Variety (Nov 1944)

20 RADIO WVdnrsilay, November 1, 194| "Vox Pop' From Conn. Hospital for G! Disabled Points Up Duty of Public By JAMES L. C'ONNERS. '. Albany. Oct. 31., "Vox Pop." in a b'roadc, l.2'8) over CBS from the Old Farms Hos- pital, Avon. Conn. brought to the nuke a group oi blinded war vetei- . ans.fo'r as 'moving a demonstration ■ of GI morale -as has yet been,', re- vealed on the air. A series o1 lntt-i- views (apparently unrehearsed! did more!'■to show concretely what in- jured servicemen's morale . mcrm.- than 100.000 words or. 100 sketches, ■■' If the Army or OW1 were 1 able-to make a transcription of the half- hour, with the advertising eliminated (rather difficult, perhaps, because of Bromo-Seltzer's format", it might veil release/ the platters to even, station in the country, for public' service salvos ' Vox Pop' shot could be a forerunner of the campaign,, im- ported in ''Variety" (25 >, to be launched by Surgeon General s of) ice of the Army, to educate the publ'V in how; to handle treatment of the discharged . vets,. The /Connecticut origination sharply limned the atir- tude relatives, friends and strangers should adopt toward disabled boys, especially: the sightless,..... . Interviewer Warren Hull asked the direct question of a blinded GI. from Vicksburg. Miss. The young man, whose bride to be. from Reading. Pa,, was introduced, stressed that no one should offer to help, a sightless veteran, "unless he requests-it.". The. Mississippian. who intends to; return to sales :work, said that, when lie was home:, two or three Of the family wanted to help at,every turn This tends to rob the sightless GI of "in- dependence.','he said. . Another blinded veteran.: a kid iif. 20 who was struck by a. Nip mortar ■on a South Pacific island, had . men- tioned, that, people., on' the street tended, to stare at him and his pals carrying white canes and this tended to cause collisions. Pedestrians Should, get out. of the way, he said. The youngster, revealing an optim- ism and a gaiety that would shame folks with all /their, faculties, hud won second prize/in a dance contest at Hartford a few nights before; He laughingly talked of hiking, horse- back, riding. . gymnastic 'exercises, skating and of "going over the ob- stacle course with my buddy today." Lad and other interviewees insisted they could do anything and every- thing a sighted person can do, and Irf some cases do it better, . A kidding line that must . have clutched at the heartstrings of many listenVtN was uttered by a bull-fiddle pla\i« 'name .sounded like John C'achalo) formerly with name bands. «lui said . he was studying touch typing and. /•couldn't peek like sighted .folks," Musician i intends to continue in that field i also quipped that/lie learned Braille before going entirely Mind, .'"but, I. learned it back-, ward and upside down. I haa to start iil; over again.- Explosion of a bnoby trap at a training camp, cost tu> sight,- Gf. tabbed as hav-ing-been with Artie Shaw and other orches. Iras, did a pop number with his brother.' a pianist. One of his prizes: was-' a /tour of favorite 52nd street spots, "ail night if you wish." Parks Johnson and Hull did a superb 'job. E. T. Heckler / : Engineering, mix up- on. a Dick Gilbert-WHN. N. Y. Show last week; had the Republican Na- tional Committee doing, a burn. Happened- .-, after Gilbert. an- nounced/the usual paid politi- cal" tiling, sponsored by the Women's DiViMon ol the GOP, But with -the wrong recons flipped in :the .control booth, whatM-ame oh the air was Frank Sinatra s pla.lt.wed talk on Why 1 am voting.'for Roosevelt/ And It,-played through to the very end. :. - /,''..'/ ,/'- '' :.