Sen- ators office notified the station Ihrough Richard Eaton, its Washing- ton correspondent, that Wheeler woUid be unable to make the brpad-: cr«t. The station then offeved to peimit him to malte a recording of ■ his r'eTn.srfe:"at.^fiis'Swiv, eonv'ehiencfe. 50 that his speech could be aiicd at the skedded time. Wheeler's office stated that, the Senator had. "no conuiienl" on the situation and Rep: Will Rogers, Jr., was pencilled in a.s a sub. ■, : J^ogers declared; that radio, com- mentators should have the right to cfiticiVe Congressmen and that those attacked on the floors of . ,Congress ■: sho^ld-haV-e,the ■right.,to aflsw^^^^ such '.attacks'. biit , that personal, .app'ear- ^aace'^ ■belore the body in . which'the •cpmroentatpr .w^s .attacked vi'as im- practical. He classed such attacks as attempts by Congressmen to si- lence their political opposition He also., expre.s.sed the belief that broad- castcM had handled the pioblcm of radio time for Congressmen very Similar viewpoint had been stated eailier in the week by Sen. James L Muriay of Montana appearing on the same station. COCA-COLA me^AIRlNG mm BY STRIKE D'Arcy ad agency was forced last week to cancel almost at the last minute a scheduled Coca-Cola broadcast from Mexico City by a band under the direction of Gon- zala Cariel. CanceJlaliOn was due to a atrikc of telephone employees in the Mexico City area, which pre- vented a hookup designed, to' Carry the broadcast into this country. Coca-Cola has several times,orig- inated broadcasts jn Me;!UG0' City; pickmg up, among others, the Amerr ican band of Everett Hoagland, which has been playing m that city for more than a year. HAMMOND'S 4-F Larry Hammond, freelance radio ^riter:and producer and former chief of radio for the War Man- power - Commission, received a 4-F reclassification last week. Hammond leaves this week for a trip to M^XiCo and wrll-decide'■on a new connection when he lelurn.. Hijra, Dick Himber! Bunninger, radio's mind reader and mental wi2, Jhad McKee- Albrlght agency e^ecs bewild- ered when he left that office last week after a conference. Hat and coat in hand, Dun- ninger,. pondering for a moment, : tiirned'to on« of the exces and said, "Gosh, I forgot the aiddress of'that, agency agairii" Would you please let me see a phone booli RD I can look up the.'Newell'! Emrhett office?"' Arquette, Graham Sob For Army-Bound Abner Hollywood, March 28. Two of the most versatile actors iri,..Co£'it.'5'adio, Cliff■'.•A;rciuQ .Frank ■.Oraham,. will-."create.';■ hew,: chaiacteis foi Lum and Abner series aitci Koins Goff lAbner) reports fpi: 'induction-May'?2, .nine.;^ be-- iore kis.:38th;;birthdai^ ; Arquette- will double; over from '"Point Sublime,"- on which he has -had'the "lead'for the"past"Touf"ycai:s. He will play Abner, Sr. CBS Station Survey Shows Sports^ Kid %ows Liked By Affiliates CBS research depaitmenl, has cn- culated a booklet among Columbia stations summarizing opmions; rc» .cently siibmitfed ;by. .';n.l .'ottUets" on programming 'types; and iTends. de-. .'Sired ,by..the web's.a.ffiltele. njembers. One outstanding fact ie\ealed was that type preferences e.xpicssed by the station. ;exees were in close agree- ment with opinions reflected in inder pendent li-stener sinrveys,' CBS- .stations,. howeverj. a,sscrtcd their independence, in. s6ihe respects: ?n,<*tab'ly in ranking spbrtsrev'ents and ;'Childi'en's entertainment .. higher .9n their lists than . :did the web in a panel study conducted some two. years.; 'agOf'..' fte'siltts. fabuiated.;:li)y rgf.' searchers and recently printed show stations ranking spoits events second arid;' ehildrerljs ■ ■.shows ' th ifd o i'v.; tfeii" desirability . listing..' ' .A'.poll; :ta..'..deterfrt.iji,e; ipopitlafity;; .of CBS sustamers j:eturned ' Suspense" in first place by a wide margin, nearly three to one, over "Sing .Along." "Transatlantic Call." CBS- BBC cooperative Sunday daytimer wound up in sixth place, an indica^ tion that the British net has made progress in recent months m attract- ing listeners on this side of the pond. Best alltime sustainer carried by the net, according to CBS stafionj, was a dead heat with the New York Pnilharmonlc : concerts, deadlocked with "Man Behind the Gun." WFIL, Expanding, Pacts Kuth Foxx As Writer Philadelphia, March 28. Huth Foxx, former program direc- : tor of WBKYi. Louisville,, has "been . added to the WPIL program writing.. staff, as part of the local program :; expansion program recently started . I by, the station.: •' [ '.;Miss "t'oxx:. wa.S jfq'rnicr. director.'of ■;> continuity at WAGA. Atlanta., and. was producer of show,. '"Atlanta.;. Goes to War." Wincbell—Dies = Coatlmicd from page 29 s 24.8;' Dies, -22:8. : The rating agency reportied Winchell at. :2,'5.9: in its March 1.5 report. ''.;;' L "Freedom of the air" is-sue it's agreed; failed to receive clarification '; from the "debate"' with the' industry . 'taking the;;attitude that; things Will probably, simmer down for a while. Oilers Dies Winchell's lime Billing.', Mont, March 28. Any time Cong. Martin Dies wants -to. takf' over Walter Winchell's .15- minute .spot on KGHL Sunday night all he has to do is prepare a. tranr : scnption speech and forward' it to Kd YQcum, general manager •of the. outr let and an NAB director. Yocum has . offered to spot the transcription on; Winchcirs usual time the first Sun- day after it is. received. The KGHL exec at: the same time deplored what he said was a " reflec- tion" on the industry because of Dies' experience with.one 'IjEoadcaster and one network which is not a member ef NAB.. Yocum^s station is one of several NBG affiliates which, carries Winchell's sponsored' show, which originates with the Blue network. Cvlambtis. — Richard A. Borel manager of WBNS, Columbus, be- fore entering the service, has been piomoted to major. He is with the general slair in Washington. CREATIVE FORCE with Producer!, Muaical Dir«etori, Hpm^ Economists, Staff Writers, Ntws Editors, and Publicity Dspt.^ maks WTAGi ■ BIG station in a BIG market. WT AG WORCESTER GAGMAN: I" hea'i"' Mok*.. top radio CQmic. Adaptabl* style;'. Prefer .current •tuff., Exagsorattd refersnces. oampis scripts. Light ester. Tsst ms first. Corn-back guar- •ntse. Lou. DA. 9-Q137 They have written a Best Seller 263,000 COPIES They Lave a program on The Blue Network. Sustaining Daytime* Five times a week. They made fii e announcements during the iveek of March 13lh offering a booklet for 5 cents. To date, more than 263,000 letters and nickels have hurricaned in. And tlie end is not yet. Who are they? What is the program? We, >vill be glad to send you a full story because the program is for sale, and unless we are poor prophets it won't l>e available Aery long. NEW YORK . CHIC.4CO . DETROIT . HOLLYWOOD . PrrrSJJLKCn • SAN FRANCISCO