-.' Paul Returns to CBS, Works Out New Show Norman Paul, ex-CBS press mfo. staffer, has returned \p- the web as a 'member of the program dept. after a fling,at the freelance gag-writing ■game.. He's slated to work on new program-ideas , First conirib is a dramat series be- ing considered . as . sustaining fare labelled "Postmark - Home". : Paul and producer Jack Carney have put one installment on wax. It's a GI s letter-from-home format;. . ' Joe Mansfield to Produce Raleigh's 'Carton' Stanza Joe Mansfield. NBC producer., gets his first sponsored assignment next week (81 when he takes over the pointed-index-firigcr duties on Henny Youngman's Raleigh cigaret stanza. Mansfield joined NBC last year from New England where he was affiliated with : , WJAR, Providence, among other stations. He's been handling producer tasks 6n -NBC-' sustainers heretofore, the a.m:"Mirth & Madness" session be- ing his latest assignment in that catecory , Capt. Bob Light In Charge of AFN The Amencan Forces Network. J dperatilig in . the European theatre Of- war"and now knocking out more than 90 news shows seven day- per week, lias undergone- several shifts in personnel > ,'■. .•. Major John S Hayes former , of- ficer in chaigs, is now. associate di- rector of Troop Broadcasting Ser- vice "1 SHAEF,.along with LI. Col: David Nivcn. who.is also a director of. TZS-SH AEF, Capt, Robe: I Light is now oflicer .in charge of AFN with lit; Jack' London assuming the exec officer spot. Capl. Alan Camp- bell., Hollywood writer and husband of Dorothv Parker, als.i now'is with, AFN. "//-'/'' Jimmy ■ Boyle, formerly: of ■ the RKO home office publicity depart- ment who's with the AFN'. on .the other .side.' reports that When Ring Crosby, Fred Astaire and Marlene Dietrich, were .oh army entertaining tours, fhey /visited AFN'sRadio City of Europe." Crosby and Astaire recorded, a few musical station breaks tor AFN. '.,'/'„ Football Flavor to Chi Show Seeking Juves For After-School War Jobs Chicago, Oct. 31, New promotional stunt to lure 'teen-agers into war jobs after school hours was preemed over WCFL Sunday <29". Heavily hit by man- power shortage. Alden's Chicago Mail Order House, which has tried car 'Cards and billboards without much success are.sponsoring the 15- minute show at 11:15 Sunday, morn-: iugs. '-/',-'''•■■; ''/ ■.'/•. '.'• .'/'.•;'/'■.'•-■'•'■",. '■'[.'■ Airer, parted lot 13 weeks with option, features emcee's appeal to students patriotism: review: by two Chicago sports .writers, of Saturday grid games; score forecasts for -Sim? day and during the week: and two- minute spiel, bv a highsehool prrn- ctpal. Sports scribe-- alternatett are Clark Shauglme ? s>, Ji , .News, Phil Wfwiiait. fitv Neus Bureau: Bob Tatar. .Sun; Harold Butchin. Times;. Tommy KouzmaiiolT. .Herald-Amer- ican,, and, Dave Condon. Trib. /' •» NAME JIM SHOUSE NAB 7TH DIST DIRECTOR '. Louisville, Oct. 31. '.' Bi-annual meeting of the Seventh District.. NAB. Was held Saturday (281. in the WAVE auditorium James Shouse! v. p. of thed'osley Radio. Corp., -was chosen -director, succeeding Nathan Lord. , gen.' nigr. of WAVE here.. BUGLER'S LAMENT . St. Louis. Oct. 31. Cpl, ■ Gerald M. Whittington, for- mer warbler at KSD and a member of: the Municipal Opera Assn. chorus, has composed a song, "Bug- ler's Lament".^ which has' been ac- cepted by the Army Air Forces for distribution to all of its installations. V Whittington, currently, is sta- tioned at Camp Crowder. Mo. . TUMS MULLS PEARCE, LOOKS FOR TIME SLOT Hollywood. Oct 31: Sponsorless for one-of the longest spells of his. productive career span- ning 15 years of regional and. na- tional commercialized"' farcing. Al Pearce' looks set for a comeback. Lewis-Howe Chemical iTums) is dickering with "Elmer Blurt" an.d his sundry associates for a mid-No- vember entry on the chain that; of- fers the best.time inducement.. :.;'"; Pearce's variety formula would.be put to work for Tunis as it has for a dozen other underwriters, with the cast, reading from left to right, prac- tically the same as in former years. CIO Laying Out $300 On Spots b St. Louis St. Louis. Oct. 31. The CIO is having its:first fling at radio in this neck of the- woods and while its effort*, are local it may possibly buy time on a net . outlet. The United Electrical. Radio and Machine Workers ' of America are spending approximately $300 .foi 40 spot announcements oil WTMV, East St.-Louis, and WIL. St.'/Louis. The union is using 25 one-minute p.m. political' shots on the East St. Louis station and 50-word spots on wil. : z z". v Attempt to Cite Nets On COP Speeches Fails Washington, Oct. 31. FCC yesterday (SOI./denied peti- tion filed against the four national webs by William B. Rubin, of' Mil- waukee. He wanted' hearings against all web affiliates which carried e'er tain- political speeches by Govs. Dewey and Bricker and Rep. Clare Boothe Luce IR, Conn,) to ' show cause why their licenses should not ■be revoked. He charged ■ in his petition that Dewey, Bricker and Mrs. Luce "wil- fully, maliciously and repeatedly made unjustified charget against the President of the United States, broadcasting defamatory and untrue matter." He also wanted the Webs to make "corrections and retractions" of these political speeches. NY. Tooters' Pay Hike Gets WLB OK Waty Labor Board last week final ' ly okayed the tipping; of radio scale, for Local 802, N. Y„ musicians. h{. crease was effective as of last April but wasn't confirmed by the WLB until now. Money was being held in escrow for musicians pending an af- firmative decision. Division of over $1,000,000 held in escrow by ad agencies, stations and networks, to be divvied among mem bers of 802, starts this week.' Z ■ z New rates call for $14 for 30-mint ute broadcast or any fraction thereof and $18 for a full hour or. less if more than a half-hour Rehearsal lime remains the same-^$(S an hour Old-scales were $12 an hour or'anv traction thereof, : . Contract sets three classes of uy on house bands. Musicians working 25 hours weekly, either commercial ' or stistainihg,' will ^now gev' $105 weekly. Former rate was. $150. Con- ductors' pay: is tipped from $262.50 to $238.75. House men working 2» hours weekly .go from $125 to $132:25; conductors from $210 to $231.4s! House men doing sustainers only . jump from $120 to'.$-120.50; conduct- ors from $201.25 to $223.40. Minimum web hotise staff was set at 65-roeit.:'''-' Copyists were 'increased to $80.59 from $75 and head, librarians to $165 from '$150. Assistant librarians go from $75 to . $86.25. Contract for house men-, copyists and librarians is retroactive to Aug.,1. WLB also approved 5«; pay in- creases .for. house . men at WQXR, WEVD, WINS. WMCA. and WNEW, N. Y.: -WHOM. Jersey City, and WBNX, Bronx. Effective dales oil each of the stations vary in accord- ance with the/individual contract... DUNHAM RESIGNS FROM RELIGIOUS ORG. COMM. Franklin Dunham has resigned the chairmaDship of the organizing com- mittee for. a proposed Association of Broadcasters of- .Religious Pro- grams. As a result , the New. York meeting. Nov. 10-11, has been moved Zback to Nov. 21, when Wiliard John- son of the Conference of Christiana and:Jews.will succeed;Dunham. The committee has never held.the. meet- ing authorized last May in.the Col- umbus. Ohio, panel discussions on religion of the Institute for Educa- tion by Radio. : , Prof. Fred Eastman of the Chicago Theological Seminary is active in': promoting this project. O.K. to KTHT * /Houston, Oct. 31. Approval haa been given Roy Hof- heinz by the FCC for the continued operation of KTHT, which has been test broadcasting since early sum- mer. .'•■■■.' ■ - .'':■'. Overseas for USO Since Jan. '43—Now in Belgium FRED LIGHTNER Dir.: PHIL COSCIA HERE'S